My Favorite Things: Skin Care Products

Inspired by Oprah, I've decided to do a list of my favorite things. I know y'all hang on my every word just like you would Oprah's, so I expect sales of these products to skyrocket.

First up: skin care. I care a lot about taking care of my skin. It's your largest organ! My mom has terrific skin, which makes her look a lot younger than her 62 years. I've been taking care of my skin since I was about 13, but it's even more important now that I live on the East Coast given how cold and blistery New York winters can be (and New Hampshire winters, where I went to undergrad, were even worse).

see? great skin! 

I tend to buy clothes from a combination of Joe Fresh, H&M, J.Crew Factory, Banana Republic sales, and Ann Taylor Loft. Nothing too expensive (I covet the full price J.Crew sweater I bought a year ago). But when it comes to my skin, I try to invest in good skincare products, even if they cost a bit more. So here's what I use on a daily basis, with the caveat that for the best skin, perhaps the most important thing you can do is eat a healthy diet!

from left: Philosophy's Purity face wash and Hope in a Jar for Dry Skin moisturizer, Dermalogica's Skin Prep Scrub exfoliator, Clinique's All About Eyes Rich eye cream, Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock (SPF 55) and Naturals Multi-Vitamin Nourishing Moisturizer, and Almay's Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover pads

I've used all these products long enough that I feel 100% confident in recommending them, although obviously different products are best for different skin types. With my dryish skin, living in Northeast weather, these are the products I like to use.

Mornings
After consulting with the wonderful Front Street Spa back home in Lynden, WA, several years ago, I was told to wash my face less. I have dry skin, so washing it too frequently causes too much oil production and clogs pores that are tighter because my skin is dry. So, I wash my face at night and just rinse it with cold water in the morning.

Once I've rinsed in the morning, I use Neutrogena's Multi-Vitamin Nourishing Moisturizer for my face and neck (the neck shows your age typically because we forget to take care of it). I then dab on the Clinique All About Eyes Rich eye cream. I love how creamy it feels, and I credit it with my lack of dark circles under my eyes despite my pale skin. Once my moisturizers are on, I apply the sunscreen. I am extremely vigilant about wearing sunscreen and try to remember to apply it to my decollete as well since that's another area that can easily burn, leading to sunspots later on in life (or worse, cancer).

Evenings
At night, I take off my eye makeup using Almay's makeup remover pads, which I love. They're a recent discovery, but they do a great job of taking off eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara. I then wash my face with Philosophy's Purity.

I'm currently using a Clarisonic Mia brush to wash my face with the face wash at night, which I bought using credit card reward points to Sephora. However, I've only been using it for three weeks or so and I'm not 100% sold on it yet, so I can't recommend it fully. I like the way it feels, but I've also broken out a bit. I've heard that this can happen in the first few weeks, and it's also changing seasons in New York, going from humid to dry, which can cause breakouts. Since I'm not sure what exactly is up with my skin, I'm going to reserve judgment for now and report back later.

Twice a week I exfoliate after washing my face, using Dermalogica's Skin Prep exfoliator. Exfoliating is very important for dry skin since it gets rid of dead skin cells (gross, I know) and prevents breakouts while keeping your skin looking glowy and fresh.

Finally, I spread on my Philosophy Hope in a Jar Dry Skin moisturizer as my night cream and then dab on eye cream again for the evening. I much prefer the smell of the dry skin moisturizer; both the boy and I dislike the smell of Philosophy's regular Hope in a Jar moisturizer (to paraphrase him after kissing my cheek once: "ew.")

What skin products do you use and love? Are you a skin care fanatic, too?