The Fundementals

Here's a secret that you may not know...(actually if you've ever met my mom and savvy sis you probably do know this) but when it comes to the art of cooking let's just say I'm a true novice compared to the gourmet cooks that they are. They have this uncanny talent to taste something completely blind and be able to replicate it the very next day without any sort of guidance. Now me on the other hand, I've tried that a few times thinking perhaps the brilliant chef trait is genetic, turns not so much. My adventurous dishes are inedible to say the least. I'm well aware that I need to learn the basics, the 1-2-3's of cooking, before I can aspire to the creative artistry of mom and sis. And that's the funny thing, you can have the freshest produce, organic poultry and the finest wine but if they're not used in a proper way the chicken with porcini sauce turns out to be a nightmare-ish mess (even if the recipe says easy in big bold letters). The same protocol-following logic can be applied to a proper and efficacious skin care routine. You can have the most cutting edge products with revolutionary, proven technologies but if they're not used in the right way then you might as well skip it. So to round out our week of the skincare basics 101 I would like to review the proper AM and PM regimen.

Night Routine (Less than 3 minutes)

This is the most important time for your skin to recover and repair. During the day your skin is busy fighting environmental aggressors like pollution and the sun but in the haven of your bed, your skin is able to focus on it's needs to keep your complexion radiant and youthful.

1. Remove eye makeup with Lancome Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover. For waterproof or stubborn makeup leave the cotton pad wet with the remover on the eyes for 30 seconds before wiping off.

2. Cleanse with a glycolic cleanser like MD Formulations Facial Cleanser which gently exfoliates dead skin cells and helps fight fine lines.

3. Wet a cotton pad with your favorite toner and gently wipe the entire face, neck and decolette area to remove trace impurities and makeup. I like Clean and Clear Acne Clearing Astringent to prevent breakouts.

4. Apply 6-8 drops of the Skinceutical CE Ferulic Serum. Make sure to avoid the delicate eye area but to cover the neck and decolette, as after all skin ages there too!

5. Allow the serum to dry and penetrate the skin for optimal absorption (and results!), around 3-4 minutes. Follow with your eye cream and face moisturizer!

Day Routine: (Less than 4 minutes)

1. Cleanse skin. Yes I realize that it is clean from the night before but while your skin is in the night time rest mode it tries to detoxify itself by pushing any impurities to the top layers. To keep these trace elements from dulling your complexionand to remove any excess, unabsorbed product it's always good to wash. Now you can use a milder cleanser like Cetaphil to prep the skin.

2. Tone. Same logic as above, making sure your skin is properly cleaned!

3. Apply 6-8 drops of the Skinceutical CE Ferulic Serum. Remember to allow this super serum to absorb fully before applying the next products to get the anti-aging, 8 times photoprotection benefit.

4. Protect and hydrate your delicate eye area with a spf eye cream like Murad Essential-C Eye Cream SPF 15.

5. Last but not least my favorite part: sunscreen! If you're a foundation wearer then apply a light lotion with SPF like Olay Complete SPF 30 or if you prefer to go au naturale then wear DDF Sun Enhancing Protection lotion SPF 30 for a sheer, self-adjusting coverage. Again allow the skin to soak up the product before applying your makeup.

Usage tip: Now the general rule I like to follow is to apply product in order of their liquidity/viscosity from most liquid to least. So if you use a brightening treatment that's super watery apply it before the Skinceuticals serum. Just always remember to wait 3-5 minutes between layering products so that you allow your skin to properly drink in the product. Think about it when you're overloaded with a million to-do's, running around like a mad man nothing gets taken care of the right way. But when you focus in on one task before tackling the next then you get the best outcome.

The result: A complete skincare regimen that really works!