The Triple Threat Facial Routine

Being a skincare junkie, always looking for the next "it" treatment and trying promising "miracle potions" left and right - I sometimes get my complexion in trouble :( My bathroom sink is littered with all kinds of cleansers, scrubs, toners and exfoliating treatments...its a disaster area that i am always trying to organize, downsize and arrange in some kind of order...Resistance is futile and i am messy so its always a work in progress!

So when i go overboard with exfoliation, AHA treatments, acne creams or simply get a mysterious rash out own nowhere these masks are my heroes!

No matter how much i mess up the Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Hydrating Mask always soothes any redness, flakes or mini-burns. Its gentle, not greasy, fragrance-free and thanks to the gel-like texture it feels great on the skin so much so that i often forget that i have it on my face. That's no easy feat! Its recommended to leave it on for a minimum of 20 minutes in order to feel the full benefits but I have had it on for hours and even overnight with absolutely no issues.
Aside from the soothing properties i have found that this mask works even better when paired with either a clay or deep cleansing mask.

My current rotation of cleansing masks includes Skinceuticals Clarifying Mask, Sisley Botanical Mask, Malin & Goetz Detox Face Mask, REN Invisible Pores Detox Mask and Ahava Mud Mask. The line up changes constantly and there is only one mask that i have repurchased more than once and of course it just so happens it's the most expensive one too - of course i am talking about the Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask (full review to follow). The purifying effects derived from the cleansing mask as well as the deep pore cleanse; is complimented by the hydration of its  moisture boosting counterpart, which in this case happens to be the Paula's Choice selection.

This "layering effect" seems to restore my skin balance after any treatment, soothing, moisturizing and softening the complexion almost instantly. My favorite and most effective combination happens to be the Omorovicza or Skinceuticals mask followed by Paula's Choice.

When I am feeling particularly ambitious or my skin needs some extra work I add yet another mask to this routine. The formulation of the extra step is chemical exfoliation or resurfacing - my choices being REN Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel or the Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Mask.

I know it sounds like overkill but I cant argue with the results in the mirror - perfection comes to mind (for a day or 2 anyways!).
The triple threat formula is Deep Cleansing-Exfoliating-Hydrating, which is something i strive to find time for about 1-2 times a week. Once the layers have been removed with warm flannel, my skin looks so lively and radiant - instant gratification is great isn't it :-)

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Mask ($15.95) can be purchased here

REN Glycolactic Mask ($55) and other REN skincare is available directjly from their site here

Skinceuticals Clarifying Mask ($49) is sold on their website

My personal choice Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask ($120) is here and is available as part of a Summer Detox Pair ($180) along with the Thermal Cleansing Balm

Do you guys have any Masks to recommend?

All suggestions are very appreciated!

Go ahead enable my next skin care purchase!

XOXO

ANJA

P.S. If you enjoyed this post and want some more Princeza Beauty Musings, please consider following me through GFC, Bloglovin, Pinterest or Twitter! Insert "happy dance" here :-)

Skin Care Jack Pot - Paula's Choice Resist Weekly Resurfacing Treatment with 10% AHA

In my previous post I talked about Alpha-H Liquid Gold Glycolic Treatment that had very little or no effect on my skin! Today I bring you an exfoliator that I can get behind, with results I can see almost overnight and whose price tag doesn't make me cringe when i realize its time to replenish.

It works on the same principle as Liquid Gold however the main active ingredient is 10% AHA which acts as a chemical exfoliant, breaking down and loosening dead skin cell from the surface of your face. The combination of glycolic acid and antioxidants in one formula suggests that it will both repair the skin and stimulate collagen production almost simultaneously .Meaning that this treatment would benefit those concerned with anti-aging, firmness and brown spots just as much as it will help with acne-breakouts and enlarged-clogged pores. In the morning skin looks brighter, smoother, calm, radiant and almost refined - all of this without any irritation or redness.

The instructions advise to use the resurfacing treatment only once a week but the formula is gentle enough that I can cheat and apply it twice a week with no adverse effects. Instead of pouring the solution on a cotton pad I prefer to get a few a drops in the palm of my hand and then just tap it on the surface of my skin until its all absorbed. The stickiness doesn't last very long, sometimes there is a bit of stinging but within seconds the skin feels calm and comfortable.

I am sure that those of you with very sensitive skin could experience irritation and flaking in the first few weeks (as reported on Makeup alley) so i would definitively recommend caution when introducing this to your regiment. However as far as glycolic treatments are concerned i believe that this one is not only one of the most effective but also one of the gentlest as well.
I have been lucky so far - my skin reacted most favorably and wasn't even mildly irritated (for a change!). All I got was renewed, brighter, firmer, more even and maybe even younger looking complexion so this is a clear winner for me.

The Weekly Resurfacing Treatment ($23.16) can be purchased here

Key Ingredients
Vitis vinifera, green tea, Ulmus fulva bark extract, slippery elm bark, glycerin, antioxidant, vitamin C, licorice extract, borage seed extract, chamomile, Boerhavia diffusa root extract, glycolic acid, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, Borago officinalis extract, Avena sativa, grape seed extract, Lamium album flower extract, anti-irritant, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, Chamomilla recutita flower extract, white nettle, AHA, allantoin, Camellia sinensis, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Salix nigra (willow) bark extract, burdock root, willow bark

Do you have a favourite exfoliator?

XOXO

ANJA

P.S. If you enjoyed this post and want some more Princeza Beauty Musings, please consider following me through GFC, Bloglovin, Pinterest or Twitter! Insert "happy dance" here :-)