Beauty Rituals to Follow Religiously

From hair to makeup, every women has their arsenal of weapons to transform their face from the pillow-creased predicament, to the magnificent miracle that walks out the door every morning. However, we all change up our styles, try different shades of eye shadow, lipsticks, mascaras and are perpetually seeking a better outcome.

“At Mary Kay, we believe in five steps to great skincare: cleanse, exfoliate, freshen, moisturize and protect,” says Tiffany Bowden, a Mary Kay Cosmetics representative in Cincinnati.

According to Bowden, thoroughly cleansing the skin means washing your face at least twice per day; once in the morning and once in the evening before bed. “This is especially important around the eye area, which can show signs of puffiness or darkness when there is a build up of toxins, or grime,” says Bowden.

You may associate cleansing and exfoliating close to the same concept. However, cleansing – which should be done twice a day – only removes the oil from your face while exfoliating removes the dead skin that has collected on your face.
 
“Removing these cells will help create a natural glow and the appearance of younger looking skin,” says Bowden.

Bowden recommends exfoliating at least two to three times a week, to ensure dead skin cells are continuously removed from the epidermis. However, if you use a gentle exfoliate, such as those that Mary Kay offers, exfoliation can be done on a daily basis. 

Another important skin care tool is fresheners or toners, which refine the pores. Fresheners help deter excess dirt from collecting on the face and wash away makeup and dirt that the cleansing process might of missed. Just like cleansing, fresheners should be used religiously, every day, as well. But this step precedes the cleansing process.

“One of the key causes of aged skin is dehydration,” says Bowden. “Not only is it important to drink half of your body weight in ounces of water each day, the skin must also be moisturized externally.”

That brings us to our fourth step in important skin care habits, moisturizing. By religiously moisturizing your skin in the morning and the evening, you can achieve softer and younger looking skin.

Bowden assures even oily skin types need moisturizing, due to the fact that skin types are generally oily because their skin is trying to overcompensate from the lack of moisture. However, if you do have oily skin, it is recommended to get an oil-free, water based moisturizer, while dry skin types should go for the intense and creamy moisturizers.

The fifth and final step is protection. With the world on a health kick and fighting global warming, protecting your skin is more important than ever.

“The sun, other than dehydration, is the other leading cause of premature aging,” says Bowden. “Protecting the skin from it [not just for the fear of burning] will keep your skin looking younger.”

Makeup, such as cover up and powder, do offer a coat of protection from the sun, but it’s always important to make sure you are completely safe from the sun. Mary Kay even offers moisturizers and makeup with SPF already inside of the product for your convenience.

“In addition to our five steps, nutrition is the key,” says Bowden. “Eating foods high in good fat like nuts and avocados, avoiding foods high in sugar, salt and caffeine all will help you have better skin longer.”

Now that you know the essentials, stock up your makeup case and use religiously.

PHOTO CREDITS:
Photo: Neysa Ruhl Photography
Location: The McAlpin
Model: Kahlila Alexander