Is “Cleanse-Tone-Moisturize” your beauty routine?

For the longest time I believed that the three-step routine was effective in maintaining great skin. Now that I am in my thirties, I am not too sure that this is sufficient anymore!

I came across an article in the Ladies Home Journal some time back that discussed this issue and they have given us a guideline as to what we should add to our routine and what could be left out.

Exfoliator – Add to routine

• The skins natural shedding process slows down when we age and thus adding this gem to your beauty arsenal is a must! I use Aesop’s Tea Tree Leaf Facial Exfoliant which does a decent job of exfoliating.
• There are scrubs that are sold mixed in cleansers now so there is really a wide variety to choose from. I believe that the St. Ives Apricot Scrub was a firm favorite of most people at some point in their lives!

Serum – Consider adding to routine

• It is believed that the thin liquid texture allows for the ingredients to penetrate deeper into the skin and the fact that it can be layered under sunscreen or moisturizer gives this an added appeal. I am all for stuff that can penetrate the deeper levels of the skin.
  

Eye Cream – Consider adding to routine

• I do believe that those who have dark circles and crow’s feet around this sensitive area must use something to help with the problem. My advice is don’t leave it until it is too late to try and reverse the damage! I reached for the eye cream only when I realized that I was looking more and more like a panda than a regular girl before I looked for creams to treat this area. Estee Lauder has their eye cream which though rich and creamy, I must say did not really deliver for me. I have moved on to other creams now.
• Those with no specific problems may choose to use a moisturizer without acids around the eyes at night which will do the job of keeping the area nice and plump.
  

Facial Mask – Consider adding to routine

• This may not be important for everyone but it can help your skin retain moisture or help clear away excess oil. Go easy on the masks though, not more than twice a week. I remember, because of my oily skin in my younger days, I used a clay based mask every other day as I liked the squeaky clean feel after using the mask. Not good! I realized that my skin went into overdrive and started secreting even more oil. Moderation is key – I learnt the hard way!!

Toner – Skip it!

• Funny how I swear by the toner to tighten my pores but once I sat down and had a good think about it, I could skip this step and my pores remain the same size. The article said that toners may contain witch hazel or ethyl-alcohol which strip the skin of essential oils and gives the skin a ‘tight’ feel but there are no positive effects of this product.
• Getting used to one product may make it difficult to stop but like me, you should give it a try.
• Use gentler toners if this step is one that you are fond of…..I know skipping a step in my daily beauty routine makes me feel like I have ‘forgotten’ something the whole day and by the time I get round to figuring out what this is, my day is over and it’s too late!

So, ladies, which step have you added or eliminated from your beauty routine?