From morning to evening here are some tips that will make your skin happier.

1. Cleansing your face it is often best to start with a gentle cleanser to help emulsify the oil, makeup, or debris. After rinsing, a second wash with a treatment cleanser is necessary for thoroughly clean skin. This process should be performed twice daily, after waking up and before bed.
2. Makeup removal can be easily done with soybean, sweet almond or jojoba oil. Whether your makeup is mineral, water or oil-based simply apply the desired oil to a cotton pad or fingertips and massage in to dissolve the makeup. Cleanse normally afterward.
3. Scrubbing your skin daily can lead to thinner, more sensitive skin. When washing your face, using more force or abrasive materials is not entirely beneficial. Your skin functions as a protective barrier. Scrubbing often removes some of the outermost layer of skin making it more prone to irritation. Generally speaking, drier skin types should scrub 1-2x per week whereas an oily skin type can scrub up to 3x (max. 4x).
4. Pat dry gently with a soft towel instead of rubbing vigorously to avoid irritation, dryness, and inflammation. When you pat dry and leave your skin a bit damp, your serums and moisturizer will penetrate better and lock in the hydration.  
5. Cotton balls can be misleading. Far too often clients complain that they cannot get their face clean enough because no matter how hard they try the cotton ball or white towel still has grime on it. Cotton balls are white, and your skin is not. The “grime” that you see is most probably your dead skin cells which are the color of your skin.
6. Moisturizer should be applied to your face + body immediately after cleansing and toning, usually in the morning and night. It is important not to let the water evaporate from your skin as this leads to excessive drying. For better hydration apply moisturizer to your skin while it is still moist either from water or toner. 
7. SPF should be applied over moisturizer. If time permits, wait 10 minutes before applying the SPF. If you have oily skin, you may use SPF instead of a moisturizer during the day. However, you may want a lightweight hydrating gel or lotion for night time. For safety and efficacy purposes, SPF should not be combined with moisturizer (no 2 in 1 products).
8. Eye area skin is more thin and delicate than the rest of your face. Lack of sleep, high blood pressure, and stress can cause capillary leakage and blood pools which create the appearance of dark circles and puffiness. Due to the thinness of the skin, light bounces off of the eye area making the darkness look worse. Certain eye creams and makeup have light reflectors that can assist with this. As for puffiness, you can try cool, damp caffeinated tea bags or ice packs to give some relief to puffy eyes. Gently pressing your palms onto the orbital bone around the eyes may also assist in relieving tired eyes. This can be done be in the morning or at night.
9. Tapotement is the French word for a tapping massage for the skin. Firmly tapping (almost slapping) your forehead, cheeks, chin, jowls, and neck is energizing and can lead to revitalized skin. Regular tapping while applying products stimulates muscle reflexes, increases collagen production, and circulation, leaving you with firmer, glowing skin.
10. Sleeping on your back is the best way to ward off wrinkles, thinning skin and blemishes. When you compress your skin against a firm surface, the collagen breaks down which leads to thinner looking skin along with lines and wrinkles. When you sleep on your side or face down, your skin is less likely to receive the air circulation that it requires for balance. Perspiration and heat can build up between the pillow and your skin which leads to trouble. It takes a bit of time to train yourself to sleep on your back, but your skin will thank you. You can try various techniques like putting a pillow under your knees to support the lower back and make it harder to turn over or placing pillows on either side of you to prevent rolling over. There is also a compression pillowcase available for people that simply cannot sleep on their back.

Feel free to write in with any questions or comments!

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