How I Take Care of My Skin

I don’t have any magic tricks for keeping it fresher than you… I mean, for keeping my skin healthy. As a matter of fact, it was only in my 24th year of life that I started caring enough for my skin to not sleep in makeup. As a result, I’ve spent roughly the past one or two years trying out different combinations of products and have finally settled into a routine (though I’m adding some new stuff down below) that has dramatically improved my skin tone and texture. Here’s how I take care of my skin!

My Skin Type

First off, let me start out by saying that I have crazy dry skin, both on my body and face. I should probably drink more water, but alas. I also have hormonal acne – though from ages 18-24 I thought I had adult acne, but I really just had “your face is dirty because you slept in makeup” acne. My skin also used to be quite rough – not like sandpaper – but it was not smooth. I also suffered from dark under eye circles.

All this is past tense because my skincare routine has gotten my entire life together!

Why I Chose Natural & Paraben Free Products

You’ll see that I use only natural products in my skincare routine. I played around with drugstore cleansers, and swore by AMBI in college before I had a come to Jesus moment about skin bleaching, (especially as a Nigerian woman), no matter how small the amount of hydroquinone. Since I prefer to use products without parabens on my hair, it only made sense that I should seek out products for my skin that are also paraben-free. I’ve talked about this hypocrisy that some naturals have with being picky about hair products and then using all types of crap on the rest of their body, but when I wrote that, I was speaking to the choir and had to overhaul my skin and body products, as well as my makeup (which I’ll save for another post).

My Skin Routine

More or less, here’s what I do with my skin.

1. At night, cleanse with black soap and moisturize with coconut oil. Apply tea tree oil to any bumps.
2. In the morning, splash with lukewarm (cool on a day I’m feeling fierce) and apply Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner
3. Once a week, exfoliate with brown sugar while in the shower
4. When I remember, do a bentonite clay mask with Alikay Naturals Bentonite Me Baby

I talk more in depth about my routine in this video, so check it out!

Next Steps

As I mentioned towards the end of the video, I still struggle with hyperpigmentation, especially on my cheeks. While the marks that remain are definitely not the ones I had at the beginning of the year – meaning that my current regimen successfully addresses old scarring – I would really love to have flawless skin now so I’m taking measures to correct the current marks. My mom – who has had more than her fair share of skin drama over the years – suggested that I do monthly facials and regular chemical peels. Since I’m not yet blessed and highly favored on the same level as my mom yet (but I claim it!), I can’t afford regular aesthetic services, and researched some at home alternatives. I found that glycolic acid, which is the main ingredient in chemical peels, helps to rejuvenate skin. So just this week I bought two products – the Art Naturals Vitamin C Hydrating Facial Toner and Toulon Glycolic Acid Cream – to use after I cleanse at night to see if my spots can any better in the next few months.

All that said, I’m definitely happy with the face God gave me, and I’m glad I (finally, sheesh) prioritize it just as much I pay attention to my hair!

How do you take care of your skin? Do you use all natural products?