Skincare Routine Extras: Cleansing, Masks, & Self-Care Tools
I had some recent posts about my skincare routines and I thought it would be good if I shared the “extras” I use regularly as well. Aside from my usual skincare product lineup, there are some “assists” from other products I use lovingly on a regular basis.
That double cleanse Life
Whenever I wear makeup, I always double cleanse. I start with a cleansing balm and then follow up with my regular cleanser. I’ve been using Heimish All Clean Balm for probably close to five years now. I’ve loved everything about it—its gentle effectiveness, great ability to remove any makeup products water resistant or waterproof with little effort (no tugging or rubbing!), and easily rinsed away. It’s the perfect cleansing balm or product for the minimal makeup I wear on occasion. The only caveat I have with it is the gross filmy, cloudy feel it leaves in my eyes even after a thorough rinsing! I’ve kept my eye out for products that don’t leave this annoying film. Recently, I decided to give a different cleansing balm a try—Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm.
Now, Living Cleansing Balm is about twice the cost (if not a little more that 2x’s) of All Clean Balm. You also receive less product than All Clean. Living Cleansing is about 90g or 3.17oz. All Clean is 120ml or about 4.5oz. If you’re comparing price purely by the amount of product you get this is probably not an upgrade in your book. But, if you’re looking at ingredients, I would say that Living Cleansing Balm lives up to its cost. Both All Clean and Living Cleansing balm have a nice list of ingredients, but I personally prefer the ingredients listed for Living Cleansing—it contains seaberry or sea buckthorn oil, persimmon extract, grapeseed oil, vitamin E, and olive oil—lots of skin loving ingredients. I believe that a lot of care and serious consideration went into both Living Cleansing and All Clean, but my skin has fallen in love with Living Cleansing Balm. I believe the ingredients list is much more harmonious with my skin and all its issues (Huge BONUS for not irritating my eyes in any way!). I’d highly recommend giving it a try if you’re able or budget allowing, otherwise I would highly recommend All Clean cleansing balm.
Masking my troubles away
Another product I use on the regular but not every night are masks! Who doesn’t love a facial mask? I don’t have a favorite sheet mask and don’t tend to use them very often, so I’m sorry I don’t really have any recs for those, however I really love and swear by fresh masks by Lush. (Not sponsored or anything, just genuinely a huge fan of their products and what they’re all about). They’ve been life savers for whenever my skin needs a pick me up or is feeling a specific way. Especially when congested, I really love the Cup o’ Coffee mask (ya’ll surprised?), Mask of Magniminty, and Brazened Honey. I also love the jelly masks Just to Clarify for a nice “treat yourself” scrubby kind of mask. Most of the fresh masks need to be refrigerated and so it’s really refreshing and cooling on a hot summer day which I’ve been experiencing a lot recently here in Boise. (That 100 degree weather is no joke!)
I also really love a good lip mask! My lips get really chapped super easily and are almost always flakey and not soft or supple. I chew on them a lot which is probably not recommended. Anyway, I don’t drink enough water and my lips show it. So I like to slather on Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. I use a super thin layer of this stuff so it doesn’t get everywhere if I move around in my sleep (which I do!). One tub lasts FOREVER and I use the Berry version. I use the Laneige lip mask during the winter typically since it’s a little too heavy for me in the summer. I’ll use it in the warmer months if my lips need a lot of help. Right now I’ve been diggin’ Glossier Balm Dotcom in a variety of scents/flavors. I’ve been using Coconut before bed all summer and have been loving it. I use Cherry during the day for a hint of color/tint and Mango is in my bag with me wherever I go. I got my eye on that Berry Balm Dotcom for the berry tint and it’s perfect for fall. I like Balm Dotcoms because I find them moisturizing, smells nice, feels nice, and lasts a long while on my lips. Doesn’t dry them out and that’s a plus! Sometimes I run into a lip product that will make my lips peel and flake and that’s never cute. I know a lot of people have their opinions on Glossier products, especially the BDs and some would call them “glorified Vaseline” and you know, to each their own. I like them enough to order them in more scents/flavors and I enjoy how long they last on my lips. I do agree they’re a bit expensive for the kind of product it is, but ya know, YOLO. I feel like one tube will last me forever anyway, so I’m not crying over the cost.
essential tools
Another product I haven’t really talked about but absolutely love and would recommend to anyone is a facial roller or gua sha tool. I have both forms—I use the facial roller more frequently than the gua sha tool just because it’s a little more convenient and faster to use when I’m in a hurry (which is often). I use this facial roller in rose quartz by Herbivore Botanicals every day for my morning and nighttime routine (HB also carries a gua sha tool and a jade roller option). It’s my favorite in the morning because it’s cool to the touch and helps calm and sooth my skin in the morning after I’ve applied my skin care and before my sunscreen. I use the gua sha tool by Perhaps Unicorn (note: I got this gua sha tool from PU years ago and it appears that their website isn’t valid anymore. You can find gua sha tools that are affordable in a variety of stores online) when I have a little more time to spare on decongesting and cooling down my face. I like to use it with my Lapis Oil at night before bed to really help massage in my facial oil. I usually use it on my face and neck and décolleté.
I recently jumped on the bandwagon riding away from disposable razors and got myself a swanky ass safety razor. It’s so EXTRA and I love it. I couldn’t pass up on this beautiful rose gold safety razor by Oui Shave. The learning curb when you’ve never used a safety razor before can seem scary, but this razor is SO easy to use and gave me the best shave I’ve ever had. I haven’t looked back since. Great for the environment, a wonderful investment for the world and your skin, and I have waaaay less razor burn and bumps since switching. I actually enjoy shaving now. That says a lot ya’ll. Another bonus is that since the razors are made of steel, they’re recyclable!
Oils & Scrubs
I’ve been using Fur oil for a several months now and really like it. I didn’t think I really needed it until I started using it. It has got a very light herbal/lavender scent to it that doesn’t linger which I like. I’m not a huge fan of lavender and avoid it if possible. It’s a very lightweight oil, that sinks in beautifully after a shave and a warm shower. I use it under my arms, lady bits, and legs. Anything residual just goes all over my body and arms. I have noticed since using it regularly (almost every day in the morning after a shower) my skin is noticeably smoother and any body hair is softer. It’s non-irritating and I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a lightweight moisturizer for the body but don’t want to slather on creams etc. This is perfect for the summer, light enough to not feel greasy, but heavy duty enough to keep yo’ bits happy and moisturized. It is not cheap, but it’s a nice investment especially because you only need a few drops to cover your whole self.
Another honorary mention in the oils department is the Coconut Body Oil by Herbivore Botanicals. While shopping during HB’s bday sale one year, I picked up a bunch of other bath/skin products I normally wouldn’t purchase and really love this stuff. I’m still on the same bottle I bought a while back because it lasts quite a while. I only need one pump to cover arms and legs, and about a half a pump to cover the rest. The smell is delicious. It’s a coconut that leans vanilla, and not sunscreen or suntan lotion tropical. It’s a beautiful oil and sinks in the best right after a shower and a shave.
Body scrubs have been in my routine on and off for years. Sometimes I get lazy, but on those long self-care nights where I take long baths, they’re great. My current favorite and regularly used is by Herbivore Botanical and it’s their Coco Rose Body Polish. It’s gentle enough that it’s not scratching the crap out of your skin, but scrubby enough that I feel satisfied with the sloughing off of dead skin. It’s also SUPER moisturizing and smells lovely. I love to use it in the bath to help prep for a really close shave.
One last honorary mention while on the scrub topic: I love Lush’s lip scrubs! They work so fantastically and they taste really good. Yes, I know I can make my own sugar scrub for my lips, but I don’t mind supporting a company like Lush because like I said before, I am really into what they’re all about. So I enjoy spending the money on their products to know that proceeds etc. go to good causes. Also, one tub of their lip scrub lasts quite a while for me even if I use the scrub every day. I will say, if I’m going to make my own, I just use straight castor sugar or brown sugar with some honey and call it a day. I’ll do this combo if I’m out of the Lush stuff.
bathtime goodies
Another product that isn’t quite skincare, but something I use frequently are bath bombs. If you haven’t figured out already, I’m quite a fan of Lush, and I first fell in love with their bath bombs. They have a lot of different kinds and I don’t have an all time favorite that is still available, but I love any of the bombs that don’t include glitter and are citrus or fruity in scent.
I also love a good soak or soaking salt product. I love various products again by Lush, like their bath melts/oils. Those are my favorite during the winter if I don’t feel like a bath bomb. Other favorites that I’ve been using since the first purchase a couple years back are the Coconut Milk Bath Soak and the CALM Soaking Salts by Herbivore Botanicals. I love both of these soaking products because they both smell amazing and leave my skin feeling silky smooth. I love a good soak in the tub, but I especially like to indulge in a hot bath which isn’t the best for your skin especially in the winter time (which is typically when I soak in the tub frequently). These products really help to offset any dehydration of my skin. The scents are also very calming and relaxing.
I think that wraps up my list of self-care products and extra goodies that I like to use on the reg, aside from my usual skincare routines. Do you guys have a favorite core set of products that are go-tos for when you want to have a self-care or pampering night in? Are you all about that bath bomb or bath time life or are you someone who thinks baths are disgusting? No judgement here, just curious! If you’re not huge into baths, what do you enjoy for self-care at home instead? Do you do other treatments aside from mask, etc? Share in the comments, I’m always up for adding another relaxing activity to my nights in with myself. Thanks for reading and I’ll catch you in the next post.