My Skincare Routine

I have learned that taking care of my skin is a necessity. With a few easy steps, you too can create a skincare routine that fits your lifestyle. Below are the 5 steps that I take to care for my face on a daily basis. I have included links to the products that I use as well as my YouTube tutorial that documents my process. I have also shared some of my favorite products on a previous blog post. To all of my skin care enthusiasts, I want to hear from you. Sound off in the comments below with your most trusted skincare techniques and products.

Until next time,

I leave you in love, peace and style,

Lonnie

INSTRUCTIONS

I start by rinsing my face with filtered water. Then apply a dime sized amount of my chosen cleanser and rub it in a circular motion with the palm of my hand for 20-30 seconds. ( If I am not exfoliating with my rotating brush directly after, I will rinse the product off after 20 seconds, I exfoliate 2 - 3 times a week_

Benefits of cleansing: removes dirt and oil, removes make up(if you wear make up), clears pores

Product Details

KIEHL’S Ultra Facial Cleanser

AVEENO Clear Complexion Cream Cleanser

INSTRUCTIONS

Moisten the cleansing brush with warm water. Dispense facial cleanser in your palm. (if the cleanser is already on your skin, no need to add more product). Create a rich lather in the palm of your hand. Do this by moving the brush tip in a circular motion against your palm. Use the Cleansing Brush to gently massage your face for about 30 seconds.

Benefits of exfoliating: removes dead skin cells, unclogs pores, helps prevent acne

Product Details

Visage Pro Style Facial Cleanser Brush

Instructions

Place a dime sized amount of the extract into your palm and rub all over your face until thoroughly absorbed. Spray Rose Water all over face.

Benefits to hydration: helps to smooth fine lines and improve texture, primes skin, visibly improves the appearance of fine lines, dullness and rough skin texture over time.

Product Details

S.W. Basics Rosewater Spray

KIEHL’S Iris Extract Activating Treatment Essence

Add about a 1/2 tablespoon of the toner to your hand, a cotton ball or cotton pad and rub all over face.

Benefits of Toning: Hydration and nourishment, maintain elasticity, smoothness, moisture and a more youthful appearance.

Product Details

THAYERS Facial Toner Witch Hazel Unscented

Apply a dime size amount on face and rub in thoroughly until all product has absorbed into the skin

Product Details

KIEHL’S Ultra Facial Cream or Ultra Facial Moisturizer

Hairstory 101: Length Checks, Reality Checks and Product Specs

There I was standing in the mirror with a young, untamed, un even afro staring back at me. In my head I’m thinking “how did I get here?... my scalp itches I don’t know how to style this mess”. In that moment I was regretting letting my hair grow past the length of a low cut caesar with the deep waves!

That was back in 2015 when I decided to experiment with growing my hair out.  Since then I’ve cut it down low twice but finally in 2016 I re-committed to growing it out again and I want to take you on the journey with me. Before I started the hair growth process I had no idea how challenging it would be to manage longer hair. All of a sudden I needed to pay more attention to hair products and maintenance. No longer could I brush my hair on the way out of the door and look polished and put together. Back in 2015/2016 I didn’t know how to properly care for my hair so when it started to itch or become unmanageable, my solution was to cut it short again. Now I know better so I’m doing better lol

PEEP SOME OF MY FAV

STYLES FROM 2015 - 2017

My hair journey took a turn for the best on Christmas 2016 because one of my best friends Ashley gifted me a  5 PIECE SNACK PACK by Oyin Handmade. The snack pack included sample size containers of a range of Oyin hair and skin products. During the next few weeks after Christmas I began to try each product on my hair and I was pleasantly surprised with the results! Since then I have incorporated Oyin products into my haircare routine and realized that having long hair can be manageable as long as I used  products that were natural and compatible with my hair type THANKS ASH!

“ THE SECRET IS

THERE IS NO SECRET”

For those who are just  starting your natural hair growth journey I want to let you in on a little secret… are you ready?...There is no secret… Having African American natural hair is a honor but it is also a daily emotional roller coaster ride. There is an ugly trial and error phase that we all must go through. This is the time frame when your are experimenting with products to find the right one for you while your hair is growing wild. This phase can take days or even years for some people. But you have to go through it in order to find out what works best for your hair.

Fantasia sings ”sometimes you have to lose to win again” in her song “Lose to Win”.  She was referring to romantic relationships but that lesson applies to your relationship with your hair too! Finding the right hair care groove means more losses than wins (especially early on) ! You have to be willing for your hair to look or feel “crazy” or “wrong” until you find out what works for you.  This is especially true for those used to relaxed styles or your hair meeting European beauty standards.

PRODUCTS I USE ON WASH DAY

Below I’ve listed the products I’m using currently and the order in which I use them on wash day. I will share my styling products in a future post. I hope that these product suggestions help you and that this post gives you some hope if you’re fed up and ready to do a big chop lol. I am always open to new product suggestions, List them below so we can all glow up!

Step 1: Shampoo

Getting your hair nice and clean on wash day is important. I wash my hair about every 2 weeks. Most recently I have been using Creme Of Nature Argan Oil Moisture & Shine Shampoo. It smells wonderful, the argan oil is moisturizing and most importantly it’s silfate free so it doesn't dry my hair out

Step 2: Co-wash

Co-washing is short for “conditioner-only washing.” It means skipping shampoo and relying solely on conditioner however I found that co-washing alone doesn’t work for me  so I co-wash after shampooing. I use the GINGER MINT CO-WASH by Oyin Handmade and baby this stuff is so refreshing to the scalp and smells like a ginger dream.

Step 3: Condition

After shampooing, I replenish my hair with a nourishing conditiner. Currently I am using Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner and it does the trick! Not my favorite conditioner but it totally does the job.

Step 4: Deep Condition

Finally, I deep condition with Creme of Nature Intensive Conditioning Treatment with  Argan Oil. This adds another level of nourishment and helps restore any damage and hets my hair ready for styling.

Peep my progress: Check my best hair looks of 2018

Skin Care Upgrade: From Deals to Kiehl's

Anyone who knows me knows that I am frugal. I enjoy quality things at a discounted price. So if that makes me frugal then oh well. My bestie jokingly calls me " Mr. Budget" lol . Listen, I need to hold on to my coins for rainy days! I budget shop for clothes, home decor, groceries and everything in between. My rules of frugality also used to apply to skin care products... until about 2 years ago.

Back in the day my skincare supply consisted of inexpensive over the counter products from brands such as Clean & Clear® that ranged in cost from $3.99 - $8.99 each. After using these products for a few years I noticed that my skin health was not improving. Once I turned 30 I decided to invest more money and time into my skincare products. 

A little over a year ago while viewing the Snapchat story of Myleik Teele, entrepreneur and founder of curlBox, I took note of her positive review of Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate. Myleik's raving review caught my attention and helped me to consider trying Kiehl's for myself. I had also heard of Kiehl's from a few friends who had good things to say.

My First Kiehl's In- Store Experience

Kiehl's New York Flagship - East Village, NY

After much internal debate I decided to check out the Kiehl's products in person. The New York flagship location for Kiehl's is located in East Village, Manhattan. One Friday afternoon after work I stopped by the store with little to no expectations. Once inside I was greeted by an associate wearing a white lab coat who asked me what I was looking for and did a quick skin type test.

The store is well lit with lots of well organized shelves full of products separated by category. After some browsing and silent pearl clutching due to sticker shock I decided to make my first purchase which consisted of the Ultra Facial Cream and Ultra Facial Cleanser which totaled about $50. I began using the products that night and I was excited to track my skin health progress over the next few weeks.

After seeing some positive results I was sold on Kiehl's. It's been a year and a few hundred bucks later and I haven't turned back since. I guess once you go Kiehl's you never go back!

Why Upgrade you skin care products?

Maybe your current skin care products are serving you well. That's awesome if that is the case. I am not advocating for everyone to change their products to Kiehl's or to another luxury line. But for those who are on the fence or want more information, I have listed some of the benefits that I have received since my big switch.

An Elevated Experience

Walking into a Kiehl's store is such an aesthetically pleasing and pleasant experience. The experience is part of what you pay for. It's way more elegant than the skin care aisle at your local drug store. At Kiehl's you get individual attention, a neat in-store experience and quality shopping bags to carry your products out it in!

Better Ingredients, Better Results

Kiehl's uses rare, naturally derived ingredients that have proven skin improving and nourishing qualities. These ingredients tend to cost more but the benefit is that you can assure that you aren't using harmful chemicals on your precious skin.

Customizable Options

One benefit of Kiehl's is the ability to create a skin care routine that is customized to your skincare needs.  You can use the online Healthy Skin Routine Finder to assist you with suggestions on which products will give you the best results.  

A Little Goes A Long Way

 if your thinking about switching to a higher end skin care line, I know that it can be scary. I have found that the quality of the products are worth the money because you use way less product per application. As an example I only buy moisturizer  2-3 times a year.  Because the quality is so good, you don't have to slop on huge amounts of the products at a time in order for them to work.

Still not convinced?

Trust me, I understand. If you would have asked my 25 year old self to spend more than $8.99 for a skin care product he probably would have laughed out loud. I have found that my investment has paid it self off a million times over. There are lots of products out there so be sure to try a few brands to see what works best for your skin and budget but Kiehl's is the one for me!

Want to learn more about Kiehl's?

visit www.kiehls.com

THE STUFF I USE: PRODUCT REVIEWS

Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash

This is a great everyday face wash that doesn't dry out your skin. It is the second Kiehl's face wash that I tried and although I am faithful to the Ultra Facial cleanser, this is a close runner up.

Creme de Corps Body Moistutizer

I received this as a free gift during an in-store promotion. It is a scent free, moisturizing lotion. It is average in terms of a lotion. I would not run to Khiel's for this lotion.

Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque

This mask has a very long and dramatic title but I promise that it's results are just as dramatically amazing. Have you ever has a mask that works double duty as an exfoliant? I'' wait? Once this mask is applied and has time to dry, the cranberry seeds serve as a gentle exfoliant as you rub the mask off your face. It's hard to put into words, all i can say is give it a try!

Cucumber Herbal Alcohol - Free Toner

Applying this toner helps to remove access dirt from the day and helps to improve overall skin tone. It is a gentle alcohol free formula that will live your skin feeling Mmmmm mmmmm good.

Ultra Facial Cleanser

This is my holy grail daily cleanser. I love it because it removes dirt and grime without stripping your skin.

Ultra Facial Cream

This is the G.O.A.T. of facial creams. It us moisturizing and has long lasting hydrating properties. I literally cannot live without this in my skincare routine. As a matter of fact I'm about to lather some on right now.