100 Years of Beauty: Mexico

At this point you've likely seen the 100 Years of Beauty video series that has been going viral these days. Today I kept seeing the 100 Years of Beauty: Mexico show up in all my newsfeeds, everywhere. Several friends shared it with me via text, knowing how much I would appreciate it. I'm a proud Mexican lady, I adore Mexican beauty and naturally, I did enjoy the video, but didn't feel compelled to share. At least not until I saw this version from my friend Matt at Latino Humor, who just gets it. Now it makes sense. Thanks, Matt.



Here's the original, which is also great, but something was missing and I figured out what.

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Rosacea Awareness Month

Before the month gets away from me, I wanted to talk about Rosacea. April is Rosacea Awareness Month, and if you’ve been following along (thank you!), you know that I have a minor case. My brother and I both suffer from it and I consider myself lucky because I have been able to manage it on my own, thus far. My brother has gone through treatments and struggled with it a bit more than I have. It’s a condition that can really take a toll on ones’ self-esteem. I’m constantly asked why my face is so red, but luckily I’m past the embarrassment - I think as you get older you’re just generally less embarrassed about things. If you think you have Rosacea, I definitely advise you consult with your doctor before beginning any treatments or products. I myself have actually never consulted a dermatologist because it’s never gotten to be too serious, but have several near-confirmations from estheticians and my general care physician. Either way, I wanted to share what has worked for me most recently for managing and improving my Rosacea Flare-Ups.

1. I try to avoid salicylic acid in general, and only use it when I’m feeling an oncoming breakout. SA can be extremely drying, harsh and can irritate Rosacea, so I only own it for when I urgently need it and try to stick to gentle products. Neutrogena’s Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser is a great option for cleansing without irritation, I also love First Aid Beauty’s Face Cleanser, which I talk about quite a bit. Most recently, I’ve used Manuka Honey to cleanse my face several times a week. Manuka Honey is a great antibacterial and I have seen a different in my skin’s tone, and less redness since including in my regimen. Check Amazon or Whole Foods for a number of options and always go with 15+ Active, or higher. I'm currently using this one, from Y.S. Eco Bee Farms.
2. First Aid Beauty’s Anti-Redness Serum is packed with caffeine, which helps shrink blood vessels and improves redness. This was my first FAB product, and the reason I even looked into the line. I use this before special occasions, or as part of my evening skincare regimen. It helps clear my face right up and with a gentle morning skincare routine, I don't have to worry about irritating my skin all over again.
3. My skincare approach is definitely not an all-natural one, but I do love essential oils. Pure Tamanu Oil is known for its ability to promote skin renewal, and Tea Tree Oil’s anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties help calm redness. I use these two frequently to calm redness.
4. Heat is a key contributor to Rosacea flare-ups, and I live in Texas, so I’m basically out of luck. But when I do go for an outdoor jog, I try to wear caps. I also try to apply heat less often to my hair by blowdrying only a couple times a week and always pointing the hair dryer away from my face. It also helps that Andres and I keep our apartment at a comfortable 68 degrees. We’re polar bears, but anything higher and I feel like I'm essentially being cooked.
5. Rosacea and many other skin conditions are worsened by inflammation, so anti-inflammatory foods are important. I don’t have the best diet, but I do drink Ginger Tea religiously. Other good anti-inflammatory foods include berries, cucumbers, and foods with a high percentage of water.
6. Lastly, and perhaps the most difficult to avoid are alcoholic beverages, especially red wine. Those and spicy foods, can also induce flare-ups. Avoiding spicy foods is particularly difficult for me, because I add spice to food the way I add salt, but I try to make up for this in other areas of my skincare.

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Morning Skincare Regimen

I'm not a morning person by any means. I sleep in and am always rushing out the door. But no matter what, I always have a full face of makeup and have diligently completed my morning skincare routine. Loving makeup as much as I do, it's important that I take extra care of my skin. Here's how it all happens, step by step:

Cleansing 
I do a thorough cleanse nightly with my Clarisonic, and follow with several products - more to come on my evening routine - so first thing after jumping in the shower, I cleanse my face to remove any products from the night before and prepare it for my morning regimen. Gentle cleansers are my go-to for mornings, because my face is generally clean and because harsh cleansers can irritate my sensitive skin, which I like to avoid before a full day.

• Currently, my favorite gentle cleanser is First Aid Beauty's Face Cleanser. This one's great for  cleansing without stripping of necessary oils and creating that tight feeling nobody likes. 
• Another I've seen great results with, that causes absolutely no irritation with chamomile and aloe vera, is Kiehl's Centella Skin-Calming Facial Cleanser. This one's more steeply priced, but worth the investment

If I've gone to bed wearing a heavy mask, I do my morning routine with a cleanser with salicylic acid to avoid potential breakouts.

• Favorites include Neutrogena's Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub and First Aid Beauty's Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay (also great for sensitive skin).

Serum
Before applying moisturizer, I apply a serum. Serums are great for targeting specific skincare issues, and supplementing your regular skincare regimen. I apply my serum and massage into my skin so it's properly absorbed and can work to its fullest potential.

• My holy-grail serum is Ole Henriksen's Truth Serum Vitamin C Collagen Booster, which helps control my minor rosacea, soothing redness with Vitamin C, is an anti-aging powerhouse and brightens my overall complexion. 
• Other favorites include Ole Henriken's African Red Tea Serum, First Aid Beauty's Facial Radiance Serum and First Aid Beaty's Anti-Redness Serum. 

Moisturize
After serum, I apply a day-time moisturizer. I love a day moisturizer that is light and fluid, and gives a good base for blending all my other products and makeup. I apply this all over my face and work down to my neck. The skin on your neck can be, but should not be, neglected. It's also one of the areas where aging most shows. Favorite day-time moisturizers include:

• Mario Badescu's Buttermilk Moisturizer, which like the name says actually feels like buttermilk. This moisturizer has lactic acid and Allantoin which help calm irritated skin. 
• My go-to is CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion (in the bottle with the pump). This lotion is full of ceramides, which exist naturally in the skin's outer layer and help skin retain moisture. If you suffer from dry skin, in addition to drinking more water, you should consider adding products with ceramides into your skincare regimen. This CeraVe lotion also has hyaluronic acid, also present in the skin and provides plumpness and moisture, but depletes as we age. 

Sunscreen
Immediately following moisturizer, while my face is still drenched in it, I apply sunscreen for easy blending. I use the CeraVe SPF 50 Sunscreen Face Lotion, which can leave a white cast, so I like to apply soon after moisturizing to avoid that. Sunscreen is one of the most important parts of any skincare regimen and an anti-aging secret weapon. If it's cold, if it's cloudy, if you plan to be indoors, all day, always defer to sunscreen. Sun damage is irreparable.

I ask friends if they wear sunscreen daily, and I always get the same response. "My makeup and/or moisturizer has some." But I rarely see a foundation or moisturizer that has above 30 SPF, which is the recommended amount. I did once experiment with a 2-in-1 product with an above 30 SPF, when I invested in Bobbi Brown's considerably-priced SPF 35 BB Cream and it caused an awful and almost instant breakout. If your foundation or moisturizer has above SPF 30 and works for you, keep doing what you're doing. But if not, I recommend a lightweight formula with the recommended amount.

Eye Cream: 
The skin under your eye doesn't produce as much oil as the rest of your face. That's why it's prone to wrinkles and requires extra care. A good eye cream isn't an option, especially after reaching your mid 20s. My current eye cream of choice is Mario Badescu's Hyaluronic Eye Cream - I do love that hyaluronic acid. The cream is great for day or night (I use both times of the day), and is also great for sensitive skin.

Primer:
Following my moisturizers and skin prep, I begin with makeup prep and begin with a foundation primer to even out my skin's texture and minimize my pores. My holy-grail primer is Benefit's POREFessional. It makes the surface of my skin silky and creates a good foundation for my makeup, which stays in place much longer with this primer.

Base:
Technically, this is already part of my makeup routine, but because we're discussing skincare, I want to include my base as part of my morning regimen. Because I do suffer from redness and minor rosacea, and because I make a diligent effort to care for my skin, I wear Lorac's CC Cream for daily use and save the heavy foundation for weekends and special occasions. The CC in CC Cream, stands for color or complexion correction, so this in particular is great for evening out my skin tone, with little coverage and without heaviness.

Once my base is set, I finish with my makeup for the day. After my full day, I remove my makeup and take care of my face through my nightly regimen, which I'll cover in my next post.