Serums for my mom and I :)

[WendyD]

Hi! I'm planning to get the Green Tea and Aloe serum in my next order. Do I really need a moisturizer on top of it? My current skin care routine:

Morning:
1. Wash face with water
2. 1 drop of Jojoba
3. Aloe Vera gel

Night:
1. Wash face with Apricot Cleansing oil + microfiber cloth. Will sometimes follow up with baby wash
2. Jojoba Oil
3. Differin XP and/or Benzoyl Peroxide every few days

Where should I use the serum? I'm thinking of sticking it between #1 and #2 in the morning?

I'm also probably going to get either the Vitamin C Peptide of the Simple C serum for my mom for Christmas. I know she likes to shell out $70 per bottle for anti-wrinkle stuff at the department store, and it bothers me because I know SN will probably work better

My mom is approaching 60 with dry-ish skin, and some wrinkles, especially around her eyes, though I think she looks pretty young for her age. I'm not sure if she uses things on a regular basis, so something with a long shelf-life would be wonderful. I'm not sure about her current routine, whether she moisturizes, etc, other than the fact that she uses an Olay cleanser in the shower.

[Cupcake]

Hi Wendy

I'll say up front that I've no experience with Differin or any BP product (they don't seem to offer them over here) so any advice I offer is on that basis, okay?

Yes, the basics of your routine are good but I think you'll find an improvement if you switch things around a little. The purpose of a serum is to add hydration - waters - back into the skin cells to keep them plump and soft. Without that the skin cells loose their firm shape and go wrinkly - like an old balloon that has lost the air inside. To keep this precious hydration in, we use a moisturiser - oil or cream - and this seals in the hydration by giving a covering protective layer - a bit like waterproofing.

Using aloe vera gel after jojoba, you might find that the thinner texture aloe vera doesn't soak into your skin through the thicker texture jojoba oil. The aloe might evaporate away slightly and some of the goodness is lost. Try washing your face and then using the Aloe Vera. Then cover that with a drop of jojoba. This should lock in more hydration and have a better effect.

Jojoba is an excellent choice as it is closest to the skin's own natural oils (sebum). This will help your skin stay balanced. I would recommend trying the SN skincare. First use a pump or 3-4 drops of Green Tea and Aloe serum and then add in about 2-3 drops of the Jojoba Moisturiser. Your mum could use the same, or she might like the Firming or Intensive moisturisers. The Vitamin C with Peptides is also a good choice. The Simple C would suit you both.

I recommend these two because they are very gentle and suitable for all skin types, even sensitive. Good luck, and let us know how you get on.

[happyhiker]

I have to agree with Cupcake on the SN skincare. Previously I used jojoba oil as my moisturizer and it worked great for me, but sometimes it wasn't enough (I live in a pretty dry climate - Colorado). To start off, my skin is rather sensitive and lots of moisturizers felt too heavy and greasy or things in the various skin care I used irritated my skin (thus, the jojoba). My skin care routine is:

Cleanse with Kiss Cleanser
Pore refining toner - LOVE it...very refreshing, not drying or irritating at all
Vitamin C Peptide serum (or I'll use Green Tea & Aloe instead if I used a mask or did a scrub or something)
Firming Moisturizer

The Vit. C Peptide serum has really helped my skin look wonderful and is good for keeping acne at bay. Since I've been using this skincare, my skin looks so nice, healthy, and balanced that someone recently guessed my age at 10 years younger than I am! The best thing is that there are sample sizes of all the skin care so that you can try them and see if they work without spending a bunch and finding out it didn't work for you.

[WendyD]

Thanks, I switched the order of the aloe and jojoba in my skincare now =]

@HappyHiker -- That's great !

[WendyD]

I've been breaking out really badly lately, so I'm gone back to Clindamycin in the daytime and DifferinXP + BP at night, at least for now @___@

[JenW]

Hi WendyD,

Definitely listen to your skin....and give it a break when necessary. Try to change things slowly, too. Sometimes there is a purging stage, but it is very hard to tell what is purging and what is reacting......