Entirely Overwhelming Sunday Routine

A Skincare Addict's Entirely Too Long Sunday Skincare Routine

I've been putting this off forever because detailing my Sunday routine would take entirely too long and would be incredibly involved. Normal people's idea of a spa day is a bubble bath and a mask but I, my friend, I am not normal. I have committed myself to performing this routine every Sunday and I'm going to share it with you. Be forewarned, it's long, exhaustive, and overwhelming.

What's With the Skincare Routine?

Aside from the reason that I'm entirely insane, I have assigned Sunday as my spa day. The work week is long and full of irritations and by the end of the week, I'm ready to throttle a fish to death using my bottled up frustrations and pent up aggression. I use my spa days to bring me back down to "normal," to give myself some self care, and to ready myself for another barrage of crap of the next week.

TO START, Nails Get Some Love

My friends know that I have had a long and obsessive relationship with nail polish and nail care in general. Squinting at my nails probably has contributed to my currently deteriorating eyes.I clean up my cuticles using a Sally Hansen Cuticle Gel Remover. The gel softens the cuticles around your nails and loosens them so they can be easily cleaned up and removed. I do both my hand and toe nails. I then shape, buff, and shine my nails with a nail buffing block. If you have never used a buffing block, I recommend it. It evens out the surface of your nail and buffing blocks also usually have a "shining" side (SHINING SHINING SHINING SHINING YEAAAA ALL OF THIS WINNING... if you don't know what that is, we can't be friends). The buffing block helps keep you nails smooth and shiny. Seriously, if you keep your nails smooth and shiny, your cuticles clean, they will look healthier for far longer.A word of caution on the buffing block though: don't go ham on it. Doing this too much, too hard, and too often will thin out the surface of your nail and make it weaker. I myself will only do this once every two weeks or so or as needed. I'm including it in here to demonstrate just how detailed (read: insane) I am when I do everything on my spa day list.Finally, to keep cuticles moisturized and delicious (do not eat cuticles), I use the Sally Hansen Cuticle Massage Cream. The skin around your nails (also your hand in general) can dry out really quickly. Think of all the hand washing you are doing throughout the day (or should be doing if you aren't doing it). All of that can really dry out your hands and cuticles can also get really dry. I've had really dried out looking cuticles and I can tell you, friend, that they look like dried out witch fingers. It is not cute. After I moisturize my pudgy hands, it's time to MOVE ON.

I Cook Myself in a Bath

After I take care of my nails, I start to run a bath. Some people will have a nice lukewarm bath but NO. I like a steaming hot bath. Hot baths are good for improving blood circulation and also helps to open up your pores so that they can be cleaned and exfoliated as well.First, however, I would pour bath accouterments into the water. I've used bath bombs (have you seen those bath bombs that turn your tub into a blood red bath? it is the greatest), bath salts, and bubble bath solution. Also in confidence, between just you and me, I've also tried taking a bath in green tea. Straight up, I throw three or four green tea bags into the bath tub and literally take a bath in tea. I know it sounds stupidly insane (because it is... kinda) but hear me out. Green tea has great antioxidant properties and help your skin fight against free radicals. It also helps your skin complexion and helps heal discoloration and scarring while also giving your skin a nice healthy glow. So I bathed in green tea... it STILL sounds weird when I type it out or say it out loud.Second, I put on some muzak and wince at the heat as I submerge my entire body in this bath. I soak for about ten or fifteen minutes, relax, and sing along to some music. It's important to relax, people. Stress gives you wrinkles and is generally bad for your mental health. The world is currently an endless stream of nonsense currently and so take whatever relaxation you can find from wherever you can find it.Next, I take my Italy towel and exfoliate the entire body (the green thing in the picture is an Italy towel). Italy towels were invented in Korea (Busan) and are made of viscose fabric to gently buff off dead skin cells. I've been using an Italy towel once a week for nearly a year now and I have got to say, I have never been more baby soft.After the bath, I slather on generous helpings of body butter. A friend of mine has REALLY SOFT moisturized skin and she told me her secret was slathering body butter on her body morning AND night before bed. I have been trying this for the past month and ACTUALLY, it does work. My skin has been soft lately that sometimes I just stop and touch my own skin (it's not weird until you make it weird).

And Now the Vastly Overwhelming Facial Skincare Routine

My Sundays aren't complete until I have done my twelve step skincare routine. On a normal day, I would only have seven steps in my routine (which is still a crazy number for some people). On Sundays, that's almost doubled. Let me walk you through my crazy Sunday skincare regimen:

• STEP ONE: Oil Cleanser. I use oil cleansers for two purposes: makeup removal and to remove harmful oils from mah face. Pulling and tugging on your face gives you premature wrinkles and saggy skin. I used an oil cleanser to dissolve and lift makeup off my face so that it can easily be washed away by water. If I just put on sunscreen for the day and didn't put on makeup, I still do not skip this step because, like makeup, sunscreen needs to be removed at the end of the day. ALSO, since this is an oil based cleanser and oil attracts oil, this also catches the excess oil on my face and washes it away.
• STEP TWO: Foaming Cleanser. Foaming cleansers clear away dirt and bacteria off the face. Some formulations help out with exfoliation. Some formulas help out with skin complexion. There are many, many foaming cleansers out there and most people are familiar with them.
• STEP THREE: Pore Care. In this step, I used nose pore strips to rip and/or yank whiteheads and blackheads from my nose. I will say that before I did any type of skincare, doing this would pull out SO MANY whiteheads and blackheads. Ever since I went a little skincare obsessed, there would be less and less whiteheads and blackheads in my nose. Nowadays, there isn't that many that is pulled out by the strip and they are a lot smaller than before meaning that my pores also aren't as huge as before.
• STEP FOUR: Wash Off Mask. My current favorite kind of wash off masks are the volcanic clay masks. Volcanic masks have been shown to detoxify the skin and help smooth the skin. The one I have also bubbles up to clean pores and it's tickly and I enjoy it. ^^
• STEP FIVE: Exfoliation. Dead skin cells lying on top of skin can lead to clogged pores, pimples, and a dull complexion. I exfoliate my skin twice a week (Sunday and Wednesday) as I am on the oilier side of the spectrum. The American Academy of Dermatology(yes, girl, I have credible evidence) recommends oilier skin types to exfoliate twice or three times per week or up to daily if your skin is really that oily. On the other end of the spectrum, if you have dry or sensitive skin, once a week may be enough. BUT PROCEED WITH CAUTION. I wouldn't be too overly aggressive with exfoliation as you can definitely damage your skin. I personally use the Neogen Peeling Gauze exfoliation pads. One side has a rougher surface to gently exfoliate and the other side to sweep away exfoliated skin left.
• STEP SIX: Toner. According to an article from the US National Library of Medicine (RECEIPTS!), the skin's natural/healthy pH level is about 4.7 (a little more acidic than alkaline). This natural pH level allows the skin to protect itself and having your skin's pH level swing too much in either direction can cause in some unwanted skin conditions. A lot of cleansers have a pH level of about 7 or above (alkaline nature of soaps help rid skin of dirt and grime) and brings the skin way into the alkaline end of the spectrum. Many a beauty fanatics have pH strips and pH test cleansers they have. If a cleanser has a lower pH level, it's better for your skin. After cleansing your skin, toners help bring your skin back to its natural pH level, sweep away any dirts left over on skin, and preps your skin for the rest of your skincare routine.
• STEP SEVEN: Essences and Serums. Essences and serums are concentrated formulas that target specific issues in the skin. The main difference between essences and serums are its concentration levels: generally essences are a lot less concentrated than serums but both are used in the same way. These help reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and helps your skin's cell turnover (the rate in which your skin makes new skin cells).
• STEP EIGHT: Sheet Mask. Sheet masks have been a trend here in the West so I think most people are familiar with them. There are many kinds of sheet mask (microfiber, gel, etc.) but the principle is the same: it is soaked in essence and you plop it on your skin for twenty minutes and let the essences absorb directly onto your face. I only do this one a week since I'm entirely too lazy to do this more often than that but I have heard some beauty addicts use one every single day.
• STEP NINE: Eye Cream. Eye creams combat dark circles and dull, tired looking skin around the eyes. This is a part off my routine that I'm not wholly convinced is working for me. That or I haven't found a product that I like yet.
• STEP TEN: Lotions and Emulsion. Lotions and emulsions are thinner in consistency than creams and provided added moisture. TO BE REAL, this isn't an entirely necessary step, I'm just extra. If your skin is on the drier end of the spectrum, I recommend using an emulsion as well as a cream but for the rest of us (especially if it's not winter and your face isn't feeling dry) this isn't that necessary. I'm just super extra.
• STEP ELEVEN: Creams. I've been super into hydration recently. The skin needs a balance of oil and water to be happy. Just because the face is oily doesn't mean it ain't thirsty, ya get me? If the skin isn't hydrated enough, it tries to make up for it by creating oils to make up the difference. By using creams (and emulsions if you really need it), you can quench your skin's thirst and bring your skin's oil and water levels back to a peaceful, harmonious level.
• STEP TWELVE: Sleeping mask. Sleeping mask is the last thing to go on my face. Sleeping masks work to bring your skin hydration and other much needed TLC while you sleep. I don't use this every day although I'm sure I COULD but on the nights I do, I wake up the next morning with more hydrated, supple looking skin.

And after all that hullabaloo, I've tired myself out because I've successfully tarred and feathered myself. Nothing left to do but go to sleep. If that was any help to you at all, please, go forth and conquer!