5 Tips for Skincare Past 30 #FiercelyCleanPores

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FiercelyCleanPores #CollectiveBias

Skincare past 30 is a whole other world to me. Initially 30 was just another year, but over the past 18 months, my skin is changing- resisting the products I once hailed at the greatest. You know… 17 years ago, when my acne was just typical teenager stuff? At 31, the face is the same, but different. It’s weathered with lines of happy moments creasing around my mouth, years of motherhood crinkle my eyes, and late nights have stretched my pores. I also have adult acne, and while my attempts to tame it with the same old products have been for naught- those harsher tween and teen concoctions are just not made for us Over Thirty crowd.

About 3 months ago I started a simple, consistent routine for my skincare and it’s done a lot of good. My cheeks are less inflamed, my forehead is clear and my pores have shrunk considerably. In just 5 steps, I’ve turned my skin around without medication, harsh treatments, or an abundance of time… because, really, who has time?

So how can you turn your skincare routine around and make your post-thirty beauty routine a breeze? Check it out:

1. Water. I know we’ve heard  it all before, but hydration is key, both inside and out. Caffeine, alcohol, and excess sugar can all wreak havoc on our skin, but lack of water truly makes it worse. There are a lot of ways to make water more appealing such as fruit, mint leaves (don’t use mint if you’re breastfeeding as it can affect your milk supply), and citrus- but however you do it, drink up! My daily goal is a half gallon a day of non-caffeinated or sugary beverages, which includes decaf teas. If you need a goal marker, fill up a 22oz water bottle 3 times a day- if you finish it all, you rocked it!!!! Keep water next to your bed, as well, to avoid ignoring any nighttime thirst.
2. Sleep. Again, sleep. Sure. It seems impossible, but it’s so necessary. If you’re like me and you work late into the night (or early morning), see if your partner can take over morning duties to give you an extra half hour of rest. Be sure to turn off your devices 60 minutes before bed, or at least the TV; I know, in our day and age, we’re all working to the last minute from our phones and laptops (guilty as charged for that). If you’re struggling with stress or a new baby (or an old baby aka toddler+) that doesn’t sleep, take any moment you can to rest your eyes. Your skin rejuvenates while you’re sleeping, so grab a warm wash cloth, wipe your face, lay the cloth over your eyes and catch 15-20 minutes after lunch- this will refresh you- any longer, and you’ll just feel more tired. In order to shed skin cells and let your face breathe, you have to give yourself the time. Schedule sleep just as you schedule a meeting or doctor’s appointment. This 5-8 hour time period is a meeting you will grow and glow from for years to come!
   Life is a balancing act, your skincare doesn't have to be. #FiercelyCleanPores #beauty Click To Tweet
3. Clean your face. Making sure your face is totally clean is so important for battling both signs of age and adult acne. While make up has beneficial properties, from SPF to crucial moisturizing, when left on overnight it can cause premature aging, clogged and enlarged pores and breakouts (what the heck?! I thought my teen years were over!!!). Clearing your pores completely by just washing is hard- and exfoliating only goes so far. I used to rely on a mask, but since motherhood AND my 30’s rolled through, not only are my pores bigger, but my kids are a BIG influence as to the products I use. While I love a good face mask, the girls both lose their minds when I wear one, and the time and effort needed to clean and wash is a lot for me to handle before bedtime. Masks can be so messy and time consuming, so to ensure my beauty routine allots for the above mentioned sleep, I need simple and effective. I picked up Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips in the limited edition animal prints from Walmart.
   
   They are totally amazing!!! They’re the same product I remember from high school (ALL the gunk that comes out is borderline embarrassing), but the fun patterns make them perfect for mamas looking to fun-up their beautify routine- and have a giggle with the kids, or for girls’ nights spent with mini-spa treatments and gossip. In just 10 minutes, a week’s work of the aforementioned gunk is cleared from my pores, and overtime, the appearance of my pores will visably reduce. These adorable strips work like a magnet- instantly locking onto and removing deep-down dirt, oil and blackheads so you get the deepest clean possible, and only require use once a week!
   • Be sure to wash your face well- including up into your hairline where dirt and oil can hide and cause clogged pores.
     
   • Dry your face completely.
   • Take out any nose piercings you may have. (like me!)
   • Open the Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strip and gently twist the slits at the nose to open them- this makes for a smooth application and more contact- needed to pull all that gunk out.
   • Thoroughly wet your nose, dry your hands and peel the strip from the clear sheet.
   • Apply to your nose, and smooth down into creases.
     
   • Wait 10-15 minutes, until the strip is fully dry.
   • Slowly remove from the outer edges in towards the middle of your nose.
     
   • Rinse your skin with water and pat dry- admire your beautifully clean pores!
     
4. Moisturize + SPF. Even with oily skin, you need to moisturize. The idea behind drying our skin out may have worked 15 years ago, but now that only encourages premature aging, caking makeup and gives skin more reasons to act up! Think about it this way: If you dehydrate your face trying to clear it, your body just wants to make more oil to help replenish. This vicious cycle offers nothing but an invitation to clog up your pores and create issues in your T-zone and cheeks. Adult acne needs to be treated with a gentle hand and much  more attention to a complete-care plan. Once your face is washed in the morning, add a light, non-comedogenic moisturizer with an SPF before you apply your primer and makeup. The SPF will help keep those wrinkles and that baked-skin look at bay, while keeping you protected from harmful rays. No matter what your skin tone, SPF offers much-needed sun protection (don’t forget your ears, neck, and chest- all places that have thinner skin that will burn and age quickly). At night, try a retinol treatment made for adult skin. Remember to do more than spot-treat. Adult acne is more than just a pimple here and there, and if you only treat a spot, it will appear somewhere else- so treat the whole area. Avoid using a retinol treatment during the day if you are outside a lot, like at playgrounds- which is why I recommend just at night.
5. Be consistent. Remember when we were young and mom said “It won’t change overnight,”? Don’t tell her, but she was right. As with any skincare routine, change doesn’t happen overnight, and even worse, it may get a bit worse at first. Be consistent with your routine, take off your makeup at the end of the day- long before bed, if you can, choose a light weekend look, with just some BB Cream and mascara, drink that water and get your beauty sleep- it’s a real thing!

Are you ready to tame your wild side with Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips? Get to Walmart for these limited edition skincare must-haves today! What’s a skincare tip you can share with me?