Daily Skin Regimen (Reader Question)

Q: Vanessa, you have really nice skin, what is your daily skin regimen in maintaining flawless looking skin? I often get pimples here and there and I have tried so many creams and acne products but it seems to be making it worse....HELP!
______________________________________________________________________________

A: Thanks, well I have really dry skin during the winter, and during the summer, it's not super oily, but it's not dry either. In the morning, I just rinse my face with water and mild soap (Dove), use my Neutrogena Cleansing Wipes, and then I take a cotton ball and wipe my L'Oreal Acne Response Toner with AHA all over my face. I then add Zapzyt to any problematic areas, if I don't have any, I just proceed with my moisturizer which is Aveeno. Sometimes I will use Step 3 of the L'Oreal Acne Response which is the Blemish Lotion, but rarely do I need to.

At night, I use the St. Ives or Equate Medicated Apricot Scrub with Salicylic Acid. Followed by my Acne Response Toner, Witch Hazel, and then my moisturizer.

For my BODY: I have some dark spots, old scars from acne or scars from being clumsy, so I use Acne Free Scar Erase which is a miracle in a bottle for me because I have noticed a dramatic difference in just a week of using it, it contains HYDROQUINONE which is a LIGHTENING agent, to lighten dark spots or scars. VITAMIN E also helps tone and smooth skin, like stretch marks. I love Palmer's Cocoa Butter!

Your regimen should just really depend on what type of skin you have, OVER CLEANING IT, can actually cause more problems because you are opening your pores to be more susceptible to more bacteria and dirt. To be honest, sometimes the best skin care is really simpler than you think, for some it's just soap and water, and for others it's a lot more. I like playing it safe so I like to use toner to feel really clean.

Here are some products I have, some I use sparingly, some are part of my daily routine:

My favorite toner, AHA is a great antioxidant in fighting blemishes


Here is the Blemish Lotion that goes with it which I don't really use...


I love the way scrubs slough off the dead skin leaving my skin super soft!


Witch Hazel, nature's best astringent:


Acne Free Scar Erase, love this duo!


Goes great with Cocoa Butter filled with Vitamin E:


I use this for my body to keep oils away from those sebaceous glands...