1. Drink All The Water In The World (And Then Drink Some More). You know how whenever a magazine interviews a supermodel she’s all “Oh, my secret is water,” and you think “Yuh-huh. Your secret is GENETICS.” Well, the genetics thing might be a big one, but water? Also big. Maybe the biggest.
Drink it all. All of it, I say! (Then drink more.)
My skin is always a little trickier in the wintertime – on a 1 to 10 scale of dryness, I’m a six thousand – and when you add in travel on top of it, there’s some serious potential for disaster. You know when you get breakouts and dryness at the same time, and don’t really know how to handle either situation because the remedy for one issue only seems to make the other worse?
That.
But! It is totally handle-able, and the way to deal is to go for the gentlest possible skincare routine, one that lets your skin chill out and breathe and find its way back to normal. In the past, I’ve been an oh-I’ll-just-use-whatever-soap-is-in-the-hotel-room person, but no mas, because really: it’s just as easy to throw a few travel-friendly products in my bag so I can take my regular routine with me wherever I go.
Five easy steps to wake up looking more refreshed than ever.
Want to hear something exciting? My skin has been kind of awesome this pregnancy. Which I totally didn't anticipate, because it was kind of terrible last time.
What this total departure from any semblance of consistency has taught me: your skin is guaranteed to be nothing if not unpredictable when you're expecting. It might be better than usual, it might be worse than usual…but it will almost certainly be different than usual.
How to handle the upheaval: keep your skincare routine as streamlined and simple as possible.
Do you get to call it "Spring Break" when you're 32?
I think so.
What I'm bringing with me to Florida:
Easy separates, a few glam extras, and products that make traveling easy. (For more, check out my post on the Simple Skincare blog.)
A week ago, Simple Sense told me a few things I could use some help with (including using SPF, exfoliating, and chilling out). Here's how it's going so far.
(Click here to get your own personalized skincare recommendations.)
In the past three months, you know what the number-one beauty tip I’ve picked up is? You know that saying “An ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure?”
Q. Hey Jordan,
Well, the cold weather has hit...and my skin instantly turned scaly! Can you recommend some drugstore moisturizers (for the face) for winter?
Thanks,
Mandy
I'm big on relaxing nighttime routines: I give myself a good hour between turning off the TV or putting down my book and getting into bed, and use it to putter around the house and straighten up, do stretches, apply moisturizer head-to-toe, brush my hair, and play around with various face potions.
I wasn't always this diligent about my beauty routine - the truth is that I used to forget to remove my makeup more often than not, and rarely achieved more than a cursory swipe with soap before falling into bed (Francesca, who lived with me in LA, can attest to this: she was frequently horror-struck by the sight of my smudgy, be-kohl-ed eyes at 8AM) - but as I get older, I feel more and more like those minutes I spend attending to my skin at night are important ones, both physically and mentally.
What I like about the Eve Lom cleanser is that it's a process, and so it forces you to take a few minutes to yourself to chill out and get into a sleepy state of mind. It certainly generates its fair share of buzz (Vogue named it the #1 cleanser in the world), and with a multi-step application that approaches the level of ritual, it has all the hallmarks of a cult product. You start with a lymphatic drainage massage, then apply the cleanser (which is more like a paste), and then do kinda weird stuff like place muslin cloths over your face and inhale and exhale three times before wiping it off.
But in theory, since the product is cleanser, toner, makeup remover, exfoliator, and moisturizer all in one, you're...saving time? Kind of? I don't know about that, and the ritual is a little ridiculous, sure, but you know what? Ridiculousness in politics is maddening; ridiculousness in skincare products is therapeutic and fun. And it's never a bad idea to take a minute at the end of the day to pay attention to your breathing and care for yourself. So.
I was introduced to this new line today at a meeting, and adored it: eco-friendly packaging, organic ingredients, and super-cool, customizable products.
My favorite: L'Eau Soir Et Matin (pictured at left), which is a cleansing flower water/toner that removes all makeup and deposits nice things (like hazelnut oil, Neroli and geranium) onto your skin, and that doesn't need to be washed off. This is the kind of product you'd keep by the bed with some tissues for an extra-lazy night, or stash in your desk drawer to wipe off your day makeup before freshening up to go out for the evening.
Absolution also offers a lovely basic moisturizer that you mix with various skin-specific "solutions" (anti-aging, revitalizing, etc) right there on the top of the bottle, sort of like an artist's palette (click here and scroll down to see the illustration).
