In the summer, I put on UVA/UVB sunscreen every day. I use a sunscreen which doesn't contain moisturizer, but it's by a skincare company - so it's not harmful or drying. It also doesn't clog my pores, so I don't have to use astringents or acne medicated products, which dry my skin out. But in winter…the sunscreen doesn't go on. Even if I'm not getting as much sun, that's an extra layer of insulation between my skin and the elements. I've recently started using Missha BB cream under a light layer of my normal loose-powder foundation. Yes, some days I skip the powder foundation; but it does act as a good setting/finishing powder, and the BB cream moisturizes and evens my skintone. I wonder if that's another contributing factor toward less dry skin this year? Over time I've been using less Oxy Clean on my face, changing my pillowcases more often (every few days, in fact), and have started using elf's makeup remover cloths which do take off the makeup but don't leave my skin feeling tingly. I'm sure those have all contributed to my year-round facial-skin health.

I got some skincare advice from an interesting source: the Something Awful forums. Specifically, <a href=“http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3502448” target=“_blank”>one thread, about a cosplayer who became a party princess</a>. Her skincare tips included: not scrubbing your face but washing it; using sunscreen every morning (presumably even in winter); keep your hands off your face; eat well and exercise; sleep on your back to avoid facial wrinkling; use a satin pillowcase to keep skin and hair from being rubbed by rougher pillowcase materials; and -=always=- remove your makeup before you go to sleep. There was also mention of avoiding toners, and using a moisturizer with a retinoid compound at night, rather than straight retinol. I will have to do some more research, because while I don't currently look my age (thanks for the great genetic makeup, mom and dad!!) I will fairly soon, just because of time and entropy and other linear-wibbly-wobbly-marchy-ony things. I started reading this thread because I wanted to hear about “being paid royalty”, but this person is an entertaining author. I also liked that this discussion didn't just concentrate on beauty products, but what daily habits you can start or stop, to help improve the skin on your face and around your eyes.

One product line that I've used for years is Olay. Some of their things work for me, some don't; but I'd been hesitant to try the more costly regenerating and anti-wrinkle products - largely because with something like skincare, the changes are long-term. I didn't know if I'd be wasting my money. When I moved to Washington and found two Costcos fairly nearby, I got a membership and started experimenting with both the Total Effects and Regenerist products. The Total Effects products don't seem to give me results that I notice as rapidly, but I like the Regenerist regenerating and micro-sculpting serums. I also like the regenerating cream cleanser, because it exfoliates just slightly - I feel like the old and dead skin is getting gently sloughed off, but the skin beneath isn't getting abraded. All of these things I've bought at Costco! Since the serums are in those little pump bottles that I can close right after I dispense however much product I need, I don't feel like the air is mixing with the serum too much. (Usually I'll buy one of those packs, then give one bottle to the neighbor-boy's girlfriend for a few dollars. She gets a product she couldn't otherwise afford, I get the product for less than retail but I don't have so much around that the second bottle could lose most of its potency before I finish the first bottle.) The downside is…it's Costco. They sometimes carry products, but it's not a guarantee that they'll always have the product you want.

For whatever reason, I feel like more oil and residue stays on my face in winter than in summer if I don't make a few soft passes with a facial cloth. (I have no idea why this is the case. I could just be more conscious of it in winter, but it's the same year-round.) For a facial wash cloth, I used some softer “premium” wash cloths for the longest time until Sirvinya's tip to use muslin cloth. There are beauty companies that sell “muslin cleansing cloths”, but you don't need to splash out a huge amount. You can buy muslin cloth in cloth and craft stores - the problem then is usually that you have to cut them to size and hem the edges. I couldn't find any muslin cloths without paying for something marketed in beauty sections, but I suspect that if I hunted around better I might be able to find something.

In winter, I tend to wear Burt's Bees lip shimmers when I go to bed to prevent chapped lips; but I've always been so hypersensitive to any kind of liquid or creme on my face, so I don't put on a full-face night cream. I tried for a while, using Olay's night cream which isn't too heavy; but even that bothered me. Now I'll apply the regenerating serum, concentrating on the area around my eyes and at the corners of my mouth.

I'm pretty fortunate, in that I don't have severely dry skin or severely oily skin. My skincare routine doesn't change much in the seasons, except that I'll use more sunscreen and less serum in the spring and summer.

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