Let me just preface this by saying, I am NOT a dermatologist, nor plan to be. However, skin care is something I am very passionate about. (My friends and family can attest to this.) I have researched so much, and worked at Ulta Beauty and have helped women find a skin care regimen that works well for them. Fall is such a difficult time for skin, oily skinned people tend to dry up a tad, and my dry people can have exhausted and dehydrated skin. Well, I am here to help to the best of my ability.

DISCLAIMER: This is also for people who have basic skin care needs, not people with medical conditions or conditions like severe cystic acne, go to the dermatologist, girl!

1. Cleansing

A lot of people wake up in the morning, brush their teeth, and splash some water on their face. This is not enough. I repeat, THIS IS NOT ENOUGH. Just as you brush your teeth every morning, you need to cleanse your skin every morning. When you are getting your beauty rest, your body is releasing toxins, healing itself, and this means you have more dead skin cells and sebum on your face that you need to cleanse away. If you have oily skin, washing your face in the morning will decrease oil production throughout the day so you are not shiny. At night, it is the most important to wash your face. First of all, you have probably touched your face a million times and not even known it, you have sweat, you have dirt from the air that is trapped in your pores. If you wear makeup, begin your cleansing by using a cotton pad and micellar water to get most of your makeup off. I love Simple Sensitive Skin Experts Cleansing Micellar Water ($7.99, Ulta.com) most of the time, but I have oily/combination skin. If you have really dry skin I would recommend the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Oil or Cleansing Milk. ($28.00, Clinique.com). Then, for cleanser, I would recommend Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser ($24.00, Ulta.com). This cleanser is so hydrating, safe to use morning and night, and has amazing ingredients! I do realize though, that not everyone can drop thirty dollars on face wash, so runner-up would be the Simple Moisturizing Facial Wash ($4.89, Target.com). This facial wash is gentles and thoroughly cleanses the skin. Both of these cleansers should work for all skin types. If you have severely dry skin, try a more creamy cleanser like Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser ($9.49, Target.com).

2. Toning

There is a never-ending controversy about what your toner should be, or what is in your toner. The main thing I would like to stress is you do NOT want alcohol in your toner!!! Alcohol literally strips your skin of all its oils and will cause premature wrinkles. Not to mention, it burns. This is very hard, because in most toners, alcohol is the first ingredient. Besides that, pick a toner for your own needs, for example, I have very dull skin and quite a few blackheads, so I use Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe,  Herb and Rosewater. ($12.00, Ulta.com) The rose water makes my skin radiate, and the aloe promotes cell turnover which benefits healing acne spots and blackheads. This part is all in trying products. Some more examples of great alcohol-free toners are the Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner ($7.99, Ulta.com) and Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid Toner ($18.00, Ulta.com).

Apply your toner after you cleanse your skin!

3. Moisturizing

If you have oily skin, it is a common misconception that if you apply moisturizer, it will make your skin more oily. False. If you do not moisturize your skin, you will cause your skin to create more oil. For example, a guest at Ulta once told me that she would use moisturizer and it would always break her out no matter what she used, so then she used a bar of soap to wash her face, and now her skin was flaky and more oily. This is because first, she was not using nourishing ingredients from a cleanser, but also not moisturizing. So, I recommended her the CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion PM ($15.49, Ulta.com). Why? This cleanser is a gel, so it will not make your face feel greasy or heavy, yet it still does not leave your skin feeling tight or unmoisturized. CereVe is also fragrance and dye-free so it has little to no ingredients that can irritate your skin. If you have noticed dryness, have dry/ combination skin, or want something more nourishing for night time, try Clique Moisture Surge™ Extended Thirst Relief ($19.00, Clinique.com).

Also: Add an eye cream into your routine, I suggest Tarte Maracuja C Brighter Eye Treatment ($38.00, Ulta.com), however, look at the ingredients, if you are allergic to certain things like coconuts this might not be for you. If you're on a budget, go for the e.l.f. Illuminating Eye Cream ($10.00, elfcosmetics.com)

3. Special Treatments

Based on your skin needs, you may need treatments for your skin, or you would just like to pamper yourself. First off a tool that has made such a difference in my skin is the Clinique Sonic System ($89.50, Clinique.com). I know what your thinking, you do not want to spend a fortune on a freakin' brush. However, it is much cheaper than the Clarisonic or Foreo which both run $100-$350. Also, get a rewards card with Ulta! It is free and you can use your points on a big purchase like this as well as Clinique sales. I only paid $35.00 for mine because bought it 50% off, and used my reward points. Facial cleansing brushes help you mildly exfoliate your skin, which helps even skin texture and relieves your pores of build up which your hands can not really do.

An amazing face mask for blackheads is the Philosophy Purity Made Simple Pore Extractor Exfoliating Clay Mask ($35.00, Ulta.com). I would recommend grabbing the travel size for $18.00, since you wont use it every day. This mask is amazing; it uses white clay and salicylic acid to exfoliate and clear your pores.

A great pampering mask is the Freeman Feeling Beautiful Dead Sea Minerals Facial Anti Stress Mask ($4.29, Ulta.com). Honestly, this mask does not really clear my skin, but it leaves my face smooth, and the scent really is relaxing.

A great charcoal mask is the Clinique City Block Purifying™ Charcoal Clay Mask + Scrub ($28.00, Clinique.com). This mask deep cleans and leaves your face smooth and fresh.

Well, I hope I have shared something with you that you did not know before, and I hope you are on your way to your best skin yet! Happy Skincare-ing!