When I moved to LA a little over 12 years ago, one of the first things my best friend said to me was “Say goodbye to good hair & skin, because dry hair and very dry skin will be your new reality…”. Well, that’s not going to be me, I remember thinking. I take very good care of both, so there is really no reason why I should have a problem with either! She was right of course, because even though I love California’s epic year-round sunny and warm weather, the hot and dry climate did quite a number on both. Within a year, my previously normal, fairly problem free skin became a rather odd combination of oily and dry and so began my quest for finding skincare products that take care of both issues.
I’d say that the biggest problem I faced was the dryness. I mean, at some point in time, I simply accepted the fact that I will forever have an oily t-zone, and wouldn’t be able to find products I could use on the dry areas of my skin. Products designed to address dry skin issues always felt too heavy; and made me breakout, while oil-free options, simply didn’t do much for my skin at all.
Yet another reoccurring problem I was faced with was of course the sun-spots ( the issue I’ve talked quite a bit about on this blog ). I love the beach, and the sun, and although I am very diligent about using sun-block now, for years I went without it, and so, my sun-worshiping ways left me with a few rather prominent sun-spots on the left side of my face. I tried many, many things to get rid of them. I even went as far as to consult with several dermatologists and always received the same reply: You can’t spot treat sun-spots, so a deep, chemical peel ( and probably a few of those to be honest ), is what I would have had to do to say goodbye to them. Somehow deep peels always scared me, because it is such a drastic, invasive measure, not to mention a week-long down time, something that I simply couldn’t afford to take. And so, I covered them up with consular, or my hair, yet somehow they always ended up showing, which always made me feel very self-conscious. This issue remained a constant, nagging thing that I wished I could take care of.
Last, but certainly not least is travel. A fairly recent change in my life, for the past 3 years, I’ve been living out of my suit case, often going from cold, dry climates, to hot and humid ones all within a span of a week. Don’t get me wrong — I love to travel, see the world, and discover new places, and I am always grateful for the amazing whirl wind ride that is my reality right now, yet this kind of drastic change of climates took a further toll on my skin. Now it is rather obvious, yet somehow it never occurred to me that my skin-care routine should be very different in cold, rainy Paris during Fashion Week from let’s say when I am back at home in hot and dry LA, or vacation in hot and humid Tulum. This realization came as a result of a single meeting with the founders of Pour Moi Skincare, which took place a little over 5 months ago and forever changed the way I think about skin care.
I think one of the most important things that I took away from this meeting was the importance of using the right products for the climate you are in. When I lived in Toronto, which has a fairly humid climate, dryness was never really much of a problem, but in dry LA, moisture is key, and using the right-kind of moisturizer is a priority numero uno! During this meeting, I received the Face of Los Angeles ritual but also a few additional Réponse du Climat Day Creams appropriate to the places and climates I was set to visit in the next few months.
Not entirely sure what I was expecting, but I was hoping for a change and change is what I got, because I can tell you that right now, I am living my best skin moment. In fact, my skin changed for the better so much, that I’ve stopped wearing foundation completely and use only a light-weight tinted moisturizer or powder.
Right now, my skin-care routine is pretty simple and consists of 3 easy steps. When in LA, after washing my face with a gentle cleanser, I prep my skin with The Hydrating Balancer, which is a God send because it helps to restore the skin’s balance after cleansing and especially hard water ( a rather big problem in LA ). Normally, my skin feels very tight right after cleansing, but The Hydrating Balancer helps make it feel very soft and smooth.
Next, I apply a small drop of The White Serum all over my face to restore, hydrate and brighten my skin. I love this serum because it is designed specifically for the combination and oily skin, so it feels very light weight going on, doesn’t clog my pores or makes my skin feel oily.
Last step in my skin-care routine is the Day Cream. In Los Angeles, I use the Desert Day Cream to hydrate, protect my skin from environmental aggressors and prevent premature signs of aging. Honestly, one of my favorite products in the entire ritual, the day cream makes my skin feel velvety smooth yet once again, never oily or shiny!
I follow this ritual twice daily, the only thing that I change are the Day Creams when I travel. On my recent trip to Tulum, I used the Tropical Day Cream which helps to draw and trap moisture in humid atmosphere, but during Milan and Paris fashion weeks it was the Temperate Day Cream that kept my skin looking great despite my insane schedule with a complete and total lack of sleep.
Overall, my skin now feels very soft and smooth to the touch, but also, the dry patches I used to have around my forehead and cheeks are gone completely. The sun spots I have on the left side of my face started to fade ( some of them gone completely ) but others are now very light and barely noticeable, which I must admit has been a great confidence booster since I am so self-conscious about them! I think with time, even the most stubborn ones will be gone completely, and of course I will keep you guys updated on my progress!
P.S. As always, if you have any questions about products or how to use them, just ask in the comment section below! I’ll be happy to answer!
Special thank you to Pour Moi Skincare for partnering with me on this post.
The Face of Pour Moi Los Angeles, Hydrating Balancer, White Serum, Desert Day Cream, Tropical Day Cream, Temperature Day Cream