Beauty: My new skincare routine

My "before" skin

I have always had a complicated relationship with the sun. I am a true summer girl - I love the heat, the humidity and the glow it gives my skin after a day outdoors. But I also burn easily and freckle easily and those two things have also left my face and chest looking older and more damaged than I imagined - brown spots, discoloration, early wrinkles around my mouth and eyes and more freckles than I could ever imagine.

The first time I saw my skin under one of those UV lights at the dermatologist office I was 24 years old, but looked almost 50 under the light - sun damage was all over my face, neck and chest. I was horrified and knew I needed to start taking better care of my skin. I went out and bought what I could find on the market - the highest sunscreen possible, combined with an anti-aging night cream, moisturizing day cream with SPF and some eye serum.

That was over 10 years ago and thankfully the beauty industry has been particularly innovative in the area of skin care. I have tried a ton of anti-aging products and up until last winter, my favorite was an over the counter night cream by RoC.

Until my friend Elena introduced me to Rodan + Fields.

I'm not sure if you've ever heard of them, but this line of skin care was created by the same doctors who started Proactive. I was skeptical at first because they sell through consultants not in stores, but after having a coffee date with Elena and some of her friends who are consultants, and then trying a few samples of the products, I knew this was the real deal. I saw immediate differences in my skin after just a few uses! The products are pricey, but given the effectiveness I knew it was a great investment in my skin's health.

Last winter, I started with the Reverse products - they help erase brown spots, dullness and discoloration due to sun damage and boy was my face suffering from all of those! I used the exfoliating wash every other night, then followed it with the brightening toner, and then the brightening lotion. During the day I used the 50 SPF on my face, neck and chest, then followed with my normal day moisturizer. On the days I didn't use the exfoliating wash, I used a gentle non-soap based cleanser with my Clairsonic.

After 3 months, my skin looked brighter, clearer and those pesky freckles on my upper lip (the ones I get every summer that look weird in photos) and the brown spots on my forehead were gone. I also needed less makeup, like mineral powder or BB cream, to make my skin look healthy, clear and bright.

This spring I switched to a few items from the Refine product line which is all anti-aging in nature. Instead of the brightening toner and lotion, I swapped in the night renewing serum, overnight restorative cream and the multi function eye cream.  I continued to use the exfoliating wash from the Reverse line once a week, and my Clairsonic every few days. After another 3 months, I noticed that the lines on my forehead and around my mouth weren't as deep, and I had less fine lines around my eyes. Also my skin was smoother, softer and had a natural glow to it. I didn't have to wear any makeup on my face, save a little under eye concealer and mascara and lipgloss if I chose.

My "after" skin

It's been a year since I started using Rodan + Fields and I could not be happier with the results! I'm going to continue to use the Refine products every day, and as needed, the Reverse products if my skin starts to show signs of dullness again. I am really glad I found these products. Cheers to anti-aging stuff that actually works!

If you're interested, my friend Elena is a consultant for the company - you can contact her here.

P.S. This post was not sponsored, I just love these products so much!