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Skin Care Routine with the Advice from my Aesthetician

Quote of the day: “The only opinion that should matter when you look in the mirror is your own.” Zendaya

Of course we all know that aging is going to happen with each birthday we experience. And I’m a true believer in embracing this aging process instead of trying to fight it. At least to the extent of surgery and certain procedures. Yet, we are lucky to be living in an age where we can have many benefits that weren’t available 20 years ago.

So let me share with you some products I have tried recently. Along with some insight from my good friend, Linda, who is also an aesthetician. I love being able to pick her brain about her specialty especially because I know that she’s not trying to sell me the farm.

Saranghae

Ever since I was able to try out a toxin free box of beauty products, I have been more and more interested in trying out “cleaner” beauty products. Not that I’ve been exclusive about it for everything, but at least I think about it now.

So when Sarahghae reached out to me to review their 5 step routine, I figured what did I have to lose? Actually I first checked out their ingredients and pricing before I said yes. They are a Korean skin care routine company started because Min Jun Lee didn’t like the harmful chemicals found in many North American products. And the pricing is rather moderate. It’s certainly not as inexpensive as the drugstore brands, but it’s not as expensive as Rodan & Fields.

What my aesthetician had to say

I took the products and information over to Linda and asked her about it all. I know for myself, I see many products that claim to have great properties, and I’m not sure how to figure out the real from the fake.

Basically, what Linda told me is a product can claim to have “xxx ingredient” in it, and that ingredient would be in it. However, it’s the percentage of that ingredient that really makes a difference. So even though that drugstore brand may say that it has hyaluronic acid in it, the true test if it’ll work fabulously for you is the amount of hyaluronic acid that actually is in that product. The problem is it’s not always easy to find the amount of an ingredient in these items.

And just so you know, hyaluronic is the king of hydration. At least that’s how Linda describes it!

My opinion of Saranghae

I’ve used the Saranghae product almost every morning and evening for a month. Although I don’t use the eye cream in the mornings when I’m also putting on makeup.

Do I love it? I really do, but I’m also not a beauty product snob. What I thought was fabulous is there is no offending odor from any of the products. And my aesthetician friend, Linda? She thought the ingredients sounded great. She’d never tried this brand of product, but there was nothing in the pamphlets that gave her worry.

The cleanser works wonderfully at removing my makeup. Even with taking off my mascara, although it didn’t work on my waterproof mascara. But this is a nice advantage to me, because it saved me a step (and thus money) of using my additional eye makeup remover for most days.

The serum, cream and eye cream all seem fabulous. Luckily, I don’t have a lot of skin issues, so I can’t be one of those people that says it’s changed my life. But I have to tell you that my favorite product is the masks. And to prove it, I even did a video of it below.

Tips and Tricks from my Aesthetician

I thought I’d share a couple of things I have learned from Linda over the years.

1-She recommends to apply your cleanser in a circular pattern for 2 minutes. 2 minutes? I know, it’s a long time. And I may not always do it quite that long, but I certainly rub it in for much longer than I used to. But it’s not about how hard you apply pressure. Just a light pressure is perfect, but you want to go over the areas many times. I actually equate this to brushing your teeth. Most of you know that I’m a retired dentist. And if you have an electric toothbrush, then you’ll know that the recommended time for brushing is 2 minutes. With light pressure.

2-After applying serum, Linda always tells me to let it absorb in fully before applying any other products. The nice aspect of Saranghae was the serum was lightweight and did not take a long time to absorb.

3– When using eye creams, Linda also suggests patting it on with your little finger so you don’t use too much pressure. And even though there aren’t pores in the upper eyelid, she still says to pat the cream there and above the eyebrows.

4-Then when applying your moisturizer, it’s best to gently rub it from the midline of your face to the edges. And again do this gently.

Mask

If you haven’t seen the new beauty craze of hydrating masks, then you’re missing out. At least for me, living in this arid Colorado and having such dry skin, it’s like a breath of fresh air every time I use these. Now I have tried other brand’s masks, and truthfully, I will say that Saranghae’s really hydrated my face for the entire day after using it. I could actually compare it to how my face felt the times I get a facial from Linda.

What I didn’t show you on the video, is that I also used the leftover product that remained in the envelope on my arms. It would be terrible to waste that fabulous product.

RoC Daily Hydrating Cream

Around this same time, I was also contacted to try RoC Retinol Correxion Max Daily Hydration Creme.

I’ve never gotten on the bandwagon to try the retinol cremes, so I thought this was perfect timing. Not that this kind of product ticks off the box of being natural, but I have to admit that I was enticed by their marketing. And the price.

RoC’s marketing is quite impressive. I realize that this doesn’t make for a great product, but it’s a nice start. They are working hard to remind us to be more mindful of our words, because being told we look good “for our age” is considered a reverse compliment. RoC is pushing all women to define their beauty …on their own terms. Specifically? Let’s just tell other women that they look great. Period.

Retinols

When I asked Linda, my aesthetician, if she like retinols, she said she loves them as long as they are not too strong. Do you know what retinols are supposed to do? I didn’t so I had to look it up. They are meant to stimulate the production of new skin cells and help reduce the appearance of lines.

When I sat with Linda, and discussed the idea of getting rid of wrinkles, she is of the mind that it’s not really going to happen without surgery. But hydrating our skin and using something on it daily is always helpful.

So while I was using the Saranghae during this last month, I was also using the RoC creme only at night on one side of my face only. I was wondering if I would be able to notice a difference.

You tell me–can you tell a difference? Here’s an untouched photo without makeup below. The side that had the retinol creme applied is the right side of the screen. That’s the side with my scar from my cleft lip. I don’t notice any difference with or without the retinol, but I will finish the bottle. And if there’s any change in the future, I’ll be sure to let you know.

Eyelash Serums

Now let’s discuss eyelashes. I bet many of us have experienced a thinning or shortening of eyelashes as we’ve gotten older. I’ve even had discussions with friends who’ve had eyelash extensions to try to fix this issue.

I’ve had my eyelashes dyed in the past (by Linda), but it didn’t make them longer. So I decided to purchase the Rodan & Fields Lash Boost. Trust me when I say it’s not cheap. It’s over $100, but I wanted to see if I thought that having eyelashes was worth it.

After talking to my aesthetician, she said I should also try the cheaper versions from the drug store. That’s where the bottom product comes in. I bought it at Bed, Bath & Beyond. Now Linda reports that she can’t use the cheaper versions because they make her eyes red. She’s never tried the R&D version yet to see if it’s any better. But I’ll give you my feedback below.

Before

So here’s the before and after photos. I apologize that the before photo is quite awful. I took it myself with my phone. And I can’t go back and retake it now that I’ve used the products, so it’ll have to do.

After

And here is the photo now almost 5 months after the first photo. My eyelashes are really and truly longer. Both of these photos are without makeup and mascara. You might be able to say they don’t look as thick, and that could be true? But let me give you the specifics.

First, I only started with the R&F Lash Boost on both eyes and this was at the beginning of July. I applied it every night as directed. It’s not hard, and it doesn’t hurt. The only part that made me change my routine was the fact you have to wait 2 minutes after applying it before putting on any eye cream. Therefore, I would wash my face first, apply the lash serum, brush my teeth and then finish applying my nightly creams.

They say you will notice a difference in 4-6 weeks. Well, it took me the 6 weeks or even a week more until I finally could tell. And it was very obvious that they were longer. It was super exciting!! Even the days I wouldn’t put on makeup, I’d apply mascara just to see how great it looked on my wonderfully long lashes.

Once your lashes are longer, then you can step back on the maintenance of using the serum (so said my friend, Linda). Instead of using it daily, I started to only apply it every other day. It was about 2 months after I started the R&F serum when I talked to her and she suggested I try the cheaper version. So for these last 3 months, I’ve been maintaining with the R&D on one side and the cheaper version on the other side.

So can you tell a difference? I know I’ve asked my husband and a handful of friends, and the answer with mascara on is no. The right side on these photos is the R&F maintenance side, if you’re interested.

Details

I also heard from another blogger that she used her lash serum on her eyebrows too. So I actually started doing that in the last 2 months. I’ve never had thick eyebrows, but it does seem to have filled them in slightly.

I talked to an aesthetician at Hand and Stone Massage when were checking them out recently, and she uses a another eyelash serum from Ulta. It’s still around $50, so it’s not like it’s inexpensive, but it is less expensive than R&F. And this other woman also thought the serums made her lashes darker. Now I’m not sure I can say that, but considering that mine are quite light, maybe it has?

I also have no idea if the OTC version would have grown my lashes like the R&F serum did, but it seems to have maintained them similarly.

Question

After starting this eyelash serum, I’ve been extremely interested in eyelashes. Why do we think they are important and why are we willing to do this? One of my friends described eyelashes as a great way to frame your eyes. In fact, she’s the one that has tried eyelash extensions (and loves them).

And maybe I love the idea of having longer eyelashes because I’ve never really had them in the past? I do know that when I was working as a dentist, I would always notice that the 10 year old boys would have the greatest eyelashes and yet they could care less.

But is it worth it to spend this kind of money on them? Do they make us look younger or better? That’s what I’m struggling with at this time. So far, both of my tubes of eyelash serum have lasted this long. The R&F is over 5 months old, and the cheaper version is 3 months old.

If you are interested in trying out the Rodan & Fields Lash Boost, my R&D rep said she would extend a deal for Dec. 27 & 28th. If you purchase the Lash Boost, then you can also receive a a free jar of the Multifunction Eye Cream which I reviewed last November. The eye cream is a $60 product so that’s a fabulous offer. Just email Leah at ldouglas515@gmail.com and she will help you out.

Thanks to one and all of you for your support. It means more than you know! I’d love to hear your thoughts on all of the above topics! 

The Facts

I was not paid for this post but the Saranghae products and Roc cream was gifted to me. I personally purchased the eyelash serums.

Just to let you know, that when my Saranghae products run out I will purchasing more of the serum and masks as these are my favorites.

About Saranghae:
Saranghae is an award winning Korean 5 Step Anti-Aging skin care routine that heals, regenerates and
protects your skin. Saranghae’s focus on natural ingredients and highly effective products has helped
them become the fastest growing Korean skin care brand in the United States.
For more information please visit: www.lovesaranghae.com
Saranghae Review, Saranghae Reviews, Saranghae 5 Step Routine, Korean Beauty, K-Beauty, Korean skin
care, Korean Skin Care

Keeping in Touch

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Sure you can find my posts on Facebook but I also love to share other people’s posts that I think you may like. Or my Pinterest page has all of our outfits in a nutshell along with fun inspiration from other women!

Right now, most of my time is spent on Instagram. Here’s where you’ll find many other of my outfits and plenty of musings about life and such. Sure, you may not feel like you want to add another social media site to your list. But I spend lots of time and effort to make sure there is something for everyone!

And if you’re new to the party, you can always see our outfits organized by categories, here. Don’t forget to check out the deals & discounts too, on this page.

Also, feel free to Shop My Instagram items.

And here are some bathrobes you could be wearing when you work on your skin care routine: