Taking It All Off

I know I already posted something about the importance of keeping your skin clean, especially before going to bed at night, but there are a lot - A LOT - of options out there for this nightly ritual. And I'm certainly not here to tell you what's best, because it's going to be different for everyone. But I did just happen to buy a new product yesterday and I'm loving it enough to share it with you. As far as makeup removers go, I have started favoring lotion removers over the liquid kinds - I feel like there's less rubbing involved to get the makeup off, and my skin feels more moisturized afterwards. If your face hurts after you've removed your makeup, you may need a new remover - and a new method! I just picked up Physician's Formula Organic Wear Facial Makeup Remover Lotion - one because I liked the bottle it came in (I am such a sucker!) and two because it's free of chemicals (which, when you think about it, you probably don't want on your face, anyway). I was a bit skeptical of how an organic product would work at removing makeup, but I was very pleasantly surprised at how well it removed my makeup - mascara included - without me having to work too hard. One thing to remember is to always be gentle with the skin around your eyes. It's very thin, for one thing, and (again I'm thinking long term here!) years and years of pulling on that skin will eventually show. I like to get some remover lotion on a cotton pad and hold it on my eye for a few seconds and give it a chance to break down some of the makeup first. If you're a fan of the liquid eye removers, I prefer the oil-free kind, just because I usually feel like I need to wash my face all over again after using remover with oil , but pick something that will work with your skin type and don't feel like you have to buy the same one every time! Physician's Formula is available at drugstores - I snagged it for around $6. Oil of Olay also makes a nice lotion remover...the makeup remover pads are fine and all, but I think you can get the same effect with baby wipes, which are generally a lot cheaper. Plus you smell so good afterwards. ;)