Another lovely set of products from my IECSC bounty are from Circadia by Dr Pugliese. I’m especially excited about this because I was able to meet the CEO, Michael Pugliese, and took one of his skincare classes about ingredients. A lot of the classes at IECSC are geared toward peddling their products, but this one was more about information, which was great for me. I’m always trying to learn so I can be more informed to help guys take better care of themselves.
I didn’t get the entire line of products because there are just too many. Michael suggested a good starter set for guys and I signed up. The great thing about this line is that the packaging is very basic and not feminine. You won’t feel weird having these in your cabinet next to your Old Spice after shave. Although, I really hope you ditch that stuff because its probably drying out your face and smells like ass.
First thing that guys (or everyone) need to do is cleanse. Michael basically gave me his regimen. And one of his fav products is the Micro-Exfoliating Honey Cleanser. Its made for all skin types. One thing that Michael talked about in his class was pH. All of their products have a pH that match the skin, which is a range between 4.5-5.5. Therefore, no need to make time to use toner. I love the exfoliation and extremely clean feeling my skin gets after using this cleanser. The smell is a bit too flowery for me but the way I feel makes me forget about that really quick.
The next step in a real man’s regimen is to put on some serum. This is a normal thing to do. The job of a cleanser is to clean. Serum does a different job. You don’t hire a plumber to install a chandelier do you? No you don’t. Everyone with skin should have a Vitamin C serum in their daily regimen. Vitamin C Serum have both preventative and regenerative benefits to aging skin. So guys aged 30+ should start using serum. Younger than that go for it. You are an over-achiever, I get it. However, if you are looking to streamline your morning and night routine, I wouldn’t skimp on this one. It literally takes one minute to put this on your face. Vitamin C is an antioxidant so it prevents damage that occurs naturally from sun exposure, wind, pollution. It also helps with wrinkles by stimulating collagen development. My skin soaks this in within seconds.
Mona, one of the ladies at the Circadia booth, picked this one out for me. She said the AquaPorin Hydrating Cream was a great moisturizer. Looking at the skin type indications, I would think this isn’t the right product. I found it to work for my combination skin and I didn’t feel too oily or dry. The cream is not too heavy at all. It has one of those push-pump tops so dispensing is really convenient. It includes some active and natural ingredients and makes my skin tingle a little after I put it on – in a good way.
Lastly, any morning routine before leaving the house should include sunscreen. If you run out of time in the morning, at least put on some sunscreen. You can always fix any hydration or moisture issues in your nighttime routine. I’ve tried several sunscreens and the Light Day Sunscreen is one of my favorites. I hate thick sunscreens that leave your face looking pasty white. This one has a yellow tint to it and is very thin. It soaks right in after your moisturizer application without leaving your face looking too glossy. Another big selling point for me is the Solostay photo stabilizer. This reduces the irritation that your skin gets when sun hits sunscreen. When I wear my Nuetrogena 100 Sunscreen on a sunny afternoon, my skin feels like its slightly burning. Solostay prevents that. I’m sold!
For your nighttime regimen, you need to put stuff on your face that will aid your natural repair cycle your body goes through when you sleep. We sleep to recharge both metaphorically, mentally and physically. You skin is repairing itself overnight and Nighttime Repair Plus Facial Lotion will aid that process. There are some seriously active ingredients such a Matrxyl Synth 6 which supports repair and tons of Vitamin A that helps to clear free radicals. Free radicals cause all sorts of damage like more wrinkles, brown spots and broken blood vessels. Nobody wants that on your face. The cream again is not too thick so it goes on nice. I do feel a tingle in my face when I use it, which I like because then I feel like its working.
I have been layering these products with ExPürtise products and it feels great. I was able to find some of these products on Amazon. They are typically only available through spas or licensed estheticians.
Amazon links:
Something Freckled 