Equestrian Skin Care on a Budget!

Have you ever noticed how a lot of equestrians have bad skin. It's like we just don't age well! Ok, we don't. Most of us have the joints of a 90 year old by the time we're 25. As equestrians we spend most of our waking hours in the sun. We spend as much time as we can outside with our beloved equines. It's this extensive sun exposure that gives most of us redness, blotches, spots, and wrinkles. I mean just look at mine!

My skin is no beauty but believe it or not my skin used to be even worse.

Why does this even happen to our skin??
Put simply. It's sun damage.

• Redness/blotchy skin Can result from almost anything from exercise or sun burn to over exfoliating and harsh cleansers. In any case sun exposure will cause it to flare up.
• Dark spots Most cases are from sun exposure. There are other reasons such as acne scars or skin diseases. But most dark spots and freckling is from sun exposure. Freckles are genetic as well so it's not as big of a deal. Plus some people like them. But dark spots from long term sun exposure are not a good sign. It's a sign of sun damage. And if your getting that much exposure your definitely at risk for skin cancer.
• Wrinkles Typically wrinkles are just a sign of age. Don't freak out though. It's bound to happen. It's ok. Embrace the life experience you have earned. But that doesn't mean we should be pruning up in our 20's and 30's just yet! Wrinkles may be natural but they can certainly be accelerated by sun exposure, especially long term due to sun damage and prolonged squinting.

Prevention

In my case I only started to think about these things after they appeared. But the sooner you start using preventive measures the better! That doesn't mean avoiding the sun. No need to go all vampire. But be sure to take off ALL your makeup. Wash your face twice a day with a gentle cleanser. Don't over exfoliate! And wear your sunscreen!! I really can't stress any of this enough. If you stick to it you will thank me for it later. I wish I had listened to my parents about it.

Repair

A lot of us though don't have the luxury of preventing what's already happened. Thankfully even though "fully" repairing our skin may not quite be possible we can repair some of the damage and prevent further unnecessary damage. To repair we need products designed with strong ingredients that do their job such as PIC OF FACE REPAIR INGREDIENTS 

For the most part repair is the same steps and preventing but with higher quality products.

Routine

Much like diet and exercise, good skin care requires consistency. You need to develop an effective routine you can stick to. I know most of us are way to busy to be bothered with an elaborate skin care regime. But every routine though should include these four basic steps.

• Cleanse
• Treat
• Restore
• Protect

Cleanse

This should at least be done once at the end of each day. This is the biggest step in preventing breakouts! If you wear makeup please remove ALL of it before cleansing. Use a gentle cleanser that is water based. Don't scrub too hard. Hard scrubbing irritates the face. Gentle scrubbing is great to exfoliate without irritating.

My favorite budget cleansers are"

#1 Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser

It's a gentle foaming cleanser that has really helped prevent breakouts! Plus it's only 6 bucks at Walmart!

#2 L'OREAL go 360 Clean Ideal Clean Deep Cleansing Exfoliating Scrub

This one is more of a gel cleaner and is more exfoliating. This particular one is under 5 bucks on Amazon. But you can find extremely similar ones (i.e. same thing but changed the label a little) for the same price at any Walmart, Target, or HEB.

Treat

After your face is cleansed you are ready to treat it. This is when you can use a product for one or multiple skin concerns such as redness, dark spots, and wrinkles. Usually the treatment is in the form of a serum. I simply drop some on a cotton pad and wipe all over my face.

My personal favorite serum treatment that treats many issues at once is:

TruSkin Naturals Vitamin C Plus Super Serum

I know it's a bit pricey at 24 dollars BUT it's worth it! because it's a great multi-tasker. Plus it smells great!

Restore

After treating your skin we need to moisturize it to lock that all in and restore moisture. A lot of moisturizers also have other perks such as anti-oxidants, vitamins, and anti-aging properties.

My favorite brand is Ponds because they are hypoallergenic and budget friendly. Plus they last forever!

#1 Ponds Rejuveness Anti-Wrinkle Cream

This one really soaks in good. And leaves my face feeling fresh and firm. I got the travel size one for $1.48 at HEB (Target sells it too!) and it lasted 6 months!

#2 Ponds Clarant B3 Dark Spot Correcting Cream

A little goes a long way on this one. And it really did help my redness! I got mine for about 8 bucks at Walmart. There are two variations Normal to Dry skin (what I got) or Normal to Oily skin. P.S. It lasts FOREVER!

Protect
After moisturizing you're going to need to protect your skin. This is likely the most important step in preventing damage! Always wear an SPF. Be sure to use one that is not going to break you out though. I struggle with this as regular sunscreen usually makes me break out. Usually one made for your face specifically are a safe bet. Or alternatively, if you wear makeup consider using a foundation/BB/CC that has SPF in it.

For non makeup days I use Aveeno Active naturals Protect + Hydrate

I haven't had any issues with breakouts using this product. I don't have to use a lot of it. And it's affordable for 7 bucks at Walmart.

If I want to wear makeup I'm currently using Physicians Formula Super CC

I always wait to buy this stuff when it's on sale. It's not too thick or runny and blends very nicely. I got mine for 6 bucks at CVS on one of their spend 16 dollars get 10 back deals. Or you can get it for about 13 bucks at Walmart.

These are just my favorite finds because they work for me. They are budget friendly. And are a little better than other more toxic options. But you do and find what works for you! You may prefer something entirely different because each persons skin has different needs and preferences.

But whatever you choose to do done forget CLEANSE. TREAT. RESTORE. PROTECT.