How to Fix Tired Skin – Home Facial Masks

Tips on how to fix tired skin, by adding moisture to your daily routine and using facial masks to decrease redness and improve skin tone.

Let’s talk skincare. Traditionally, the quest for better skin has been focused on taking moisture out. We exfoliate, blot and tone, all in the hopes of decreasing shine, taming that T-zone and scrubbing our pores into submission.

I have to admit, this was my strategy for a long time.

A few months ago, I changed my skincare regimen. I started to focus on adding moisture to my skin instead of trying to get rid of the oily spots.

The result has been a total game changer. My skin is smoother. I don’t have that huge shiny forehead patch that I need to remember to blot before photos. That patch of little zits that had taken up permanent residence on my chin has cleared.

The change was amazing, but I still noticed some red, blotchy patches that moisture alone wouldn’t fix. I could tell when I wasn’t sleeping enough because my skin would look dull.

There have been a ton of mask products showing up on the market lately, and I tried a handful. They were good at moisturizing, but didn’t fix the redness and dullness.

It’s almost like Dermalogica was eavesdropping when I was complaining about it to my girlfriends. They just released a new Charcoal Rescue Mask that helps with the redness and dullness – and more! I’ve been using the mask a couple of times a week for the last month. Even with the 13 hour days in the ICU that I’ve been working. My skin looks like I’m sleeping 10 hours a day and getting professional facials. It’s crazy.

Side note but still important, the mask plus added moisture also help my skin look better in photos! I’m sure you can see in these photos that it’s healthy and luminescent. You can’t photoshop that in! #NoMakeUpSelfie anyone?

In case you’re wondering, my skincare routine goes something like this. I start with an oil-based cleanser to gently loosen makeup and add moisture, not take it away.

After washing off the cleansing oil with cool water (hot water is very drying!), I use Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant to smooth away dead skin cells using enzymes instead of coarse scrubs.

I try to do a mask two days a week, typically if I know I’m going to go somewhere where I’ll be photographed, or on a weekend day when I have more time to relax. It makes my face instantly brighter and more even.
The mask only takes 7-10 minutes, and it’s a great excuse to sit down for a few minutes, put down my phone and just relax.

After washing it off, it’s time to seal in the moisture that the mask added. I love Dermalogica C-12 Pure Bright Serum to even out those discolorations from sun exposure in my teens. I’ve been using it for almost a month and the results are incredible. Even after using it just a few times I could already tell the difference.

In the morning, I use Ultrasmoothing Eye Serum, followed by Total Eye Care with SPF 15. At night I use Age Reversal Eye Complex (with retinol which is one of the best anti-wrinkle ingredients that has been invented so far) followed by Intensive Eye Repair Cream. Finally, it’s Intensive Moisture Balance to finish things off before I apply makeup. It’s a super rich and thick facial moisturizer, but it doesn’t leave me greasy. In the winter I actually apply two coats. I told you – I’m crazy about adding moisture to my skin! At night I finish with Tretinoin (Retin-A), which is a prescription-only anti-aging cream (it has a compound similar to retinol) that also fights acne.

It may seem like a lot of steps, but I can do everything but the mask in about 3 minutes. You don’t get any do-overs with skin (other than cosmetic surgery or fillers), so for me using these products to prevent aging and make me feel more confident is completely worth it. Each product lasts a long time too (I’ve had my bottle of Microfoliant for almost two years!).

The fact that my entire skincare routine is Dermalogica is probably surprising, but that’s really what I use! It started with a few products several years ago and over time I just keep finding another product that I really love. I have a whole shelf in my medicine cabinet that’s almost entirely Dermalogica!

If you’re thinking about adding more Dermalogica products into your skin routine, there might be a salon near you that does professional Dermalogica treatments. They can do a facial treatment for you, really get to know your skin and then leave you with a list of product recommendations that will give you the skin you’ve always dreamed of. For my San Francisco friends, I go to Code Salon in SOMA.

1. Charcoal Rescue Mask // 2. PowerBright TRx C-12 Pure Bright Serum // 3. Age Reversal Eye Complex // 4.Total Eye Care with SPF 15 // 5. Intensive Moisture Balance Facial Moisturizer // 6. Ultrasmoothing Eye Serum // 7. Daily Microfoliant // 8. Precleanse Oil Cleanser // 9. Intensive Eye Repair Eye Cream //

Good news! Dermalogica is giving you 20% off your purchase on Dermalogica.com! Just use the promo code ‘KELLYH’.

Thanks to you for reading A Side of Sweet! For more Sweet in your life, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook,YouTube, Bloglovin‘, Snapchat (@asideofsweet), or Twitter. You can also subscribe to receive a weekly email with new posts and random musings from me.