A Much Needed Glow Up

This post is part of my ongoing partnership with Carolina Facial Plastics. All opinions and commentary are my own. 

Back in December, I paid a visit to my friends at Carolina Facial Plastics for a skincare refresh and a round of Dysport. I had been feeling stressed, sad and wasn’t sleeping great. My skin felt dull and uneven with some red/inflamed areas. While medical-grade skincare and Dysport can’t fix the stress in your life, it can certainly give you a little glow up when you’re not feeling your best.

I am very happy with where we ended up! I took this picture with Finn in early January about a month after I started my new skincare regimen and a few weeks after I had Dysport injections. I am delayed in sharing this post due to the events of the last couple months with my family and my mom’s lung transplant but it’s been in my drafts folder for quite some time. Today is the day to hit publish!

SKINCARE REFRESH

My first appointment was with Terri Edson. She’s been handling my skincare since 2015 but it had been well over a year since I had seen her. The last time was my series of vampire facials in Fall 2020 (which were amazing…). I was VERY overdue an update to my skincare routine. I had fallen off the wagon and was using the bare minimum products – cleanser, toner, moisturizer – but no serums, retinols or specific anti-aging products.

We spent some time chatting and catching up and then put together a plan of action for my skin.

Terri always gives me a day and evening routine. While you will see multiple products in both, it never takes more than a few minutes or feels like a burden. I truly love doing the skincare routine because it makes my skin feel so fresh and glowy.

DAY ROUTINE

1. Glowbiotics Probiotic Revitalizing Cleanser – I adore this cleanser and I’ve been using it since I was pregnant with Finn. It’s designed for all skin types (including sensitive skin) and it removes dirt, makeup and excess oils while also hydrating and improving the balance of good bacteria on the skin.
2. SkinBetter InterFuse Eye Cream – this eye cream is exactly what my eye-area needs first thing in the morning! It features a targeted peptide that smooths fine lines, improves the look of under-eye puffiness with a blend of caffeine and a highly specialized yeast derivative, diminishes dryness and brightens the skin.
3. CFP Age Defense C E Serum – Carolina Facial Plastics offers their own line of skincare products that are innovative, safe and effective. All of their products are FDA registered, cruelty-free and made in the USA. This high potency vitamin C serum is designed to improve the look of wrinkles and brighten your skin complexion. It also strengthens the microbiome while protective antioxidants guard against free radical skin damage.
4. Obagi Daily Hydro Drops – this facial serum is a dream and feels so hydrating to my skin! The Hydro Drops provide an instant boost for dull, lackluster skin. They feature Obagi’s revolutionary Isoplentix™ technology which harnesses the purest forms of Vitamin B3, Abyssinian Oil and Hibiscus Oil.
5. SkinBetter SunBetter Advanced Mineral Protection Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 75 – what I love about this oil-free sunscreen lotion is that it acts as a primer under makeup or in place of a light coverage foundation. It has a tone-adapting lotion that gives you a hint of color.

Here is a close-up shot of the Obagi Hydro Drops. The product is amazingly hydrating and also pretty to look at in my medicine cabinet and fun to use!

NIGHT ROUTINE

Between my dislike of sleeping in makeup and my love for showering before bed, I’m really good about sticking to my night routine. I honestly look forward to doing my evening skincare routine as much as putting on my pajamas…and that’s saying something! My face feels SO fresh and glowy after.

1. The same Glowbiotics Probiotic Revitalizing Cleanser that you see in my day routine. Note, I do sub an exfoliating wash a few times a week and you can see that below.
2. The same CFP Age Defying C E Serum that you see in my day routine. Note, I do sub a Vitamin C polish/mask one or twice a week. More info on that below.
3. SkinBetter AlphaRet Overnight Cream – I have been using various retinols for almost 10 years now minus the time I was pregnant and breastfeeding and this one is HANDS-DOWN my favorite. I tend to have more dry/sensitive skin and retinols can be very harsh on my skin. I can use this one every single night and have no irritation, flaking, peeling, etc. It combines a retinoid and lactic acid which allows it to provide moisture to help counteract the dryness associated with traditional retinoids. It helps with photodamage, lines, wrinkles and uneven skin tone and texture.
4. SkinBetter EyeMax AlphaRet Overnight Cream – this rich, silky overnight eye cream features the same AlphaRet Technology as the product above. It works to improve the appearance of lines and wrinkles, texture, darkness and puffiness.
5. SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore – this is the final step in my night routine and it’s my favorite for how soft and silky it makes my skin feel. This anti-aging cream restores essential skin lipids – ceramides, natural cholesterol and fatty acids. It also improves the look of skin on everything from texture to pore appearance to evenness. I think it offers pretty heavy-duty hydration which I love before bed.

A FEW TIMES A WEEK

A few times a week I use an exfoliating cleansing scrub and a microdermabrasion polish + mask.

1. CFP Exfoliating Cleansing Scrub – I use this scrub during my evening routine a few times a week by gently massaging into wet skin for about one minute. This scrub features gylocolic acid and salicylic acid. Glycolic acid is a popular ingredient that cause exfoliation, or shedding of dead skin cells. Salicylic acid helps to keep pores clean and unclogged and prevents whiteheads and blackheads from developing. It also exfoliates the skin.
2. Obagi Professional-C Microdermabrasion Polish + Mask – I typically use this polish/mask once or twice a week, and not on the nights I used the exfoliating cleanser. I scrub a thin layer onto clean, damp skin and leave it on for 10-15 minutes. I usually feel some light tingling and my skin immediately looks brighter after I rinse it off. This product gives you an infusion of 30% L-Absorbic Acid, which is the most efficacious form of Vitamin C.

No-makeup selfie after my New Year’s Day hike with the pups!

DYSPORT INJECTIONS

Here are the Dysport injections that I received mid-December with Courtney. FYI: I highly recommend reading this post I wrote about the injections that I get for jaw clenching, eye asymmetry and under eye circles for more context/information!

1. Forehead – wrinkle prevention
2. Around the eyes – eye asymmetry and wrinkle prevention
3. Jaw and temples – jaw/teeth clenching
4. Upper lip – lip volume/gummy smile

I’ve never written about the “lip flip” before and it’s a fun one! It’s only my second time doing it and I love the results. It’s an awesome alternative to lip filler which is more expensive (and a tad more painful!). A lip flip treatment essentially “freezes” the muscles right above your lip and slightly rolls your lip upwards. This gives you a naturally plump look with the benefit of also treating gummy smiles.

What I love about my injections at Carolina Facial Plastics is that they’re always natural and I never feel overdone. I feel more like a freshened up version of me! My face never feels “frozen” and I can still be expressive.

WHAT’S UP NEXT? 

1. I will continue with my medical-grade skincare routine day and night.
2. I’m going to try lasers for the first time! I’ll be getting the “Ultimate Duo” which is a combination of RF Microneedling and CO2 CoolPeel in one treatment. The CoolPeel is an advanced laser treatment that reduces the appearance of pores, fine lines, sun damage, acne scarring and overall texture. I was supposed to have this done a couple of weeks ago but postponed my appointment because I was in Durham with my mom. I’m really looking forward to trying it!
3. After my later treatments, I’ll do another round of Dysport and maybe a little filler too. It’s been well over a year since I had any filler and it really helps with my dark under eye circles. They recommended I wait until after the lasers to do any filler.

TERRI CAN GUIDE YOU NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE! 

Terri says that if you can only use two products on your skin, make it sun protection and a retinol. If you’d like to chat with her about your skincare needs, she’s available for in-person or phone/FaceTime consultations. I’ve referred her to readers around the country over the years so no worries if you’re not here in Charlotte! Terri can totally work with your unique concerns and your personal budget to offer a skincare routine that gives you the most bang for your investment. You can call the office at (704) 579-6721 to book with Terri or email her at [email protected].

CALL FOR QUESTIONS!!! 

If you have skincare or injection questions that you want answered honestly from extremely experienced and trusted practitioners…now is the time! I am going to work with Terri and Courtney to answer your most pressing questions!

So anything you want to know on the skincare or injection side of things – medical grade skincare, Intense Pulsed Light, facial lasers, micro needling, chemical peels, Botox/Dysport, filler…let us know! You can leave a comment below or shoot me an email at [email protected].