My skin treatments and care, I've gleaned from many places: my mother (I watched her moisturize twice daily), exfoliation (I learned the benefits from a free sample I received from a Clinque Bonus gift that my mother would always receive when she purchased Clinque moisturizer), and flax oil (taken orally at night, I found this when reading up on Omega fats).
The first time I exfoliated with the little pink Clinque exfoliator as a kid, I noticed a difference immediately. It was a creamy, and had a verry fine sand mixed in. I used it, and my skin had a fresh look, feel, and I felt my skin was breathing.
Though I don't use Clinque, I still exfoliate every few weeks, sometimes more depending on the state of my pores. It helps remove and keep blackheads at bay. The trick with exfoliator is that you have to use a lot of pressure to make it very effective. I'll use an amount the size of a half-dollar, wet my face first and my hands a little bit too, and exfoliate with enough pressure so my skin begins to turn pink. And I'll use it on my entire face for anywhere up to 5 minutes. Then I rinse off with warm water.
Doing this sloughs off all the dead skin cells, and when done right, instantaneously will give you a fresh look and feeling when you touch it with your hands. I have even suggested this to male friends, and they noticed the benefits.
It also is really the only effective treatment to completely remove blackheads. When done right, your pores will be clear like nothing else you've ever seen. I suggest this for EVERYONE. I swear by St. Ives exfoliant, especially the one with salicylic acid, which helps keep skin clear. The actual apricot seed fragments within the cream are really rough and effective on the skin, more so than the Clinque.
Sometimes I will follow with an astringent. Then, with a moisturizer.
I also swear by Oil of Olay moisturizer. I use the one with SPF 15 every_single_day immediately after I shower in the morning. After it dries I apply my makeup as usual. It's never greasy and it hardly has a scent. The one without the SPF, I use at night after I wash my face each night. I've been using Oil of Olay from the time I was very young, and I have never waivered.
As for flax oil, you can purchase it in gelcaps (which usually aren't vegan as they're made with gelatin), or in liquid form. I am now taking 1 tsp a night before I eat dinner, though if I weren't watching my fat intake, I'd probably take 2 tsp.
I've noticed that since I started taking flax oil, that my skin has a better glow. My skin no longer gets dry in the wintertime, and the sole reason is the flax oil, as nothing else in my daily regiment has changed.
