MY SKIN REGIME
A few months back (October, to be exact) I went to see a physician’s assistant that was supposedly a godsend for skin. Her name is Christie Kidd and she is Kylie Jenner’s dermatologist. While Christie is technically not an MD (doctor), she does everything a dermatologist does. According to many people (not just Kylie) Christie is the best kept secret in Beverly Hills and “worth every penny.”
Let’s rewind for a second. After Greece I decided with my endocrinologist it would be best for me to get off birth control. It’s a pretty long story, but if you are interested I did a post about my thyroid condition here that will explain a lot. I wasn’t getting off the pill in order to “try” to get pregnant, it was just something I needed to do to cleanse my body of the artificial hormones I’ve been putting into my body for over 10 years.
I’m sure many of you know when you stop taking the pill (or even change brands), your skin can freak out. I was always blessed with clear skin so when I was suddenly living with adult acne at age 28 I pretty much lost my mind. I tried waiting it out for months to allow my hormones to naturally correct my skin but after 4-5 months of awful skin I couldn’t take it any longer. I made an appointment to see Christie (I had to wait about a month to get in with her) and was crossing my fingers she would work wonders on me.
My appointment with Christie was pretty quick but efficient. She went through all my facial products (cleansers, moisturizers, make-up, etc.) and knew every single product. It was impressive. I was instructed to get rid of most and she gave me replacements. Some were part of her skincare line that she developed, and others were not, leading me to believe she isn’t just using her exposure to push her own line. She mapped out a pretty detailed routine for me to follow daily (a daytime & nighttime routine) and I was told to schedule a follow-up appointment 4 weeks later. The bill was expensive and my insurance rejected the visit since she isn’t an MD.
For the first 4 weeks my skin suffered. She put me on a super strict routine that cut out moisturizer…kill me now. I’m a pretty dry person in the winter so this was torture for me. I was flaky and white and could barely wear make-up. There was definitely a point I thought she ruined my skin further (sorry Christie!). When I went back in for my follow-up appointment she gave me a light moisturizer to start working into the routine every other day, but overall she didn’t want me getting too heavy into moisturizer since that would essentially cause a breakout. Hallelujah!
I’m now 4 months deep into the routine and I’ve definitely tweaked it here and there. I can honestly say my skin is back to “normal” and probably slightly better than the good ole days. The routine killed my breakouts, made my skin tighter (especially in areas around my nose where my pores are bigger), and the overall texture of my skin is much more resilient. I’m finally back to feeling confident about my skin and I can honestly say it’s all because of Christie Kidd. And just in case this crossed your mind, this is NOT sponsored. I wish!!
The full breakdown of what I do everyday is below.
Something to note, this is the routine I use after tweaking what Christie suggested. I was strict about it for 4 weeks and now that my skin has really begun to show results, I don’t need to use as much product.
Morning Routine:
1. Rinse face with water and let it air dry. I’m not a fan of face wash or anything that strips natural oils too much in the morning.
2. Moisturize with Elta UV Daily SPF 40.
3. Apply Glytone eye cream under eyes.
4. This is when I would do my make-up or just go bare-faced for the day. When I don’t wear make-up I spritz my face with rose water throughout the day for hydration.
Night Routine:
1. I always start with Bioderma make-up remover. I first bought this in Paris and became so obsessed I’m extremely relived to know it’s sold on Amazon. I personally use the sensitive one since my skin is pretty damn sensitive.
2. I rinse my face with water then cleanse with 2-3 pumps of Christie Kidd Clean cleanser. She says when you cleanse your face to only use your hands (no Clarisonic), and get all up in your hairline. Rinse well.
3. Let your face air dry slightly, then apply the Christie Kidd Fresh pads. They aren’t really pictured since there is no label, but that is another Christie Kidd product. This kills bacteria that causes breakouts.
4. Every other night I apply the Christie Kidd Renewal serum, which keeps your pores and skin tight. On nights I don’t use the serum, I go straight to my night-time moisturizer.
5. Eye cream happens both day and night.
Tips I learned from Christie Kidd:
-When you cleanse your face, your hairline should be pretty drenched in soap. Otherwise make-up will live along your hairline and cause those nasty breakouts.
-Speaking of dirty hair…Christie says washing your hair everyday is ideal for your skin. We all know that is not realistic, so she encourages washing your hair every 2 days at the least! I’m pretty much washing my hair every 2 days now and it’s just become part of my routine.
-Never use a towel to dry your face. The skin on your face is extremely delicate and towels are rough. You can use a soft towel to dry the dripping water around your jawline, but the rest of your face should air dry.
-BB creams and tinted moisturizers are the worst make-up products for your face. She insisted I stop using any of them and now I use a super lightweight Armani foundation if I need coverage.
-On days when I don’t feel I need as much moisture, I switch from the Elta Daily to the Elta Clear, which is an SPF without all the moisturizer.
-The Fresh Pads can be harsh on the skin so after you’ve stuck to the routine for a solid 4 weeks, you can begin to use them every other day or every 2 days. Side note on this, Kylie Jenner made a statement about this product saving her skin and now they are pretty hard to come by. Thankfully Christie’s office just mails it to me whenever it comes into stock so I never have to worry about running out.
-I switched to Avene cold cream for lips per Christie’s recommendation and it is honestly the best feeling on my lips. She also had me switch to an all-natural toothpaste so none of those chemicals would hard my lips.
To purchase any of the Christie Kidd products you can do so online or in her office.