I’m a mad exfoliator. My skin is oily and acne-prone, as in painful cystic hormonal acne, along with blocked pores. However, as is often the case with acne prone types, my skin is also sensitive. Part of keeping oil and blocked pores at bay is exfoliation. When you exfoliate dead skin, your skin doesn’t just glow, but all the expensive products we use on our faces can do their work a lot better without dead skin cells in the way.

I’ve been trying some new stuff that I just had to share, because I love them so much.

Peter Thomas Roth Glycolic Acid 3% Facial Wash (250ml, $37) I got this at Sephora, after a stunningly beautiful recommended the line to me. I’m not sure why I haven’t ever explored Peter Thomas Roth skincare, but I sure will now. After a week of using this cleanser, my skin is softer, smoother and clearer. I’ve gazed deeply into my pores and they look pretty darn good! Love this, and will definitely repurchase. Has anyone ever tried the Peter Thomas Roth acne line?  Now I’m curious.

Skinceuticals Micro-Exfoliating Scrub (150ml, around $30) One of the things that I hate about a lot of scrubs is giant exfoliating granules. They feel scratchy and awful, and you just know they are damaging your skin. Skinceuticals Micro Exfoliating scrub is just that – a micro, aka really tiny, exfoliant. It feels gentle on the skin, and leaves your skin silky smooth and ready for any serum, cream or lotion you may want to use. Love it.

After all that exfoliating and scrubbing, it is a good idea to offer something soothing and moisturizing before applying your lotions and potions. I use rosewater, and lately I’ve fallen hard for Fresh Rose Floral Toner. At $38 for 250ml it may seem expensive, but considering Jurlique is $42 for just under 100ml. I have used Jurlique Rose Water, but lately the alcohol in it has been irritating my skin. Fresh Rose Toner is alcohol free, smells softly of rose, and feels wonderful on my skin. I love the spritzer, and just close my eyes while I spritz my face and neck. I wait for that to sink in, and then wait another five to ten minutes for my skin to dry completely. This is important as wet, moist or damp skin absorbs product very quickly, and this can cause irritation.

What is making you glow right now?