My Skincare Routine
I don’t know about you, but I believe a person’s skincare routine to be a closely guarded regimen that is not to be deviated from. That may sound extreme, but I am VERY hesitant when it comes to introducing new products to my face. Before I even pick up a product, I have to read at least 10 different reviews- looking at the highest and lowest ratings. And then, even if a product doesn’t perform to my standards on my oily and acne-prone skin, I will not hesitate to return it.
This routine is MY proven guide to my clear skin. That being said, these products may or may not work for you depending on your skin type. However, if you have any thoughts about these products, or want to share your skincare routine, please share in the comments sections!
AM Routine
1. Cleanse First things first, is riding your skin of any acne-forming oils. I cleanse with warm water and Clinique’s Liquid Facial Soap – Oily Skin Formula. This cleanser is dermatologist-tested, fragrance-free, and even though the oily skin formula is more “aggressive” (because you’ve got to get rid of the excess sebum) it does not strip the skin.
2. Eye Cream Typically, the next step would be to tone, but over the years I realized that is unnecessary for my skin in the morning, however, it is apart of my PM routine. So, skipping over toning, I go straight into applying my eye cream. Using an eye cream is something that I adopted in the last year, but have seen great results in the skin around my eyes. For reference, my under eyes were textured and needed more hydration. I use It Cosmetics’ Confidence in an Eye Cream, and not only does it hydrate, but it also brightens and reduces puffiness.
3. Moisturize After my eye cream is applied, I reach for my moisturizer. Moisturize your face and neck, in fact, take all your skincare down to your neck or farther. My go-to AM moisturizer is First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer. It’s light, absorbing quickly, but packs a punch that leaves my skin feeling hydrated all day long!
4. Sunscreen If there is anything that you take away from this post, please let it be sunscreen. I cannot stress the importance of using SPF rain or shine. I use Bare Republic’s Mineral Face Lotion SPF 30 for UVA/UVB protection. It is lightweight, antioxidant-rich, paraben-free, non-GMO, cruelty-free, and vegan. Also, it is formulated with various oils and algae extract that will moisturize your skin. Probably my favorite thing about this sunscreen is that it is reef friendly, meaning it will not bleach coral or harm any ecosystems.
5. Lip Care The last thing I do in the morning is take care of my lips. So, about twice a week I take a pea-size amount of my Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub and exfoliate my lips. The sugar granules buff nicely and the jojoba oil conditions. Also, I love the taste of this minty-chocolate scrub – yes, it’s safe to eat. Then I follow up with my Glossier Balm Dotcom in Rose. I am obsessed with this product from Glossier! It comes in seven different flavors (mango was just added), and it is a nice addition to any routine. This is formulated with natural moisturizers, such as castor seed oil, and actively combats free-radical skin damage. Additionally, this is dermatologist-tested, paraben-free, and cruelty-free.
And that’s it for my morning routine! Now onto my nightly regimen!
PM Routine
1. Double Cleanse When I get home there is nothing I want to do more than pull on some sweat pants and wash my face.
On the off chance that I decide to wear makeup, I use a cleansing oil to remove my mascara and foundation. At first, I was hesitant to put oil on my face, but after doing my research I picked up Formula 10.0.6’s Bare Face Beauty Skin-Hydrating Cleansing Oil from Ulta Beauty and I haven’t looked back. Essentially, a cleansing oil acts as a magnet towards the sebum and dirt on your face, but I don’t stop there. I follow up with my Clinique cleanser, which I apply with my Clinique Sonic Brush with the Acne Solutions Deep Cleansing Brush Head. This ensures that I wash away any remaining grime, getting all the way down to my pores.
2. Tone Friends, I cannot stress the importance of toning because this step will close and treat the pores that were open by warm water and cleaned by cleansing.
For this next step, I alternate between a couple of different products depending on how my skin is doing. For example, if my skin is feeling congested I apply Glossier’s Solution on a cotton round. The key ingredients in this product are salicylic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, and gluconolactone. Basically, it’s a cocktail of BHAs, AHAs, and PHAs that will not only tone the skin, but also chemically slough-off the dead skin that could otherwise get trapped and form acne.
Now, I must warn you, this product is not for everyone. It is a strong formula that will, in some cases, cause the skin to purge. What this means is that your skin will get worse before it gets better. Yup, after using this for a couple of days I did develop whiteheads, but I am a firm believer in trying something for a full two week period, and sure enough, by the end of two weeks, my acne cleared, my texture was smooth, and complexion was bright.
If my complexion is clear, I will opt for a more gentle product, like Mario Badescu’s Special Cucumber Lotion on a cotton round. Despite it being more gentle, this is still an effective astringent that will not dry out your skin.
3. Eye Cream Yup, I apply the Confidence in an Eye Cream at night too. No dry under eyes here!
4. Moisturize Back to my favorite step! I cannot stress how important it is to follow up toning with moisturizing. If you do not moisturize after toning, your skin will dry out and then overproduce sebum, which will cause breakouts. Don’t believe me? Let me tell you about middle school Hannah.
Middle school Hannah used alcohol swabs on her skin and thought moisturizing would make her skin oily! I wish I could scream at and shake my younger self because…OH MY GOODNESS! First of all, alcohol swabs should NEVER be used on your face. There are some alcohols that you can use on your face and there are many that should not – this is one of them. They dried out my skin, then caused my skin to get very oily, which I thought I could fix by swiping on another alcohol swab. In the end, I developed whiteheads, blackheads, painful under-the-surface red bumps, and acne scars from all my popping and picking. Now, where was I…oh, right! Moisturizing!
Moisturizing will save your skin (to an extent – I doubt it could have saved my middle schooler skin). At night, I use CeraVe’s PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion. This super rich formula is made with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide. It is a beautiful combination that is developed to help retain your skin’s moisture. I should also note that this product is oil-free, non-comedogenic, and fragrance-free.
That is it! That is my typical AM and PM skincare routine. Now, when I am experiencing a breakout or needing some extra hydration, I go to some extra special products.
Extras
- Spot Treatment As I have mentioned, I have acne prone skin, and it is especially susceptible to hormonal flare-ups. While I may not be able to prevent my acne, I can certainly keep it in check with two products. First up is Mario Badescu’s Drying Lotion. This is a holy grail for many and for good reason. It formulated with salicylic acid, calamine, and other great things that when applied to the affected area with a q-tip will help shrink acne. I typically use this at night, and there I have been many mornings when I wake up and my acne has calmed down. The second product I use is Peach Slices’ Acne Patches. I have seen a lot of these acne spot dot products popping up lately and I wanted to try one. Upon the recommendation of a friend, I picked these up, and let me tell you they work! The dots come in three sizes and all you have to do is put them over the blemish. These work the best on whiteheads and under the skin bumps because those secrete oils, and the dots are made up of a cellulose gum that absorbs those oils.
- Sheet Masks When I am craving some extra hydration I take out a sheet mask. The ones that I am loving the most right now are from Earth Therapeutics’ Nourishing Avocado Mask and Soothing Aloe Vera Mask. These masks are highly saturated with a serum that makes my skin feel oh-so supple!
- Masks In addition to sheet masks, I also have a collection of cream and clay masks. My favorite is Bliss’ Mighty Marshmallow Mask (I’m wearing in the picture above). Formulated with marshmallow root extract, this product works to brighten your complexion. I love the lightweight fluffy texture and it smells
sooo good!
Well, there you have it, friends! This is my skincare routine. I’ll admit, at times it seems excessive, but self-care is a lifestyle, and I love devoting this time to myself. How do you take care of your skin? Share with me your favorite products in the comment section.
This post has not been sponsored, nor are there any affiliate links because I’m not that cool.
