Current Skincare Routine

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I can't believe that I have never written in depth about my skincare routine. Skincare is very personal and different for everyone, but there are some steps that are universally necessary. Over the past few years, I have really pared down my skincare routine and found holy grail products that I have repurchased time and time again. 

I have normal to dry skin, my biggest concern being redness and keeping my skin looking youthful. I am really fortunate that I have never struggled with acne, but do get the occasional blemish. Usually it's either around the time I have my period or because I have been eating garbage- specifically potato chips, they get me every time. 

Evening Skincare Routine

Starting with my evening routine, the first thing I do is double cleanse my face. I shower every evening and wash my face there, which is definitely a big no-no since the water is so hot. Your milage may vary, but it's the simplest and most efficient way for me to get the job done. My go to first cleanser is purity by Philosophy. It removes most of my makeup gently, including my eyes without irritating them. It leaves my skin feeling clean, but not tight. Just to make sure I've removed everything, I go in with a second cleanse. Lately I've been enjoying the Origins GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser for this. It has tiny little beads of jojoba and carnauba wax that gently physically exfoliate. It has a really refreshing scent which may not be a plus for everyone, but I really enjoy it. 

After my skin is cleansed, I pat it dry- never rub! I make sure that I am getting both my face and my décolletage with the remaining steps. I don't do the same exact thing every night; some nights for example I will do a chemical exfoliant, some nights vitamin C, etc. 

On a night that I want to go in with an acid, I have been using the Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% AHA Exfoliant. My skin isn't sensitive, but I haven't experienced any irritation with this acid which is a win. I find that this helps with texture and minimizes the look of pores. It's effective, yet doesn't feel as intense as other acids that I've tried, which is appreciated. 

A product that I've incorporated within the last few months is Sunday Riley Good Genes. I held off on trying this for soooo long because of the high price point, but picked it up during the last Sephora VIB sale. I have to say, I've been quite impressed with the results I've see with this, and it now has a permanent spot in my routine. I find that on the nights that I used this, my skin has a beautiful glow in the morning and my skin tone looks more even. I started with the smaller 1 ounce size to see if I actually liked it, but I plan on picking up the larger 1.7 ounce size when the next Sephora VIB sale rolls around in April. 

I've been using the Ole Henriksen Glow Cycle Retin-ALT Power Serum for about a year now, and have really enjoyed it. This definitely delivers on the promised glow effect. After use, I notice that my skin is more radiant. It's scented, so buyer beware if you have a sensitivity there- to me it's a bit marshmallow-y. I don't find that it's irritating or drying, which is always a plus. 

After trying a retinol alternative, I really wanted to try a traditional retinol to see what kind of results I would get. Holy shit, I should have started a few years ago. I'm a big fan of @dirtyboygetsclean on Instagram, and Matt always gives great recs. That's why I trusted his opinion enough to try the RoC Retinol Capsules. I love that I can pick them up at Target, and that the price is so reasonable. I've been using them about three times per week for about a month and they have made a noticeable difference. The biggest benefit that I have seen with them is that my skin looks smoother and my pores look minimized. I would love to experiment with other retinol products, but even when I do I'm sure I will still keep this one in the rotation. 

I'm fortunate in the sense that I don't have acne prone skin, but like anyone I do get the occasional blemish. When they pop up, I know that I can rely on the Sunday Riley UFO Oil. I use this is a spot treatment; I will squeeze a drop or two into the palm of my hand and dab directly onto the blemish(s) in question. I am not an acne picker, and would beg of you to PLEASE leave your acne alone if you struggle with this. If I use this oil at the first sign of acne, it typically either clears it before the blemish is even fully formed, or within a few days. I will NEVER go without this product. 

On nights that I am not using a more intense treatment like Good Genes, I like to seal all of my nightly skincare in with the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate. This is a bit of a controversial product since it contains essential oils, but my non-sensitive skin really loves it. It's hydrating, especially for a drier oil, and leaves my skin looking more even toned and radiant in the morning. 

When it comes to moisturizers, I keep things pretty simple. A lot of the ones that I've branched out to try aren't hydrating enough, so I mostly stick with the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream. It's unscented and there is a 4.2 ounce option available for purchase which I love- I hate it when a moisturizer comes in a small container and I go through it super quickly. It doesn't do anything crazy, but adds the right amount of hydration to keep my skin from feeling parched. I recently started using Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream some nights as my moisturizer, which works equally as well. It's a completely different texture- it's quite oily feeling, but I find that it sinks in nicely after a few hours. This one is also a little easier on the wallet. 

I've struggled to find the perfect eye cream for a long time. I haven't found THE ONE yet that makes a difference in fine lines, the issue I'd like to target most. I'm currently using the Missha MISA Geum Sul Vitalizing Eye Cream (thanks to the recommendation of my lovely friend Jill!) which is definitely hydrating and feels the nicest out of all of the ones that I've tried so far- it just don't make a visible difference. It comes in a 1 ounce container when most eye creams are only .5 ounces, so that's a major plus. I'll keep using this one unless I find one that's more anti-aging. 

Another favorite oil that I love for topping off my evening skincare routine is the Kora Organics Noni Glow Face Oil. It's perfect for adding an extra layer of hydration, and leaves my skin glowing. I was really skeptical of this product since it seemed like another simple hydrating oil, but it really does do something special to leave my skin looking amazing after I use it. 

Morning Skincare Routine 

Those are my top dogs for my evening routine, which I believe has the most impact. Still, a morning routine is essential! I'm not into cleansing in the morning- I shower at night, and don't find that my skin needs it again in the morning. Instead, I like to go in with a toner to prep my skin. The Caudalie Vinopure Toner is my favorite. It has alcohol in it so it may not be for everyone, but it makes my skin feel clean without stripping or drying it. 

I like to rotate between hyaluronic acid and vitamin c in my morning routine. My go-to hyaluronic acid has been the Good Molecules one. It's the only straight hyaluronic acid I've tried, but it gets the job done and it's really inexpensive. It's not sticky and sinks in to my skin nicely. It makes my skin look very plump and juicy on the mornings I use it- just what I would expect it to do. 

My go-to vitamin c is the Ole Henriksen Truth Serum. It is a little stickier than most of my other serums, but not enough to effect any other products or makeup that I layer over it. I find that adding in vitamin c keeps my skin looking glowy and even. It also helps with the efficacy of your ever-important SPF. 

After toner and serum, I use the same Missha eye cream that I use during the evenings. For my morning moisturizer, I use something a bit lighter than my evening ones. For my morning hydration, I've been loyal to the Cerave Moisturizing Lotion. It passes the test of sitting under my makeup nicely, and still keeps my skin hydrated throughout the day. I find that I don't need as intense of a moisturizer for the day time as long as I follow a decent nighttime routine, so using an affordable option like this really makes the most sense for me so that I'm not wasting my pricier products. 

The final and most important morning step is my SPF! I am a die hard mineral SPF fan; my skin is fair/light so I don't generally get white casting, but HOW do so many companies still struggle with this for deep skinned consumers? My skin also isn't sensitive to the mineral ingredients found in physical SPF. I have been absolutely head over heels for the Kinship Self Reflect Sunscreen. Supergoop discontinued my favorite sunscreen a while back, but once I found this my broken heart was healed immediately. I have seen that this one seems to be deep skin friendly, thanks to SPF testing queen @funmimonet. It feels really nice and blends in smoothly. It is scented with some kind of vanilla/marshmallow fragrance which I think smells wonderful but some may have an aversion to. 

Everyone's skin is different, but this is what has been working for me. I've been really lucky to have no major skin problems, but there are a ton of resources out there if you are. I learn so much from the Instagram skincare community, but r/skincareaddiction was really an invaluable tool when I first started getting serious about skincare and learning about different products and ingredients. My main goal with my routine is to keep my skin looking fresh and healthy. Aging is a blessing and is going to happen with or without my consent. It doesn't mean I can't pamper my skin to keep it happy in the meantime.