My New Skincare Routine and How I Feel About It

Up until recently my skincare routine was not consistent at all. I would buy small sizes of products and use them until they ran out. Sometimes I would buy the same product again, but more often than not I found myself trying something new. Although I love trying new products, I felt that it was not doing anything at all for my skin. I would break out from time to time and I think some of that was a result of (at least in my case) trying too many new things. After coming to this realization I decided I needed some consistency — hence this post all about my new skincare routine.

When I set out to revamp my skincare routine I had two goals — reduce random breakouts and incorporate anti-aging products. I spent a decent amount of time doing my research and I also reached out to a few friends who 1. have beautiful skin and 2. are super passionate about skincare and the products they use. Most of the recommendations I received were from my friend Courtney who is obsessed with all things beauty/skincare. She turned me onto a couple of new-to-me brands and now I can’t picture myself not using them.

Below I’ve outlined my morning and night routines, along with details on where I purchased all of the products and how I feel about my skin thus far!

Morning Skincare Routine

• Step One: Wash — I was not always one to wash my face in the morning, but recently I’ve started to. For about three months I have been using the Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Cleanser Daily Foaming Wash and I really feel like it helps keep my skin in check. It’s exfoliating but gentle enough to use daily (which I do). Like I mentioned earlier in the post, I felt like my skin was randomly breaking out from time to time, and this product has definitely helped with that issue. This cleanser contains AHA’s (alpha hydroxy acids) which helps to remove dead skin. I like this form of exfoliate because it has a smooth texture as opposed to a gritty scrub. I find that it’s less harsh on my skin. I purchase this product in-store at Sephora.
• Step Two: Serum 1 — This is where my skincare routine really got switched up. I started to seriously incorporate serums with anti-aging properties. Prior to this routine I only ever used one Vitamin C serum which I liked but don’t think it did much for me. I want to preface this part of the post by explaining that I apply the thinnest products first and finish up with those that are the heaviest. The first serum I apply is Avene’s A-Oxitive Antioxidant Defense Serum. I apply this serum to my face, neck and decollete, and it works to prevent aging (fine lines), free radical damage, puffiness and much more. This serum has a great price point and it contains Hyaluronic Acid which helps to improve skin’s ability to hold in moisture and keeps it supple. I purchase this product from Dermstore which I am now obsessed with. I order a few products from my routine from Dermstore and I love that you get points for purchases which covert into dollars to use on the website.
• Step Three: Eye Cream — I’ve tried a bunch of eye creams, but I feel like sometimes they can be too heavy to wear during the day. I recently found this EltaMD Renew Eye Gel – Daily Eye Therapy and it is definitely light enough to wear under my makeup daily. This product also has Hyaluronic Acid and works to combat puffiness, aging and dark circles.
• Step Four: Serum 2 — This is my favorite part of my new skincare routine. I’ve heard tons of things about the SkinCeuticals, but before now I’ve never tried it for myself. The second serum in my routine is SkinCeuticals’ Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier and it feels absolutely amazing on my skin. This product works to boost the hyaluronic acid (are you sensing a theme here) levels in your skin which helps to improve skin’s texture, hydration levels and firmness.
• Step Five: Moisturize — This part of my skincare routine is not new as I have been rotating between the same two moisturizers for probably the last year and a half. I rotate between First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream (previously mentioned on the blog here and here) and Drunk Elephant’s Lala Retro Whipped Cream. I tend to use the First Aid Beauty moisturizer in the morning (under my makeup) because I feel like it’s a little bit lighter and Drunk Elephant at night because it’s heavier. My skin can be somewhat oily and I feel like these products both work really well for me. I buy both of them at Sephora.
• Step Six: Sunscreen — Probably the most important part of this post! Even though this product is thinner than my moisturizer I put it on after right before applying my makeup for the day. Sunscreen is so, so important. As someone who definitely was not great about protecting my skin from the sun when I was younger (in college and right after), I am very passionate about it at this point in my life. I apply the La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Body and Face Sunscreen SPF 60 Melt-In Sunscreen Milk with Antioxidants every day and I love it because it is so smooth and non-greasy. This sunscreen literally melts into my skin (the texture is so good) and I feel better knowing that I have an extra layer of sun protection under my makeup.

Night Skincare Routine

• Step One: Remove Makeup — Removing your makeup is key. It’s not always easy, but I always do it. I feel so gross if I don’t and my skin freaks out. I use and have used Pond’s Cold Cream Cleanser for years. It removes all of my eye makeup and I love it.
• Step Two: Wash — WASH YOUR FACE! This is the most important part of my nightly skincare routine. When I don’t wash my face my skin immediately starts to break out. I know that after long night out it’s not always easy, but since I consistently started to wash my face every night I’ve noticed a huge difference. I use the same face wash from my morning routine.
• Steps Three-Six: Same as my morning routine. Like I mentioned above I find myself using Drunk Elephant’s Lala Retro Whipped Cream more at night because I feel that it’s heavier and provides great overnight hydration.
• Step Seven: Face Mask — I do a face mask 1-2x a week at night. I had my eye on this product for quite some time, but had trouble pulling the trigger because personally I think it’s a bit expensive for a face mask. After reading tons of reviews and asking people I know about it, I decided to spend the money and purchase Drunk Elephant’s Sukari Babyfacial. After using it for a couple of weeks I can honestly say it’s worth the money. My skin feels so SOFT, clear, refreshed and bright after using this product. Like I said, I use it 1-2x a week and moisturize after. I don’t do my full night skincare routine when I use this mask because it’s strong (acids) and I don’t want to add any other products to my skin besides a good moisturizer. I truly feel like I see results from this product immediately and it’s one I’ll continue to invest in. In addition to the Drunk Elephant mask I also like to use the Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask when my skin needs some extra hydration.
• Step Eight: Lip Mask — I saw a bunch of people posting about the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, and as a self-proclaimed lip balm, anything lip product lover, I knew I needed to give it a try. I put a good amount of this product on my lips right before I go to sleep and I wake up with smoother, super hydrated lips. I picked this up at Sephora and for the $20 price point you receive a good amount of product.

That’s it, that’s my entire routine. I know this post was long but I hope it was helpful. If you’re on the fence about revamping your skincare routine I recommend doing some research and really nailing down the issues you want to target. There are so many products out there that it’s hard to know what’s best but I find that friends, bloggers and reviews on websites like Sephora and Dermstore can be really helpful. The products I use might not be right for everyone, but I can say that my skin has never looked better!

Do you have a skincare routine? If so, what are your favorite products?