Daily Skincare Routine!! As requested, here are the products I use and what I do for my daily skincare routine. I want to stress that everyone’s skin is different and skincare is very personal. What might work for me, might not work for you. But I’m happy to share what I use.
I wrote this extensive post in November 2020 but I have since added more products to my routine.
Before I get into my daily skincare routine, I want to share my skincare journey and everything I have done. Read this post before you read this one to really know the history of my skin and photos of me without any make-up on (warning: there are graphic photos here of my HALO skincare laser treatment in the linked post).
A LITTLE ABOUT ME
A woman never tells her age but I am in my late 40s. I equate my good, smooth skin and not many wrinkles at all to the following: I take care of my skin: I invest in good skin care products, I stay out of the sun, I wear sunscreen religiously, I stay hydrated, I watch what I eat to a certain extent; try to eat relatively healthy and exercise on a regular basis and I try to get routine facials when I can. I do Korean face masks, mud masks and occasionally use jade rollers on my face. I spend a lot of time on my face and skin.
SKINCARE IS MORE THAN THE PRODUCTS YOU USE
If you take one thing away from this post, I hope it’s this: skincare is so much more than the products you use. I believe how much sleep you get, sunscreen, how much water you drink and staying hydrated, and what you eat are all related to skincare. I’m not a skincare expert but this is what I have known to be true for years. I also think genetics are a big part of it too. I am also a firm believer that the skincare you follow when you are younger, needs to evolve as you grow older.
BEST ADVICE I CAN GIVE FOR YOUR SKIN
I realize this will be a lot, especially if your skincare is limited right now. If you are in your 20s and reading this, here is my advice to you: wear sunscreen, drink lots of water to stay hydrated, don’t lay out, if you want a tan, use a self tanner, and get lots of sleep. The most important thing: wear sunscreen all the time. Everyone can do this. And wash and cleanse your face and wash your face every morning and night. I know lots of young women just go to bed (or fall asleep) and don’t even wash their faces at night and fall asleep with makeup on. My advice: Try to get into a good skin care routine that works for you.
My Skincare Routine Has Evolved
When I was younger, I actually rarely wore makeup. I used Johnson & Johnson purpose soap (a bar soap) to wash my face. I didn’t do much and I spent a lot of time in the sun. After the sun spots popped out on my cheeks, I did everything I could to make them lighter, and for me, this caused me to take really good care of my skin and to be on top of everything. So, I guess, in a way, those sun spots helped me.
The Skincare Products I Use
I use a lot. You certainly don’t need all of this. At a minimum, my advice is a good cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen. If you can add it into your routine, I would also recommend a good toner.
I have been using products from Naturium to help reduce my sun spots for almost a year now and love them. I use: their Naturium Niacinamide Cleansing Gelee, Alpha Arbutin Essence, Alpha Arbutin Serum 2%, Retinol Complex Serum, and the Tranexamic Topical Acid 5%
To cleanse my face: Naturium Niacinamide Cleansing Gelee, I also like this Cleansing Complex from iS Clinical.
Oils, Serums and Toners: I like this Squalane Vitamin C Rose Oil and this hyaluronic toning mist and this Hydra Cool Serum. I’ve been using this Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner and love it.
Moisturizer: I use and love the Squalane Omega Repair Cream from Biossance. “A whipped texture moisturizer, rich in lipids and ceramides, to exceptionally hydrate, plump and smooth skin. It leaves skin radiant, improves the appearance of fine lines for a healthy-looking complexion.”
Sunscreen: I use and love the EltaMD UV Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad-Spectrum SPF 40 for Normal and Combination Skin. I wear sunscreen every single day. For those who don’t know this, sunscreen is still needed on cloudy days. UV rays can penetrate clouds. Unless you are completely shaded and protected from the sun, you still need sunscreen on cloudy days. I keep one in my purse as well.
Eye Cream: for as long as I can remember, I’ve used Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Hydrating eye cream. It works for me and I love it. Do you use eye cream? I’ve been using this for probably over 12+ years now. I haven’t used it but I think this one might also be good to look into, just because I like all of their other products: Biossance Squalane Marine Algae Eye Cream.
Face masks: Korean face masks, charcoal face mask from Beauty Counter, I also love this face mask from Dr. Jart.
MY SKINCARE PRODUCTS: NECK CREAM AND MORE
Neck Cream: I love this Neck & Décolletage Cream from Daniel Tresley but when the pandemic hit and their office was closed, I couldn’t get my neck cream shipped to me so I found this one online that was ok and worked. This one smells so you’ll just have to get used to it. The one from from Daniel Tresley ‘s office does not smell and I love it. All of the good neck creams I’ve found are about $90-100. During quarantine, I also purchased a cheaper neck cream that was like $20-30 but it’s not even worth mentioning in my opinion because it wasn’t good at all. If you know of a cheaper one that’s good and works, please leave a comment below.
More skin care: regular facials and HydraFacials. I love these and couldn’t recommend these more. Click here to watch me get a HydraFacial.