My Current Skincare Routine

I’ve been wanting to write this post for a long time, but I forced myself to wait until I was in a consistent skincare routine for at least six months so I could give some honest thoughts about the products I’m using and my routine in general. And since I started following a skincare routine in December of last year, that means it’s time! (I want to preface this post by saying none of the links in this post are affiliate links. You can feel safe clicking, ha!)

I’ll start by talking about my skin. There are five things I’m addressing with a skincare routine:

• Oiliness – My skin is naturally oily, which is why I have to constantly reapply powder whenever I wear foundation. (I get so shiny by mid-day!) I want to be able to control the shine somehow.
• Breakouts – There’s not much skincare can do for my breakouts since they’re hormonal (I always get 1-2 pimples around my period), but I would like to lessen their severity if possible.
• Skin redness – My esthetician told me that I have very fair skin with red undertones, which is why my face can get red and splotchy throughout the day. This is why I never went to work without my foundation in place because it never failed, every time I went without, someone would ask me why my face was so red. Ugh.
• Acne scars – All of the experts were right: I definitely came to regret popping and picking at my zits. I have dark spots all over my face (mostly around my chin and jawline) from old acne scars and they drive me crazy.
• Aging – I’m 33 so it’s time to think about anti-aging products.

When I decided to get serious about skincare in December, I started by buying Murad Acne Control Clarifying Cleanser, OleHenriksen Balancing Force Oil Control Toner, and Murad Skin Perfecting Moisturizer. I enjoyed all three products, but I eventually switched over to Paula’s Choice since everyone raved about them. I also listened to an episode of 10 Things to Tell You with Jamie Golden, who talked all about her skincare routine. Jamie is the queen of skincare and I learned so much from that episode. I scribbled down notes the whole time and listened to it twice to be sure I didn’t miss anything.

I want to echo what Jamie said at the end of that episode, too, which is that you don’t need to have a skincare routine if you don’t want to. And having a skincare routine is the ultimate privilege because, at this point, I’m spending upwards of $100 per month on products—and that’s something I definitely couldn’t have afforded earlier in my life. But now I can and, more importantly, I want to do this for myself. If you don’t care about this stuff, that’s absolutely fine! You do you. For me, I genuinely enjoy learning all about skincare and products to use, and I find the 10 minutes I take at the beginning and end of every day to take care of my face to be incredibly rewarding.

So, without further ado, here is what my skincare routine looks like right now:

Step 0: Pre-cleanse (only at night)

I only ever do a pre-cleanse (or double cleanse) at night and only on days I wear makeup. I just feel like my face needs a little extra cleansing whenever I’ve slathered foundation into my pores. I use Palmer’s Skin Therapy Cleansing Oil, and it’s pretty good. I feel like my face feels really clean after I use it.

Step 1: Cleanse

Right now, I’m using Paula’s Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser, which is for acne-prone skin. I’m in the process of switching over to their Redness Relief line to see if that makes an impact on my redness. But I like their cleansers. They just feel so good going on!

Step 2: Toner

Toner always feels so good on my face after I cleanse, because my face can feel a little tight afterward. I started using Paula’s Choice CALM Redness Relief Toner last week, although I was using the CLEAR line before and liked it. It feels really soothing on my face with none of that stinging sensation that some toners have.

Step 3: Exfoliate (only at night)

I skip this step in the morning, as I don’t think it’s necessary to do it twice a day. I use Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant and it does an excellent job at unclogging my pores (my esthetician rarely has to do any extractions during my facials!) It’s gentle and soothing and I really like it! If you’re interested in exploring more options for effective chemical peel products, click here for a curated selection. You can also go to a med spa for a chemical peel treatment such as this chemical peel in New Albany, IN or chemical peel facials in Grand Rapids, MI.

Step 4: Mask (once a week, at night)

Once a week, I do a face mask. I typically just buy something that strikes my fancy at Target; I love their collection of $2 or $3 face masks! I’m currently using up a clay mask sample from Freeman and also really like Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Mud Face Mask. Both leave my skin feeling so soft!

Step 5: Niacinamide serum

One of the main things I learned from Jamie Golden’s episode on 10 Things to Tell You is all about serums, which is an area of skincare I hadn’t explored. Basically, every skincare routine should include vitamin A (retinol), vitamin B (niacinamide), and vitamin C. All of the serums I use come from Paula’s Choice and while they can be pricey (a .67-ounce bottle of Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster is $44), it’s not something you’ll have to buy too often.

The main benefits of niacinamide are anti-aging, reducing pores/fine lines, reducing redness, and brightening skin and I have to say, I do think I’ve seen a difference in my skin since I’ve started using it. Moreover, exploring options like Pico Laser Singapore and microneedling with RF such as RF microneedling in Bowie, MD or Morpheus8 treatment for targeted skin rejuvenation has piqued my interest lately, given its reputation for effectively addressing various skin concerns with minimal downtime. You can consult services that provide aesthetic medicine in El Paso, TX or dermatologists, preferably ones that have attended a conference like a dermatology conference – Music City Scale, for additional guidance.

Step 6: Retinol (only at night)

Everyone’s talking about retinol these days, but it’s probably the most important part of any skincare routine if you’re concerned about aging. I learned from Jamie that retinol must be added veeeery slowly to your skincare routine. (Retinol is basically stripping away old skin cells to form new ones, which can be quite the process!) It’s not something to do every day at first. For me, since I have sensitive skin, I started with once a week for about a month and then moved up to twice a week, three times a week, and so on. I’m still not ready to use it every day, so right now, I’m putting it on every third day. Hopefully, I can move that up to every other day soon, but I’m still feeling a stinging sensation the morning after I use it when I put on my moisturizer. I’m not sure if it’s the product (I use Paula’s Choice CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment) or just my skin sensitivity.

Step 7: Vitamin C serum

I use Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster (it has 15% vitamin C) and while most skincare experts say you only need to use it once a day (in the morning), I use it twice a day so I can get the most bang for my buck with its benefits (evens out skin tone, brightens skin, fights signs of aging, etc.)

Step 8: Moisturizer

I use two different moisturizers, as my morning moisturizer has SPF (which is a must if you’re using retinol/serums, as your skin is going to be much more sensitive to UV rays) and my evening one does not. I’m using up my bottle of Paula’s Choice RESIST Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Moisturizer with SPF 50 and then will switch over to Paula’s Choice CALM Redness Relief SPF 30 Mineral Moisturizer; that’s obviously my morning moisturizer. In the evenings, I’m using Paula’s Choice CLEAR Oil-Free Moisturizer.

Step 9: Eye cream (only at night)

I don’t use eye cream faithfully because I don’t know how much I believe that these products work. And I only use sampler—whatever comes in my Ipsy bag or if I can add on a sample for free in my Paula’s Choice order. Currently, I’m using Paula’s Choice CLINICAL Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream, which I got for free in one of my orders.

Step 10: Spot treatment

Whenever I feel a zit coming on, I’ll dab on spot treatment. I use ClarityRx ClearZit On The Spot Blemish Control, which is what my esthetician recommended for me and this stuff works. It comes with an applicator that looks like a lip gloss brush and it usually dries up the zit fast. I get whiteheads or pustules (painful red bumps that take for-freaking-ever to go away). It doesn’t work quite as well on the pustules but is very effective for whiteheads.

As a recap, here’s what my routine looks like in the morning vs. nighttime:

Morning

• Cleanser
• Toner
• Niacinamide
• Vitamin C
• Moisturizer with SPF
• Spot treatment (as needed)

Night

• Cleanser (double-cleanse on days I wear makeup)
• Toner
• Exfoliator
• Face mask (once a week)
• Niacinamide
• Retinol
• Vitamin C
• Moisturizer
• Eye cream (when I remember to do it; usually 1-3 times a week)
• Spot treatment (as needed)

If this seems like a lot of work, it can be! I am not faithful to my routine every night, but I have been surprised that it’s something I do about 90% of the time. Maybe it’s because I’m spending so much on skincare these days that I don’t want my products to go to waste! But it’s also something I enjoy. I put on a podcast, bring out all of my supplies, and go to town. It’s a soothing routine for me!

What does your skincare routine look like? (No judgment! I’d love to know what yours looks like, even though I know it won’t look like mine and that is just fine!)