Everyday Skincare Routine
Skincare was not really something I paid attention to until about a year ago. I was lucky - I’d get the occasional breakout once a year. Sure, I witnessed others struggle, but never fully understood what it meant to have a skincare routine, to have multiple steps, how to layer everything. All I knew was that you should wash your face with a washcloth every night and put some products on your face.
I don’t have a host of skin issues to tackle, and should disclose that I’m in my early twenties, so yes, fine lines and wrinkles sound mythological. However, after spending some time in the beauty industry, I do take pride in knowing a few things. Your skin is a combination of factors: external factors include stress, UVA/UVB exposure, sleep quality, and diet - anything that can be controlled to an extent. Internal factors include genetics and hormones, but the latter can be influenced by external factors (I’m talking about you, cortisol). These factors vary so much for everyone, so the underlying message here is that what works for someone else’s skin might completely butcher yours.
I’m also the type of person who loves the experience of skincare - call it self care, whatever - over the past year, my skincare routine provided some of the little time I had for myself. I personally don’t mind fragrance - I find it adds to the experience of it all. Of course, if I’m experiencing a breakout or it’s a retinol night, I’ll follow a different routine. More on that soon!
Without further ado, here is my regular skincare routine.
AM: I use a gentle cleanser, usually the CeraVe foaming cleanser. I love the foaming action, and it’s a really simple and effective formula. After, I apply SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic. It’s potent - you shouldn’t need more than 3 drops. I then apply Malin + Goetz Replenishing serum, which is a hyaluronic acid serum that’s light enough for summer. I’ll follow with Chanel Hydra Beauty’s Camellia Water Cream. I absolutely love the smell of Chanel’s Hydra Beauty line. It’s so fresh. Every skincare routine should have a sunscreen, and right now I’m using Supergoop Play sunscreen, If it’s winter, I mix Drunk Elephant D Bronzi into my sunscreen. Since I like to look extra dewy, I’ll often apply a face oil all over - I love the Chanel Le Blanc oil or a marula oil, but I’ve also started to really like Lilah B. priming makeup oil.
PM: I am a firm believer in the double cleanse, especially since I wear SPF every day. My favourite oil cleanser is Chanel’s l’Huile - it really gets everything off and is safe to use around the eye area. I follow up with Chanel Le Lait to rinse everything off because - according to a friend - it “is the only thing that feels like you’re getting all the shit off”. I don’t really use a toner - I don’t think it’s all that necessary in this routine - but if I am feeling somewhat fancy I’ll use an essence (what a chic word!), such as the Tamburins Water Essence. If using a retinol, I’ll apply it after cleansing (once a week!). I like SkinCeuticals’ Retinol 0.3 - it is strong. I’ll follow with Chantecaille’s Vital Essence or Vichy Mineral 89 (Mineral 89 if I’m using retinol - then I like things to be clean to the point where it’s almost clinical), followed by Chanel Solution 10 mosturizer. This is a super simple moisturizer with only 10 ingredients, so everything really serves a purpose.
And there you go. I switch up my routine often - I like trying new products and plan to talk about them here. As always, I’m no expert - this is what’s worked for me. This is the routine I’ve used for the past year, and as I try more products I’ll be sharing them here as well!
