Oh yes, the good ol’ skincare routine. I have been obsessed with taking care of my skin for as long as I can remember, and it all stems back to my grandmother who, even at a young age and in her generation, went lengths to stay out of the sun and preserve her fair, Irish skin (she was vain but in the best way lol). She passed this mindset down to her daughters, who in turn passed it down to their kids—the importance of SPF, staying moisturized from head to toe, and a cocktail of serums to prevent the skin from premature aging. 

I’m no stranger to the multi-step, rigorous skin-care routine, but right now I’m in a phase of employing a slightly “simpler” regimen, depending on the day and/or night. Some nights, I’m just tired TBH and trying to get in bed as fast as possible—I’m sure you can relate. 

But what’s the foundation of my routine? Let’s start with what I do in the morning.

Morning Skincare Routine

STEP 1) Cleanser

I used to use whatever face wash smelled or looked nice or had a cute bottle. Not really thinking it was an important step. Now, I finally understand why people stress a gentle wash. I have combination skin, so using just whatever face wash was handy would lead to my dry areas becoming drier. So I’ve converted to the gentle wash and right now I’m loving Summer Fridays Super Amino Gel Cleanser. It’s gentle, fresh, and yep—matches my aesthetic. Not gonna lie about that but at this point, that’s just bonus points.

STEP 1.5) LED MASK

IF I am not rushing right out of the door, I will take 9 minutes out of my day to put on my Dennis Gross LED mask over my cleansed face. I do one 3-minute cycle on each setting. I THINK it’s doing something, not sure, but I keep doing it anyways just in case.

STEP 2) Vitamin C serum

This should be a staple in everyone’s routine 100%! Vitamin C helps to combat free radicals and helps with collagen-building (my fave phrase in skincare). I use Obagi Vitamin C Serum and have graduated to 20% potency over time. This stuff definitely does something.

STEP 3) Hyaluronic Acid Serum

This is my favorite step because it feels so good and hydrating and like it’s really working to keep the skin PLUMP, which is one of my biggest skin concerns now that I’m in my almost mid-30s and feel like my elasticity is vanishing by the minute. The one I use is Revision Skincare—absolute fave and so silky. I will never use hyaluronic acid serums that feel like they’re a silicone-y sticky texture. They feel like they’re doing nothing at all in my opinion but I really love Revision.

STEP 4) Daytime Moisturizer

I really like the EltaMD AM Moisturizer and have been sticking to it for a while because it’s light but still very hydrating.

STEP 5) SPF

Duh! The most important one here and since I have a lot of freckles/sun spots, this one is especially essential for me. The EltaMD Untinted SPF 46 is THE staple in the skincare industry for a reason. I’ve never found an SPF that makes your skin look super healthy, glowy, while not being thick, doesn’t pill, does its job, works under makeup, etc. 

The one thing I will say is that I despise layering on all of the products right after the other so I have OCD about letting each layer dry for 1 or 2 minutes while I’m getting dressed or whatever else I’m doing before I apply the next layer. It also helps so that if I put makeup on afterward, my face isn’t an oily mess because it’s had a moment to absorb some of the ingredients beforehand.

Ok so now the nighttime routine. I’ve truly tried every potion under the sun at night but as I mentioned, I have no patience for that million-step evening routine currently (I’m sure this will change again soon) so this is where I’m at.

Evening Skincare Routine

STEP 1) Triple Cleansing

1.1) Oil cleanser—I love Amore Pacific Oil Cleanser at night to take off the first layer of makeup and/or junk. 1.2)  Micellar water to take off the leftover junk after the first haul 1.3) Face wash to remove any remaining residue w/ water. The triple cleansing at night is key for me because I used to do a face wipe and think that did the job. No wonder I had so many blackheads. I still do, but definitely less.

The triple cleansing is also probably why I gave up on the rest of the stuff that comes after since it’s literally a whole job in itself. Sometimes I use ~6 cotton pads in one night until there’s not a trace of makeup left before the face wash (must be the OCD).

STEP 2) Moisturizer OR Retinol/Hydroquinone

So since I’m already over the night routine at this point, next it will usually just be a moisturizer and that’s it. My go-to is Epionce Face Renewal Cream (random perhaps, but I will probably never use another nighttime moisturizer. It’s divine, has the perfect texture, and does wonders for the skin. Sometimes, in place of my moisturizer, I will instead mix 1 pump .5 retinol complex (currently by SkinMedica) with 1 dime-sized amount of Obagi Hydroquinone Cream, which helps with my dark spots/freckles again. I’m sure you already know the benefits of Retin-A or retinol complex, but if not definitely look it up because the list is endless. It doesn’t feel like you’re getting super hydrated but apparently a little goes a long way and that’s all you need.

One final note on my PM routine. About once per week, I will use this very particular “lotion” called 10% Glycolic Acid Lotion by Epicuren. This one is insane. The next day you have new skin, it’s magic, no lies. But you can only use it 1-2 nights per week or you will get dry and/or flaky.

Phew, maybe that all sounded like a lot but really per night it’s just face wash and one extra step, so to me it’s the simplest night routine I’ve ever had. And it was blessed by my facialist who says you don’t need to do as much at night as you would think—who knew!!! 

Dr. Dennis Gross SkincareDRx SpectraLite™ FaceWare Pro | Amore Pacific Treatment Cleansing Oil | EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 | SkinMedica Age Defense Retinol Complex 0.5 | Epionce Renewal Facial Lotion | Revision Hydrating Serum | EltaMD AM Therapy Facial Moisturizer | Epicuren Glycolic Lotion Skin Peel 10% | Obagi Professional C Serum 20%, Vitamin C Facial Serum | Summer Fridays Super Amino Gel Cleanser | Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water

There you have it 🙂 Let me know if you have any questions!

xx Farrah