Skincare Favorites: My Ultimate Guide!

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Something I really solidified this quarantine was a good skincare routine! I grew up boating on the lake every summer in Wisconsin through my whole childhood and then moved down to Florida so over the years I have already had a lot of sun damage. I started noticing worsening sun spots, melasma, dryness and wrinkles so I knew I needed to take action. I have had a lot of requests for a typed out post of my routine and also any tips as well so wanted to give my recommendations in this post!

My AM Products

Order of my AM Routine:

Wash face – I wash my face every AM with either the Cerave face wash or this foaming cleanser. This foaming cleaner is great if you have acne. I recommend sudsing it up first before applying to the face and washing to help penetrate the skin layers better.
Toner – I apply this toner with a cotton swab all over my face and neck and don’t rinse off. This toner contains Salicylic Acid and Glycolic Acid which works on unclogging pores, smoothing skin, and reducing blackheads. I have noticed a big change in my pore size from wearing masks constantly since starting this product. These 2 ingredients are considered safe to use in pregnancy and breastfeeding but check with your HCP prior to starting.
Vitamin C Eye Cream – I started using this eye cream and love how it has helped the skin around my eyes. It has especially helped with my dark circles. It also plumps the skin, hydrates to fill in wrinkles, reduces visible redness, and great for sensitive skin.
Vitamin C Serum – this Vit C serum has made such an amazing difference in my skin! Vitamin C serum is helpful for wrinkles, brightening skin/dark spots, improving elasticity, and hydration. I keep mine stored in the box in a dark drawer or you can wrap the bottle in tin foil. This helps prevent light and air exposure to keep it more potent. There is a very light fragrance, and as someone who is very sensitive to smells, I absolutely love the light smell. I have very sensitive skin and this doesn’t irritate my skin.
Hyaluronic Acid – This anti-aging serum is hydrating, repairing, and perfect for fine lines. It’s even great for sensitive skin!
Moisturizer – I recommend this moisturizer to help keep skin hydrated and sealing in moisture. It doesn’t make your skin greasy if you have oily skin.
Blurring Primer – I use this blurring primer purely cosmetically as I don’t wear any foundation or coverup. I love the light coverage it gives and helps reduce the redness I am prone to.
Tinted sunscreen – this sunscreen is one of my favorite products I have incorporated into my routine. Love the lightweight non-greasy texture and that it also provides coverage as it’s tinted. It blends in well with your skin tone so you’re not orange. I’ve tried tinted moisturizers + SPF before and have not found one I love that isn’t greasy so that’s why I use a moisturizer and this sunscreen as separate products.

Makeup

My makeup routine is very simple and basic. These items are my staples to a quick and finished look for the day!
- Brow brush – my favorite to fill in thin or in my case add some color to my blonde eyebrows. It comes in different shades pending your hair color!
- Eye shadow – this palette is my favorite and I have been using it for years. Love the earthy and natural tones with a hint of shimmer.
- Eyeliner – I do a simple top eyelid liner and have also used this one for years. The color I use is called Corrupt.
- Mascara – I recently switched to my first non-drug store mascara – it was time! I have noticed my eyelids get sensitive easily and this one has been great with sensitivity and adding length.

My PM Products

Order of my PM routine:

Wash face – I use the same face wash as I did in the morning.
Makeup remover – this makeup remover is great for sensitive skin and I love how my skin feels afterwards.
Toner – I apply the toner in the evening as well.
Retinol Eye Cream – I use this eye cream every evening. It is great for anti-aging and visibly reducing crow’s feet wrinkles and dark circles. If you have some burning or sensitivity space out the days you use this then work your way up to nightly use. Now I use it every night and have no irritation. Note: do not use retinol/retinoids without clearance from your HCP if pregnant/breastfeeding.
Replenishing Eye Cream – This eye cream is safe for pregnancy! I love how lightweight it is, plus I’ve heard you can stick it in the fridge for a cooling effect upon use!
Retinoid gel – I use this retinoid every evening over my face using a pea sized amount. Now, let’s chat about retinoids vs retinol for a moment. Retinoids are the over arching term for a class of skincare formulations that come from Vitamin A. Retinol is simply the “gentler” version of this and available without a prescription. Differin is a retinoid previously only available with a prescription but it is now available OTC which is why I recommend using it! It also is very affordable. Retinoids are great for the following things: acne, blackheads, reducing fine lines/wrinkles, and helping with dark spots. A few tips when using Differin: It can be very irritating and drying to start out with. I recommend using only a pea-sized amount over your entire face. If you are getting irritation with nightly use, back down to using only 2-3 nights a week and then work your way up slowly to nightly use. Another tip that can help prevent irritation is to let your face completely dry after washing by waiting 10-15 minutes then apply the Differin. When using Differin, it is VERY common that your skin will get worse before it gets better. This is known as the “purging phase” and it often brings all the yuck that’s within and below the epidermis layer. Stick with this for 6 weeks and it will get better! Sometimes with acne, topical treatments are not enough, so if you are still having acne trouble talk to your Dermatologist for the next step up in treatment. Note: do not use retinols/retinoids without clearance from your HCP if pregnant/breastfeeding
Dark Spot Serum – This is amazing for dark spots and fine lines! Will leave your skin feeling so soft!
Hyaluronic Acid – I use this both morning and night. It’s super hydrating and great for fine lines and provides anti-aging support.
Moisturizer – I use the same moisturizer AM and PM. This is very important to help prevent drying especially when using retinoid products.

Misc. Favorites

These are a few of my other favorite skincare must haves.

This clay mask has been amazing for “mascne” I was getting after wearing a mask and PPE on my clinic days. It is very hydrating and reduces pores.
I use these razors to dermaplane my face 1-2 times a month. Dermaplaning is a process that helps slough off old skin and opens pores up so that skincare treatments are absorbed better.
Then finally I have really been loving using this chin mask every week to help firm up my double chin! I do my nightly skincare routine then put on this mask for several hours before bed. I swear it’s made a difference for me!

A lot of these products are HSA/FSA eligible which is amazing! The following are eligible products:

A few misc notes: If you have severe melasma or dark spots you likely will need to use the above regimen in addition to a lightening prescription cream such as hydroquinone, which a Dermatologist would prescribe for you. If you are pregnant/breastfeeding, all of the above products are safe with the exception of the retinol/retinoid PM products so skip those. The toner is a great way to help with acne and pores during pregnancy!