Usually I like doing both video and blog posts on my monthly roundup, but I’ve been rushing to get a bit of content up (eg. Nighttime (PM) Skincare Routine video is published, not post) so for this post I’m sacrificing words that I am pretty much saying in my video. Enjoy!
Breakdown:
1. Cleanse
2. Acne Treatment / Main Active
3. Hydrators
4. Moisturize
5. SPF
1. CLEANSE
I have tried going without washing my face in the morning, but I always get a lovely amount of zits on my face later in the day. I need at least a few splashes with water to start my morning skincare routine. If I feel like my skin has a bit of a residue from the night before, I’ll go in with a gentle cleanser.
I’ve been really enjoying Cerave Hydrating Cleanser for this step! This is such a lovely, gentle, simple cleanser. One full pump really softens the skin as I massage my face and I don’t feel ANY sensation at all.
Just like its moisturizing partners, this cleanser also contains Ceramides and Hyaluronic Acid, great ingredients to help replenish moisture in its skin and support a good barrier function. The texture of the product is like a lotion and with the way it feels, the Cerave Hydrating Cleanser is definitely doing some good for my skin!
Because it is so gentle and slightly moisturizing, I always debate whether or not it would be good as a second step in my Double Cleanse. For now, I’m enjoying it as a go-to gentle cleanser in my skincare arsenal, especially the morning after using Differin the night before.
Every other day I go in with the Dermalogica Medibac Clearing Skin Wash * to incorporate Salicylic Acid in my skincare. It contain’s 0.5% Salicylic Acid, the minimal amount required to effectively exfoliate your pore lining. This is a much welcomed product, especially since I’m getting slightly oilier and actually maintaining a proper workout schedule. My lovely sebaceous filaments on my nose have been getting darker, so this wash is effective, yet gentle and nourishing enough to even use it daily! I’m highly considering getting the full size of this product.
After rinsing my face I will lightly pat my skin dry, but not completely dry. I find if I do this, my skin is more susceptible to dehydration and dryness, so I always make sure it is “almost dry”.
2. Acne Treatment / Main Active
After cleansing while my face still has a tad amount of water, I first apply Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serumon my forehead and each cheek. The idea of using my serum first is to get Vitamin C to make direct contact with my skin, so I can reap its benefits right away. It’s a light water-based serum so it doesn’t disrupt the flow of my skincare at all by using it first. It doesn’t sting my skin at all and feels rather refreshing both from the light sweet scent it has and how it makes my skin feel fresh.
It contains Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, a Vitamin C derivative said to be more stable and bioavailable than L-Ascorbic Acid, while still providing the same benefits. Ferulic Acid and Vitamin E are also in the formulation to amp up the benefits as well.
I haven’t really noticed a huge difference in my skin while using this serum, other than my skin feeling more hydrated. The only marker I have that this has helped with hyperpigmentation is on my neck – the only place I don’t apply Differin. The mark I had from a breakout is very faded now and doesn’t feel raised on my skin. Either way, I think this is a good starter Vitamin C serum, but I may opt for the popular Timeless Vitamin C serum after I’m done with the Mad Hippie one.
I pat it into my skin and once it gets tacky I move onto my other products.
3. Hydrators
I’ve been really enjoying the following products in my skincare routine because they have done an excellent job in adding back hydration to my skin. I don’t necessarily have to use both products, but I find my skin stays very comfortable throughout the day and I rarely ever get a tight feeling in my skin.
I’ve raved enough about theKlairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner * and I’m currently using the Unscented version in my routine. So far, it performs the same! Hard to tell the difference anymore (aside from the scent) since it is summertime and my skin is slightly oilier. After 3 dime-size applications, it makes my skin feel just as comfortable as the original, and ready for more layers of skincare. REVIEW & COMPARE: Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner – Scented and Unscented!
I follow up immediately with 2 pumps of Cosrx Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence (formally called Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence – the one I have). There’s not much information about Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate other than that it can help tighten and brighten skin, as well as improving skin’s barrier function. For me, I’ve noticed the tightness I used to get from dehydration is non-existent, my skin feels a lot smoother, and my face stays even-toned. I’ve noticed nothing but benefits from using a Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate product and will continue using it!
After all of this is absorbed into my skin and while my face is still tacky, I immediately go into moisturizing.
4. Moisturize
Inspired by Dr. Dray, I use 2 types of moisturizers – one as a humectant type to hold onto all that water I applied to my skin in my hydrating step, and sealing it further with a more occlusive one.
I apply a minimal amounts of Mentholatum Hada Labo Koi-Gokujyun Perfect Gel to my face and neck, making sure to concentrate a little more around my eyes, middle of my forehead, and smile lines.
I was fascinated by this product originally because it had Urea high on the ingredients list. It is a moisturizing agent that helps increase the thickness of your skin barrier as well as help with the skin’s natural desquamation process. I had to get my hands on this product. Hada Labo is known to have 3 different types of hyaluronic acid to help further add to it’s skin-conditioning functions.
This gel always leaves my skin feeling very soft and smoother than before. I also find it has helped minimize my pores from keeping all the water in my skin cells, giving a plump look to my skin!
I use a tiny amount of the Mad Hippie Eye Cream under my eyes to my orbital bone. Whether or not eye cream is necessary – shush! I need something more moisturizing for my eye area, as it dries out easily, so for me, eye cream is a necessity.
What is really fascinating about this eye cream is the amount of actives! The eye area is very sensitive and I don’t have problems with this eye cream at all. It contains Matrixyl 3000, a peptide that helps collagen and elastin production. It also vitamins C, B3 and E, as well as Ceramide, Niacinamide, and other ingredients that aid in improving the look and strengthening skin.
I really like how this eye cream feels light yet it provides enough moisture for my eye area. Even on application while patting it in, I notice my eye area is brighter! The one big wrinkle I get around my eye area when I smile seems less deep, and the area in general looks a lot smoother. I don’t have a problem with darkness under my eyes, but I do notice after application it looks a tad brighter.
To seal all the good stuff in, I go in with 4 pumps ofCerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion to cover my face and neck. It’s also a gel moisturizer, but contains a high amount of Niacinamide. I love this ingredient because it helps with minimizing pores and increasing the strength of my skin barrier. And of course, it wouldn’t be a Cerave product without Ceramides in the list! Because it’s summer, and I follow up with a moisturizing SPF, I find I don’t need to mix this in with another moisturizer to make sure I’m well moisturized.
5. SPF
The topper to my skincare! Nothing ensures a protected skin barrier like using a sunscreen. I have a variety in my collection, but the following product is what I’ve been using constantly.
It contains 7.0% Zinc Oxide and 7.5% Octinoxate as its UV filters. Because it’s a physical-chemical hybrid SPF, the cast you would get from zinc-oxide disappears as you massage it into your skin. I do notice my skin looks paler if I do not wear makeup, especially since my body is darker, but I’ve only noticed it while at the gym. It also has Sodium Hyaluronate, Vitamin E and Petrolatum, and a variety of moisturizing ingredients to help retain skin moisture. It spreads so smoothly on my face and makes my skin feel more moisturized. The finish is quite glowy but I don’t mind. I usually use this sunscreen when I plan on applying makeup because I can easily glide on my base and sheer it out without worrying about unevenness.
There you have it! My morning skincare routine. Even when I was experimenting with this routine in colder weather, my skin rarely felt dehydrated throughout the day. My skin has been feeling and looking good, and am overall really happy with how much my skin has improved. I could probably rid my routine of a few of the products to minimize it, but I enjoy my routine a lot right now and that’s what matters most to me. We’ll see once I finish them up.
Hope you enjoyed the read!
xo, M
If you want to see the texture of the products and in action:
It’s taken me a while to do a post like this because frankly, I didn’t know how to approach my skin concerns. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I was super oily and acne prone for the first 24 years of my life! In recent years, my skin did a 180 and is now dehydrated, dry, and still acne-prone
After a HUGE learning curve about skin and ingredients I’ve never heard of, and much trial and error, I am ready to share what’s been working for me!
With the routines I’m about to share, I am not only content with the products, but I enjoy using them and I have actually seen nothing but positive changes to my skin! Eg. Controlled acne, increased hydration and moisture, fading hyper-pigmentation, less noticeable fine lines, even skin tone, smoother skin texture.
That’s right, I’ve noticed all these changes! Keep in mind that some products I have used between a month to over a year. Some of the products are also repetitive in my AM and PM routines, so if I go into detail in one post, I won’t as much in the other.
SKIN GOALS
Healthy skin.
That is pretty much all of our main goal in our skincare, isn’t it? Depending where you are in life, the journey is different although we want the results to be same.
My approach to achieving my healthiest skin possible is not by finding products that are just categorized for acne prone, dry skin. Instead, I choose products based on my skin’s condition and what it needs to address it. As of now, I have breakouts, and my skin gets easily dehydrated and dry. On top of that, I still have atrophic scarring from cystic acne and hyperpigmentation. The major musts for my skincare is to control acne, keep skin hydrated, and maintain and strengthen my skin barrier. My skin won’t get better unless these main issues are handled first. Once I have that on lock, considering other concerns such as hyperpigmentation and texture can come after.
Controlling Acne
Control your acne, you prevent so many future skin problems from happening! You can’t add anything else to your routine to help with other concerns until you have this under control. What my skincare does: Decreases inflammation and current breakouts What my skincare prevents: Congestion, reducred marks, atrophic scarring, enlarged pores
Hydration
As we age our skin loses more water, so we have to make sure we maintain our skin cells water levels! What my skincare does: Skin looks plump, less visible pores, smoother looking skin What my skincare prevents: Fine lines, dehydration, enlarged pores
Barrier Protection
An impaired skin barrier is what gives us skin problems in the first place. Our skin will be a complete mess if we don’t protect and maintain it! It’s our largest organ, and biggest protector of our bodies. What my skincare does: Increase UV Protection, moisturize skin, keep skin pH balanced What my skincare prevents: Burning, DNA damage, Trans-Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL), foreign invaders entering skin (environmental pollutants)
I am by no means a skin expert or in any professional field in the industry. However, I’d like to think I am an educated person, someone who’s always willing to learn something new, and self experiment. I’ve had 15+ years of skin trouble, I’ve spoken to experts, taken advice, used topical and oral medication, have done a lot of personal research, conducted many a personal trial and error, and went through emotional and mental havoc to get to where my skin and mentality is at today.
This is why it’s taken me so long to share my routine. I have just been trying to figure what the hell is going on and understand it as best as possible as an average consumer.
Thanks for reading this monologue, below is where I will link my routines once they are published:
APPLICATION:Spreads easily but feels kinda greasy on your fingers.
FINISH: Satin type of finish.
FEEL:Light.
STINGS EYES?No.
WHITECAST?The tint is slightly noticeable on my skin but I definitely do not rely on this for coverage, just to make sure there’s no whitecast. Word of caution to the super pale: this WILL be noticeable on you. Opt for the untinted one.
WATER RESISTANT?40 minutes.
SKIN BENEFITS? Nothing overly spectacular other than sun protection.
UNDER MAKEUP: On par with how the Riversol SPF 30 Sunscreen performs. It Cosmetics CC Cream is able to blend evenly, but it’s not a lot of slip on the skin to help sheer it out like Elta Md SPF 30 Sunscreen.
I originally bought this on a recommendation from one of the workers at Shoppers DrugMart for Nick to use when he cycles. It is very light, so it doesn’t feel like he’s adding something difficult to use in the morning. The tint surprised him at first, but it doesn’t provide coverage and his skin looks like his skin. It’s a nice sunscreen for sure, but $34 for 50ml is on the more expensive side.
Thank you SO MUCH for sticking around for Sunscreen Week! Hope it helped you out in choosing a sunscreen.
APPLICATION:Easy to blend with no sign of pilling. I’ve seen suggestions on their website you don’t need to apply a lot to cover your face, which is the complete opposite of what I hear from dermatologists or skincare professionals…
FINISH: Glow up.
FEEL:Light.
STINGS EYES?No.
WHITECAST?I do notice the tint slightly, but over all it seems to mask the whitecast.
WATER RESISTANT?No.
SKIN BENEFITS? I haven’t been using it enough to see, but so far it’s performing well as a cosmetically elegant physical sunscreen that’s slightly moisturizing.
UNDER MAKEUP: Not as difficult to blend in as the Ordinary UV Mineral Filters, but not as easy as the other sunscreens I’ve reviewed thus far. Overall I think it’s good since I’m simple with my base anyways.
Riversol SPF 30 Lightweight Broad Spectrum Sunscreen * is one of the better physical sunscreens I have come across so far. What I like is that the tube is filled with product, no empty space to be found once you receive it. If I can’t get a hold of Elta Md at an affordable price I will definitely go back to this one.
By the way, I just got an email saying that if you purchase Riversol SPF 30 Sunscreen from their official website, you will get free shipping! It’s like a sign to try it, no? 😛
Thanks for sticking with me this far! One more to go!
