Simplifying Your Skincare Routine The Right Way

Sometimes life catches up to us and we don’t have time to do our extensive nine step morning skincare process and wait five minutes in between while the products sink in. Plus, I highly doubt your boss or teacher wants to hear that the reason you’re late is because you had to wait for your La Mer moisturizer to finish penetrating your skin before you could put on your La Roche sunscreen, but you had to wait 15 minutes before going outside so it can work its’ magic . It simply won’t cut it. Also, the routine of it all can be a little too tedious after a while. Overall, I enjoy the process of putting all of it on, but it’s always helpful to look for products that can cut my time in half, so that my friends can stop making fun of me for being late (I will be doing a streamline your makeup routine in a later post). Check out some ways below how you can cut your routine in half.

1. Look for skincare products that serve multiple purposes. There are plenty of products on the market that's dedicated to tackling acne, scars and dullness at the same time.
2. Check to see if some of the products you’re using overlaps in purpose. If you’re using a Vitamin C powder or serum in your routine with another serum that's supposed to fight antioxidants, you should axe one of them out. Vitamin C is an antioxidant as well and it’s unnecessary to use it in combination with the other product.
3. Focus on at least 3-5 steps: cleanser, serum, moisturizer and sunscreen. The serum is optional if you don’t have any problems that you think need attention, but sun protection is pretty much the most important item that you put on. Many of our skincare problems could be prevented or minimized if sunscreen was included in the mix because it protects your skin from the harmful UV rays that plagues you with wrinkles, fine lines and uneven skin. You can even find a moisturizer that also offers sun protection to save you an extra three minutes that can make a difference when you’re rushing.
4. Look for makeup that also have skincare benefits. There are many makeup products on the market from brands like Neutrogena and Clinique that have foundation or powders that also tackles your acne marks and hyperpigmentation at the same time! Check those out if you're running low on time and unable to put on your serums.

Midterm Week Facial

This week I had nine assignments due, it was 10, but my professor thankfully saw that our class was on the verge of a mental break and pushed our assignment to be due after we come back from spring break. Even then, just the thought of all of those papers, case studies and tests was a bit overwhelming and of course my skin took an L because of it. I feel as though all of the moisture was sucked out of my skin and whitehead meteors crash-landed onto my cheeks. Since I’ve been going non-stop since last week with doing work and studying, I thought it was time for a bit of me time and do this facial that I oh so needed.  But, this wasn’t going to be a facial that I would do in one shot. I decided that during my breaks, I would spend some time focusing on different concerns that I know my skin wanted to be addressed. Check out my schedule below and let me know if you have any midterm or finals week facial rituals you use to calm your skin.

8am- Wake up. Brush my teeth. Fill the small circle of my Clarisonic Mia 2 ($149) with Kiehls Ultra Facial Cleanser ($10) and feel the vibrations of the brush massage my face into oblivion.

8:10am- Put one drop of Desert Essence Organic Jojoba Oil ($7.79) on to both of my cheeks, nose, forehead and chin and pat into my skin. Then using small circular motions, massage my face for about two minutes.

8:15am-Eat breakfast.

8:30am- Work on my six-page paper on Wuthering Heights.

10am- Take a break.

10:20am- At this point the bags under my eyes are no longer acceptable to look at anymore. Put Tony Moly Ferment Snail Eye Mask ($8) on for about 40 minutes and get back to the paper.

12pm- Lunch.

12:30pm- Study for my Management midterm.

2pm- Break. The stress is starting to settle in and my skin is started to feel a little tired. I put on my Farmacy Hydrating Cocounut Gel Mask- Soothing ($24) sheet mask onto my face and took a quick nap for about 30 minutes. It says to leave the mask on for about 20 to 25 minutes, but I like to leave it on a bit longer.

2:30pm- Work on my 3-page paper on Abu Ghraib.

4pm- Eat a snack and take a break. Reflect on the important issues like Flint water crisis, presidential election and on an invention I can create to make my pores not look like giant soup bowls.

4:30pm- Work on critiquing a published case study.

7:30pm- Make dinner.

8:30pm- Wash my face.

9pm- I’m getting tired, but I don’t want to neglect putting on my retinoid tonight. I take my Tazorac 0.1% retinoid cream (I was prescribed this by my dermatologist. An over the counter retinoid would do as well) and squeeze a drop size onto my finger and dot on my skin. I then rub the product in until the cream disappears.

9:20pm- Massage my Josie Maran Pure Argan Milk Intensive Hydrating Treatment ($56) onto my face.

9:30pm- Read The Tennant of Wildfell Hall.

11pm- Put on Lush Lip Service Lip Balm and go to bed dreaming for an A.

Skin Care Routine

I can’t stress enough how important it is to have a set skincare routine that you would be able to follow everyday. I know that sometimes it can be difficult to follow such a strict routine because we may get tired or we may not have the time to follow all the steps because we are in a rush. However, it is important that you can establish a routine that is manageable for you and fulfills your needs. Here is a step-by-step routine that should be manageable even for the busiest of people:

DAY:

Cleanser (With hands, Clarisonic or Foreo Luna)

Toner

Treatment (Optional)

Moisturizer

Sunscreen

NIGHT:

Cleanser (With hands, Clarisonic or Foreo Luna)

Toner

Mask (Optional)

Treatment (Optional)

Moisturizer

•       Cleanser: I love using cleansers with my favorite facial cleansing brushes. Although they are not necessary to use, it has been proven that these brushes are excellent at exfoliating dead skin cells, removing makeup, and improving the absorption of your skincare products.
•        Toner: A toner is definitely a must to remove any dirt or cleanser residue that may still lurk on your face after cleansing.
•        Treatment: Depending on your skincare needs, you are going to need to use different skincare serum treatments to address your skin concerns. I would not use more than two skincare treatments at a time as a beginner and make sure that both serums aren’t addressing the same skincare concerns. It is also important to make sure that you understand which treatments are better suited for the night. For example, Vitamin C serums and powders are great during the daytime since it protects your skin from harmful environmental pollutants that can age the skin. Products that have retinoids and hydroquinone in them to treat hyperpigmentation or uneven skin should be used at night since your skin becomes ultrasensitive to sunlight once you put the product on.
•        Mask: There is nothing I love more than pampering myself with a nice mask at the end of the night. I prefer putting on a mask at night rather than the day because I believe that you will definitely see enhanced results since your skin rejuvenates itself overnight.
•        Moisturizer: It is important to restore hydration into your skin after cleansing especially during the fall and winter seasons when it gets colder. Different skin types calls for different moisturizers. If you have dry or normal you should use cream moisturizers. If you have combination or oily skin, gel moisturizers to prevent buildup on your skin that can make your skin look even oilier.
•        Sunscreen: Many people underestimate the value of sunscreen. I have an Aunt who wears sunscreen everyday who is in her late 40s, but looks like she is in her mid 30s. It is the best product that protects your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays that can cause aging.