I did a whole write up of my winter skincare routine last year and you can read that here. I still love ALL of those products in that post. Honest to God. I have them all and still rotate them in and out.
With that being said, I have tried other products over the course of the past several months that I wanted to update and share with you! My skincare routine is ever-changing and I try to use something for at least 6-8 weeks before doing any sort of post about it. I am going to break this post up between morning and night because there are so many products that I want to talk about and doing it all in one post would probably overwhelm a lot of you. I want to make it simple. Easy to follow. So today is all about my NIGHT routine:
Nighttime Routine
Remove the Day
This one hasn’t changed. Always, always, always remove the day with my Elemis Cleansing Balm. Smells like a spa. Like, a REAL legit spa. You know the kind. You walk in and instantly feel relaxed. This balm melts makeup off your face and doesn’t strip the natural oils. I never use makeup remover wipes because they leave my face SO dry. I think those things are bad news. Get yourself a balm PRONTO! Two other alternatives I’ve tried and also like are: Clinique and Drunk Elephant
Cleanse & Exfoliate
I alternate between a couple of cleansers right now. I go between Drunk Elephant Jelly Cleanser if I am going to do my Dennis Gross Peel Pads (more below) or this Tata Harper Exfoliating Cleanser (if I am taking the night off from the peel pads). Both are considered “clean” cleansers – they’re natural, organic, all the things. You get it. Not pumped full of junk that can make you breakout.
Then 2-3x a week, I use my Dr. Dennis Gross Peel Pads and these are something I won’t compromise on and am very religious about. They may seem pricey but you’re not doing it nightly and honestly, it MAKES my skincare routine. It’s like getting a peel in the derm’s office but in the comfort of your own home. Love, love, love these. Pro tip: for EXTRA penetration into the skin, use your micro-needling tool after cleansing but before your peel pads. Burns so GOOD!
Treat
Serum time! It’s important to put the most POTENT formulas on your skin after cleansing/exfoliating. Think your retinols, vitamin C’s, etc. The expensive stuff. After I cleanse at night, I immediately put retinol on. Start small and work your way up because it can dry you out. For someone who hasn’t used retinol before, start with .5%. I use 1% but could probably benefit from going up since I’ve been using it for years.
Next, put some moisture back into your skin. This is when I reach for products with the words HYDRATION/Hyaluronic in them. Try Drunk Elephant Hydra Serum or PCA Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum (pricey but shit, that stuff works some damn miracles).
Put your serums on and then roll your skin with your jade or quartz roller. It helps your serums absorb deeper and there’s like healing energy in jade/quartz. Namaste. You can read about my review on rollers here. Also help with lymphatic drainage.. no one wants to be puffy, ok?
Eyes
I was kind of on the fence about the efficacy of eye serums but after doing some research, I learned their formulas are meant to penetrate the fine lines and pores of that area of your skin SPECIFICALLY. So yes, it’s important to have a routine for your eyes. I got a sample of this PCA revitalizing gel serum and I LALALALOVE it. But, $88. Ouch. When I run out, I’ll use my Dr. Dennis Gross retinol eye serum. Still on the pricer side but #necessary. No matter what you spend on eye serum, just make sure you’re following this step and taking care of that sensitive skin.
Moisturize/Hydrate
Now it’s time for your lotions/oils, which should always be LAST! Seal it all in. Obsessed with DE’s Whipped Moisturizer in the winter because it is just buttery, goodness! Leaves my skin feeling so hydrated. I still love these too: Water Drench | Kiehl’s Corrective Cream
Ok, so OIL. Not for everyone. People with acne prone skin, maybe not what you want to be putting on your face. But for me, I need the moisture. Love DE’s Marula and this Sunday Riley Sleeping Oil.
Bonus Points
Lastly, let’s talk extras. Bonus points for doing some additional work for your skin.
Step 1: get a silk Slip pillow case and make sure you wash it once a week. Your skin and hair will thank you for it.
Step 2: Clean your makeup brushes! Try to do this every other week if you remember. I use this Brush Cleansing Pad and this Brush Cleaner
Step 3: Laneige lip mask. Cult favorite. Cult following. $20. What a steal.
Now for the inevitable: breakouts. They happen to everyone. Our pores get clogged and we get zits. I came across this LEROSETT Organic Clay Acne treatment on Amazon after listening to a Skinny Confidential Podcast and while it’s meant to only be worn for a short period of time, I use it as a spot treatment on my zits overnight and I wake up with less redness and a dried out pimple. I don’t think there’s a miracle for getting a zit to completely disappear overnight but this is a close second.
Ok, I need to know what you use and what works for your skin! Comment below.
xx, H
