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A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO MY CURRENT WINTER MORNING SKINCARE ROUTINE

CLEANSE:

I know people go back in forth about cleansing in the morning but I personally don’t wash my hair often so I know my pillowcase can get dirty & oily fairly quickly. I rarely use soap on my face, ESPECIALLY in the colder months. I use this oil cleanser from Sara Elizabeth. It’s a light oil and for me, oil cleansing keeps the oil at bay throughout the day. When you have dry skin, your skin produces more oil to overcompensate. When you wash your face with soap that’s drying, it does the same. If you have combination skin, I recommend trying to cleanse with an oil or balm in the morning. I use my hand or this face halo to wash off most of the oil. If you have drier skin, I recommend not fully washing off the oil.

TONE:

After cleansing, I’ll tone my face. I find it balances out my skin and makes sure it’s fully clean and ready for the next step. I’m not 100% committed to any specific toner but when I am, I’ll let you know! I recommend using a rose toner of some sort like this one by Heritage Store, this one by Glossier, or this one by Thayer’s if you’re acne-prone.

BRIGHTENING SERUM STEP 1 FOR ACNE SCAR PRONE (optional):

Let me preface this by saying I scar EXTREMELY easily. I had adult acne for 6 years (more on how I treated it here). After finally treating my acne, I was left with a ton of scarring and discoloration. I will take any precautions to prevent acne scars and dark spots. I use this from SkinCeuticals and I find it not only helps fade but prevents any discoloration. It’s pricey but I rather spend the money preventing it than much more $ treating it. I apply 3 small drops on my face so it lasts a while!

VITAMIN C:

Vitamin C is a MUST. It’s a powerful antioxidant that helps shield your skin from free radicals. Basically, it helps protect your skin against pollution, UVA & UVB rays. It’s a skin brightener and plays a huge roll in fading discoloration as well. My go-to Vitamin C serums have been this one from Drunk Elephant (it’s has a tacky feel and is great if you’re more oil-prone) & this one from Peter Thomas Roth.

EYE CREAM:

I’ll apply eye cream next. In the morning, I prefer a light, moisturizing one that absorbs nicely so my make up goes on smooth. I’ve been really into this one from Drunk Elephant. It has vitamin C so it’ll help brighten my under eye area as well.

HYALURONIC ACID:

Especially since this is my winter skincare routine, I MUST include HA. It’s played such a huge roll in hydrating and plumping my skin. It’s also very light so if you’re more oil-prone, you’re safe to use it! It’s basically like a drink of water for your face. I’m also obsessed with this one from The Ordinary and it’s only $7!

SELF TANNING DROPS (optional):

Love me a good self-tanner especially when it’s easy to use. I just add a few drops of this from Isle of Paradise to my moisturizer in the morning, mix and apply! I do this about twice a week. It really just adds a nice glow. It comes in light, medium, and dark. Not sure how long it will last but I found a set of them on major sale here.

OIL:

I need to preface this by saying if it wasn’t for this exact oil, I’d probably skip this step. I’m so obsessed with this vitamin C & turmeric face oil by Sunday Riley that I found a way to add it to my skincare routine. I add 2-3 VERY small drops. It helps with overall glow, hyperpigmentation, and dark spots. It’s a real winner, I must say.

MOISTURIZER:

In the summer months, I use a very light moisturizer. In the winter months, not so much. My night-time routine can be fairly drying for wintertime, so I like to add this extra step. I also find my makeup sits so much better when I do. I like this one by Drunk Elephant and this one by Kiehl’s. I know it’s pricey but I do have to mention how much I love this one by Rodial. It’s very luxurious. You can find a smaller size here to test out.

SPF:

I never skip SPF, rain, or shine. SPF is a huge game-changer for obvious reasons. The sun causes dark spots and makes my hyperpigmentation even worse so I never skip this step. I really like this tinted SPF primer by Sara Elizabeth. It has a very light and smooth feel. It also has color technology so it can adapt to anyone’s skin tone. Have oily skin? Try using an SPF primer like this one.