Skin care can be very overwhelming, especially when you don’t know where to start. Of course, everyone wants to make sure they look their best each day. It’s so common nowadays to turn to social media influencers for advice or to try a new product because you saw it pop up somewhere online. However, these influencers often accept brand deals and don’t disclose this when making videos raving about how great a brand’s product is. Another big barrier for some of us is the expensive prices for certain skincare products. With all of this in mind, many of us are often left unsure of where to start our skincare journey.
Although everyone deals with different problems, like skin textures, dry skin, oily skin, or sensitive skin, these products are friendly to almost all skin types.
I like to keep it simple in the morning because I am always running off to class or work. So, I use three simple steps: cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Two cleansers that I personally love are the Cetaphil and Cerave cleansers. If you want to use Cerave, use the foaming facial cleanser or the hydrating cleanser. For Cetaphil, I like to use the daily facial cleanser. Both brands are a great drugstore option and will definitely help your skin stay glowing through the day.
Next, I like to use Pond’s dry skin cream for my daily moisturizer. It leaves my skin feeling hydrated, which is important especially in the harsh months of winter. A few other great moisturizer options are the Cetaphil daily oil-free hydrating lotion and the Cerave daily moisturizing lotion. Both are reasonably priced and will leave your skin looking fresh.
Lastly, I like to finish my morning routine with a bit of sunscreen. This step is key because whether you realize it or not when you are outside your face is exposed to the elements a bit differently than the rest of your body, so its super important to protect your skin barrier with sunscreen. A few products I like using are: Cerave hydrating mineral sunscreen, Cetaphil daily facial moisturizer SPF 50, and La Roche-Posay toleriane double repair UV SPF moisturizer for face. After these steps, I would put on my makeup for the day.
I like to end my days with some nighttime skin care. My nighttime routine does have a few more steps than my morning routine. The steps include makeup remover, cleanser, toner, retinol, moisturizer, and sometimes spot treatments. To start, I like to take my makeup off from the day. I have used many different brands but ultimately have three brands I like to stick to. I would recommend the Pond’s cold cream makeup remover, Garnier skinactive Micellar water, and Neutrogena Makeup Removing balm.
Next, I like to use the same cleanser from the morning routine: Cerave or Cetaphil. After that, I go in with Panoxl. This is supposed to be left on the face for 1 to 2 minutes. Its purpose is to prevent acne breakouts and counteract any that may already be on your skin’s surface. Following that, I use a toner: The Ordinary glycolic acid toning solution, Cerave hydrating toner, or Aveeno skin clarifying toner. Afterwards, I like to use a retinol cream: L’oreal Paris skincare revitalift anti-aging cream or the Cerave skin renewing retinol face serum. After, I go in with a moisturizer: Cerave moisturizing cream or Olay regenerist micro-sculpting face cream. Sometimes I add in a spot treatment at the end, depending on the condition of my skin. When I do these treatments, I tend to use the Cerave acne spot treatment.
Although this is just my personal routine, it’s nice to have access to product recommendations that are unbiased and not promoted by sponsorships or partnerships. If you are thinking of enhancing your skincare routine remember this: it can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. For a daytime routine remember these staples: cleanser, eye cream, toner, serums, moisturizer, spot treatment, sunscreen. For a nighttime routine think makeup remover, cleanser, eye cream, toner, serum, retinol, moisturizer, spot treatment, and face oil. I hope this helps people to save some money and lessen the stress of skincare shopping!