Oh I just upped my routine!

Every morning: Nivea Skin Clear in shower Anua serum (niacinamide) Revitalift (low dose retinol cream) Beauty of Joseon SPF50+ (just a moisturizer with high SPF)

Monday, Wednesday, Friday evenings micellar water (just to get the blech off) Creightons BHA lotion (salicylic acid for blackheads, a bit higher concentration to stay on over night). Revitalift (low dose retinol cream) A cheap Nivea facial lotion (something less sticky for bed)

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday evenings micellar water (just to get the blech off) Revitalift (same thing again, you get the picture) A cheap Nivea face lotion (something less sticky for bed)

And then Sunday evening is kind of a rest day for my skin so I just lightly scrub with water.

I have NEVER been good about skincare. I used to live in a sunny place on a sailboat and basically my skincare exclusively revolved around wearing a wide-brim hat and shorts, so I’m doing a bit of catching up. 😅

I let perfect be the enemy of good for way too long, but now I have a simple routine that works for me.

Daily
AM/PM

• Vanicream cleanser
• Cetaphil moisturizer
  (Moisturize a 3rd time after a shower if it’s in the middle of the day)

1-2 times / week

• Retinol (I forget what product exactly)
• Paula’s Choice bha exfoliator

Nothing at all! It kinda shows :)

AM:

• Cleanse/rinse with warm water
• Toner - numbuzin No.9 NAD+ PDRN Glow Boosting Toner (this step is pretty much slippable- I just like the way it feels)
• Vitamin C - favorite is the Skincueticals one, but I’m trying different dupes to save money. Currently using the Paula’s Choice BOOST C15 Super Booster
• Skincueticals P-TIOX
• Moisturizer - La Roche-Posay Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream
• Sunscreen (if going out) - medicube No Cast Just Glow Collagen Sunscreen (my holy grail sunscreen)

PM

• Cleanse - ETUDE SoonJung pH 6.5 Whip Cleanser
• Toner - same as AM
• Skincueticals P-TIOX or Paula’s Choice 6% Mandelic Acid + 2% Lactic Acid Exfoliant (I use this twice a week in place of the P-TIOX)
• Moisturizer - same as AM

Body moisturizer - La Roche-Posay Lipikar Urea 10% (this will make your skin suuuper soft)

I was using prescription Tretinoin and Azelaic acid in place of my different exfoliator serums for awhile, but I didn’t like how angry my skin was getting everytime I had to pause for different things like laser hair removal or microneedling. I’ll eventually go back to them once I finish my laser and microneedling sessions!

I wear my skin and use it to keep my organs inside. I don’t wear makeup and only add an aftershave lotion. I still look a little youthful at forty.

bar soap is probably too harsh, I would swap for a gentle cleanser designed to be used on the face

for smooth skin, you might try occasionally using exfoliating face washes (don’t use them too frequently; I find salicylic acid face cleansers are usually more exfoliating and might work for this purpose) and use a wash cloth when exfoliating to help physically remove the outer layers of dead skin and reveal the soft younger skin underneath

remember to use sunscreen every day (there is special sunscreen formulated for the face, look for “cosmetic sunscreen”)

Body:

• Nécessaire The Body Exfoliant Bar (on any areas I’m planning to shave)
• I shave in the shower, splitting my body into 4 quadrants: Chest and back; legs, glutes, and in between; arms (that’s my break day bc I don’t like having to shave a ton every day); pits and…parts. I rotate in threes for the first 3, doing one per day, and I do pits and parts every other day. I use Billie whipped shaving cream ingrown protection (Eucalyptus) with the Billie razor, and I use 2 different razors (one for most of my body, the other for pits, parts, and between the glutes) so there’s no cross contamination.
• Nécessaire The Body Wash Multi Enzyme (Olibanum)
• Nécessaire The Body Lotion Multi-Peptide (Olibanum)
• Nécessaire The Deodorant Mandelic Acid (Olibanum)
• If I’m going out in the day, I’ll cover up with Blue Lizard SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen

Face

Wake-up

• Wash my face at the sink (not in the shower) with La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Face Wash (it’s a gel cleanser)
• Shave face with Cremo unscented shaving cream, and a Leaf Twig safety razor with Leaf single edge razor blades (they came with the razor, and I haven’t run out yet)
• Rinse and dry
• The Ordinary Saccharomyces Ferment 30% Milky Toner
• The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Eye Serum
• The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum
• The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with ceramides) Serum
• The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Serum
• La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer
• RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream
• If it’s daytime (I work night shift, so I’m rarely out while the sun is shining), then I apply Colorescience Total Protection No-Show Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 (base sunscreen), with a touch up of Colorescience Brush-On Sunscreen Mineral Powder SPF 50 every 2 hours as needed (bc it can go over my makeup)
• Nyx The Marshmallow Smoothing Primer (I plan on switching this up sometime, so it’s not one of my essentials)
• Makeup (I use so many products, but I don’t think that’s what ur looking for lol)

Bedtime

(yes, this has differences)

• Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil (just MELTS away all makeup)
• La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Face Wash (highly recommend double cleansing if u use makeup, it’s so much better than scrubbing at ur face with makeup wipes or micellar water)
• Rinse and dry
• The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner
• The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Eye Serum
• The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum
• The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with ceramides) Serum
• The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Serum
• La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer
• RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream

Self love days

(days I have off and want to do a little extra)

• After washing face, use Glamglow Supermud Face Mask (I go 20 minutes before I rinse off)
• Grace & Stella Energizing Eye Mask
• Continue routine from toner

Hair (bonus!!!)

I wash my hair once every 3-4 days (so twice a week). At night, I put my hair in a bun to preserve it, and since I shower in the “morning” (for me), I’ll leave it in the bun and put a shower cap on. I have somewhere between 1B and 1C hair (medium-high density) with a wolf cut, for reference

Wash days

• Ouai Fine Hair Volumizing Shampoo (use at roots, let the rest be washed by rinsing)
• Ouai Fine Hair Volumizing Conditioner (use at mids to ends)
• Once every 2 weeks I use K18 Peptide Prep Detox Clarifying Shampoo and Ouai Fine to Medium Hair Treatment Mask in place of my normal shampoo and conditioner
• Towel dry hair
• DAE Mirage Mist Leave-In Conditioner (also serves as a heat protectant; apply from roots to ends)
• Paul Mitchell Extra-Body Sculpting Foam Mousse (focus on roots, lightly drag to ends)
• Blow dry with concentrator attachment (Infiniti Pro by Conair Hair Dryer 1875W; it’s a relatively cheap dryer, may invest in a better one sometime), head inverted (scalp facing the ground)
• If I have a special occasion, I’ll use a flat iron (Ion Magnesium Flat Iron 1 Inch) to wave my hair
• Kenra Platinum Dry Texture Spray 6 (work in with hands in scrunching motion to give hair volume, texture, and waviness)
• Set curtain bangs with round boar bristle brush (1" or 1 1/4" both work for my bangs) and hair dryer with concentrator

Non wash days

• Most of the time I’ll just pull my hair out of the bun, and the bun gave it all the volume and waviness I need, then I just wet my bangs, use leave-in conditioner, dry them, then set them with a round brush (some days I won’t even bother with setting my bangs)
• I use Batiste Light Dry Shampoo (Zen Matcha) usually at the start of day 3
• If I need a refresh, I’ll wet all my hair, brush it thoroughly, towel dry, then I’ll put in leave-in conditioner, and a small amount of my mousse, focusing mostly on the roots, then drag to ends. Then I’ll blow dry, hairspray, and set my bangs as usual. I won’t do this until day 3 or 4 since my wash, as I don’t want to overload my hair with product (I have very fine hair that is weighed down easily)

And that’s my routine! It looks very complicated, I’m sure, but I have it all down to a science at this point. Everything is routine, and I organize my products so I know which one to do next without having to think abt it. Everything has its place! My skin loves me for how I treat it, so I’m happy to go through every step in my routine. It feels so good to do skincare, bc it really is “me time”. I’m doing so much just to treat myself well, and it works! I’ve had problems with cystic acne for years (especially on my body and neck), but at least since starting my face routine, my face doesn’t really get breakouts anymore (unless I miss some makeup lol)! I may add a body serum to my repertoire at some point soon and see if that helps.

Anyways, hope u found this helpful! It’s a lot, but I love my routine!

Face: scrub (am; I shower in the evening), toner, moisturizer. Occasionally exfoliate when I remember. Moisturizing cream before bed.

Body: moisturizing milk if it’s dry. Epilator once a week or so.

Nails: always painted. I like OPI and Nail Holic. I use a cuticle tool to keep things tidy.

Hair (curly: it tends to form ringlets): shea moisture shampoo and conditioner then hair mask, twice a week. Prefer to air dry, otherwise I use a diffuser. Styling water spray in the morning with a very coarse comb. Don’t usually bother to put it up at night. Sometimes leave-in conditioner, hair milk or oil when I feel like it.

AM CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser E.L.F. Vitamin C + E + Ferulic CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion

PM Alternate between Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant and The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane