I have dealt with bad skin since I was in middle school. I remember the first day of 6th grade not wanting to go to school because I had such bad breakouts. I blame that on never wanting to wash my face or take proper care of my skin. It has been a long process of figuring out what works and doesn’t work for my skin. Even now in my 20s I struggle with skin issues and I am still learning! I seem to have a pretty good routine going but I am still looking for some things to make my skin the best it can be! I am going to share the products I use, the order I use them and why I have chosen to use these specific products. Let me know if you have any suggestions for me, I’m always looking for ways to improve 🙂
- My first step in the morning is to wash my face. I hate to admit that I just became good about washing my face in the morning within the past year. I can’t believe I never did this in the past! I use the Pacific Auru Botanicals Gelly Gelly AHA Gel Cleanser (which I see is unfortunately out of stock on their website) or the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Acne Fash wash when I have pesky breakouts or I feel like my skin is extra oily.
- Pacific Auru Botanicals is a skincare company that I found through Instagram. It is a cruelty free, clean beauty brand that is committed to protecting the ocean. The Gelly Gelly face wash is a pH balanced cleanser that not only cleans your face but helps with anti-aging and uneven skin tone. One thing I want to point out about this product is it does have a fairly strong orange scent (it says grapefruit on the website, but I smell orange), so if you are sensitive to smells that is something to keep in mind. $38 for 4 oz, $18 for 1 oz, or $3 for a sample size.
- The Effaclar face wash I purchased from Target and I have actually repurchased this 3 times. This can be very drying so I make sure to only use it when I feel like my skin can really benefit from it such as when I have some bad breakouts or my skin is super oily. This face wash is fragrance free which I enjoy. I see a lot of positive feedback from this brand and their products are very well priced! $14.99 for 200ml.
- The second step in my AM skincare routine is The Ordinary’s Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%.
- I have been using this consistently for about 4 months now after I read many people saying it helped clear up their acne and lighten up their dark spots. The Ordinary recommends using this AM and PM so that’s what I’ve been doing but I wonder if I should be using a Vitamin C in the morning (Niacinamide and Vitamin C should not be used at the same time). I do pat this into my skin, when I have rubbed it in, it becomes kind of foamy and a soapy consistency but I do not have that problem when I pat it on my face. $10.60 for 60ml or $5.90 for 30ml–such great prices and the product lasts a long time!
- My third step in my morning routine is moisturizer.
- I am not very consistent on which moisturizer I use, but lately I am using the Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture that I received in my Ipsy bag in September. This is a very thick and creamy moisturizer that says it provides 24-hour hydration, I would go that far but I will say it does a good job adding some moisture into my skin and helps my makeup look smoother upon application. I know this is a highly recommended brand so I was excited to receive it and I find myself reaching for it most often. This is on the more expensive side so I would recommend trying a sample of it first to see if it works for your skin. $75 for 1.7 fl oz or $24 for 0.5 fl oz.
- My fourth and final step in my AM routine is sunscreen!
- If you have not been living under a rock for the past year or so you know sunscreen is been the talk of the skincare community. I obviously want to protect my skin from the sun and have been really improving on wearing sunscreen on my face almost everyday. I will admit somedays I still forget but I’m doing my best! I wear Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte SPF 30. I received this in The Littles bag that is a great investment if you want to try Drunk Elephant products without buying them all for full price since they are a pretty expensive skincare company, but well worth it! Umbra Tinte is a tinted sunscreen made without any chemicals. I love how this does not leave my skin looking or feeling greasy and it has not made me breakout. This is definitely a product I will buy full size once I run out of the mini size. $36 for 2 fl oz.
So there you have it, my simple yet effective morning skincare routine! It might not seem like a lot but my skin is very sensitive so I have learned the less I put on my face, the better. Please let me know if you have any questions or recommendations for me! I love learning about what other’s put on their face 🙂
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