My Updated Skin Care Routine
Ever since I got off hormonal birth control last year, I have been on quite the skin-care journey. After 15+ years of having clear skin, hormonal acne reared its very painful head and found a home on my chin.
As I’ve shared before, I started going to Corrective Skincare in Santa Monica in May of 2019. From May to February of 2020, I went to Corrective Skincare every other week for a light chemical peel to continue to exfoliate my skin and clear my pores without having to do extractions (I have the worst reaction to extractions!). My routine came to a very obvious halt when the pandemic hit.
It’s now been eight months since I’ve had a facial or seen my favorite esthetician, but I have to confess: my skin is better than ever.
I partly believe this is so because my hormones have balanced themselves out. I also think it’s largely because, in quarantine, I haven’t been afraid to add in new products to continue improving my skin. I have landed on a routine that my extremely sensitive, somewhat oily, acne-prone skin absolutely loves.
It’s not just the products, either. It’s the whole routine. There is ONE morning routine that’s always the same. The evening routines, however, are on a rotation. I do my best to break it all down below!
Morning Routine
Every morning, it goes like this:
Murad Refreshing Cleanser massaged into skin for one minute
Indie Lee CoQ-10 Toner on cotton pad, gently swiped over face
Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum, patted into the skin
Peach & Lily Matcha Pudding Antioxidant Cream, pea-sized amount gently massaged into the skin
Elta MD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 all over face, ears, and neck
Colorescience Total Eye 3-in-1 Renewal Therapy SPF 35 in medium under eyes
Previously, I had only been washing and applying SPF. This was imperative as I was trying to clear out acne, but what I started to need was more moisture. I’ve also incorporated products with niacinamide, which has helped calm down my acne and any redness drastically. ALSO, the Elta MD and Colorescience SPF products are both holy grail items for me now.
Nighttime Routine A
This is where the routine gets a little confusing. There are TWO different routines and they alternate nights. On top of that, there is a nighttime routine C that I do once a week or once every other week, which I’ll also explain. But first, nighttime routine A:
Banila Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm to remove makeup/as first cleanse
Murad Refreshing Cleanser as double cleanse
Ice cube run over face for 30-45 seconds
Indie Lee CoQ-10 Toner
Corrective Skincare 5% Benzoyl Peroxide lotion applied all over face
Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Cream under eyes
Peach & Lily Matcha Pudding Antioxidant cream (this is only optional and occasionally used…very lightly if so)
The double cleanse has been a complete game-changer for my skin. I was using micellar water as my first cleanse before, but this balm works even better for me. The ice cube is still an essential part of my routine, as it kills bacteria and reduced redness and swelling. The benzoyl peroxide helps clear and prevent acne, and if I feel like I need moisture after, I do the Matcha Pudding very, very lightly.
Nighttime Routine B
Nighttime routine B is exactly like nighttime routine A, but step five is replaced with pHresh Face Correction Pads.
Banila Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm to remove makeup/as first cleanse
Murad Refreshing Cleanser as double cleanse
Ice cube run over face for 30-45 seconds
Indie Lee CoQ-10 Toner
Corrective Skincare pHresh Face Correction Pads swiped lightly over face, from forehead down
Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Cream under eyes
The pHresh pads have 2% salicylic acid and 10% glycolic acid and help fade discoloration, reduce appearance of fine lines, and overall promote cell turnover. I do not moisturize after using the pads so as to help the chemical exfoliation process. (The thought is: why trap dead skin you’re trying to exfoliate off under a thick layer of moisturizer?)
Nighttime Routine C
Nighttime routine C is used only once a week or once every other week, and is cushioned by an evening of no actives the evening before using and the evening after using. This is helpful for my sensitive skin!
Banila Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm to remove makeup/as first cleanse
Murad Refreshing Cleanser as double cleanse
Ice cube run over face for 30-45 seconds
Indie Lee CoQ-10 Toner
Corrective Skincare 10% Glycolic Acid, shaken, poured onto cotton pad, gently swiped over face from forehead to chin
Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Cream under eyes
I put nothing on top of my skin after the glycolic acid. Again, it’s to help that skin exfoliate. I notice the biggest difference two to three days after using this. My skin GLOWS and redness is nowhere to be found. It’s also been a huge help in keeping the pores on my chin unclogged.
Overall Routine
As you can see, it’s very intentional and very specific. On a sample week, the routine goes:
Monday: morning routine, nighttime routine A
Tuesday: morning routine, nighttime routine B
Wednesday: morning routine, nighttime routine A
Thursday: morning routine, nighttime routine B
Friday: morning routine, nighttime routine A
Saturday: morning routine, nighttime routine no benzoyl, no pHresh pads, just moisturizer
Sunday: morning routine, nighttime routine C
Monday: morning routine, nighttime routine no benzoyl, no pHresh pads, just moisturizer
Tuesday: morning routine, nighttime routine A
Wednesday: morning routine, nighttime routine B
And so on, into perpetuity, until I need to find something else that works for me!
I cannot express how happy and relieved I am to have a routine that works, so I just had to share the details! I also want to share that I have done nothing dietary to help my skin. I still eat gluten, dairy, and sugar, and in fact, have probably been eating more of it than I have in years past!
What skin-care favorites have you discovered lately? I’d love to know!
xx
Kailey