My PM skincare routine

A meme was floating around a few weeks ago that read something along the lines of you’re on vacation in a foreign country with your boyfriend and he goes missing, do you still do your evening skincare routine or no? This makes me laugh. Five years ago, I didn’t even have an evening skincare routine. That’s probably one of the reasons why my skin was in as rough shape as it was, and I maybe could have prevented a lot of the issues I was having with acne and irritation.

Although I did go through the process of Accutane as a final, and ultimately successful, solution to my hormonal and cystic acne, I also completely changed my mindset and habits around taking care of my skin when I did so. While I know the medication was what I likely needed to end this ongoing, decades long battle with painful acne, I do believe that one of the reasons the treatment was as successful as it was, is because I took the time to deeply ingrain a healthy skincare routine into my mornings and evenings, to really show my skin the TLC it needed to heal and remain consistently clear.

As far as skincare routines go, I would say that mine is in the advanced range – if you are just starting your skincare journey, I would start here so you can get the basics down before you start adding in other facets. My routine is going to incorporate more than my four basic elements – I am all the way with serums and devices, both of which vary day to day. Like I said, this is going to be for the more advanced or those of you ready to step up the skincare routine you already have.

What I will say is that this skincare routine has had significant results on the clarity, texture, and quality of my skin. I recently found this photo on my phone, which shows what my skin looked like right when I was about to start Accutane. You can see the significant damage my skin had suffered from years of not taking care of it, denying it the simplest things, and from the brutal decade plus of cystic acne.

I started pretty simply with my skincare routine, and really invested in the needs of my skin at the time – severe dryness from the medication combatting oil production that causes cystic acne. That is what you want to start with, and recognize that my products might not match your needs, but will offer a guide of how to have a varied skincare routine that works preventively rather than retroactively to “fix” skin issues. Slowly, I built in more serums and tools that targeted specific needs I had, like correcting hyperpigmentation, working with my skin texture and dullness, adding much needed hydration, and combatting signs of aging. And here is why I know it’s all worth.

So let’s jump in. As a reminder, my skincare routine every night is really broken into two days – some night I use particular devices or serums, where other nights I alternate to give my skin a break and avoid stripping it or doing too much to it.

Step 1 – Double Cleanse: Perhaps the most important part of my nightly skincare routine, whether I wore makeup or not that day, is my double cleanse. You will be shocked what comes off of your face when you double cleanse, and particularly when you use a cleansing balm (more on that here), but no matter what you use, use it twice. Currently, I am using my favorite Elemis cleansing balm, and follow it up with a second wash using a new favorite cleanser from Indie Lee that focuses on brightening (doesn’t hurt that it smells like jolly ranchers). You need a clean canvas to begin tackling some of the bigger stuff. Hate splashing water everywhere? Swap in these microfiber towels that will really grip and pull all of that makeup off.

Step 2 – Tone: This is the step that everyone wants to avoid, but is super helpful to balancing out the skin before you put serums or retinols onto your skin. It’s going to depend a lot on what your needs are in terms of selecting which toner to use, but my goal is really to calm the skin and prep it for the remainder of the routine. I just finished my bottle of one of the greatest toners I have found, the Caudalie VinoPure toner, and often alternate with this calming milky toner from Pixi that really gives me hydration and brings down some redness and inflammation. Apply with these reusable cotton rounds, or gently press the toner into your skin with your hands.

Step 3 (optional) – GloPro Microneedle or NuFace device: Here is the part where the alternating begins. I recently bought the NuFace, a device that uses micro-currents to help improve the elasticity and overall appearance of your skin, helping to add definition to your face. This is a tool I am still playing around with, but I will say there are similar results to what I achieve with a jade or quartz gua sha, so if you’re on a budget, you can start here (but I use it later in the routine). You use a gel primer with the NuFace, so I gently press that into my skin when I finish my routine.

If I am going to be using the GloPro (I wrote all about it here), the goal is to do this before you start putting on any serums or retinols, as the purpose of the microneedling is to create micro-incisions into the surface of your skin to really allow the ingredients of the product to seep into the skin more effectively. It’s going to leave you with a little bit of redness, but you want to make sure you finish by cleaning the device with rubbing alcohol and then I like to follow up with a spritz or two of a hydrating mist like my favorite from Josh Rosebrook.

Step 4 – Retinol or Retin-A: The next step is to apply any retinol or in my case, Retin-A products that you have in your routine. If you are worried about acne or aging, then you need to incorporate one of these into your routine. I personally use a Tretinoin prescription cream, which is going to be a bit more aggressive than an over-the-counter retinol, but must be prescribed by your dermatologist. You want to give this a few minutes to sink in, and really allow it to penetrate into the skin before moving, if possible. I’ve had such significant results using this cream, and would never ever miss a night with it. However, it will dry you out, or it’s possible you’ll notice some irritation if you’re first incorporating a retinol into your routine. If my skin is particularly dry or irritating, I opt for this retinol (a gentler approach) from Versed. Turns out, this is the most common missing or dropped (the retinol uglies stage is real) ingredient from most people’s skincare routine, and if you’re looking to understand more about that, check out this super informative podcast.

Step 5 – Eye cream: In the word’s of the skincare goddess, Caroline Hirons, applying skincare after any other serum is like wearing your underwear on top of your pants – it’s pretty much purposeless. Make sure you are applying this step of your skincare only after your retinols if you really want to see the effects of an eye cream. I’m always on the hunt for the night-time eye cream (I like something hydrating with anti-aging elements for nighttime), and the one I keep turning back to is this one from Beautycounter that has a thick and creamy texture, while also working to target some of those fine lines developing around my eyes from aging and sun damage.

Step 6 – Serums: This is the other area where my skincare routine is going to shift from day-to-day. The two main serums that I alternate between are an acid or chemical exfoliating serum and something that is targeting more anti-aging concerns. Currently on rotation is Honeymoon Glow from Farmacy for my chemical exfoliant, and this absolute favorite serum from PCA Skin that focuses on fine lines and plumping skin. I like to top either of those serums with this calming and hydrating serum from Biossance that includes a Vitamin C element that really gives me a great morning glow.

Step 7 – Moisturize: The smartest thing you can do for your skin at night is to allow it to repair, while also giving it the hydration it needs. Having hydrated skin is going to be your best defense against signs of aging, and also aiding your skin’s texture and glow. I like to really layer something super hydrating at night, because I don’t need to worry about layering makeup over it. Currently on rotation? I alternate between this Honey Halo from Farmacy and this Ursa Major Golden Hour Recovery Cream. Both really give me that calming, hydrated skin overnight.

Step 8 (optional) – Facial Oil + Gua Sha: Far from necessary, but super helpful for hydration and those looking to attack puffiness and overall appearance of skin is the duo of a facial oil and a gua sha routine. This is definitely something you can do while watching television on the evenings you have time, but I love how to really drains the lymphatic fluids and brings some definition to your face. I pretty much always use the Honey Grail facial oil on a nightly basis as a finishing step for a pack of extra hydration, but the gua sha I do a few times a week when I want a little extra luxury.