Health + Beauty

Starting Your Skin Care Routine

May 16, 2020
My skincare basics

In February, I celebrated my 30th birthday. Truthfully, I was excited to start my 30’s. I spent a lot of my 20’s being the “baby” in my professional spaces, and I was ready for this milestone to finally feel validated in my own experience and accomplishments.

But nothing welcomes you into your third decade of life like the reality that wrinkles are real. The flashback to countless years of my mom and aunts telling me that I was going to regret not sitting under that umbrella at the beach when I am older are circling on repeat in my head right now. That whole routine of falling asleep in my makeup and washing my face with whatever free sample from Sephora I could find the next morning is taking a toll on my complexion. And let’s all face it, adult acne isn’t cute- trust me on that.

So you want to start to build a skin care routine, but trying to begin is feeling a lot like standing in the detergent aisle at Target with hundreds of brands staring back at you. What do I really need? Is there a difference between what I do in the morning versus at night? Why do I need a separate product for that? What IS toner?

Building a skin care routine is the first step in prioritizing you. For at least ten minutes every day, you have your own ritual that is meant only for you. And regardless of what phase of your beauty journey you’re currently on, building a solid routine is accessible for everyone. Here’s what you need to know.

AM & PM Routines

The easiest way to start your routine is by acknowledging that your skin has different needs when you’re starting your day than when you are ending it. Your skin goes through a lot during the day, and it’s important that you set yourself up for success by building two routines that follow a similar structure: cleanse, exfoliate, tone, moisturize.

In the morning, you want to prime your skin for the stressors that come throughout your day- sweat, pollution, sun exposure, etc. You may also be prepping your skin for makeup that you want to last throughout that grueling work day.

AM Cleanse: Truthfully, cleansing is somewhat optional here depending on your skin type. If you have oily skin, you may want to cleanse in the morning. But if you suffer from dry skin like me, you may not want/need to clean your skin if you are waking up after a thorough nightly routine. If you are oily or enjoyed a morning sweat sesh, I recommend a quick cleanse.

  • CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser, $14.63 on Amazon.com
  • Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser, $28.00 on Sephora.com

AM Exfoliate: The goal of exfoliating is to remove any dead skin that has built up overnight to prepare your outer glow. Dead skin blocks products from seeping in and prevents makeup from setting on your face. I like to use an exfoliating toner pad, like these from Sephora’s clean and affordable beauty line.

AM Tone: For way too many years, I did not understand the purpose of toning. Why this extra step? But toner is meant to re-balance your skin’s pH levels and prepare your pores for products. Again, you’re going to want to know what your skin needs based on how your skin presents throughout the day- dry, oily, or a combination of the two. Personally, I switch off between a few different toners depending on what my skins needs that day.

  • Caudalie Vinopure Natural Salicylic Acid Pore Minimizing Toner, $28 at Sephora.com
  • Thayers Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel Facial Toner with Aloe Vera, $10.95 at Amazon.com

AM Moisturize: If you’re not quite ready to start with serums (do not panic- this is for the more advanced), then you’re now ready to moisturize your skin. You want a basic moisturizer for your all-over face, and an eye cream to hydrate your under-eyes. Depending on your skin type, find a moisturizer that matches your skin type. For daytime, check out these options with SPF included to eliminate the extra step. Here are some of my favorites.

  • TATCHA The Dewy Skin Cream, $68 at Sephora.com
  • Elemis Pro-Collagen Overnight Matrix and Marine Cream 2-piece set (a great buy for your AM and PM routine), $109 at QVC and available on EasyPay
  • La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer with SPF, $19.99 on Amazon.com
  • Farmacy Cherry Bright Vitamic C Eye Cream, $45 at Sephora.com
  • Olehenriksen Banana Bright Eye Creme, $39 at Sephora.com

At night, you are breaking down all of the build-up that has accumulated on your skin throughout the day- the pollution in the air, the sweat from your workout, etc. Going to bed with clean, hydrated skin is the biggest secret to having glowing skin and eliminating blemishes. Let’s get to the basics.

PM Cleanse: Repeat after me- double cleanse, double cleanse, double cleanse. Removing the products and pollution that have built up on your face throughout the day is critical if you want any of the following steps to even penetrate your skin. I prefer to use a cleansing balm with a microfiber cloth (you will be disturbed/satisfied to see what wipes off), followed by a gentle foaming cleanser. You could also just use an exfoliating cleanser for your second cleanse if you’re not looking to complicate things here.

  • Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, $64 or EasyPay on QVC.com
  • Beautycounter Counter+ Lotus Glow Cleansing Balm, $72 at beautycounter.com
  • Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm, $34 at Sephora.com
  • Microfiber facial cloths, 6 for $13.99 on Amazon.com

PM Exfoliate: If you take one thing away from this post, let it be that you take your St. Ives face wash, and promptly dump it into the nearest trash receptacle. Harsh exfoliants are not your friend (e.g. nuts, shells, or anything else that is abrasive to the skin). Instead, I love a polish like the TATCHA rice polish, which foams as it hits your skins surface for a gentle touch.

  • TATCHA The Rice Polish Foaming Enzyme Powder, $65 at Sephora.com
  • ExfoliKate Cleanser Daily Foaming Wash Mini, $19 at Sephora.com

PM Tone: For the same reasons, you need to tone your face before you add moisture to your skin. Use it with a reusable cotton round, and press- not swipe- across your face. You can use one of the same toners from above to save money and space.

PM Moisturize: My husband jokes that if my face doesn’t glisten like it’s wet, then I am not ready for bed. I like to layer on the moisture before bed, because your skin gets a chance to rest- that’s why they call it beauty sleep. Look for a more hydrating moisturizer like these to get your glow ready for your wake-up call. Follow up by gently dabbing your eye cream around your eyes, and finish it off with some hydration for your lips.

Taking ten minutes to yourself each day can really shift your mindset as you set up the day ahead, or relax the mind for a restful and recharging sleep. A skincare routine is about more than vanity; it’s about protecting your skin and taking time just for you.

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