I don’t consider myself super educated about skincare, so it’s not something I usually write about. (I just added a category for beauty & skincare because now I have two whole posts on those topics.) But I love reading about other people’s skincare routines, so I thought I’d share mine.
Learning about skincare and switching to a multi-step routine is something I’ve only been doing for the last couple years. Even though I’ve been concerned with my skin since I was a teenager, I never did much about it. It felt overwhelming to figure out. Before the popularity of Asian skincare brands in Western countries, I also didn’t trust things that I read about as I figured those products weren’t geared towards my Asian skin.
It wasn’t until a friend got into it and I could ask her questions that I started looking into it. Now, friends and family ask me questions. So even though I’m no expert, I’m now playing the introduction role for them in the way that my friend did for me. Here’s my current routine.
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Morning Skincare Routine
1. CosRx Low PH Good Morning Gel Cleanser – The idea here is that a low PH cleanser mimics your skin’s natural PH. (A lot of cleansers are actually kind of acidic). Since I’m acne prone, this is helpful because acne is more likely to happen when your skin is too acidic. Has it helped with acne? Maybe? I don’t really know, but it’s gentle and light and reasonably priced. I have no complaints, so I keep using it. BTW, I let my face air dry after I wash it. I don’t use a towel! I do think this has helped reduce breakouts.
2. CosRx AHA/BHA Clarifying Toner – I spritz some of this on my face. It’s supposed to help prevent blackheads and whiteheads.
3. The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% – This one’s not in the photo because I added it into my routine recently. I have some age spots and have tried various Vitamin C serums in the hopes of lightening them. But they didn’t work. (Of course, not all Vitamin C is the same and I haven’t tried every brand. I was told this one was the most powerful one, but I haven’t tried it.) The sales person at The Ordinary told me to give Arbutin, which is an extract from the bearberry plant, a try. And the price was right — this was $8.90. I said why not? Too early to tell if it’s working.
4. Stratia Skin Rewind – I threw this in the cart when I was ordering some other stuff from Stratia because I’m a big fan of Liquid Gold (which I go into below) and it was $15. Does it do anything for me? I don’t know, but it’s packed with good anti-aging stuff and since I’ve had results with Liquid Gold, I have some faith that Rewind works too.
5. Stratia Liquid Gold – I use this as my moisturizer. Don’t be alarmed by the bright yellow color, which will disappear as your skin absorbs it. I love the earthy smell. It’s full of ceramides and oils to improve your skin barrier and it does! My skin felt more irritable before I started using this.
6. EltaMD UV Daily Broad-Spectrum SPF 40 – I’ve been using this sunscreen for three years now on the recommendation of a dermatologist. It’s light and not greasy. However, it has both a physical and a chemical blocker and the safety of chemical blockers is in question. The physical blocker in this sunscreen, zinc oxide, has been proven as safe and has a safety score of 2 from the Environmental Working Group. The chemical one, though, Octinoxate, rates a 6. I think I should switch to something else. Any recommendations? (BTW, I used to buy this on Amazon, but I read the Acid Queen’s post about fakes on Amazon, so I don’t do that anymore. The Acid Queen is the founder of Stratia Skincare.)
Evening Skincare Routine
1. Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Oil – Step 1 of my double cleanse is an oil cleanser. This oil makes my face feel hydrated.
2. Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Foam – Step 2 of my double cleanse. At first I thought it was a bit much to cleanse twice, but I really love the ritual of it now.
3. Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner – I love the way this toner smells. It feels hydrating. Even the Mister, who finds all these steps too much work, likes and uses this.
4. The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA – This is my acid step, a chemical exfoliation to help skin turnover. People rave about Sunday Riley’s Good Genes — and from the sample I’ve tried it does seem nice. (It has a comforting citrus scent.) But it costs $$$. The main ingredient in it is lactic acid, so I bought a $7 bottle of lactic acid from The Ordinary. I started with the lower percentage (5%) initially and did an experiment. I only applied it on one side of my face. Then after about two months, I asked the Mister to look at my face and tell me if one side looked better than the other. He choose the side that I had been applying lactic acid to. So, now I use the 10% version on all sides of my face.
Lactic acid can be harsh for some people, though. So if you want to try something more gentle, there’s also mandelic acid and Stratia makes one that’s $14. The Ordinary has one too.)
5. The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% – I’m using this night and day.
6. Stratia Liquid Gold – Yup, this again. I use this as my nighttime moisturizer again, though I’m thinking of either substituting or layering a night cream now that it’s getting colder. (If you’re interested in Stratia, get $10 off your first order with my referral code.) I’m thinking of adding CosRx Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask at night. And/or also this Origins matte moisturizer for daytime in the winter.
7. Nivea Q10Plus Eye Cream – This is the item I’ve been using the longest. I think I read about it in Consumer Reports of all places many years ago and then made sure to pick up a tube in Europe whenever I could find it. (I think it wasn’t readily available in the States before.) Does eye cream really work though? It’s hard to know since it’s supposed to prevent problems.
Well, that’s it: my current routine. I know it seems like a lot, but after you get used to it, it’s quick. In general, I try to add just one new thing to my routine at a time to see how it affects my skin. And I might subtract or add things along the way depending on what my concerns are. What are your skincare must-haves?
I just started using The Ordinary too, as its now finally available in-store. TO makes a Vitamin C + AA 2%. I’m on my 2nd bottle of their SA/AHA pink “blood” one. I find it helps calm down acne/texture along the jawline, but not good on my forehead.
My must haves are drugstore staples. Basic gentle cleanser (vanicream, aveeno positively radiant); SPF 30-50, I use chemical to avoid a cast; moisturizer (cerave’s pm or daily lotion); sulfur mask (de la cruz or peter thomas roth) For body I use some sort of AHA body lotion, a benzoyl peroxide cleanser (Acnefree), and Spf 15 lotion for the hands before I leave the house.
Beyond that I weave in and out different actives, supplements, professional treatments, prescriptions, etc… I’m well aware most of it is a gimmick and seems too much. Sunday Riley Good Genes is a great product. Even though I have access to it through work, I stopped buying it as when I actually paid attention to the price I had a “I spent HOW MUCH???!!” moment and that’s with the discount. I’m considering getting a microneedle now too.
While I watch Dr. Dray’s channel on youtube, I do like her no-nonsense approach to skincare yet I still want to try these hyped up new latest things as well.
Fancy skincare does feel like a gimmick sometimes, and yet sometimes even feeling suspicious, I fall for it. This feels like a timely discussion with the Sunday Riley fake reviews FTC news out today! I love when journalists do comparisons or tests and some humble drug store brand turns out to be more effective.
Let Pret a Porter P, I’m a pretty big fan of a lot of drugstore staples. I tried to incorporate The Ordinary products into my routine, but haven’t been able to get them in. (Not much room for more “active” ingredients, given all of my prescription products!)
Speaking of skincare there was a funny thread on Twitter comparing the Democratic candidates to skincare productions that I thought was funny: https://twitter.com/HaymakerKennedy/status/1187451656193105921 (as someone who has been following skincare discussions on-and-off on Reddit and blogs for years and years). It makes a jab at La Mer that I think is very on-point (it’s so expensive, and I think is almost completely snake oil? even with Sunday Riley’s recent issues at least their products contain some “clinically proven” active ingredients?).
Saw that thread and LOL. So good!