Brands Including Glossier, The Ordinary, Origins, and More
My face wash holy grail is the Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Facial Wash. I’ve tried so many different cleansers from so many brands, and I’ve loved this one for as long as I can remember. If I find my skin being extra sensitive, I switch to the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser until my face calms down. The one from Philosophy is a little scrubby, but still gentle enough for daily use.
I always follow up with a toner, and my fav is the Solution by Glossier. A little bit of this stuff on a cotton pad and you get makeup off you didn’t know you had, you’ll get dead skin you couldn’t see, and you’ll get rid of any dark marks and lines. This is less a toner and more a chemical exfoliant that I use as a toner, so ease yourself into it if you’re unfamiliar with acids. I’ve tried many toners that didn’t seem to do much, and ones that made me break out in hives (Mario Badescu), but Solution is somehow effective and non-irritating.
After toner, I follow with a serum typically only at night. I have 3 favorites depending on my current skincare needs. When my skin looks flat or feels dry, I always reach for my Hyaluronic Acid Serum from The Ordinary. After two drops of this and a good night’s rest, my skin is ultra glowy. Anytime I start to get a pimple from the time it’s completely gone, I use my Vitamin C Suspension from The Ordinary. This has a bit of a grainy texture, but it instantly brightens and plumps my skin, totally removing any evidence of a breakout. Most other days when my skin could use some smoothing and reduce aging, in the long run, I use the Beet + Vitamin A Serum by Sweet Chef Skincare. I love these all equally because they’re the only ones I’ve used that I can actually see a difference from.
When it comes to moisturizer, I typically use a thicker option since the other products I use can be drying. For the morning, I love the Perfect World SPF 40 Moisturizer by Origins. I love options with SPF (that aren’t greasy) so I don’t have to have an extra sunscreen step. At night I use the Rich Priming Moisturizer by Glossier. This feels like a gulp of water for my skin and is super soothing at the end of the day.
I’m a slut for good face masks so I really have to limit myself to one a week (so I don’t dry out my skin by doing too much) but luckily I’ve found two I absolutely love that I can rotate between. The Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask by Glow Recipe is amazing. It makes my skin so glowy and peels off any impurities by the morning leaving my skin so hydrated. My other fav is the AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution by The Ordinary, which looks scary but is actually super easy. It’s never actually made my skin peel (even when I accidentally left it one for 20 minutes instead of 10) but always leaves me with a smooth and radiant layer of skin.
For eye cream, my go to is the Retinol and Propolis Eye Mask by Hey Honey. This stuff feels so hydrating on my eyes, and is so far the only cream I’ve found that actually reduces the appearance of fine lines around my eyes.
This is just a routine that has worked for me for a long time after trying many different products, but everyone’s skin is different so this may not be as effective for some people. However, I prefer and recommend exfoliating with chemicals, rather than scrubs. It’s gentler on the surface of your skin and actually more effective. Always always always follow with a moisturizer though, because stripping your skin of its natural oils and not replenishing the lost moisture will cause you skin to over produce oil.
What are some of your favorite products everyone should try? Let me know some of your skin care secrets, or if you tried mine!
