Having a skincare routine for both the morning and evening is the most important part of having healthy and beautiful skin. What products you specifically use will be completely unique to your skin type and liking, but I thought it could be helpful for me to share my routines for those of you who may have similar skin types to mine. You'll notice this says morning skincare routine. Depending on your skin type you may have the same routine both day and night, but I personally like to apply more products at night. As a natural born multi-tasker, you can bet I'm going to put my skin to work while I'm sleeping...haha
So here's the morning routine that I've been using that I love:
While the actual products will be specific to your needs, the basic steps of cleansing, toning, eye cream, and moisturizing are a good quick route to go for the mornings. As far as skin type goes, I have combination skin. I get oily in my T-zone but I have more dry and red skin on my cheeks due to Ezcema. If you're confused on what type of skin you have,
click here to read about the different skin types and how to figure out what you are.
As a Mediterranean and South American skin type I also tan extremely easily and never burn. While that is great for getting a summer time glow, when it comes to acne and blemishes, I joke that just looking at a blemish will make it scar. Normally scarring comes from picking or popping blemishes, but mine scar regardless. Therefore I am obsessed with Aveda's Enbrightenment Skincare System. It is targeted for hyperpigmentation, scarring, and discoloration. Using Salicylic Acid and a brightening blend of skullcap, mulberry, and grape, Enbrightenment focuses on increasing cell turnover in order to get rid of old discolored skin cells which will in turn reduce the appearance of discoloration. It also helps improve skin clarity.
Step 1: Cleansing is crucial, even in the morning. It's important to start your day with clean and fresh skin before applying anything else to it, whether makeup, SPF or other products. Ridding your skin of any excess oils and dirt from sleeping is the best way to begin. I use the Enbrightenment Brightening Cleanser. I actually keep it in the shower to speed my mornings up by a few minutes. One key thing to remember with cleansers is that no matter what cleanser you use, only keep it on your skin for 3 minutes maximum. Cleansers are designed to strip your skin so after 3 minutes you can start doing harm to your skin. If you missed my post on the right cleanser for you,
click here!
Step 2: A key step that many people don't know much about is toning. Since cleansing strips your skin of oils and debris, you have to balance the pH of your skin. Your skin has a barrier that has a natural healthy pH that must be maintained in order to protect you from factors such as environment irritants, the sun, pollution, free radicals, etc...Toning your skin will help restore your skin's barrier and therefore protect you from day to day factors. Toners also help bring moisture into the skin and allow for a better product penetration of whatever products you apply afterwards. I use the Enbrightenment Brightening Treatment Toner.
Step 3: I love the Origins Ginzing Refeshing Eye Cream. As an extremely busy person, I have chronic puffiness and dark circles around my eyes. This eye cream is really light, which I love since a lot of eye creams can be pretty heavy. Now I know what you may be thinking! You're only 23! Why do you use an eye cream already? But the truth is using an eye cream is going to not only make my eyes look more awake and even toned, but it's going to keep that area nice and hydrated. Hydration is key in preventing wrinkles, so if I can do something that's going to help me in the long run, I'm going to want to do it! Haha
Step 4: Moisturizing is also key in a basic skin care routine. It's important to give your skin the hydration it needs for the day. My favorite part about the Enbrightenment line is that they make a lotion for those of us with more oily skin and a creme for those that are drier. In the mornings I use the Enbrightenment Brightening Lotion so that I'm not putting anything on that's too heavy and creating too many oils for the makeup I normally apply after.
Additional important step: Another huge step in morning skincare is SPF. Luckily, my foundation has one in it so I don't have to add the additional step, but if yours doesn't or you don't wear makeup, be sure to apply one for sun protection!
I hope this helped! Remember it's just a guideline. I know it may sound like an Aveda Enbrightenment ad but it's the line that works best for my skin right now, and you can interchange any of the steps with the products that work best for you! Just be sure to get a routine down and stick to it because it's important to start your day with clean and healthy skin if you want it to appear that way. Makeup applications will always be easier if you take care of your skin first! Leave me a comment if you have any questions!
Have a beautiful day,
Dre
