Last year, I wrote a post detailing my (new) skincare routine.  As someone on the fast train to 30 (YES my 28th bday is coming up in 3 months!), skincare right now is so important as a preventative measure (although when I see little wrinkles around my eyes, I think it’s no longer preventative…. 50 year old me will read this and think I was insane).  Last year, I started looking into products that I should be using every day and it’s overwhelming!  Serums, creams, scrubs, masks, mists… what to use, when, how— the only thing to do is trial and error and see what works.  Now, a year after writing that first post, I have some of the same products, but also a few new ones and I’m sure the routine will continue to evolve as my skin does.  I am fairly frugal with many things in life, my skincare is something that I have no issue spending money on because, well, it’s cheaper than Botox…

On that note, here is what I am doing at 27 years old:

MORNING:

1. Wash face with either gentle cream cleanser OR with Biotherm ‘Gelée Micellaire daily exfoliating melting cleanser’ facial scrub, which has little beads in it that leave my face feeling clean and have eliniated the air pockets I used to have on my face.
2. Spray store brand toner to help close pores.
3. Cover face and neck with VICHY ‘Idéal Soleil’ SPF 30 facial moisturizer.  I have always very much disliked putting sunscreen on my face because it is SO greasy, even the “non-greasy” brands, because those brands are always greasy- until now!  This one is NOT GREASY at all and leaves my face feeling moisturized, but also with a nice, matte finish.
4. Covergirl ‘tru blend’ foundation to even out skin tone.
5. Mascara, eyeliner, etc.

NIGHT:

1. Wash face with VICHY ‘Normaderm 3 in 1 Scrub, Cleanser + Mask’– this can be used as a scrub or a mask and so far, I really like it.  Again, it helps clear the air bubbles in my skin.
2. Spray toner (sometimes because I often forget)
3. I alternate between The Ordinary Brand Retinol 0.2% in Squalane, The Ordinary Brand Alpha Lipoic Acid 5% and The Ordinary Brand Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%.  I use the retinol ~4 days a week, the acid ~2 days a week, and the brighting serum about 1 day per week (from their website about the product: Vitamin C is an effective antioxidant, brightens the skin tone and reduces signs of aging.).  The acid makes my face look incredibly good the next day, but shouldn’t be used more than 2-3x per week (from their website: Alpha Lipoic Acid is a highly potent antioxidant and can restore a renewed skin appearance, improving visible skin texture and tone when applied topically. This formulation uses an exceptionally high 5% concentration of high-purity Alpha Lipoic Acid.).  The retinol also seems to help the evenness of my skintone, but you have to be careful with sun exposure.  I don’t use it on beach vacations.
4. Biotherm Skin oxygen Night Moisturizer – I used to never use facial moisturizers but Luis (yes, Luis!) changed my opinion about them and now I think they make a HUGE difference!  I apply the moisturizer nice and thick and think of it as a ‘drink’ for my face!

That’s all I have for you!  One brand that I have been thinking about looking into is Beauty Counter, which seems to have been getting a lot of attention.  Maybe it’s for older people, but in my opinion, it’s never too early to start! It’s a lot, but like I said, I feel like now it’s SO important to take care of my skin since I don’t want to regret my choices when I am in my 30s and 40s.