When I think back to my early 20’s and what I did for skincare at that time, I think how I had NO idea what I was doing. The things I put on my face, or rather didn’t use that would have been game changing for me now that I am in my early forties.
My skincare journey:
High School:
Though I have what people would say as “good skin”, it can be problematic skin. In high school I was prone to 1 or 2 large breakouts at a time. I’ll be honest, they would be painful and I would think how I had wished I had 5 small ones to the really large one I had. You know that saying . . . the grass is always greener on the other side.
I started in high school using Neutrogena eye cream and would wash my face at night with their bar of soap.
I felt like I was taking very good care of my skin at the time especially compared to my friends who would sleep in their makeup and then just reapply more in the morning.
Ugh, I would think back then how much easier that would be but that I was taking care of my skin now.
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College:
As I got older and was in college, the only difference in my skin at that time was the breakouts became fewer and father between.
I wouldn’t get them that often but when I did they would take forever to go away.
I was still using the same eye cream from high school but switched to a gel cleanser that honestly now I can’t even remember the name of.
In My 30’s:
In my 30’s I was a new mom and we did not have a ton of money for me to be spending on skincare.
I added in some drugstore night cream, eye makeup remover, and the occasional over the counter face masks. But that was it.
I had no idea about the bigger problems the things I was using could wreck havoc on not only my face but aid in bigger health issues down the road.
The beginning of my 40’s:
I don’t think I have ever talked about my age on my blog. It really did not have a place here since I mostly talk about home decor. BUT I really felt this is part of why I do the things I do to my skin that might help you guys make the decision to make some big changes in your own daily return.
At this time with blogging, I was seeing what the other influencers were using and decided I wanted to try those products. Now I know there are influencers out there that will push products so they can make a $ so I started small with the things I ordered so I wouldn’t spend a fortune to see if they worked.
I found a product line (I won’t mention because it’s not a bad line but it contains a lot of harmful chemicals) and I loved it for a year or so.
It seemed to really clear up my skin but my skin would get really red at night after I washed and cleansed it.
I will say this though, through using this other line and looking and what other influencers were doing, helped me come up with the products I know I need to maintain and improve my skin.
So this is where the big shift for me started last fall.
My friend from college came to visit and we started talking about our lives as moms and hopes for our children. We talked about health concerns since both of us lost our fathers to cancer. And most of all we talked about what we wanted to see in the future for ourselves and our family.
We went back to my house and I showed her a few things I was currently using and I discovered there were parabens and phthalates in many products I was using. You can check out The Never List to see if they are in the products you are currently using.
This is when I decided I needed to make a change.
I now have a solid skincare routine down and it is safer and cleaner than anything I have ever used before. I am taking care of my skin with high performing products that you can see the difference in when you use them and will help my skin rejuvenate itself so it ages naturally and gracefully.
So I know all that was long winded but I really wanted to share my journey in the hopes that you too have been there or are there.
You too want a change for safer products that will give you the results you want and need for the best your skin can be.
My Morning Skincare Routine:
Besides my hereditary bags under my eyes, my skin tone has evened out and is much smoother looking after the last few months of following these steps and using these cleaner safer products.
The 5 products you need:
- Rejuvenating Face Cleanser
- Rejuvenating Day Cream
- Rejuvenating Radiance Serum
- Rejuvenating Eye Cream
- Lip Conditioner
Step 1: Cleanse your face
There are a lot of impurities that build up on your face from sleeping and your face needs to be cleansed in the morning. I love the fresh clean feeling my skin has after using this cleanser in the morning.
I put a little drop in my hand the size of a dime and rub all over my face.
Then I use warm water and splash it on my face to rinse it away. And follow with patting dry your face with a towel.
This particular cleanser is sulfate-free and has antioxidant plant extracts that help clear pores and calm and sooth the skin.
Step 2: Use a high performing eye cream
The next step in my morning skin care routine is to use this eye cream. I used to use ones that had retinol in it until I found out what retinol does to your skin. Now I will never use any products with this ingredient.
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I gently pat around the bottom of my eyes and up towards my brow line until it is absorbed into my skin. I feel the patting kind of wakes up the skin.
I love this eye cream because it evens out my fine lines and makes my eyes look refreshed. It feels so hydrating and my eyes feel amazing! I actually use this morning and night.
Step 3: Apply serum or face oils.
So this might just be my favorite step! I have this set of face oils and this radiance serum and kind of play each day with them.
One day I may use the plumping one and another day the balancing one, depending on how my skin feels.
But generally the radiance serum is my go-to.
The radiance serum is a combination of vitamin C, jambu extract, mixed fruit acid complex, and algae and marine extracts. It makes your skin feel hydrated and look more youthful.
I take a small amount and dab between two fingers, then rub all over my face. It feels super light and refreshing once you apply it.
I let it sit for 30 seconds so it can soak in before I move onto my moisturizer.
Step 4: Apply moistrizer
Once you apply your serum or oils to give your face the all over treatment you are trying to target, then it is time to apply your moisturizer.
I love this moisturizer because it brightens and reduces my fine lines giving me a more youthful look. It also feels so lightweight and hydrating.
Can you tell a theme here in almost every product I use? HYDRATE. It is so important to have products that add back in moisture into your skin.
I just use a small pea size amount and rub all over my face. A little goes a long way which I love about all these products.
Then I lit is soak into my skin for a couple minutes before apply my foundation. So that’s when I do this next and last step in my morning skincare routine.
Step 5: Apply lip conditioner
So this is just a little extra step I do. Not necessary but as we get older fine lines tend to gather around our lip lines so I am trying to be preventative and add tons of hydration there.
I love the peppermint smell of this one and it is full of avocado oil, shea butter and jojoba oil.
I actually use it morning and night.
And there you have it! 5 simple steps for my game-changing morning skincare routine. This takes me less than 5 minutes and my skin feels like I just stepped out of the spa.
It really is important that we start reading the ingredients of what we are using on our skin and the long term effects of those ingredients.
I am so impressed with the initiative Beautycounter has done on the regulation of the beauty industry and the awareness they are creating. Make sure to use The Never List when you are purchasing products so you know you are buying clean and safe products.
And you can shop all the Beautycounter products right HERE.
If you have any questions, please email me or leave them in the comments. I would be happy to discuss more of my routine with you!
**Photography by Audrie Dollins
