Oh skin care, could we get any more “lifestyle” than this? In the spirit of transparency, I don’t have the best skin care routine. I’m definitely a soap-water-soap kind of girl—and there’s no shame if you are too! But since I’ve found myself with a little bit more time on my hands, I figured I’d use some of it to try and expand my skin care knowledge.
About a week ago I FaceTimed someone I consider to be the master of skin care—my good friend, Saron. She gave me her full morning and night skin care routines, and I’m going to share all the highlights with you here. Now because she is a skin care connoisseur, her routine has been built up through years of experimenting with several different products and finding the ones that make her feel like her best self. Saron’s biggest piece of advice is to try products that your skin needs the most because there is no “one routine fits all.” But we’re happy to help you find a place to start.
Morning Routine
1. Cleanser
Start by washing your face, leaving it a little damp before applying cleanser. Saron’s cleanser of choice is No7, Beautiful Skin Age Defying Cleanser, but again, whatever cleanser works for your skin is fine. Try and find a cleanser specific to your skin type—dry vs. oily skin—that way you can get the most out of the product.
2. Toner
Once you’ve washed your face with the cleanser, make sure to pat it dry with a clean towel. Pat, don’t rub! Rubbing your skin with a harsh towel may irritate it and we want to be as gentle as possible.
Now you can add toner. Toner is good for removing any excess dirt or oil your cleanser may have missed. It’s also good for balancing your skin’s pH level. Saron uses Botanics, Toning Spritz and she says it works fairly well for all skin types. When shopping for toner, avoid getting one with alcohol in it because it may strip and/or irritate your skin.
Just spray a little on a cotton round and dab it around your face. You can also spray it into your fingers or directly on your face if you don’t have a cotton round available. Saron pats the product in well just to make sure it all gets into her skin.
3. Emulsion
I have to be honest with you guys, I don’t think I’d ever even heard of emulsion before working on this blog post. So for those of you as clueless as I am, emulsion is essentially a lighter version of facial lotion.
Saron uses about two small pumps of Skinfood, Peach Saki, first covering her face in the product before rubbing and patting it all in.
4. Serum
Similar to emulsion, I’d never heard of using serum on your face either, but they are both essentially lightweight face moisturizers. Serum’s have a higher level of active ingredients, like healthy vitamins for your skin, than a typical face moisturizer.
Saron’s go-to face serum is Ariul, Berry Blast Brightening Serum. She puts it on exactly the same way she does the emulsion, emphasizing rubbing in the product to make sure your skin really absorbs it all.
5. Facial Oil
As a personal preference, Saron uses facial oil to brighten her face, or “give it a glow,” as she likes to say. Facial oil is also good for adding oil back into your skin so it can maintain a healthy level of moisture.
Saron recommends using Botanics, Nourishing Facial Oil. Just squeeze two to three drops directly on your face and rub it in.
6. Moisturizing Cream
Last, but not least, get some traditional moisturizer on your face. A lot of moisturizing creams have SPF in them, which is super useful in protecting your face from UV rays—even on cloudy days it’s important to protect your skin!
Grab some Olay, Complete Normal and dab it around your face. Rub it all in and you’re set for your day!
Night Routine
Saron does a little bit more for her skin during her night routine because she usually finds herself with a little bit more time to splurge. Your skin also tends to go through a lot during the day that it’s great to be a little more thorough at night, if you’re able. Again, you don’t need to complete everything on this list for flawless skin, but we want to make sure we give you a variety of options to be your best-skin-self!
1. Cleanser
As per usge, start by washing your face and applying cleanser. Your typical cleanser should work just fine, but for her night routine, Saron likes to use Nooni, Snowflake Cleanser, because it does a great job of removing the dirt her skin accumulated throughout the day. This cleanser also doubles as a makeup remover, which is great for our makeup-wearing girls.
2. Cleanser 2.0
At night Saron likes to use two cleansers, so after using her Nooni, Snowflake Cleanser, she’ll go back in with her No7, Beautiful Skin Age Defying Cleanser from her morning routine (see number 1, under Morning Routine).
3. Exfoliate
Twice a week, Saron says she exfoliates her skin to remove dead cells and give her face a soft look. When I asked her why she doesn’t do this every night, she said that over-exfoliating your face can dry your skin up, and we don’t want dry skin now do we ladies?
Saron uses Freeman, Polishing Charcoal + Black Sugar Gel Mask + Scrub. With a damp face, spread the product around, forming a face mask. Leave the product on for about five minutes. Scrub it, making sure to reach all parts of your face. Then wash it off.
Depending on how/if you choose to exfoliate your skin and what product you decide to use, the instructions may be different. Most products will have clear directions on the back or on the side of the packaging, so make sure to pay close attention to that.
4. Toner
After you’ve towel-dried your face (remember, pat, don’t rub!), then it’s time for toner. Your normal toner is fine for this step. Saron uses her Botanics, Toning Spritz from her morning routine at night as well (see number 2, under Morning Routine).
5. Sheet Mask
Saron didn’t really have any recommendations for this step, primarily because she likes to experiment or use one she may just have lying around. In all honestly, this step is meant to just add an additional hydrating step to your routine. It’s not incredibly necessarily if you’re not feeling like it’s a “skin mask day,” but it can be a nice little “treat yo self” moment.
Like most products, the instructions are usually on the package. Typically, you’ll want to leave your face mask on for about twenty to twenty-five minutes before washing.
6. Emulsion
Apply like you would in your morning routine (see number 3, under Morning Routine).
7. Serum
Apply like you would in your morning routine (see number 4, under Morning Routine).
8. Moisturizing Cream
Apply like you would in your morning routine (see number 6, under Morning Routine).
9. Soothing Gel/Aloe Vera
Last step! Aloe vera is very good for your skin. It’s good for cuts, sunburns, dry skin, and more. All in all, it’s really cooling and refreshing, so even if you don’t have any skin ailments, you can still find good use in it.
Saron likes to use Skinfood, Aloe Vera Soothing Gel . She applies it by using a face mask brush, pictured below, and brushing it evenly all over her face. Like with the other products she pats it in to make sure her skin absorbs it. Sometimes, she’ll treat her self and spread it on her hands and arms.
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How do you guys take care of your skin? What else do you think I should implement into my new and improved skin care routine? Give me all your suggestions in the comments section below!
Just in case you haven’t heard, post production for the SPACES audiobook didn’t exactly go as planned… There were a lot of re-records that I ended up having to do, due to the fact that my first go at the whole thing wasn’t exactly as professional as I would’ve liked for it to be. Things have also been moving a little differently due to everything that’s going on globally. However, the book is still available to listen to! Right now, it’s available for free, but if you want to donate to production costs, I would appreciate anything you could give! Once the audiobook is officially published, I will definitely let you guys know, so make sure you keep an eye out for that.
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