What's your current morning skincare routine?
Fresh Soy Cleanser, Biologique Recherge PIGM400, Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum/Niacinimide Serum, Good Molecules Discoloration Correcting Serum, Omorovicza Vitamin C Serum (I normally use Skinceuticals C+E, which I’ll be returning to), Sunday Riley UFO Oil, Dr. Jart+ Tiger Grass Calming Gel Cream, Origins A Perfect World SPF 40. I’m going to migrate to a more SPF-only (something lighter-weight) so I can use a separate moisturizer for AM and top with SPF.
— Christine
CeraVe Cleanser and La Roche Posay Double Repair Moisturizer SPF 30. Keep it simple!
I cleanse, sometimes just with a face cloth soaked in warm water, sometimes with YTTP cleanser. If I remember (rarely), I’ll apply Biotherm Life Plankton Essence but I always use YTTP Superberry (or whatever it’s called) facial oil followed by Embryolisse cream or, if I’m going to be out-doors, Australian Gold tinted facial sunscreen. On my eyes, either either Origins eye cream with SPF (I think it’s called Perfect World or something like that) or Clarins Super Restorative eye cream. That’s pretty much it. I honestly think the fewer things we layer on our faces, the better.
Five-minute benzoyl peroxide mask (2.5%), rinse with water and microfiber towel or La Roche-Posay toleriane cleanser. Whatever moisturizer happens to be closest—usually either the Acure rejuvenating or soothing cream—and whatever sunscreen happens to be expiring soonest (I’m working through a lot of minis from a sunscreen kit; today will be the tarteguard spf).
I have dry, sensitive skin, so I’ve been keeping it simple lately!
Cosrx low pH Good Morning cleanser. CosRx AHA/BHA toner. Cosrx Centella water. Cosrx Mild Calming Liquid. Innisfree Jeju Lava Seawater Skin. Purito Green Level Calming Toner. Paula R S-L DWD for sunscreen and TM, most days. This is all thin and is centella heavy. Deliberately, due to recent inflammatory condition and history of intolerance to occlusives by day. Pretty odd for s.o. my age, but works for me. The only take away for anyone with redness or inflammation is that Centella works. Purito has centellas in all viscosities, and most products are EWG green certified.
– Cleanse with a Yes To Tomatoes wipe.
– Lightly moisten skin with water, then use a Stridex red pad and lip balm.
– Tone with Thayer’s Rose Petal.
– Lightly moisten with water, then tap in vitamin C propolis serum.
– Pat on some Epically Epic All Business moisturizer.
– Apply SPF and more lip balm.
Staying home: Aveeno Ultra Calming Foaming Face Cleanser or one of my peeling gel exfoliating cleansers, The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream, The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toner, FAB Ultra Repair Cream.
Going out: All of the above, except that I also usually use Boscia Exfoliating Peel Gel or PTR FirmX Peeling Gel Exfoliant, and then apply Farmacy Green Defence Daily Mineral Sunscreen spf 30 also.
But, if I’m going to the pool: FAB Pure Mineral Sunscreen Moisturizer spf 40, with my regular waterproof sports formula sunscreen over that to lock it in.
I do a quick cleanse with micellar water on a reusable cotton pad, and then prep my skin for makeup/sunscreen/moisturize with a mix of one drop DermaE SunkissAlba Oil, CeraVe Light AM Moisturizer, First Aid Beauty Coconut Smoothie Priming Moisturizer and Smashbox Primerizer. I mix those all together in the palm of my hand and apply them to my face. Sometimes I’ll use an eye cream, sometimes not. Most days I top all of that with Paula’s Choice Super Light Daily Wrinkle Defense Sunscreen. I let that sink in while I do my eye make up and then apply base makeup. I don’t like doing a full wash of my face early in the morning as it makes my face too oily throughout the day.
Cleanse: Paula’s Choice Hydralight One Step (I prefer something more gentle in the morning)
Tone: Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner (I like to replenish my skin without adding another layer of serum or moisturizer, so a more milky hydrating toner is an important step for me)
Treat: Paula’s Choice Azaleic Acid Booster (just because I received it for free and it didn’t made sense to add it in my night routine; it’s a good product, but usually I like my morning routine more simple)
Eye Cream: Paula’s Choice Omega+ Complex Eye Cream (while I don’t like to apply moisturizer all over my face in the morning, I do feel the need of extra boost under my eyes and on my smile lines; I could apply a classic moisturizer, but I feel eye creams are more lightweight and go better under makeup).
Sunscreen: Paula’s Choice Resist Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 (the most important part of my routine, I use SPF 50 year round).
Cleanse: A Full-fat, fragrance free bar soap (Honey-Coconut oil bar soap from Bulk Apocathary)
Treat: The ordinary Lactic Acid 10%
Tone: Beauty Pie Japanfusion Lotion (step 1) (comparable to Creme de peau/SK-II)
Eye Cream: Beauty Pie Qi Energy
Serum: Beauty Pie Triple Hyrularonic Acid w/Peptides
Sunscreen: Supergoop SPF 50 unseen
(PS at night, I use refined shea butter as my only moisturizer; I find I don’t need moisturizer in the morning, my sunscreen does the job for me)
Kose Sekkisei White Powder Wash, Cosrx Centella Water Alcohol-Free Toner, Timeless Coenzyme Q10 Serum, Acure Brightening Vitamin C & Ferulic Acid Oil Free Serum, Thank You Farmer Sun Project Light Sun Essence SPF 50+ PA+++, DermaDoctor Eye Radiance Cream SPF30.
Morning Skincare: My concerns are acne, acne scarring, eczema, and generally protection from damage from the environment and the sun. I have combination 30s skin that can get both oily and dehydrated. My morning skincare varies depending on my skin condition for that particular morning.
Gentle Cleanse: Paula’s Choice Clear Pore Cleanser and/or Paula’s Choice Optimal Results Cleanser. I might switch up the latter to La Roche Posay Toleriane Hydrating Cleanser bc it’s better value and more simple in ingredients listing and save the Optimal Results for Winter–when my skin is drier.
Tone (optional): Paula’s Choice Moisture Boost Toner
Treat (different areas of my face): Paula’s Choice BHA9 (on acne) and/or Paula’s Choice BHA4, Paula’s Choice 20% Niacinamide Booster and/or Timeless Skincare Vitamin C and/or Alpha Skin Care Renewal 12% Body Lotion
Eyes: Bioderma Sensibio Rich Creme and/or The Ordinary Caffeine Solution. I stopped using Timeless Eye Cream bc I developed eczema from that but once that goes away, I have another brand waiting to use.
Moisture (as needed): Fourth Ray Lightweight Hydrator in general. If staying inside, 12% Alpha Skin Care Renewal Body Lotion. For eczema prone areas, Bioderma Sensibio Rich Creme, Aveeno Eczema Balm, or Cerave Healing Ointment. I’m thinking of picking up Avene Xeracalm Balm as well.
SPF (if going out): Paula’s Choice Glow Essentials Spf 30 mixed with Blue Lizard Face Spf 30. If I’m exercising out, then Citrix Vitamin C Spf 40 bc it’s more water-resistant
Kate Somerville Goat Milk Cleanser, REN Ready Steady Glow AHA Toner, Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum, Maelove Nia 10 Calming Serum, Tatcha Water Cream, and if I leave the house I use Krave Beauty The Beet Shield for my SPF (though I have only left the house once since March because quarantine + chronic illness…)
Oh, I’ve been dying to hear of people are getting good results with the Good Molecules Discoloration Serum! Please let me know!
Cerave Hydrating Cleanser, Timeless Vit CE Ferulic, Timeless Matrixyl Synthe 6 Serum, CosRx Galactomyces Essence, Aromatica Rose Absolute Serum and Australian Gold tinted sunscreen SPF 50
Holy Grail chamomile or Korres Wild Rose cleanser with my Foreo while I’m in the shower if I do a morning cleanse (if my skin is inflamed or irritated I will sometimes skip it) or a light exfoliation with Omorovicza refining facial polisher.
For serums and moisturisers, it usually some combo of Laniege Cream Skin or Hydro Essence, Water Bank moisture cream, Good Molecules Niacinamide toner, Revolution Skincare Watermelon gel or Turmeric cream, Darphin Hydraskin Light, FAB Coconut skin smoothie or Natio Rosewater moisturiser. If I’m going to be outside, I finish with Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face 50+ Superscreen. I used to use hyaluronic acid serum every day but I eventually noticed my skin was actually less dry when I only used it occasionally so I don’t know what’s up with that…
Eye cream, I am currently rotating between Olay Regenerist revitalising eye serum (which I have been using for YEARS), Revolution Ginseng Brightening or Pigment Boost or Nivea Q10 + Vitamin C. I recently tried a deluxe sample size of Ole Henriksen Banana Bright but it did literally nothing so I am just slowly using up the rest of it.
Lip balm is a smidge of Laniege Berry lip sleeping mask under whatever lip colour or Nivea Blackberry Shine if I can’t be stuffed putting on lipstick.
My morning skincare routine goes like this:
1. Wash my face with whatever cleanser I have got going – at the moment CeraVe’s Hydrating cleanser.
2. Apply PNG’s Dragon Blood day time moisturiser with SPF 20 (it’s winter here in Aus).
3. If I am going out for the day, I would apply a primer – Nude by Nature’s Airbrush primer – but since that is not happening, I just add my foundation on top of the moisturiser.
-rinse with cold water and pat mostly dry with a face towel
-apply face cream to my forehead to lock in some of that moisture. I used to not use moisturizer in the morning, but I have just been so dry this summer
-apply sunscreen, preferably spf 50. I use Korean or Japanese sunscreens since they generally seem less greasy-feeling
Cleanse: Klavuu Pure Pearlsation Revitalizing Facial Cleansing Foam or Neogen Real Cica Micellar Cleansing foam with a plain old washcloth. Trying to ween off my Clarisonic since they’re going OOB.
Toner: Pyunkang Yul Mist Toner immediately followed by tony Moly Wonder Rice Toner that I mixed with some rose water in a mister. I’ll spray either one of these on my face sporadically throughout the day to cool off and clam my skin. The heat seems to irritate my skin something awful and this has helped so much with redness.
Eye Cream: Acwell Licorice pH Balancing Intensive Eye Cream. This has legit made a difference with my dark under eye circles. I’ll always have them but this has significantly lightened them. It absorbs quickly, doesn’t irritate my sensitive eyes or give me milia. It checks all of my boxes.
Moisturizer: Bonajour Green Tea Water Bomb. This is a gel like moisturizer that’s nice and light in the summer months. Only downfall is it takes awhile to absorb. Once it does, there’s no greasy residue.
Sunscreen: I alternate between 3 right now…Biore UV Watery Essence SPF50+ PA++++ (seems the newest reformulation is very heavy on the alcohol. It’s brief but it hits the sinuses), Purito Centella Green Level Safe Sun SPF50+ PA++++ and Klairs Soft Airy UV Essence SPF 50+ PA++++.
Serum: If I do one during the day it’s Nacific Photo Niacin Whiting Essence. It says essence but I treat this like I would apply a serum so I think of it as such. Usually I do my serums at night and hardly at all during the day in the summer heat. I feel it’s wasted since I’m a “face sweater”.
Lip Treatment: Tree Hut Sugarlips Lip Butter (points for being in a squeeze tube and not an unsanitary tin) or Duke Cannon Cannon Balm SPF 15 ( it’s a huge 17g balm stick).
Christine, What do you think of the Dr Jart Tiger Grass Calming Gel Cream? I’ve been eyeballing it for awhile now but haven’t read any trusted feedback about it yet.
Hi Miska!
I liked it! I don’t know that it was a HG or anything like that, but it did encourage me to try the rest of the Tiger Grass line!
I run in the mornings so I don’t cleanse until after and my skin is dirty but pores are open and I need to remove my sports sunscreen.
In shower: with my clairsonic mia recently I’ve been using St. Ives Green Tea foaming cleanser, I alternate days with Tarte’s Frixxion Stick then rinse with Garnier Micellar gel cleanser.
Out of shower immediately apply: Dr. Jart+ Ceramedin Liquid and let it absorb while I moisturize my body.
Next: The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
Then: YTTP Superberry Oil and or The Ordinary Moisturizing Factors + HA (depending on how my skin feels/needs). I like both as they don’t seem to pill under primer. If it’s winter and I’m not going to be in the sun I mix The Ordinary’s 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder to the YTTP oil and apply it together.
Finally: If I’m going to be outside on a no-makeup day, I’ll apply sunscreen.
If not I use my It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Illumination Cream SPF 50 as my sunscreen.
-Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser (very small amount)
-Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Serum
-Paula’s Choice Calm Redness Relief Repairing Serum
-Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb
-Paula’s Choice Barrier Repair Moisturizer with Retinol
-e.l.f. Holy Hydration Face Cream (Fragrance Free)
I wait for all of that to soak in, and once it has, I finish with:
-Olay Unscented Complete All Day Moisturizer SPF 30