Exfoliant & Cleansing Oil 
Essence 
Retinol & AHA/BHA 
Hyaluronic Acid 
Eye Cream 
Moisturizer & Oil 
Sleeping Mask 
Lip Treatments
honestly this has to be the most requested thing i am asked for. i mean i pull out my skin care and the usual response goes like this: “ummm what are you using? can i try that? what should i be putting on my face? where do you get that? wait why do you have so much stuff?” i mean at this point i’ve just self named myself the queen of all things skincare. yeah i’m 22 and using products most people start to use when they are getting wrinkles but hey it’s all about preventing aging and my moma has been doing it since 19 and to this day her skin is stunning (hoping it’s in my genes and if not thank you retinol). so grab some tea or a glass of wine and i’ll break down my night by days of the week.
M/ W:
1. Cleansing
this is hands down the most important step when it comes to a night time routine. if nothing else pls. for your own sanity. wash. your. face. taking off your makeup is so important. it not only removes all the makeup off your face but is the most refreshing feeling to end your day. i am a huge advocate in double cleansing. to some this might be a new idea but it is literally washing your face twice. i begin with an oil cleanser typically the Tatcha Oil Cleanser (some other great oil cleansers: here and here). i apply this right on my face with makeup on. use one pump of oil onto dry hands and a dry face. after washing this off with some water (will begin to appear more milky), i add a sprinkle of the Tatcha Rice Polish. i put a little water onto my palm and rub my hands together to activate the enzymes. this is a light exfoliant that you can use every day and it foams up to wash away everything from your face. some other options for your second cleanse can be found here, here, and here. another example for a double cleanse could be cleansing wipes and then a face wash (my fav wipes are here and face wash is here).
2. Essence
sooo i am unsure if an essence is like critical to a skincare routine. i can’t necessarily say yesssss you need this or this is terrible. an essence is said to allow your skin to soak up your skin care products deeper. i like the way it feels so i continue to use it up but i wouldn’t say this is the most important thing to add. i am currently using the Tatcha Essence (see a theme here? love the brand). it is pricey so that is another reason why i do not push it on people. i follow tons of people who say this really amped up their skin care routine. i say give it a try (if you can get a sample from sephora even better) and see if this is for you.
3. AHA/ BHA
AHA (alpha hydroxy acids) & BHA (beta hydroxy acids) might be new to you. a little scientific but tbh wowowowow this is makes all the difference. i currently use one pump of the Drunk Elephant Night Serum (other options here, here, and here). though these products tend to be on the pricey side, i continue to rebuy because it is that good. AHAs and BHAs are a chemical exfoliant. i’m sure many of you know and understand a physical exfoliant (physically rubs off dry skin) but these serums are doing this chemically. AHAs and BHAs often work together in serums to help reduce acne, bright skin, and improve surface lines. when beginning using these work up to using multiple days a week and begin with just once a week.
4. Hyaluronic acid
another acid. this is fantastic for plumping up your skin. hyaluronic acid helps to enhance the moisture in your skin. my favorite it is the Ren Skincare Beauty Shot. i’ve found by using this i wake up feeling like my skin looks better than before. i add a drop of this to my palm and apply on my face. the best part about this is that you can use it with any other serum and morning and night.
5. Eye cream
eye creams are so important in your routine. your eyes have the fewest oil glands on your face. because of this it is critical to be using an eye cream to add to this area. not only does an eye cream increase moisture in this area but it also has ingredients to help with fine lines and dark circles. i take a small amount and rub under my eyes and around my orbital bone. brands are something i kinda jump around with for my eye creams but some of my favorites are here, here, and here. i have tons of samples and different brands i’ve tried but the Drunk Elephant C-Tango is what i’ve found to work the best for me.
6. Moisturizer/ Oil
in the winter months i’ve been mixing some oil in with my moisturizer to enhance the moisture being added to my skin. i am not dead set on any moisturizer rn but here and here, and here are some i’ve been using lately and liking. i like to switch up my moisturizers because i just like trying new things! i add in a few drops of the Kiehl’s Oil to my moisturizer and apply both to my face.
7. Sleeping mask
after waiting about 20 minutes to let the moisturizer and oil soak in i apply a sleeping mask. i use this just about every night and have found it to be amazing during the winter. here, here, here, and here are ones i use the most! i have a post coming out soon to explain more about some of the masks i use.
8.
i cannot sleep without some sort of chapstick or lip mask on my lips. it is easily the number one thing i need to do no matter what. i start my lip care by putting some of this Fresh Sugar Wonder Drops on. they dry quickly and i have found it removes all dry flakey skin. i then put on one of these: Laneige Lip Mask, Algenist Collagen Lip, or Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask. i am a huge fan of all of them for different reasons and you truly can’t go wrong with any of them! i like to switch up which product i use every night.
T/ Th:
Steps 1 & 2
3. Retinol
the only difference on these days is i trade in my AHA/ BHA serum in for retinol. retinol is ah-maz-ing for you. i use the Peter Thomas Roth Retinol. this helps with reducing fine lines and wrinkles. it also enhances collagen production and skin renewal. the downside of retinol is that it can be harsh on your skin and expensive. you need to work up to using this by just using once a week at first. it can also dry your skin out so it is important be using a hyaluronic acid and moisturizer in your routine.
Steps 4 – 8
F & Sat/ Sun:
These days usually differ. obviously i’m in college and my weekends are filled with let’s just saying having a great time. friday and saturday depending on what i do usually consist of my M/ W routine or if i at least take my makeup off before bed then i know it was a successful night. sunday are typically a longer more in depth routine before starting off a new week. look out for a future post about this day and what i do in order to begin my week in the right state of mind.
okay wow thank you if you’ve made it this far. this is requested so often that i needed to break it down for you guys. i know this looks like i am spending copious amounts on my skincare but i am subscribed to various subscription boxes so i am always trying new samples. pls lmk if you have any questions because this is one of my favorite topics!