I have always struggled with my skin. As a teen I had acne, and for most of my twenties I suffered from deep jawline hormonal acne (that I couldn’t help but pick at). When I moved to Colorado after college, my skin completely changed. Now that I’m living in California where the air is full of moisture, I feel like I’ve gotten to know my skin well enough to know what it needs and likes given any environment and have found some brands that are tried and true.

I want to mention that outside of the products listed below, sleep, hydration, and proper nutrition are essential for that “youthful glow”. The good news is that combined with the above, the skincare routine itself can be simple and still effective.

AM

+ Either rinse with cold water or wash with my every day cleanser. I like this cleanser because it removes dirt and makeup, foams up nicely, a little goes a long way, and it doesn’t dry out my skin.

+ Vitamin C – either this one from Kiehl’s or Cocokind Vitamin C Glow Serum

+ Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Serum – I want to be honest and share that this was sent to me, but I love it to fade my dark spots and acne scars. I like that it’s very light which is why I have been wearing it daily. It doesn’t interfere with any of my other products!

+ Skin Barrier Repair – Because I use tretinoin I’ve learned that the key to glass like skin is protecting your skin barrier. I love this affordable serum from Cocokind and notice a huge difference in the plumpness of my skin when I’m actively using it.

+ Daily SPF – 99% of the time it’s this favorite from la-roche posay but if I’m heading to the beach I love this tinted moisturizer or this 50 SPF that gives a dewy glow.

PM

+ Remove Makeup, Sunscreen, Dirt with an Oil Based Cleanser – I love this Turmeric Cleansing Balm

+ Double Cleanse – After I remove makeup with the first round of cleanser, I’ll clean my skin with my favorite daily cleanser.

+ Gentle Exfoliate – On nights I’m not using my tretinoin, I am a huge fan of this pore-minimizing and polishing powder cleanser. The bottle has lasted forever! You mix a little bit of powder with water and it exfoliates gentle without stripping your skin for a fresh clean look.

+ Skin Cycling – I follow this routine for skin cycling. I get my tretinoin from Hers without having to see a doctor in person which is nice! On recovery nights, I use this glycolic acid for skin texture (I also love this affordable one but it always seems to be sold out) and this thicker moisturizer to give my skin a big drink (tret is drying!!!)

+ Eye Cream – this is a newer consistent add to my routine but I am fully obsessed with the creaminess and brightness I’m getting from this avocado eye treatment.

MAINTENANCE

+ 1x a week I dermaplane my face with these razors to exfoliate any dead skin and peach fuzz. Makeup lays so nicely under a fresh smooth surface!

+ 1-2x a week I alternate between these two masks depending on what my skin needs — this is a holy grail for exfoliating and this is a holy grail for pore cleansing. These daily peel pads are also a holy grail worth the splurge, especially for getting through a tretinoin purge (lol did not mean to rhyme but it worked out).

+ also worth mentioning – these facial towels – i stopped getting so many pimples and breakouts after switching to only drying my face with these. it makes a difference! its also nice to use these to remove makeup too without ruining my regular towels 🙂