Today I am sharing my current Skincare staples and favorites. I am pretty well-versed in the world of makeup. I have my daily makeup routine and my makeup favorites and I can talk for days about how I use them and why I love them. Skincare is a world that I just recently became enchanted with, much to the dismay of my wallet. Skincare products can definitely get pricey.
I think for a lot of my adult life, I just used whatever I could find at the drugstore and I didn’t give too much thought to hydration or ingredients. I mean don’t get me wrong, there are definitely gems to be found at the drugstore (check out this post for my drugstore faves!) But as I got older and my skin began to change, the usual things didn’t cut it anymore. My skin took a turn for the worse and I ended up with painful cystic breakouts that lead to having to take a strong medication to clear it up. During my experience on Accutane (and after) I had to find new skincare that agreed with my sensitive, dry skin. So I did just that! Here are my current skincare staples and favorites!
Philosophy Purity Made Simple Face Wash
My love affair with Philosophy Purity Made Simple Face Wash has lasted over 10 years. I absolutely LOVE it and it has served me when my skin was super oily, when it was dry and now that my skin is in a normal/combo stage. A little goes a long way, it smells fresh and clean and it breaks down my makeup so well at the end of the day. It leaves my skin feeling super clean and refreshed. I haven’t really looked back since I found it. Every time I got curious to try something new I always found myself coming back to this. I usually buy the giant size every year at the Nordstrom Anniversary sale and no joke, it lasts me almost the full year. It’s insane! I highly recommend this as a basic overall cleanser!
Honorable Mention - Tula Cult Classic Purifying Cleanser
I love this stuff too. I have been using this clarifying cleanser interchangeably with my Philosophy and I am a huge fan. It leaves me with a fresh clean feeling and removes all the grime from my face. This cleanser is pretty scented though so just be aware if you're sensitive to that. I don't mind it but I know some people do.
Tula is a new find for me over the past few months but I have been super impressed with their products. Since we are chatting about Tula, here are a couple other favorites of mine. THIS LINK is a refer friends link that gets you 20% off your first Tula order if you're interested! Once you place and order you also get your own code to share with friends!
Tula 24/7 Moisture Hydrating Day & Night Cream
I am LOVING this 24/7 Hydrating cream. It is super hydrating without feeling greasy or heavy. My skin loves it and it keeps me hydrated all day long. You can use it day or night and I have found it does great under makeup. Since it does not have SPF, I have been wearing it often during the day while I'm stuck at home due to quarantine.
Another thing from Tula I love is their Perfect + Blur Primer. It has a slight teeny tiny hint of color and little glow particles that helps blue imperfections. I use it constantly when I don't want to wear foundation but I want my skin tone to look a bit more even and glowy. This paired with their rose gold cooling stick is my favorite no-makeup makeup look. It's not really skincare but it's also not really makeup so I thought I would mention them here.
Palmer's Coconut Sugar Facial Scrub
Stop what you're doing and buy this facial scrub now! You guys, this stuff is GOLD. It's $5.99 and works miracles. The first time I used it, I was amazed! My skin felt cleaner, tighter, glow, healthy and just all around amazing. I use it a couple times a week when I need a skin pick me up. I already have a back up ready when mine runs out.
CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion
This lotion from CeraVe is super basic but sometimes, less is more. I love that it has SPF and it is very moisturizing without feeling heavy. I will say this does not absorb as quickly as I would like so I make sure it goes on right after my shower with plenty of time before makeup application. I usually only need a couple pumps of this with my cocokind facial repair serum and I am good to go. It doesn’t clog pores and has zero fragrances. It truly is a no-frills basic moisturizer. This serum/moisturizer concoction combined with my purity face wash was my daily morning ritual for a very long time. Another plus? It is relatively inexpensive and available at the drugstore. I buy CeraVe from Amazon or Target.
I also love their Skin Renewing Day cream and I have switched back and forth between the two.
Thayer's Rose Facial Mist
This rose petal facial spray is one of my favorites that isn't a makeup setting spray. I use it whenever I need a little extra hydration during the day or first thing in the morning to help wake up me up for my morning workouts. It smells good and makes my skin feel totally rejuvenated. This brand also has a great facial toner that I love.
Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil
What makes this facial oil so awesome is that I can feel it truly absorb into the skin. I have used others in the past that I felt just kind of sat on top of my skin as an additional layer but this one feels like it goes straight in and the nourishing process begins! Sounds dramatic but I swear that’s what it feels like. Sometimes I even close my eyes like I’m in a skincare commercial and I just want to breathe a sigh of relief as soon as I apply it. I also love that it absorbs quickly and does not leave my skin feeling greasy at all. Just thoroughly hydrated and glowy. I use this once weekly after using the Babyfacial mask. I would love to also use it in the morning with my daily moisturizer but since I am trying to make it last as long as I can given its price, I have been using the cocokind serum (mentioned above) in the mornings instead. I will say though, whenever I want to really pamper my skin or it wants some extra love, I reach for this one.
The Drunk Elephant facial oil is a little pricier but if you're looking for a good sub, the rosehip facial oil from Palmer's is amazing and totally affordable!
Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask
This pumpkin enzyme mask is INTENSE but man it is effective! Nothing makes my skin feel more resurfaced and revitalized than this guy. I only use it once every couple of weeks to once a month when I need a good resurfacing. I leave it on the skin for about 7 minutes so I will usually do it when I am in the shower first thing and let it sit while I do the rest of my shower routine. Fair warning, it does sting a bit. The burn isn't too bad but if you have really sensitive skin maybe try on a small part of your face first. I have sensitive skin and it works out ok for me. Awesome for that whole skin fells like a baby's butt thing.
Herbivore Moon Fruit Night Treatment
Ok so Moon Fruit Night Treatment sounds like something from space, and maybe it is and that’s why it’s so good! My sister recommended this to me as she has been super into skincare lately. She raved about it so I figured, what the heck, I’ll try it out. It promises to brighten skin’s appearance and hydrate while you sleep. I absolutely noticed visible brightening in my skin and it was a life saver during my last month of Accutane. My skin, while free of breakouts, was looking dull and dry and this product brought it back to life. The smell of this is a little strong and the best way I can describe it is botanical or herb like. It didn’t bother me at all but just something to note.
Youth to the People Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream
I was looking for an intense night moisturizer and stumbled upon this adaptogen cream. It had great reviews online and since I am easily convinced, I went for it. This cream is definitely deeply hydrating. It’s a cool glass of water for thirsty skin and you would think it would feel heavy but it is so lightweight and non-greasy. It’s perfect since I was looking for something that would instantly give my skin some relief but didn’t leave me feeling like I needed to wash my face again. This cream has adaptogenic herbs from mushrooms (ashwagandha, rhodiola, reishi and holy basil to be exact). I can’t say I am well-versed in the skin healing properties of mushrooms or know exactly what all those things do but my skin feels soothed, calmed and hydrated beyond belief.
First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads
I bought these facial radiance pads on a whim because it was on sale and I saw it had amazing reviews. It's quickly become a fast favorite. It claims to tone, brighten and exfoliate the skin and it definitely does what it promises. I use this about once a week on days I don't use the Palmer's coconut sugar facial scrub. It makes me skin look so much more even and bright. If you want to make them last even longer, you can probably cut them in half as one pad is totally enough for 2 uses.
Patchology Rejuvenating Eye Gels
This rejuvenating eye gels were another spur of the moment sale purchase and again I was swayed by the reviews. I'm so glad I was! You plop these eye pads under your eyes and hangout for about five minutes (which has been very easy to do during this quarantine). After five minutes, you take them off and simply rub the excess serum into your under eye area. It claims to make you look like you've had a full nights sleep. Not only did I find this to be true, I also found it makes it FEEL like I've had a good night's sleep. It brightens and tightens the eye area and makes it feel energized and moisturized. Just how I want my skin to feel!
So these are my skincare staples (updated as of May 2020). I don't use them all at the same time obviously but these are the products I feel have made a difference in my skin and that I will continue to purchase over and over.
What are some of your faves?! Let me know in the comments below!
Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. The products linked are ones I use personally and wholeheartedly recommend.
Thank you for your continued support!
