My skincare routine is one of my favorite things to do every single day. Both my morning and evening routines are so relaxing and enjoyable and are something I make a priority every single day. I know I’m not a board certified dermatologist LOL but after doing this for so long I feel I have a good understanding of skincare and what products work best for my specific skin type (which is slightly dry and mature). While I follow many of the same steps and concepts in my skincare routine, I tend to switch things up each season to account for the change in weather. Occasionally I will switch out a few products here and there but for the most part this is my everyday routine. Especially in the summer, I like to focus on nourishing, hydrating, protecting and repairing. I also like to switch up a few of my moisturizers for more lightweight formulas. My skin is normal to slightly dry but in the summer I can get slightly shiny in my t-zone.
My summer skincare routine
Morning routine
My focus for my morning skincare routine is to protect my skin and prep it for wearing makeup. While I will switch out products here and there, there are two types of products I always have in my morning skincare routine. A vitamin c serum is a must for me because it contains antioxidants that help to protect the skin from environmental damage as well as sun damage. Another non-negotiable for me in the summer months (but also year round) is sunscreen to protect against UV rays. Sun exposure is fine but remember that sun damage can take many years to show in the skin. I have dark spots that didn’t show until my 30s but my dermatologist told me it was sun damage from my teens. YIKES! While it seems like my routine has many steps, it only takes me a few minutes to do the entire thing. If I have extra time, I will wait 2-3 minutes in between serums/moisturizers but most of the time I simply apply them one and after another.
Morning Skincare Routine
Morning Skincare Routine Step 1: Cleanse/Tone/Essences
This is a long time favorite cleanser for the morning. It’s a silky gel texture that foams up slightly but not enough to dry out the skin or less your skin feeling stripped and/or tight. The PREP facial cleanser helps to balance the skin and allow for better product absorption. There is prickly pear extract for a gentle exfoliation, arnica extract to help reduce inflammation and niacinamide which helps to condition the skin.
If you love milky toners, you NEED this toner pads immediately. I love using a toner pad in my skincare routine after cleansing but before I apply my hydrating essences/toners. These are nicely saturated and give the skin an instant boost of hydration. My skin feels plump, supple and perfectly prepped for the rest of my routine.
I use facial mists every single day in both my morning and evening skincare routine as well as throughout the day to keep my skin well hydrated. The Calming Magnesium Facial Mist helps to calm stressed skin and add a instant burst of moisture. The formula was designed for those with sensitive, reactive and acne-prone skin to help support the skin barrier while also refreshing the skin. I don’t have sensitive skin but my skin does get drier than ever before and this mist is absolutely amazing!
On the Sarah Creal website, it’s described as a liquid moisturizer which is a great description. Skip a cotton pad and pour the essence into the palm of your hands so you can press it gently into the skin. It’s a bi-phase formula so be sure to shake it up before you apply. I use it both morning/night and find that it helps my skin hold onto moisture longer throughout the day. My skin is less dehydrated at the end of the day when I use this regularly in my morning routine. For my nighttime routine, I find it adds another layer of hydration that helps my skin stay balanced.
Morning Skincare Routine Step 2: Serums and Moisturizers
This has become a favorite vitamin c serum and one that I always go back to. I love how silky and smooth this vitamin c serum feels on the skin. It’s especially great for those who have any type of irritation to vitamin c or have sensitive skin.
For a great budget friendly option, this vitamin c serum is the one I always recommend. It’s lightweight, incredibly hydrating and has a 20% concentration of vitamin c in the formulation. It’s effective at helping even out the complexion and brighten the skin tone.
I’ve shared my LOVE For Dieux Instant Angel over and over so I didn’t think I could love the lighter formula as much. Clearly, I was wrong! Because the Dieux Air Angel formula manages to be just as amazing but in a texture that works perfectly for the warmer months. Though it is thinner in texture, it is still formulated to deliver intense hydration and nourishment which makes it a dream for dry skin in humid climates.
Morning Skincare Routine Step 3: Eye Cream
I need something intensely hydrating but lightweight in the morning. I want to prep my under eye area for makeup while using a formula that won’t disrupt any concealer or foundation I put on top of it. This is one of the best hydrating eye serums I’ve ever tried. It gives instant moisture to the area, helps to depuff, smooth fine lines and keep my under eye area hydrated all day long.
Morning Skincare Routine Step 4: SPF
This is one of the most beautiful sunscreen formulas I’ve tried in a long time. It feels like a nourishing hydrating serum rather than a traditional sunscreen. It wears beautifully under makeup and leaves a fresh radiant glow to the skin. A must try for mature skin!!!
I fell immediately in love with this sunscreen serum as soon as I first tried it. It’s very lightweight and absorbs instantly. It doesn’t feel greasy or oily yet still hydrates and moisturizes my skin.
Evening routine
I have more time in the evening so I will often do a more extensive routine. I focus on more active ingredients such as resurfacing acids or retinols and try to repair/treat any issues while also nourishing my skin with a great moisturizer or face oil. Evening is also when I will use masks and/or skincare tools. Just know that you do NOT have to use this many products in your routine to treat your skin well. The most important steps of any skincare routine are proper cleansing, a good serum that targets your main concerns and a nourishing moisturizer suitable for your skin type (and of course SPF if it is morning).
Evening skincare routine step 1: Cleanse/Tone/Essence
A gorgeous creamy cleansing balm that will nourish your skin while also removing every last bit of makeup. I will alternate between this and the Elemis cleansing balm.
I’ve been using this cleansing balm for nearly 10 years and will never be without it. I always apply my cleansing balms on a dry face with dry hands and then massage in to break down and remove all my makeup. I will then add water to emulsify the balm to a gentle milk and rinse.
A gorgeous lightweight gel cleanser that leaves my skin feeling refreshed but not stripped. I will alternate between this cleanser and the Experiment Plasma Wash.
As someone who LOVES a unique texture especially when it comes to cleansers, the Experiment Plasma Face Wash is favorite of mine. It’s technically a gel cream but has a jelly-like feel to it. It is chock full of super nourishing ingredients to really support those with mature dry skin types.
This is a new exfoliating toner I’ve been testing for a few weeks. It is STRONG so I only use it a few nights a week. Best application tips are to put it onto a cotton pad and then gently pat on the skin. This really makes my skin GLOW but I have to ensure I’m using really nourishing products following this to ensure my skin barrier stays balanced.
They instantly plump and hydrate my skin and you can also leave them on for a few minutes as a mini sheet mask treatment.
I always like to follow up my toning pads with a hydrating face mist and use this both morning and night.
I like to add another step of hydration at night and do a mini skin flooding routine. I will first use the TirTir toner, pour it into my hands and pat into the skin.
Following the TirTir toner, I will use this intensely nourishing essence. I use it both morning/night and find that it helps my skin hold onto moisture longer throughout the day. My skin is less dehydrated at the end of the day when I use this regularly in my morning routine. For my nighttime routine, I find it adds another layer of hydration that helps my skin stay balanced.
Evening Skincare Routine Step 2: Eye Cream
I test many different eye creams but I always go back to this one from OneSkin. It targets all of my anti-aging concerns but NEVER gives me milia (which so many rich eye creams do).
Evening Skincare Routine Step 3: Serums
I’ve been using this retinol for years because it delivers great results without any irritation or sensitivity. I am currently using level 6 but there are more intense levels that I can work up to in the future.
My skin has been looking very uneven lately with more dark spots popping up. I always go back to this holy grail serum because it is truly the best at fading hyperpigmentation and dark spots. It also works well with any serum I pair it with which makes it easy to use in any routine.
This has been a long time favorite peptide serum that both hydrates and plumps!
On the nights I use the Mutha toner, I will use the Deliverance serum to help calm, soothe and nourish. The toner is quite strong so using this serum has helped avoid any barrier damage.
Quick rundown of how I use my serums throughout the week:
Monday/Wednesday/Friday/Sunday: Medik8 Crystal Retinal, Mother Science Hero Serum, Medik8 Liquid Peptides
Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday: Mother Science Hero Serum, Medik8 Liquid Peptides, Dieux Deliverance Serum
Evening Skincare Routine Step 4: Moisturizer
I still like to end each evening skincare routine with a rich moisturizer and this one is a long time favorite. In addition to hydrating the skin, it helps to strengthen and support the skin barrier.
This is another great nourishing moisturizer that really helps to strengthen that skin barrier which is so important when you are using regular actives (acids, retinols, etc). I will alternate each night between this and the Molecular Mesh. Read my Dieux Angel Moisturizer Review here.
Face Masks
Face masks aren’t something that I use every single night but will use them when I feel my skin needs it. These are the few that I rotate between to treat all of my current concerns. I will normally apply a mask after I have finished cleansing and toning but before I apply my essences/serums/moisturizers.
I only use face masks a few times a week but this one is a must have at least once. I will apply after all of my skincare is on and leave it on for 4-5 hours. Some people sleep in them but I prefer to wear it during the day. I usually apply it on the weekend and it does wonders at giving my skin a nourishing and plumping treatment.
This mask is a combination of great results and a product that is enjoyable to use. It’s designed to tighten, firm and give the skin a glow which it definitely does. It’s also super cold and has a menthol/cooling sensation to it that I absolutely love. I use this as needed when my skin needs to look its best for a night out or special occasion.
I’ve been using this Blue Lagoon Algae Mask once a week. It’s incredibly nourishing and replenishing for my dry skin.
Skincare tools
I use a few skincare tools in my routine and use them after I have cleansed and toned. The LED masks are my most used skincare tools because of how easy they are to incorporate into my routine and take little to no effort on my part. Just put them on, turn on the timer and they turn off after 10 minutes. So easy yet so effective! I use the Ziip once or twice a week if I want to add a sculpting/firming treatment. And after everything is done, I will use my LED growth helmet every night.
I use this mask 5-6x/week at night after I am done cleansing and toning. I will wear this for 10 minutes, remove it and continue with the rest of my skincare routine. LED masks in general target fine lines/wrinkles, improving overall clarity and brightness of the skin, boost circulation and stimulate cell renewal. I particularly like that this mask is flexible and molds easily to the face making it very comfortable to wear. And the light is set to a 10 minute timer each time so after 10 minutes the mask automatically shuts off. If there is one skincare tool I would recommend investing in, it is 100% this LED mask!
ZIIP Halo (discount code: MAREE)
I go in and out of using a microcurrent device for sculpting and firming the face because sometimes I am just lazy. Plain and simple. LOL The LED mask is so easy to use and requires little to no effort. However, I like the Ziip Halo in particular because the shape is much easier to hold and maneuver around the face. I’ve gone back to using this a few times a week and already notice how much more sculpted my jaw looks.
I am already a fan of the Currentbody LED face masks and have found them to be incredible for helping my skin in so many ways. I was already using all of the other products in my routine regularly before I added this LED helmet to my process. While the other products I was using were instrumental in starting the hair growth, using the helmet sped up the process. It’s important to be consistent with it in order to see results so I use it 5-6x/week for 10 minutes. It is designed to thicken hair, increase hair density and increase hair growth rate. My hair growth was slow and steady until I added this LED helmet which really sped up the process.
Summer skincare tips
– Wear sunscreen every day (sunscreen in your makeup is NOT enough)
– Drink tons of water
– Wash your face every night regardless if you are wearing makeup or not.
– Use cool water to wash your face. If you hate cold water, use lukewarm water but never hot water. It will dry out your skin.
– Stay in the shade when possible
– Use a vitamin c serum in the morning
– Limit the use of exfoliating products or peels
– Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Not only your face but your entire body.
For more skincare hacks, here’s how to get brighter skin.
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