My Morning Skincare Routine

The step-by-step guide to my daily skincare ritual and how I start my day.

Welcome to another edition of myMusings. I never could have imagined the widespread and wide-ranging responses that my morning skincare routines would garner when I first started posting them to my Instagram stories last year. My DMs have been flooded ever since. The intrigue! The confusion! The delight! The judgment! The passion! The shaming! The connections made!

In today's post, I’ll walk you through my morning skincare routine step by step and hopefully answer some of your questions along the way. While I’m always trying new things and modifying my routine (as you’ll see below), this post highlights the products that have become the mainstays in my morning routine over the last few months, as well as the order in which I apply them and some brief thoughts on each. Today’s edition is the first of what will undoubtedly be several posts about my morning skincare routine and I’m excited to share it with you as it continues to evolve. Also, I won’t be covering hair care or body care in this post — it would take far too long. There’s always next time.

While I’m not looking for your feedback, I am looking for your favorites — so make sure to leave your product recommendations below so I can test them out. Let’s dive in.

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The following contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through those links. Thank you for your support.

Disclaimer:

1. I am not a dermatologist, doctor, licensed esthetician or credentialed expert. The opinions shared are my own and should not be perceived as medical advice. When in doubt, consult a doctor you trust.

2. Everyone’s skin is different. My skin is akin to an arid climate in a record-breaking drought, which is to say I have incredibly dry skin. My skin isn’t sensitive, I’m not acne-prone and I don’t struggle with skin texture (anymore). I can only speak to my experience. What works for me may not work for you and that’s okay — that’s the beauty of beauty.

3. Most of this is wildly unnecessary. All you need is a cleanser, moisturizer and a sunscreen with SPF 50+ protection. And somedays, that’s pretty much all I do. Do not interpret this as a sign to go buy everything and start doing your own seventy-two step skincare routine.

First Things First:

It’s important to consider not only my skin type, but also my environment, priorities and experience before we get to the products I’m currently using.

A lot of people think they have dry skin — trust me, my skin is different. There’s a combination of factors that contribute to my skin’s complete and utter dehydration that I’m not going to get into here. I see several doctors and dermatologists, and I’m thankful to have access to their care and expertise. As for my environment, I live in a swamp but we still have cold, dry winters. My priorities for my overall skin health include: hydrating and strengthening my skin, addressing fine lines, uneven tone, dark spots and melasma (this is new to me), dullness and UV-everything protection.

I’ve gotten to a point where I approach new skincare products with the challenge: try to impress me. Most of them fall short. I’ve tried a lot of skincare products and generally speaking, I know what I like. If I don’t love a product, I don’t use it.

If you’ve followed along on Instagram or look through the photos throughout this post, you’ll notice that my routine often includes several products not discussed below. One reason for that is I empty a lot of products (which I talk about on Instagram) and I also try new products often.

Step One: A Great Cleanser

While some people don’t feel the need to wash their face every morning, I am not one of those people. Between sweat, drool, cat hair and all the rest — by the time I wake up in the morning, I have to wash my face. Cue a really great cleanser, and there aren’t many in my opinion. I find that most cleansers are either too harsh on my skin, insultingly fragranced or feel like I’m giving my face a bubble bath. There’s really only about twenty cleansers I love, like or tolerate and I always have a few open to cycle through. Some of the ones I’m loving most right now include:

• ELEMIS | Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash (save w/ on Dermstore myskinterest): Don’t let the word “resurfacing” scare you. This is a really lovely, antioxidant-rich cleanser with a scent I enjoy.

• SOFIE PAVITT FACE | Clean Clean Cleanser: This is a fabulous cleanser and probably one of my favorite launches of 2023. My only minor qualm is that I wish the packaging was slightly different because the cleanser is just too thin for the squeeze tube.

• OURSELF | Daily Purifying Cleanser: I really like everything from Ourself but this is my favorite product from their collection.

• KATE SOMERVILLE | Goat Milk Moisturizing Cleanser (save on Dermstore w/ myskinterest): This was one of my favorite finds of 2023. It’s a hydrating cream cleanser with a fragrance that’s just short of too much.

• ALLIES OF SKIN | Molecular Silk Amino Hydrating Cleanser (save w/ myskinterest): Amazing and easily my favorite Allies of Skin product. It’s hydrating, weird and has a refreshing scent — what more could you ask for?

Step Twel: Just the Beginning

I dry my face (with a fresh towel!) after I cleanse. I know that’s a cardinal sin to some but like I said at the top, I’m not really asking for feedback. Right now I’m using:

• SUPEREGG | Kind Atmosphere Biome Mist (save w/ myskinterest): I can’t say enough good things about this product. The mist is incredibly fine, consistent and immediately soothing, and the packaging is lightweight and easy for travel. Plus, Superegg’s founder Erica Choi is simply the most amazing human. Sometimes I use this between steps in my routine to rehydrate my skin if I get distracted (which happens often).

• PREQUEL | Universal Skin Solution Dermal Spray: There’s several products that have helped me avoid any acne on my face, neck, chest, etc. and this is one of them. It’s also incredibly helpful for itchy skin all over my body. I know there’s a lot of confusion on the internet about hypochlorous acid but I’m personally a big fan and I trust Prequel’s founder, Dr. Sam Ellis, with my life — she’s a great resource. (Note: I also use this after working out if I can’t shower right away and I highly recommend).

• BIOLOGIQUE RECHERCHE | Lotion P50V: This is the most effective chemical exfoliant I’ve ever used. While I’ve never experienced any irritation with Lotion P50V, it’s potent and has a low PH so proceed with some caution. When I use this in the morning, I apply it after I’ve used the mists above. Rather than apply with a cotton pad, I put the product directly onto my hands and tap it on my skin to avoid wasting any product (especially given the price).

Step Three: It’s Complicated

Now is the time to grab your notebook or press save (is that a thing here on Substack?). Either way, you’ll want to reference this later. Every product in this section is listed in the order in which I apply them to my face, regardless of the category or type of product. In an effort to be somewhat concise, I’m undoubtedly going to forget to include some of the context you’ve been waiting for — so please, ask any and all questions in the comments below.

Note: I’m not going to get into the specifics of each product in this post. You can learn more about the claims, ingredients and all the rest by clicking the product links. If you have any questions, leave me a comment!

1. NIOD | Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate: There’s something you should know about me: I love to layer eye products and this is the first of three. I also love peptides. While I do think this product has lived up to the brand’s claims, I bought it when it was on sale and I don’t see myself paying full price for it. Then again, I probably will. I’m pretty obsessed with eye care.

2. PREQUEL | Lucent-C Vitamin C Serum: Let’s be honest, most vitamin c serums are awful. They smell horrendous, they’re sticky, they come in horrible packaging (read: droppers) and are comically expensive. Thankfully, Prequel’s Lucent-C is fabulous and feels far more luxurious than the price would lead you to believe. Because this is a very thin, almost water-like serum and I want the benefits of LAA, I put it on first. I only started using this about a month ago when it launched, and I won’t see any results for a while but I still love and recommend it. (Note: This tends to stain my hands if I don’t wash them following application. Before Lucent-C, I was using and enjoying this).

3. DIEUX | Deliverance (save w/ myskinterest10): I’ve used Deliverance for the better part of two years and credit it with basically healing my skin. It’s the only product I have a subscription for and I recommend it wholeheartedly. Before using Deliverance, I struggled with inflammation and rashes, redness and skin texture. Obviously no one product can do it all but this is as close as it gets. There’s several steps in my routine I can forget if every product isn’t laid out in front of me — Deliverance isn’t one of them.

4. LANCOME | Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate: Magic. Pure magic. I picked this up on a whim earlier this year and never looked back. This immediately makes my skin look and feel more hydrated, plump and radiant. Is it kind of just another hydrating serum? Yes. Do I love it? Yes. This is almost always on sale somewhere and whenever I spot a good deal, I grab a few backups. (Note: Sometimes I apply this after Mother Science, it just depends).

5. MOTHER SCIENCE | Molecular Hero Serum: 2023 was the year I developed melasma and since then, I’ve tried just about everything to try and minimize the appearance and maintain positive results. In my opinion, this is the product that has been the most effective for me. However, I am not trying to suggest that this “cured” my melasma (it’s a lifelong skin condition). The downside is that a bottle doesn’t last me very long (I’m lucky if I get more than a month) and while I’ve purchased countless bottles, it’s not cheap. (Note: While this could replace your vitamin c, I’ve seen the best results when I use this in combination with a vitamin c serum).

6. LANCOME | Advanced Génifique Yeux Light-Pearl Eye Serum: The second eye product! As this is a thicker eye serum, it falls somewhere around here in my routine. I have to say, I thought I would hate the applicator but I love it — it elevates the user experience and I do think it helps depuff. Whenever this is on sale, I pick up an extra bottle. (Note: I tend to stay away from products with a name that includes words like “reflecting,” “illuminating,” “light-pearl,” etc. but this doesn’t have add any sort of glow that I can detect).

7. RHODE | Glazing Milk: Let me start off by saying that Hailey Bieber is not my beauty icon and I’ve been underwhelmed by Rhode products and the brand’s shortcomings since it launched. However, the Glazing Milk is easily one of my favorite products in my collection. I would have never tried the Glazing Milk had Rhode not sent it to me when it was first released and I immediately fell in love. Since then, I’ve emptied and repurchased several bottles. The Glazing Milk is marketed as an essence so a lot of people use it early on in their routine, I don’t. It’s thicker and more emollient than most of my serums, and I want those antioxidants and peptides in the products listed above to be closest to my skin. I think it works best as a last step before my moisturizers to to lock in all of my serums. It’s annoying how much I love this product.

Again, these are just some of my favorite products I’ve been reaching for the most lately. There are several other exceptional serums that regularly find their way into my routine and you can find them linked on my Homepage (I barely know what that means) and by tapping the button below.

Also, I usually use an eyelash serum every morning; however, I’m taking a break right now (the last one I tried gave me an eye infection). I have reviews of most of my favorite eyelash serums in my story highlights on Instagram, you can also find my favorites here.

Step Four: We’re Still Layering

Repeat after me: Do not rely solely on your moisturizer to hydrate your skin — we moisturize to lock in hydration. At the same time, it’s incredibly important to find a moisturizer (or a few) that work well for your budget and your skin.

• KINSHIP | Brightwave Energizing + Brightening Eye Cream: The final eye product! I haven’t noticed this do much brightening but I love it. It’s creamy, the perfect consistency and wears beautifully under makeup. I have a lot of eye creams that are far more expensive and probably more popular on the internet but I always reach for and continue to repurchase this one.

• SUPEREGG | Sound Renewal Serum Cream (save w/ myskinterest): Not to be dramatic but this product completely changed the way I think about moisturizers. Sound Renewal is a true serum cream — it’s lightweight and I absolutely love to use it as my first layer of moisturizer. Sound Renewal is easily one of my favorite discoveries of 2023. It’s one of those rare products that I truly believe works for nearly all skin states.

• DIEUX | Instant Angel (save w/ myskinterest10): To know me is to know I love Instant Angel, it’s been my go-to moisturizer for nearly two years. I could go on and on but trust me when I say it is practically perfect (don’t let the aluminum tube scare you!) and it’s worth every penny. It never pills, layers beautifully and is the perfect moisturizer to use as skin prep for makeup. I’m forever thankful that

  Charlotte Palermino
  and her amazing team created Dieux.

Step Five: Amaterasu

A lot of people on the internet (and a lot of brands) feel the need to promote unhelpful, controversial and blatantly inaccurate narratives surrounding sunscreen online, on social media, in marketing, everywhere. I’m over it. Any comments aligned with such narratives will be removed. Find a sunscreen you really love and wear it.

• LA ROCHE-POSAY | Anthelios UVmune 400 Hydrating Cream SPF 50+: I have incredibly high standards with all skincare products but especially when it comes to sun protection. I exclusively use chemical sunscreen, as mineral options only make my skin more dry and, frankly, I find them underwhelming (and I really have tried a lot). I also rarely wear sunscreens made in the U.S. because other countries use more advanced filters (a conversation for another post). And while I love a lot of sunscreens, La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios UVmune 400 Hydrating Cream SPF 50+ is easily my favorite of all time and basically the only one I use (unless I’m testing one I received from a brand). I don’t have enough space to adequately explain all the reasons why I love this specific sunscreen (the filters! the pump! the protection!) but it’s perfect for me. It’s incredibly hydrating and doubles as another moisturizer in my routine, it never pills (and I wear a lot and reapply often) and it works very well under makeup. Unfortunately, it is very hard to get in the States and I don’t think La Roche-Posay’s U.S. formulas are nearly as good (though I still like them a lot). If you’re looking for a very good SPF 50 that’s more readily available in the U.S., try this.

While I’m on the topic, it’s critical to apply the correct amount of sunscreen each morning, which means using about 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon (or more). I don’t recommend using the old three finger method to measure, either. Try pumping out the correct amount of sunscreen with an actual measuring spoon — it’s probably more than you’re used to applying and that’s okay! We’re all learning as we go. Reapply often and don’t rely on sunscreen as your only form of sun protection. You can find all the sunscreens I love, like and tolerate (including mists, sticks and lip products!) as well as other forms of sun protection linked here.

I’m the first to admit that there are a few more than a few unnecessary and duplicative steps in my routine. But my skin looks and feels better now than it did when I was twenty-five, and I really enjoy the act of beginning each day with my morning routine (though let’s be honest, sometimes I don’t get around to skincare until 2pm).

While this was never intended to be a comprehensive guide (I know I missed quite a bit and didn’t offer much detail), I didn’t think this post would get quite this long. Whoops! Still, I hope this was helpful for the curious minds out there. Like I said at the top, I’m working on other morning routine posts but I’d love to know what you want those to look like. Are there specific categories of products you want more detail on? Do you want to hear my thoughts on how to develop your own pared down routine? Would you like to see options for different budgets? Are you interested in the reasons why I started doing this in the first place? Should I do a post on skin prep?

If you have questions about any products or details I likely missed here, please feel free to ask them all (there are no dumb questions)! I’d also love to know which products in your routine you love the most so I can try them. And of course, if my routines have inspired you to try any of the products I regularly feature — please let me know! Let’s chat!

Until next time, follow along on Instagram and browse all of my favorite things. Don’t forget to click the 🤍 before you go! Thank you for being here. Talk soon.

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