Hello ladies! It’s another day in quarantine and I hope you’re all taking care of yourselves. I’ve had to take some time off to do just that! I’ve had a little bit of a stressful time with self-isolation and one of the things that has calmed my roller coaster of emotions is my skincare routine. My skincare routine is the time I set aside for myself every morning and night and I take my time doing it. Skincare to me is more than just a practical habit, I make it a sensorial experience. I’ve always held back from sharing my ever-changing skincare routine until I had perfect skin but that logic no longer makes sense to me. I’ve decided to de-mystify that aspect and just share the journey with you guys!

As I’ve mentioned, my skincare routine is ever-changing except for one or two staples which I will share later on. The analogy I’ve always had in my head is that of the gym. You don’t go to the gym and pick a set of weights and use only those weights forever. To avoid plateauing, you gradually use heavier weights so that you are always improving and keeping your body on its toes. The same goes for skincare in my opinion. With the exception of my two staples, I don’t believe in using the same products for too long. I like the idea of trying something new all the time and keeping my skin on it’s toes so that it is always improving. That mentality has worked for me so far, which is why I constantly change my routine. As I am writing this blogpost, I am transitioning into new products that I’m excited to try. Keep reading to see what I’m currently using in my 10-step daytime skincare routine! Each item will be linked if you’re interested in trying them out.

Step 1: Cleanse

For this step, my daily go-to products are the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser and the First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser. The Fresh cleanser is one of the few products I have ever bought more than once! It gives you a squeaky clean feeling without stripping the skin. The smell of cucumber is always so pleasant in the morning as I wash my face and I love that this is a cleanser that is gentle enough to be used on both the face and the eyes!

The First Aid Beauty Deep Cleanser is perfect for a deep cleanse. I use this one specifically because it’s made with red clay. The red clay helps to remove excess oils, unclog my pores, and purify my skin. This cleanser does not come to play and it certainly does not disappoint. If you are a combination to oily skin girl, please do yourself a favour and try this cleanser!

Step 2: Mask

Masking is a new and more frequent step that I’ve begun using in my skincare routine. Masking used to be something I did once or twice a week but so far, I am loving the result of incorporating masks into my daily skincare routine. I like to interchange my masks between purifying, exfoliating, and brightening. My favourite mask right now has to be the Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask. Out of all the clay masks I have ever tried, this has to be my favourite one. It packs a lot of punch in deep cleaning my pores but it does so without the super tightening effect I am used to getting from other clay masks. It also doesn’t take a long time to dry so it’s a nice quick step to add to your routine.

Step 3: Daily Exfoliation

After applying my mask, I use the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel. This two-step process is the first staple in my routine. The daily peel is split into two pads. The first pad is used to exfoliate and smooth the face. After two minutes, I use the second pad as a neutralizing treatment. These pads are a holy grail because they keep your skin clarified and smooth everyday. This is great for you if you have texture, and an uneven skin tone. I’m simply not willing to try anything in this category until I see better proven results than those of these pads.

SKIN TIP: Don’t start with the extra strength pads. Start gentle and work your way up if you feel the need to. Click HERE to see the universal pads.

Step 4: Toner

To tone, I use the Glamglow Supertoner Exfoliating Acid Solution. The amount of people I have put on this toner is astounding! If anything bad hasn’t been removed from your face by the products I’ve listed so far, this toner will do the job. This toner has 6 DIFFERENT ACIDS and active charcoal working together to protect and benefit your skin. Some of the benefits include clarified pores, brighter skin, lifted impurities and more! If you haven’t tried this toner, and you have combination to oily skin, get on it sis!

SKIN TIP: One thing I do to help my skin absorb the most product is to ditch the cotton pad and pour some toner into my hands, before pressing it into my skin.

Step 5: Treatment Oil

I currently use the Sunday Riley C.E.O Glow Vitamin C + Turmeric Face Oil immediately after my toner because this bad boy sinks deep into the skin. Facial oils are usually used to seal in moisture on the face but this oil is special; it focuses on carrying vitamin C and Turmeric to the deepest layer of your skin. To have vitamin C in an oil formula is amazing because your deepest and youngest layer of skin absorbs it. What happens then, is that when that new skin reaches the surfaces, it comes out brighter than ever and a beautiful cycle begins to always keep your skin radiant. This stuff works ladies, and I would highly recommend it for natural radiance. You can thank me later.

SKIN TIP: Use only 2-3 drops maximum for your whole face and press it into the skin.

Step 6: Eye Cream

• 

• 

This step is the one I have been fighting the longest. I’ve had dark circles fr years as a result of genes, and sun damage due to not wearing sunscreen (don’t come for me, I wasn’t educated on it!) I currently use the Dermalogica Biolumin-C Eye Serum. This serum did more for my dark circles in 3 days than my old eye-cream did in 3 months!. I chucked that bad boy in trash so fast! I still have a long way to go before my dark circles are gone but I’m patient. I 100% recommend this eye cream based on my limited experience.

Step 7: Serum

We have happened upon the second staple in my skincare routine – the Caudalíe Vinoperfect Radiance Serum. If you haven’t noticed a pattern yet, I’ll clue you in. I have a lot of exfoliating and brightening treatments in my skincare routine because my current focus is getting rid of hyperpigmentation. This Caudalíe serum was a huge leap forward in this process for me. This is another product that WORKS. The key ingredient in this serum is the Viniferine. Viniferine is proven to be 62 times more effective than vitamin C. That’s enough said, I don’t have to say anything else. I go ham with this serum everyday and every night. As you can see, this bottle is finished but another one should be arriving today! Any other serum I ever use will be in addition to this serum. I will say that the serum has a thicker consistency than your average serum. However, it does absorb really well and does not leave a greasy feeling on the skin. 

SKIN TIP: I don’t massage or tap this into my skin, I slap it. I learned that this is an ancient beauty technique and I noticed that more product was absorbed into my skin and I got more results!

Step 8: Moisturizer

Moisturizer is not something I am picky about. I tend to pick a random one from my skincare Arsenal and go with it lol. I am currently using the Artistry Ideal Radiance Illuminating Milky Emulsion. I like how slippery this moisturizer is because I like to use my moisturizer to massage and sculpt my face. Massaging your face helps with lymphatic drainage and blood flow so make sure you’re massaging your face regardless of what moisturizer you use!

SKIN TIP: Apply moisturizer to your face, neck, and chest. Then massage in circular or upward motions. Then massage your jawline with added pressure in an upward motion. Do the same with your cheekbones.

Step 9: Skin Finisher

I’d like to start by saying that this step is not necessary. I use the Laneige Mini Pore Blur Perfector to reduce the look of large pores. One thing I discovered is that this product is directly related to reducing the amount of oil my T-zone produces throughout the day. It was quite shocking and I think I’d go so far as to name this “unnecessary addition” a staple in my skincare routine!

Step 10: SPF

This is one of the most important steps in your skincare routine. It’s a complete waste of money if you invest in skincare and you fail to protect your skin from the sun. You may as well just wash all the skincare off immediately after putting it on. That is how important SPF is. I wear SPF everyday regardless of whether or not I’m outside. As a side note, SPF should also be worn during the winter because we’re not just getting UVA and UVB from the sky, they’re also being reflected by the snow. That’s a new reason to wear SPF.

I currently use the Peter Thomas Roth Max Mineral Naked broad Spectrum SPF 45 UVA/UVB Protective Lotion. Anything SPF from 30 upwards is sufficient. As a chocolate girl, I do have to mention that this SPF can leave the tiniest hint of an ashy tint but the more you rub or press it in, the more it disappears. I do favour the Neutrogena Hydroboost Water Gel Face Sunscreen SPF 50 because it’s invisible on women of colour and it’s also packed with Hyaluronic acid which is awesome for hydration.

Step 11: Lip Balm

You can’t let your lips be crusty after thoroughly moisturizing your face. I’m not picky about what I use. It can be as simple as Vaseline. I am currently using a lip balm that was given to me in a gift bag from a fashion show I attended which was sponsored by Fairmont Palliser Hotel. It gets the job done and I’m not mad at it!

Alright guys, there you have it. I know that it was a lot of information to process but it’s really worth it. Let me know if you’re planning on looking into any of the products I mentioned. Feel free to message me on Instagram or email me if you would like to find some dupes or other recommendations that are different from what I currently use. If you have a different skin type, feel free to reach out to me for a quick consultation. I’m always happy to break it all down for you and customize a skincare routine that speaks to you!

xx Abby