Get Your Skin Ready For Bed In 5 Steps!
5 Products+15 minutes = Hydrated Skin
Lately, it seems that you are the target for every wrinkle remover, line filler, or age spot reducer on the market. God forbid you click on one of those sponsored posts and then decide not to buy the product. You guessed it! That ad trolls you all over your social media like a needy ex-boyfriend. Marketers love to play on our insecurities as we grow older. Remember the days when you were a kid and washed your face with bar soap? Now you own so many products you could open your own spa!. Honestly, you do not need to have a 27 step skincare routine to have healthy, hydrated skin. Furthermore, you should not have to start your nightly skincare routine at 8 pm if you are trying to go to bed by 10 pm. Taking good care of your skin should not be an arduous task.
Makeup Remover
You are a grown-ass woman. It’s time to stop using makeup wipes! Yes, I am talking to you, the woman who wakes up every morning with raccoon eyes. Listen, we all use makeup wipes, including me. Although convenient, using wipes are the worst way to remove your makeup. Makeup wipes contain harsh chemicals that strip away the natural oils in our skin, leaving it dehydrated. At our age, we are trying to put back as much moisture as possible. If you think about it, using a makeup wipe is counterintuitive.
Switch to cold cream or a cleansing balm that was formulated to remove makeup. I have been using Pond’s Cold Cream since I was a teenager. Yes, it’s considered old school, but that’s how my mom taught me to remove my makeup. It works for me, so I found no reason to change. Made with moisturizer, cold cream removes my makeup, even my waterproof mascara while keeping my skin soft. No morning raccoon eyes for me!
shop makeup removers
2. Facial Cleanser
Don’t believe the advertising hype. Makeup wipes are not designed to clean your skin. Wipes are not a 2-in-1 product that actually benefits you. They leave behind traces of makeup, dirt, and oil, which leads to clogged pores, breakouts, and skin irritations. Wash your face with a cleanser and warm water. You do yourself no favor by short-cutting this step, so wash your face. If your face is not clean, how do you expect the rest of your skincare to work effectively?
As a makeup artist, it is no surprise that I have more than one facial cleanser in my skincare rotation. I wash my face alternating between the Neostrata Foaming Glycolic Wash and the CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser. The glycolic face wash exfoliates my skin while increasing cell renewal. It’s a win-win situation.
When I am not sandblasting the dead skin cells off my face, I use the CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser. Created by dermatologists, CeraVe is commonly recommended for people with sensitive skin. It’s a gentle face wash containing ceramides that help retain moisture in your skin. Consider ceramides your new beauty BFF.
shop facial cleansers
3. Toner
You most likely remember toner as that product you used as a teenager in the ‘90s to help control your oily, acne-prone skin. Based on your recollection, you may not be using toner as part of your nighttime routine. Well, just like us, toner has come a long way. Toners on the market today are generally alcohol-free and work to soothe and brighten skin. Toner removes any last traces of debris that you might have missed when washing your face and can help your serums and moisturizers better penetrate your skin. On the other hand, Astringent is that pore tightening, salicylic acid that you remembered as a teenager. Thanks to maskne, you may have a reason to revisit this dear old friend. I use the Clean & Clear Essentials Deep Cleaning Toner for Sensitive Skin. I am not immune to maskne since I wear a mask for up to 15 hours a day on set. I use the sensitive formula for my occasional breakouts and only apply it to the areas on my face that need it. COVID-19 has been the gift that keeps on giving!
shop toners
4. Serum - The Secret Sauce
A good serum is like the secret sauce in your skincare routine. This magical product helps turn back the hands of time. Serums deliver a very high concentration of potent ingredients such as antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides to your skin to keep it hydrated and nourished. Unfortunately, an effective serum can be costly. Think of serum as the Birkin bag of your skincare routine. My holy grail product is the SkinMedica TNS Essential Recovery Complex. It costs $281 per bottle. I shed a tear each time I input my credit card number to order it. I buy it because it works for me. I truly see an improvement in the appearance of my fine lines, skin tone, and texture.
shop serums
5. Moisturizer/Face Oil
Believe it or not, I am not picky when it comes to choosing a moisturizer or face oil. My serum, SkinMedica TNS Essential Recovery Complex, is the workhorse in my nighttime skincare routine. To give your skin that extra boost of moisture it needs, choose a moisturizer containing hyaluronic acid and peptides. Currently, I am alternating between the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream and the Jurlique Purely Age-Defying Firming Face Oil. Choosing between a moisturizer or face oil is a personal choice. Only you can decide how much hydration your skin needs.
shop moisturizers/face oils
5 ½. Lip Balm
Ok. I lied. Lip balm is the final step in your nighttime skincare routine. Let’s consider it Step 5 ½. This step is kind of a no brainer, especially during the winter months. Currently, I am using the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask which keeps my lips hydrated throughout the night. Looking to upgrade your lip balm from that Chapstick that has been at the bottom of your purse since last year? Below are a few of my favorite lip balms.
shop lip balms
So what did we learn today? It takes only 5 products to remove makeup, cleanse, repair, and hydrate your skin! Your nighttime skincare routine should only take 15 minutes to do when using these types of products. Now, you have time to Netflix and chill before bed. ;) Leave a comment below and tell me your routine. Do you have a holy grail product that you can’t live without? I want to know! Show me on IG. Tag @FacingForty and use hashtags #skincareholygrail and #facingforty.