MY CURRENT SKINCARE ROUTINE
Skincare is something I have slowly built an interest in over time. When I was first introduced to the world of beauty, I was immediately drawn into makeup and all of the magic possible in that realm of things. As I started to understand makeup, however, I also started to appreciate how important it is to have a good canvas for it and how important it is to take care of your skin itself. I think it’s a pretty common step to try to cover up all the things you’re uncomfortable with about your skin with a whole bunch of makeup but I found that it only made me feel more self-conscious and only worsened my skin when I did that.
Now, I have a skincare routine I am very faithful to- I do not miss a day or night, and I wanted to share what I have been using, how I feel about it, what I recommend, and what ingredients I have learned to look for in selecting products. I want to start with a few disclaimers. Skin is obviously unique to each of us, what works for me might not work for you and vice versa. For instance, I know people who swear by shea butter as a face moisturizer- if I touch my face with remnants of shea butter lingering on my finger tips I end with cystic breakouts. Second disclaimer is that some of these products were gifted to me so I did not pay for them but I will not be influenced to be more positive about them because of that. If anything, I am more critical when recommending them because they cost so much money I could not ask you to go buy them unless they worked absolute miracles on my skin. Now that that’s sorted, let’s talk skincare!
My skin concerns are hyper pigmentation which I got from old breakouts that didn’t left marks on my skin, and texture because my skin could get quite rough feeling. My skin is normal to dry and so I focus a lot on hydration and moisture. The very first product I want to mention is sunscreen. Being dark skinned, I used to think I didn’t need sunscreen and could just live my merry life ignoring sun damage. Listen, black does crack. And it cracks faster without some strong genetics and a solid broad spectrum SPF. I use chemical sunscreens because they don’t leave the dreaded white cast, and I will leave a link to this skincare blog which breaks down the difference between physical and chemical SPF.
The first step in skincare is cleansing, and I use the Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel both morning and night. For me, because my skin is so dry, I go for cleansers which are as moisturizing as possible and don’t leave my skin feeling stripped. This cleanser feels really soft on the skin, lathers really nicely and leaves my skin super clean. Do you need to get this specific one to get those results? No you do not. The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Line is great for dry skin and has a cleanser that is also very moisturizing. I use the 60 second rule in washing my face and also make sure to take my cleanser, and other products, down to my neck and décolletage.
After cleanser, I use a toner. I have tried all kinds of toners hoping to find one that worked for hyper pigmentation, and I fell for the hype and got the Ole Henriksen Glow Toner. It burns a little when you put it on your skin, and it is recommended to pat it into your skin rather than swipe it on with your cotton pad. I use these thin pads I got from Amazon because they don’t soak up as much product as the normal ones do. I do recommend these- especially if you use toners which claim to have other benefits besides being a cleansing step.
Following my toning step, I use whatever serum or treatment I am using at the time. Right now, I have the Lancome 15% Vitamin C Concentrate. It seems like a good Vitamin C product, and even through this rather rough winter, I do feel like it adds a radiance to my skin. I’m not sure that I would say I have seen results to where I would recommend that everyone buy it, however. I have a good amount of hyperpigmentation, and I have not noticed much of a difference in the darkness of those spots after about two weeks of using this. I will report back when I use it all up, but so far I am not 100% sold on it. The next step after serum is essence. Essences are a part of Korean skincare that have become more mainstream over time. They are meant to hydrate the skin and lock in moisture. I use the Eve Lom Time Retreat Radiance Essence and I hate how much I like it. This leaves my skin feeling all kinds of hydrated. Beyoncé hydrated. I wore Fenty beauty in the winter and my skin still glowed hydrated. It is painfully expensive, but if you want to treat yourself to something extra extra extra nice? I recommend that.
As I have mentioned approximately ten times, I have dry skin and so I always end my routine with a moisturizer. I prefer thick gel cream moisturizers to oily or heavy cream moisturizers, and I found the perfect one in Belif. The Belif Aqua Bomb moisturizers will be in my life for as long as I can keep them around. This moisturizer feels like your skin is having a long, deep drink of water. I absolutely love it. The little tub lasts for a really long time as well, even when I use it both day and night. I am on the market for a good night oil- possibly one that will also help my hyper pigmentation – so I will update on Instagram when I manage to find one I like. Follow me on Instagram so you don’t miss that.
I left this last product for last because there is a bit of debate about what it’s meant to do i.e. exfoliation. I follow some licensed aestheticians who say that physical exfoliation is actually bad for your skin (every St Ives face scrub lover out there, I’m sorry). It causes micro tears which lead to longterm skin damage. In its place, they recommend chemical exfoliation, which you can achieve with acids like lactic acids and AHAs and BHAs. Be sure to do your googles. I switched over to a chemical exfoliant, and use the Amore Pacific Treatment Enzyme Peel. It’s a powder that lathers when in contact with water, and it leaves my skin so soft and smooth- I have no incentive to go back to a physical exfoliant. The combination of my cleaner, this exfoliant, and the essence give me superstar feeling skin- it’s the best way to end the day.
As always, I hope this post is helpful, and feel free to ask me any questions in the comments. Skincare can be confusing and can get quite pricey so definitely ask for any clarifications you need.
Best,
Amoafoa.
My skin concerns are hyper pigmentation which I got from old breakouts that didn’t left marks on my skin, and texture because my skin could get quite rough feeling. My skin is normal to dry and so I focus a lot on hydration and moisture. The very first product I want to mention is sunscreen. Being dark skinned, I used to think I didn’t need sunscreen and could just live my merry life ignoring sun damage. Listen, black does crack. And it cracks faster without some strong genetics and a solid broad spectrum SPF. I use chemical sunscreens because they don’t leave the dreaded white cast, and I will leave a link to this skincare blog which breaks down the difference between physical and chemical SPF.
The first step in skincare is cleansing, and I use the Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel both morning and night. For me, because my skin is so dry, I go for cleansers which are as moisturizing as possible and don’t leave my skin feeling stripped. This cleanser feels really soft on the skin, lathers really nicely and leaves my skin super clean. Do you need to get this specific one to get those results? No you do not. The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Line is great for dry skin and has a cleanser that is also very moisturizing. I use the 60 second rule in washing my face and also make sure to take my cleanser, and other products, down to my neck and décolletage.
After cleanser, I use a toner. I have tried all kinds of toners hoping to find one that worked for hyper pigmentation, and I fell for the hype and got the Ole Henriksen Glow Toner. It burns a little when you put it on your skin, and it is recommended to pat it into your skin rather than swipe it on with your cotton pad. I use these thin pads I got from Amazon because they don’t soak up as much product as the normal ones do. I do recommend these- especially if you use toners which claim to have other benefits besides being a cleansing step.
Following my toning step, I use whatever serum or treatment I am using at the time. Right now, I have the Lancome 15% Vitamin C Concentrate. It seems like a good Vitamin C product, and even through this rather rough winter, I do feel like it adds a radiance to my skin. I’m not sure that I would say I have seen results to where I would recommend that everyone buy it, however. I have a good amount of hyperpigmentation, and I have not noticed much of a difference in the darkness of those spots after about two weeks of using this. I will report back when I use it all up, but so far I am not 100% sold on it. The next step after serum is essence. Essences are a part of Korean skincare that have become more mainstream over time. They are meant to hydrate the skin and lock in moisture. I use the Eve Lom Time Retreat Radiance Essence and I hate how much I like it. This leaves my skin feeling all kinds of hydrated. Beyoncé hydrated. I wore Fenty beauty in the winter and my skin still glowed hydrated. It is painfully expensive, but if you want to treat yourself to something extra extra extra nice? I recommend that.
As I have mentioned approximately ten times, I have dry skin and so I always end my routine with a moisturizer. I prefer thick gel cream moisturizers to oily or heavy cream moisturizers, and I found the perfect one in Belif. The Belif Aqua Bomb moisturizers will be in my life for as long as I can keep them around. This moisturizer feels like your skin is having a long, deep drink of water. I absolutely love it. The little tub lasts for a really long time as well, even when I use it both day and night. I am on the market for a good night oil- possibly one that will also help my hyper pigmentation – so I will update on Instagram when I manage to find one I like. Follow me on Instagram so you don’t miss that.
I left this last product for last because there is a bit of debate about what it’s meant to do i.e. exfoliation. I follow some licensed aestheticians who say that physical exfoliation is actually bad for your skin (every St Ives face scrub lover out there, I’m sorry). It causes micro tears which lead to longterm skin damage. In its place, they recommend chemical exfoliation, which you can achieve with acids like lactic acids and AHAs and BHAs. Be sure to do your googles. I switched over to a chemical exfoliant, and use the Amore Pacific Treatment Enzyme Peel. It’s a powder that lathers when in contact with water, and it leaves my skin so soft and smooth- I have no incentive to go back to a physical exfoliant. The combination of my cleaner, this exfoliant, and the essence give me superstar feeling skin- it’s the best way to end the day.
As always, I hope this post is helpful, and feel free to ask me any questions in the comments. Skincare can be confusing and can get quite pricey so definitely ask for any clarifications you need.
Best,
Amoafoa.
