Wednesday, April 16, 2014

nighttime skincare routine

Since I shared my morning skincare routine with you a couple weeks ago, I thought it's only appropriate to follow up with my nighttime routine. It's not necessary to have a completely different routine for day vs. night, but this is what works for my skin. I like to use light, oil free products in the morning and heavier, more anti-aging products at night. Let's jump right into it...

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First and foremost, the makeup has got to go. For this, I use my tried and true Clinique Wash Away Gel Cleanser. If you've been around here for a while, then you've seen me mention this time and time again. I've tried multiple makeup removing methods (even ranges of cleanse off oils that are so popular right now), but this has remained my #1 choice. It doesn't aggravate my eyes, removes all makeup in a breeze, it's gentle, and the bottle lasts over a year because you need the tiniest drop. I gently massage this into my face and rinse with warm water.

Next, I follow up with the La Roche-Posay Purifying Foaming Gel and my Clarisonic Mia. The first cleansing in step #1 was to remove makeup and this time it's to deep clean the skin - so yes, it's completely necessary to cleanse your skin twice in the evenings. (Did you know the Clarisonic cleanses your face six times better than doing it with your fingertips alone?)

I've seriously been loving the Colbert MD Tone Control Facial Discs, but warning: they're awfully expensive for only 20 discs. The company was kind enough to send these to me to try, which honestly is the only reason I've been using them in my routine. You have no idea how much I wish these were a permanent part of my routine though! I've suffered from some hyper-pigmentation from a few breakouts and these discs have almost made those spots completely disappear. If you're willing to shell out the bucks, these are worth every penny. Dr. Colbert (renown NYC dermatologist) has an entire line of skincare products and everything I've tried is totally impressive. And the products smell like a spa, which wins them major brownie points. 

Sometimes I spritz La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water on my face after that step, sometimes I do it after step #2. And honestly, sometimes I don't do it at all. But if my skin is feeling especially dry, I like to spray it on before serums because I feel that it puts a little suppleness and moisture back into my skin. 

The Drunk Elephant Framboos Night Glycolic Serum goes on next. It hydrates, reduces hyper-pigmentation, diminishes wrinkles, and gently removes dead skin cells. There's a lot going on in that little bottle. Not pictured, but I've also been using the La Roche-Posay Mela-D Pigment Control and it is fantastic. It's crazy good at removing dark spots - perhaps the best serum I've ever tried for that particular use.

Just like in the mornings, I use the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo spot treatment on any existing breakouts. It has a mix of LHA and benzoyl peroxide, so it's going to exfoliate and even the skin's texure and eliminate acne-causing bacteria.

While I let that set, I go ahead and gently pat a small dab of the Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream around my eyes. I mostly concentrate the product under my eyes, but also put it on the eyelids and around the outer edges of my eyes to the top of my eyebrows.

To finish up, I put the tiniest amount of Drunk Elephant Marula Luxury Face Oil on my face, neck, and décolleté. Don't be afraid to use this if you have oily skin like I do. It won't make you more oily and won't make you break out (well, it shouldn't.) Instead, it hydrates, preserves, and heals skin - a great combination in my book.

I've said this before, but these are the products that work for me. Every person and every skin is different, so I'm not promising that they will work for you. But, I'm seriously in love with all of these products and would highly suggest them. I'm always interested in learning what other people use on their skin... so tell me, what are your favorite products to use at night?



9 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing. I've never tried the Clinique Wash Away Gel Cleanser - I've heard wonderful things about it.

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  2. Great Post! Do/Did you see a dermatologist in Charleston? I'm looking for one :)

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  3. Awesome suggestions! I wrote down a lot of these things to try. I also didn't know I should use my Clarisonic twice a night! I usually use it once a night in the shower. Now I know!!

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    1. No, you've been doing it correctly! Sorry, I must have worded that wrong -oops! I just meant that you should cleanse your face twice at night: once with your fingers to remove makeup and once (with or without your clarisonic) to deep clean. Don't change what you're doing, girl! xo

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  4. I'm using a mild retinol by Avene currently. I'm really liking it but I do miss my broader range of products (not supposed to put anything on after the retinol). I also double-cleanse, tone (currently Pixi Beauty Glow Tonic, although REN makes a great one too), and maybe hydrate tone if I feel like it (It's by Dior...the peony one). And then spot treat with the LRP Effaclar Duo!

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  5. La Roche Posay is such a good line!!! I use the acne spot treatment!

    Xo Ash
    Sincerely Miss Ash

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  6. how'd you come across drunk elephant?! i'd never heard of them before, but now i'm filling up my basket. this stuff sounds amazing - thanks for sharing!

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  7. I always love your skincare routine tips. Was a must for me last year when I turned 30 and got serious about getting a good routine in place. Thanks for sharing! www.styleoyster.blogspot.com

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