The Ultimate Dry Skin Nighttime Routine
As most of you know, I struggled last year with some skin issues, and I’m still figuring out what products I can and can’t use with my newly acne-prone skin. This winter has been tough: trying to find products that are gentle enough to not cause a flare up, but intense enough to quench this thirsty, thirsty skin of mine. The past few weeks I’ve been sticking to a super solid routine and my skin has been drinking it up. I’m sharing that routine today- let’s get quenched folks.
Cleanse
I think finding a cleanser that throughly removes makeup, leaves my skin hydrated but not oily, and doesn’t break me out has been the biggest puzzle of all. I had so many expensive, delicious cleansers that just didn’t work for my skin (don’t worry, they went to a lovely re-home!) including Tata Harper’s Nourishing Cleanser, Farmacy Clean Bee cleanser, a Lush bar cleanser, and even a Susan Kauffman number. It ended up being a bit of a scientific formula for me: I like oil cleansers, but my skin doesn’t like most oils. So I just had to find one that included oils that don’t bother my skin. Those include: Olive oil, sunflower oil, castor seed oil, and rosemary oil. These are all of the oils in Pai’s new Light Work Rosehip Cleansing Oil. Not only does this cleanser come in a glass bottle (brownie points) with a pump (double brownie points) but it also is so gently on my skin while removing all of the dirt, makeup and grime off my skin. I apply it to a dry face with makeup still on and massage in, making sure to really work it. I then use a damp washcloth to wipe away the day.
Serum
While my skin is still wet I go in and use my Hyaluronic Acid serum from The Ordinary that I press into the skin. This serum is great for my skin because the hyaluronic acid locks in all of that wetness before it has a chance to evaporate, and it’s a thicker texture that gives me the satisfaction of feeling the serum on my face. This is the key to my moisture, I use this serum day and night.
Moisturize
Before the Hyaluronic Acid dries you want to apply your moisturizer to really get the most out of your moisturizing routine. I recently went back to the Herbivore Pink Cloud cream after a year of using an oil-free moisturizer and wow is my skin loving it. This moisturizer is extremely gentle so it’s perfect for sensitive skin, and if your skin is dry this stuff is just the best, I always recommend it.
Oil
I know, you’re probably thinking: why are you adding an oil when that’s what breaks you out? Let me explain. There are two types of oils in this world- comedogenic and non-comedogenic. Non-comedogenic oils are oils that don’t cause buildup, i.e they don’t clog your pores, and those oils are fine for me to use. Oils in that family include jojoba, argan, sunflower, hempseed and many others. For me, I like to use 2-3 drops of The Ordinary’s 100% Squalene oil and press it on top of my moisturizer for an added boost at night. In tandem with all my other products, this seals in the deal and my skin is so soft and supple in the morning as well as completely acne-free!
Skincare is hard. Like, really hard, for a lot of us out there and I salute all of you for trying every day to get glowing, radiant skin. I’m doing okay in that front and it’s feeling good- summertime glow here I come.