Skincare Routine: AM

Every morning, my alarm goes off at three-thirty am. I snooze for about twenty minutes and get out of bed just before four. Three out of seven days, I go to the gym right when I get up. I like to get my workout done early because 1) no matter how badly my day goes, I've at least done a full work out and 2) I'm less likely to go after being out in the world for hours and hours. Four days of the week, I have to clock in at four-thirty. No matter what I'm doing, the first thing I do is brush my teeth. After, I take care of my skin. 

I used to live by the idea that washing my face twice daily was the only way to live. Needing to scrub and strip away all the pore-clogging oil that cause breakouts, I eventually worked my way up to fully washing my face at least three times a day--sometimes four. Then I did my research. The oil your skin produces is important because it helps to self-heal and balance out your skin. If you strip it away, your skin can't do that. Caroline Solomon talked about this topic on Glamour, and it helped to solidify the idea I'd been hearing float around about skipping the AM wash. So, I stopped washing my face in the morning. That doesn't mean I don't clean and take care of it though. I like to keep it simple and hit all the basic notes of what my skin needs. 

1.

Simple Micellar Water: This stuff is amazing, though I'm not convinced one micellar water is better than another. I've tried a few and I like them all equally. This one is really gentle and I can get all the eye grease off without burning them. You wouldn't think that, after doing an intense nighttime routine, your skin would be dirty but my cotton pad is always a little nasty in the mornings after using the micellar water. 

2. 

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream: This product is featured in my Essentials section on the homepage. I consider this to be one of the most life-changing products I've used. If I was allowed two products it would be this and Glosier Solution. Hydro Boost is luxuriously moisturizing but doesn't leave my skin oily or gross in any way. The gel cream has dimethicone, which some say is a not-great product for skincare, but I love it because it's derived from silicone so it helps to smooth out my skin texture and spread evenly. 

3.

Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 35: SUNSCREEN IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF SKINCARE. PERIOD. I choose to use a separate SPF rather than a moisturizer with a built-in sunblock because it makes me feel better protected to have a product entirely dedicated to blocking out the sun. Glossier's is milky and creamy, but glides on completely clear and smells like ripe citrus. It's lightweight, so it can go under or on top of makeup and be reapplied throughout the say. 

And that's it! I don't have a lot of time in the mornings, but this simple routine has been really effective in helping my skin move along and to keep up the work I put in during my PM skincare routine. 

Thanks for reading!

xLogan