My Backstory
My personal skincare journey has been a pretty rough one, starting with breakouts when I was 10 years old, with my worst acne appearing in high school where I was desperate enough to visit a dermatologist who prescribed an oral medication that made my skin so dry, even the skin on my eyelids peeled.
Now, my skin has cleared significantly with smoother texture, fading scars, calming redness, and less active breakouts, all thanks to this carefully curated skincare routine.
I owe my most recent success to my discovery of vitamin supplements targeted at renewing, disinfecting, and protecting my skin, as well as gaining financial security enough to shell out the funds for an entirely new skincare routine that I knew had worked for me in the past, but that I couldn’t keep up with.
The list of supplements I now take daily were listed in previous blog post: “Vitamins: The Skincare Step You’re Skipping”. It’s worth reading if you need info on why antioxidants and certain vitamins are important and why they’re the main focus of the products in this routine.
This complete routine (morning and night) focuses on the use of natural ingredients and remedies that have been used on the skin for ages, some as far back as ancient times: lotus, clay, aloe vera, honey, rose, citrus, soy, ginger, green tea, shea, and sea buckthorn.
-Fresh
The trend in skincare now is to use singular “actives” (BHA, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide) on their own, when they are meant to supplement an already existing skincare routine. That’s not to say that the products I’m about to list don’t contain these ingredients. They do, but they’re incorporated into a product that does so much more than the active is capable of on its own.
Disclaimers
***This routine is catered to my specific skin type: sensitive, oily in the summer, and dry in the winter. These products may not work for you, but the brands I’m about to mention have a wide range of products and ingredient collections for a wide range of skin concerns/types.***
***This post is non-sponsored, and I have zero affiliation with the brands mentioned. All opinions are my own.***
***I’m not a doctor, dermatologist, or esthetician.***
The Morning Routine
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
The brand’s #1 cleanser, with amino acid-rich soy proteins, rosewater, borage seed oil, and cucumber extract, is pH balanced to match the skin and keep from stripping your skin’s natural moisture barrier.
Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner
With hyaluronic acid, rosewater, rose fruit extract, and angelica leaf extract, this toner removes residual impurities left after cleansing and moisturizes/preps your skin for the rest of the routine.
Fresh Vitamin Nectar Glow Juice Antioxidant Face Serum
Vitamins C, E, and B5, beta-carotene, jicama root, and chicory root help keep the skin bright, nourished, and smooth in this anti-aging serum.
Fresh Umbrian Clay Mattifying Serum
This serum minimizes pores, purifies, and controls shine with Italian Umbrian clay, ginger root complex, and meadowsweet extract.
Fresh Umbrian Clay Oil-Free Lotion
A non-comedogenic lotion that purifies and controls oil with Italian Umbrian clay and meadowsweet extract.
Farmacy Honey Drop Lightweight Moisturizer
A daily moisturizer formulated with antioxidant-rich honey, hyaluronic acid and golden cupuaƧu butter beads. My favorite product from Farmacy.
You should follow with SPF and Lip Balm. I, unfortunately, haven’t found an SPF I’m happy with, yet.
The Night Routine
Repeat Cleanser and Toner. This cleanser does take off makeup, but Fresh also offers a Seaberry cleansing oil that may be even more gentle for removing makeup.
Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil
A blend of omega-rich and antioxidant pure oils (including sea buckthorn, cranberry seed, nigella, grapeseed, and vitamin E) nourish, moisturize, protect, and remove impurities. If you have oily skin, an oil can be used to train your skin to stop the over-production of its own oils by providing sufficient moisture.
Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Moisturizer
Formulated with hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, lotus, and star fruit leaf extract, this antioxidant daily moisturizer is a bit richer than the Honey Drop moisturizer, so I typically use it more so at night.
Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Dream Face Cream
With Shea butter, vitamin E, lotus, and peach leaf extract, this antioxidant night cream is even richer than the Lotus Daily Moisturizer. With a full night’s sleep ahead, we need to amp up the hydration, because our water intake will be interrupted for 8 hours. I layer both lotus moisturizers when my skin is especially dry, or I skip the Daily Moisturizer and go straight to the night cream, if my skin is feeling more hydrated.
Don’t forget lip balm!
Extras
Our skin has different needs depending on our water, alcohol, salt, and sugar intake, as well as our hormones, quality of sleep, changing seasons, and aging. Sometimes you need a little extra clarification or moisture, and although these products aren’t necessary in your skincare routine, they are nice to have on hand to help aid in your skin’s healing.
Face Masks
Fresh Rose Face Mask helps to soothe irritation/redness and hydrates with aloe vera gel, rosewater, algae extract, and cucumber extract.
Fresh Umbrian Clay Pore-Purifying Face Mask deeply cleanses and purifies the skin, while minimizing pores and shine with Italian Umbrian clay, lavender water, chamomile oil, and sandalwood oil.
Hydrocolloid Patches
CosRx Master Patches are game changers. Sure, we can’t really stop a breakout once it starts, but we can heal the infection and clear the skin much more quickly and effectively, leaving almost no hyperpigmentation or scarring compared to leaving a pimple uncovered. When applied to each pimple (cleansed, dry skin) at the white head stage, your breakout will be gone by morning. There are even thinner patches that can be worn during the day, and are virtually undetectable. These patches remove impurities/pus that will be visible on the patches when removed.
Chemical Exfoliants
Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Exfoliating Liquid is a mild exfoliant that clears, minimizes enlarged pores, and helps shed “built up skin” by targeting the natural, glue-like substance that holds dead skin cells onto our live ones. I’ve found this to be fine for both morning and nighttime use.
Farmacy Honeymoon Glow AHA Night Resurfacing Serum is a 14% AHA/BHA flower acid serum that packs way more of a punch in terms of exfoliation. It “resurfaces” dull skin with lactic, glycolic, citric, fruit, flower, and salicylic acids to “burn” off dead skin. Meant only to be used at night, this product causes the skin to be extra sensitive to sunlight.
Actives
The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane targets signs of aging and helps with hyperpigmentation and appearance of scars in an oil-based serum. A 1% retinol version is now available as well.
The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% Eye Serum helps lighten dark circles and reduce eye puffiness with green tea caffeine. Plus, a hydrated undereye looks super healthy. Don’t knock it ’til you try it.
I hope this post, in conjunction with my post on vitamins, can help you and your skin. There’s no pressure to figure out your perfect skincare routine overnight, so pick up a product or two at a time, until you feel like you’ve found your perfect, custom blend.
Remember to stay hydrated, don’t smoke, stay out of the sun, and love on your skin even when it’s freaking out.
Good Luck and Much Love XOXO,
N. Alexandra