Your (simplified) skin care routine
🌞 The Morning Routine
Three simple steps - face wash, vitamin C, and sunscreen. Expand each step below to learn more, and see a list of products I recommend.
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I recommend a few different face washes to use every day.
Cerave foaming facial cleanser | Check Price
Cerave acne foaming cleanser with benzoyl peroxide (for acne-prone skin) | Check Price
Neutrogena oil-free acne wash with salicylic acid (for oily skin) | Check Price
Pro tip: If you’re a morning showerer, leave cleanser on for a few minutes while in the shower for best results.
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This protects your skin from free-radical damage incurred from sun exposure, pollution, and infrared radiation, as well as brightening the skin. Vitamin C needs to be in a certain formulation (L-ascorbic acid) and packaged appropriately to work.
These are the Vitamin C Serum products I recommend.
SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF ($$$) | Check Price
SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic ($$$; avoid this one if acne-prone) | Check Price
Revision Skincare C+ Correcting Complex 30% ($$$) | Check Price
Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster ($$) | Check Price
Hyper Skin Brightening Clearing Vitamin C Serum ($$) | Check Price
La Roche Posay Vitamin C 10% Serum ($; avoid if fragrance sensitive) | Check Price
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Apply sunscreen even if you are not going outside, as UV rays penetrate windows in our car and homes. If you struggle with pigment (aka brown spots/discoloration), it is best to use a tinted mineral based sunscreen. We recommend all formulations of sunscreen including chemical and mineral-based products - pick whatever product you like best and will use consistently. I’ve included my top picks below, but you can also check out my in-depth, categorized sunscreen recommendations here.
Chemical Sunscreens
Elta MD UV Clear (for face) | Check Price
Tinted Elta MD UV Clear (for face) | Check Price
Elta MD UV lotion (for body and face) | Check Price
La Roche-Posay Double Repair Face Moisturizer UV (for dry skin) | Check Price
Mineral Sunscreens
Alastin SilkSHIELD All Mineral Sunscreen | Check Price
ISDIN Eryfotona Ageless Sunscreen | Check Price
Vanicream Facial Moisturizer SPF (for sensitive skin) | Check Price
Tinted Mineral Sunscreens
Alastin HydraTint Pro Mineral Sunscreen | Check Price
ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica Sunscreen | Check Price
Lip Sunscreens
Tizo tinted lip protection | Check Price
CoTZ Lightly Tinted Lip Balm | Check Price
O-Keefe’s Lip Repair | Check Price
Aquaphor Lip Protectant + Sunscreen | Check Price
Colorescience Lip Shine (gloss, available in various tints) | Check Price
🌛 The Evening Routine
Three simple steps - face wash, retinoid/retinol*, moisturizer. You can use additional anti-aging products before you moisturize, as well. Expand each step below to learn more, and see a list of products I recommend.
*Do not use retinoid or retinol if pregnant or trying to conceive.
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You can use the same product you use in the morning for this step. Check out Step 1 in the Morning Routine above for product recommendations.
Pro tip: If you’re an evening showerer, leave cleanser on for a few minutes while in the shower for best results.
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Do not use if pregnant or trying to conceive.
This step helps with a variety of concerns including, but not limited to, acne, fine lines, collagen formation, evening skin tone and texture.
Ensure face is dry prior to application to avoid irritation. Apply pea-size amount to the entire face at bedtime. Start by using 2-3 times per week and increase to nightly as tolerated. The skin tolerates the product more easily over time with consistent/repeat use, so start slow and avoid using too often too quickly.
If irritation occurs, I recommend use of moisturizer before and after application. We call this the “sandwich method”.
Many people start by using an over the counter version and graduate to a prescription version later on, as the skin tolerates the product more easily over time with consistent/repeat use.
Gentler over the counter
Oil of Olay Retinol 24 | Check Price
RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream | Check Price
Stronger over the counter
Differin Adapalene gel | Check Price
La Roche Posay Effaclar Adapalene gel | Check Price
Talk to your dermatologist if you think you want to graduate to a stronger prescription version.
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While these products aren’t fundamental to a good evening routine, they can help when used diligently. These products are all clinically tested and proven, and can be used individually or together (applying one at a time, of course).
Alastin Skin Restorative Complex for face (boosts elastin/collagen production) | Check Price
Alastin Restorative Eye Treatment for eyes | Check Price
Alastin A-luminate Brightening Serum for brown spots and redness | Check Price
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Last but not least, protect your skin from drying out overnight. These are my favorite night-time moisturizers.
Alastin Ultra Nourishing Moisturizer | Check Price
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer | Check Price
Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer (for sensitive skin) | Check Price
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream (for dry skin) | Check Price
The best skin care regimen should not be complicated.
My skin care routine focuses on three things: protection, hydration, and anti-aging. The highest yield (and easiest) strategy is to invest in a few high-quality, medical-grade products that have been clinically studied and proven to protect and improve your skin. All products mentioned above are over the counter (except for Rx retinoid).
Pro tip: In addition to the face, don’t forget to treat the neck, chest and backs of your hands. If you are acne-prone, ensure all products are labeled non-comedogenic (aka won’t clog pores).
Protection from UV Radiation
It isn’t worth using any anti-aging products without diligent sun protection, as UV exposure is the biggest source of aging. Even the best products can’t compete with the sun. Without this step, the rest of this routine isn’t worth your time/effort/money. Check out my in-depth categorized recommendations for UPF clothing and sunscreens.
Hydration
The Colorado climate is extremely drying for the skin and can make it hard to tolerate certain products. Proper moisturizing will protect your skin from irritation and optimize your skin’s overall health and appearance. Even if you don’t live somewhere dry, moisturizing consistently is still an important step.
Anti-Aging Capabilities
Picking key science-backed ingredients will help to maintain your skin and reverse certain signs of aging/sun damage. Ingredients to look for are _____.
Pro tip: you do not want to mix multiple products together and then apply them. Each should be applied one at a time directly to your skin. If you mix products, at best you are diluting (aka “watering down”) the active ingredients, and at worst deactivating them by combining them inappropriately.
