Master the Order of Your Skincare Routine (+Free Printables)

Hello there! I’m so excited to bring you a guest post from Fragrance X, a fantastic resource for fragrances and more. I hope you enjoy!

Lets face it, finding the perfect skincare routine can seem almost impossible. With the endless amount of skincare products and complicated routines, it can be very overwhelming. Where do you even start?

The first step is to understand which skin type you have. That way, you know what  products to look for (and what to avoid!). Here’s a quick recap if you aren’t sure which skin type you have:

Dry skin - Your face feels tight and there might be noticeable flaking. You easily scar and there are irritated red patches on your face. Hydration is the most important thing for you! 

Oily skin - Your face is shiny and feels greasy throughout the day. If you take a piece of tissue or blotting paper and it comes back damp, then it’s likely you have oily skin! Daily cleanse and exfoliation are the most important things for you!

Combination skin - You break out in your t-zone (forehead, nose and chin), but the rest of your face feels dried out.  Balancing your pH is the most important thing for you!

Now that you can identify which skin type you have, let’s move on to how to master the order of your skincare routine. To keep it simple and organized, download this handy skincare routine planner that sets you up for success.

Morning Skincare Routine:

Starting off your day with a morning beauty routine that helps energize you is super important. When you wake up, your skin needs nourishment. Follow this six step morning skincare routine to give your skin some refreshment!

Step 1: Cleanser

Cleansing your face with a gentle cleanser is the perfect way to start off your skincare routine. Opt for a cleanser that’s gentle but suitable for your skin type. Remember to be gentle and rub in circular motions rather than scrubbing with something too harsh like a washcloth.

Step 2: Toner

After cleansing, it’s time to apply a toner! Toners are great for balancing your skin’s ph (which gets acidic overnight) and is the mediator between cleansing and applying other skin care products. 

Step 3: Serum

Serums are foundational for providing your skin with the vitamins it needs to be healthy. Serums are full of nutrients, making them the fruits and vegetables of your skincare routine. Opt for one with Vitamin C, as it brightens and tightens your skin while also creating a protective barrier against UV rays and pollutants. 

Step 4: Eye Cream

The skin around your eyes is super thin, so you’ll start to see aging around your eyes first. Start early and find an eye cream with peptides, Vitamin K, caffeine, or shea butter to combat early aging and dark circles!

Step 5: Moisturizer

No matter which skin type you have, you don’t want to skip the moisturizer! A moisturizer locks in moisture and provides the skin with extra hydration. Apply one when your skin is slightly damp and wait for it to sink in before applying any makeup.

Step 6: SPF

You’ve probably heard it enough, but SPF is extremely important to wear everyday! Even if it’s a rainy day or you plan to spend your day indoors, sunscreen is always a must! It protects your skin from harmful UV rays that cause cancer, premature aging, and acne scarring.

Evening Skincare Routine:

After a long day, you and your skin have been through a lot together. It’s time to recuperate and recover with this six step evening skincare regimen!

Step 1: Double Cleanse

Cleansing your skin twice a day may sound like overkill, but it’s actually very beneficial. The first cleanse (an oil based cleanser) is to loosen up any dirt, oil and makeup that built up throughout the day. The second cleanse (which can be the same cleanser as your gentle morning wash)  is to actually wash those things away.

Step 2: Toner

This step is optional in the evening, depending on what skin type you have. If you have oily skin, opt for only toning once a day, preferably in the morning. 

Step 3: Eye Cream

Look for an evening eye cream that is centered around hydration more than anything else. Eye creams that include ingredients like shea butter are ideal for an evening routine.

Step 4: Spot Treatment

If you have any blemishes, a spot treatment is great for zapping it overnight. Be careful not to overdo it and only apply the treatment on the affected area.

Step 5: Moisturizer

As you sleep, your skin loses hydration. For sensitive skin, you can use the same moisturizer you use in the morning. However, a thick night cream is great for creating a layer to retain your skin's moisture - perfect for those with dry skin.

Step 6: Retinoids

Retinoids are great for anti-aging and preventing acne. However, you’ll only want to apply this step three times a week rather than every night. If you have sensitive skin, ease into this step and try it out once a week first. As always, consult your dermatologist before using any specific products or treatments.

The journey to clear and supple skin won’t happen overnight. Even if you have the best products and a strict skincare regimen, that doesn’t always mean our skin will cooperate. Regardless, anchor your skincare to the foundations outlined here. Most of all, love the skin you’re in!

How I'm Transforming My Dry, Tired Skin

Do you ever say or write or think a small brag (not intentionally!) and then immediately have it bite you in the ass?

On one of the last beauty posts I wrote, I said something along the lines of, “Despite my acne, I’m really lucky to have oily skin; my skin isn’t dry and therefore, I’m naturally protected from typical aging.”

Friends, I played myself. The moment I said it, I think my skin heard it, learned about it, absorbed it from my brain… and decided to rapidly turn around and do the opposite thing. For the last 3 months, I have noticed my skin really struggling. I break out, then my skin gets dry, then I look ancient and tired. I’ve always struggled with redness and being kind of ruddy, but lately, it’s been dialed up another notch.

My skin has been flaky at times and generally just tired looking. Dull.

As you can imagine, I was not happy about this transformation. My skin routine is aimed around being oily and while I use oil in my routine, it wasn’t the focus of my routine. So right as the COVID 19 pandemic started to take off, I was struggling with my skin.

Then, of course, being home, not sticking to my skincare routine as much, and being stressed as hell made it worse. Two weeks ago, I looked in the mirror and thought, who is this person??

The need to transform was strong, but I knew I wasn’t going to have my tools I usually do. No going to Sephora or Ulta and asking a million questions, consulting both sales associates and Google on my phone. No samples. No trial and error. I had to work with what I had available and what I got in my Ipsy.

Even in the past 2 weeks, I’ve seen a huge improvement in my skin. If you have dry, slightly dull skin, here are a few suggestions (and general methods) to see an improvement in the next few weeks.

1. Drink More Water.

I normally hate when blogs give this piece of advice. We get it! Water! We don’t drink enough water!

Personally, based on what I’ve read, I think a lot of people drink too much water. If you’re peeing constantly, you’re drinking too much water—sorry not sorry! Your body is peeing out the excess! Stop! That being said: for the first 10 days of stay-at-home and quarantine orders, I realized that I hadn’t even thought about drinking water for a while. I drank 0 water. No water. I drank coffee and that was it. No wonder I felt like crap???

So, yes, sorry: drink some water. Really. Drink water when you’re thirsty and with meals. You don’t need to pound 100+ ounces of water a day, I promise, but like… have a sip. Maybe 2 or 3, honestly.

2. Use Up the Serum in Your Sheet Masks.

I have a collection of great sheet masks that I’ve acquired from TJ Maxx and other various stores. If you are doing the same, now is the time to use those babies up! However, my tip for sheet masks is always this: don’t throw away the serum! Once I do a sheet mask, I dope the extra serum into a small tuperware I keep in my bathroom and then use that serum in my routine. Most often, sheet masks have hyaluronic acid in them, which helps absorb moisture; this is a really economical way to keep hyaluronic acid in your routine day-to-day. It’ll help plump your skin and make sure your moisturizer is absorbing as much as it can.

3. Use an AHA Face Wash and/or Peel.

AHA stands for “alpha hydroxy acid,” a series of naturally occurring acids that can do a lot to improve your skin. When I talk about using a chemical exfoliant in your routine, often what I mean is a mix of AHA and BHA acids. If you have dry skin, though, AHAs, are the best for you; AHAs have molecules that love water and help improve the skins moisture content.

Right now, I’m using the Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating cleanser every other day (usually when i take a shower!); I’ve reviewed it previously here. This product is exfoliating, but because it also contains AHA, it’s great for dry, tired looking skin. I’ve also been using the AHA! Peel so Good Skin Renewal Gel (that I reviewed here) once a week to help with texture on and below my jawline and flaky skin.

4. Pick the Right Toner.

Toner is a tough one. For a long time, I was kind of under the assumption that toner was a scam. A fancy water I splash on my face? PLEASE.

But now I know that toners contain those all important chemical exfoliants. Right now, I’m using the PureHeals Softening Toner (which I got a deluxe sample of for $3 from Ipsy); this is a moisturizing toner that contains lactic acid and niacinamide, both of which are great if you have acne. It also has oils in it to help with moisture. In short: it’s a great option for me right now! I also have had good luck with the Pixie Glow Tonic, but that seemed a little drying for me right now.

5. Use a Moisturizing Face Wash in the Morning.

I got the TonyMoly Moisture Burst Gel to Water Morning Cleansing cleanser in my Ipsy bag. I generally like TonyMoly’s products: they’re good, but sometimes they can be middle-of-the-road, so I never actually seek them out to buy. I’m glad I added this one to my Ipsy bag though (for $3!); it’s a great, gentle morning cleanser.

I used to never wash my face in the morning, aside from a swipe with water. My logic was that I washed my face the night before and how dirty could my face be again? I’ve realized since then, of course, that my skin needs a blank slate in the morning, plus I spend all night sweating with my hair on my face. I probably just need to wash my face.

Adding this cleanser has been a huge help; morning is often when my skin feels the roughest and driest and if I’m not planning to take a shower, I feel pretty grimy all day. I like this cleanser because it’s really gentle and very moisturizing. However, the cleanser you choose is entirely up to you!

6. Mix Up Your Moisturizer.

I rotate between 3 moisturizers for the day and at night:

• H2O+ Oasis Hydrating Treatment (here is an older version that’s still available on Amazon!)

• Aromatica Calendula Juicy Cream

• COOLA Facial Sunscreen with SPF 50 (I actually don’t alternate this, but rather mix with whatever moisturizer I’m using in the morning!)

I switch between 2 moisturizers right now because I try to take my skin’s needs at that moment into account. I might feel really dry and then I’ll use my Aromatica moisturizer; I might be really oily or have just oiled my face, then I’ll use the H2O+, as it’s much lighter. It just depends! At night, I also top everything with the Youth to the People Superberry Hydrating Sleep Mask.

7. Stay Consistent.

The last and most important thing is: you’ve gotta follow the routine that works for you every single day. Every morning, every evening, even when you’re really tired. I’m not perfect; the last few nights, I’ve been exhausted and wasn’t doing my routine. Your girl’s face is blotchy, dry, and pretty gross this morning, so guess who is back on the bandwagon? Me.

I hope this helps you all if you’re dealing with dry, tired skin! Have anymore recommendations? Share them with me in the comments!

Disclaimer: Some links in this post are affiliate links! When you click through them, or purchase through them, I receive a small kickback. However, this post is not sponsored and all opinions remain my own—I use all these products! Thanks for visiting Writing Between Pauses. If you’d like to learn more about my disclosure policy, click here.

My Autumn Skincare Routine

Darker mornings (ugh). Rainy weather (yay). Rapid weather changes (ugh). Turning on the heat (… ugh?). There are lots of things about Autumn (or any change in season!) that can throw your skin, and body, and sinuses, into disarray.

A prime example: I spent all day Tuesday with itchy, watery eyes. Did you know Fall allergies exist? Well, apparently they do. One allergy pill later and I felt right as rain, but wow, what a surprise.

Another example: in two weeks, we have gone from summer (80+ degrees every day) to pouring rain (literally, 7 straight days of rain, rain, rain) to colder temperatures (it didn’t get over 45 degrees until 1pm the other day). Those rapid weather changes can do a number to just about everything in your life. Plus, turning on the heat can cause your home to get drier, which in turn can effect your skin.

That’s right: we’re talking about my favorite topic of all time. Skincare!

It’s been a minute since I posted about skincare. To be fully transparent, part of why I stopped posting so much beauty content was because: 1) it wasn’t popular here on the old blog or on Instagram and 2) I kind of fell out of love with skincare for a little while. It started to feel arduous rather than fun—and nothing is worse than when a hobby because a huge pain in the ass, am I right?

However, in the past few weeks, I’ve been getting back into it, slowly but surely. I wanted to share my new, improved skincare routine that is helping me survive these rapid weather changes and the new season. Let’s jump right in.

1. Morning cleanser: ItCosmetics Confidence in a Cleanser | Evening cleanser: Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser

I love ItCosmetics, but I didn’t realize they had a cleanser until recently. And baby—is this a cleanser or what! It smells like lemongrass and is super moisturizing. I use it after I oil cleanse (plain jojoba oil, then wiped with a reusable wipe) and I make sure to wash my face for 60 seconds total. (If you aren’t following the 60 second rule, get on it!) It makes my skin feel so soft and ready for the day.

In the evening, I typically either use ItCosmetics again or my Murad AHA/BHA exfoliating cleanser. I received the Murad cleanser in one of my Ipsy Glam Bag Plus (es?) bags, making the entire Glam Bag Plus experience worth it. (You can read that review here.) It is exfoliating, so I don’t use it every day, but I have noticed with all these weather changes, that my skin texture has been fart noise, you know. Every 2 or 3 days, I use this in the evening. As a note of warning, you shouldn’t use this in the morning because AHA/BHA can make your skin even more sensitive to the sun!

2. Morning toner: Pixi Glow Mist | Evening Toner: Peter Thomas Roth Peptide Peel Pads

I received the Pixie Glow Mist in another Glam Bag Plus (review here). I use it in the morning because I find have a bit of extra moisture helps me apply foundation or concealer, or whatever I’m wearing that day. Plus, it just smells good and feels decadent to put on a face mist.

In the evening, I use the Peter Thomas Roth Peptide Peel Pads. (I reviewed the entire Peter Thomas Roth Peptide collection here.) I repurchased these peel pads because I liked them so much; they definitely help with my skin’s texture and my acne, plus they’ve helped reduce my redness and acne scars. A win-win. They can be quite strong, so if I notice my skin feeling sensitive, I’ll skip them for a night and just use more Glow Mist.

3. Morning Moisturizer: Purlisse Blue Lotus Daily SPF 30 | Evening Moisturizer: Sunday Riley CEO Vitamin C Cream + Purlisse Watermelon Aqua Balm

All three of these are also from Ipsy, which really seems like a shill, doesn’t it? I swear it isn’t, but why waste product?

Everyone should be wearing an SPF 30 or HIGHER, applied in the morning. Period, I won’t be discussing it any further! I like this one from Purlisse because it isn’t too heavy and doesn’t leave a white cast on me. (I want to note here: I have no idea if this would leave a white cast on darker skin. I tried searching for some reviews, but can’t find anything. If you know or have used it, please let me know and I’ll update accordingly!)

At night, I mix a small dollop of the Sunday Riley CEO Vitamin C cream (still reeling that this costs $85 a pop!) with a squeeze of the Purlisse Watermelon Aqua Balm. I love how the CEO cream makes my skin feel, but it is so heavy; the aqua balm helps cut it a little bit and not leave me feeling disgusting.

4. Products I Might Use

Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm: It’s actually just lip balm, but honestly, you could use it on your nipples if you’re breastfeeding (or just feel like you need it, no shame). I use this for my extremely dry lips that I get whenever the season changes, the dry spots I get under my ears in the winter (it’s eczema, I know it is, please), and anything else that might call for it (like a sore nose from a cold). It’s unscented and lovely. I actually used all of the tube I received as a sample and bought another one. I’m very cheap, so that’s a testament to how much I like it.

Hello FAB Coconut Water Cream: I love moisturizers and this one is very, very light. If my skin is feeling sensitive, but not exactly dry, I like to use this one. It’s great for when I’m breaking out and don’t want to feel even more like a grease ball. It is a little expensive, but I feel like it’s worth it. (And if you can snag a sample from Ipsy, it’s even more worth it!)

NEOGEN White Truffle Oil Serum: When my skin needs a little extra TLC, oil is where it’s at! I use this before my moisturizer and let it dry for 10 minutes. It’s technically an oil, but it absorbs like a serum, so it won’t act like a sealant. I like to use this at least once a week, just for that little extra added boost.

IBOM Lemon Verbena Clay Mask: This is one of my favorite masks at the moment. It smells amazing and, like any good clay mask, helps suck all the impurities out of your skin. Oil, acne, whatever you need to purge, this mask is ready and waiting. It does have some exfoliating elements so I don’t use this when my skin is particularly dry or sensitive, and I rinse very gently.

There you have it! My skincare routine, start to finish, morning and evening. How do you switch up your routine in the Fall?

My 2019 Skincare Resolutions

I am getting to that age where every single new year officially feels surreal. 2019? Really? Wasn’t it just 2002? 2007? No? It’s been over 10 years, over 15 years?! I need a hand to hold, this is too much.

I’m also getting to that age where New Years Resolutions just feel like a bit much. I’m a goal-oriented person, but I don’t think I’ve ever kept a New Years Resolution, except for perhaps reading more and having a baby. I tend to work better with shorter goals that add up to something bigger (I’ve written about this before). So, I’m not writing general resolutions for this year.

However, the past 3 months have taught me something really important: I’ve let my skincare routine become an absolute mess. A combination of trying lots of different things in a short amount of time, combined with constant events, a lot of stress, and letting some not-so-great-for-me foods back into my diet has led me to the worst skin I’ve had in about a year. So I wanted to share some of my skincare resolutions for this year.

1. Quit Dairy (Again)

In September 2017, I quit eating dairy to see if it helped my cystic acne. Surprise! It totally did! And yet, this year, around September, I got very tired of having to hunt down my favorite almond milk, as well as having two milks in my fridge, so I just started drinking cow’s milk again. (I only drink milk in my coffee and even though I knew, I still told myself, “it will be fine”.) (Narrator’s Voice: It was Not Fine.) Even as my skin started getting bad in October, I told myself it was unrelated. This was me:

I know I need to quit dairy again. I know! I’ve known! But I’m finally ready to do it again.

2. About That Routine

I’m a little embarrassed by how often I’ve washed my face and gone right to bed. No serum, no moisturizer, nothing. This is embarrassing because I know it’s so important to at least moisturize, especially in the winter! No wonder my textured skin is going absolutely crazy right now. So, getting back into a routine (that is, generally and for my skincare) is really important to me.

For those curious, this is my typical routine (when I’m not lazy):

• AM: Wash face (L’Oreal Foaming Clay Cleanser), hyaluronic acid serum, Yes To Blueberries Anti-Aging moisturizer mixed with a pump of Aveena Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15

• PM: Dissolve makeup with jojoba oil; wash face with Body Shop Tea Tree Cleanser; apply vitamin C cream around eyes & mouth; use Meriance Rejuvenating serum; use Meriance Night Cream.

We’ll see if those stay the same this year.

3. Up My Sun Protection

Protecting my skin from the sun is a minor obsession. I subscribe to the “cover up” routine: if your skin has a physical barrier, that’s the best protection. I use a daily SPF, but I admit it’s a really low amount, especially for my face. So one of my big goals this year is to find a new moisturizer with a higher SPF that doesn’t make me break out, as well as to start using sunscreen every day on my body, especially my arms and chest (aka the spots where we are all most likely to get accidental sun damage).

What are your skincare resolutions for this year? Anything you specifically want to fix or try?