Just the Tips: Nighttime Skincare Routine
*Disclaimer: I hope you know I’m not REALLY a doctor, even though I play one on social media, and nothing in this post should be considered medical advice. For any medical treatment, please seek out someone who actually has a medical license.
Oh, also, this post contains affiliate links, which makes my ability to do shit like this possible. If you make a purchase through these links, I may make a commission from it. And I really appreciate it!
I can’t say exactly when I became the premier resource for all things skincare, but since I AM, I’m very excited to finally have a proper way to share my entire evening skincare routine. Because if I had to type it out one more fucking time in an Instagram DM, I was about to start recommended people use St. Ives Apricot scrub!!!
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had some form of a skincare routine. As a lifelong member of the “so-pale-she’s-practically-see-through” club, daily SPF was a non-negotiable. By age 10, I was wearing Oil of Olay’s daily moisturizer with SPF 15. And use it daily I did! I used that shit for YEARS after, and I truly believe it’s why my skin looks the way it does: only somewhat haggard. Like, yes, obviously the nerve paralysis shots I get injected into my face a few times a year helps tremendously, but Botox doesn’t cure all signs of aging.
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I credit my best friend of over 15 years Anna with my foray into skincare. She was always trying serums and creams, even in our early 20s. So, when my late 20’s hit, I began amping up my arsenal. It started simple: an eye cream, vitamin C, and moisturizer. But now that i’m in my…”late” 30’s, I have REAL problems, no less than two anti-aging eye creams, several retinoids, and a host of resurfacing products on hand at all times.
Before we dive into MY specific routine, I want to emphasize how important two things are when it comes to addressing your skin concerns:
You gotta be consistent! Products you don’t use don’t work. Likewise, if you try too many new things at once, or rotate too quickly, you won’t see the benefit of them. Unless you experience irritation, I generally like to use something up entirely, per the recommended usage directions, or for 4-6 weeks to determine if and how well it works for me.
Identify which problems you want to attack and get the right products to do that. Influencers and marketing departments push all kinds of bullshit that may or may not do anything for YOUR skin concern. Like, yes, Vitamin C serums are a great preventative measure, but they’re not all created equal. Just because Laura Beverlin likes her Tula bullshit or whatever, that doesn’t mean it’s right for you (some formulations can be really drying). If your’e not sure which products do what or what your specific skin ailment is called, make an appointment with a great dermatologist (look for cosmetic dermatologists that specialize in more than just checking moles and prescribing Accutane).
My biggest areas of concern are:
wrinkles/fine lines/anti-aging
red spots from old breakouts (I’ll get into why pregnancy is fucking archaic and babies should be developed in a lab in a future post, but suffice it to say, pregnancy hormones did me dirty, and even over a year later, I’m fixing their mess)
collagen production
moisture retention (dry skin emphasizes signs of aging)
reducing puffiness (this is more of a morning concern, which I’ll dig into in a future post)
To that end, that’s what this routine is designed to address. If these are not your concerns, then this routine may not be right for you. For instance, I’m not particularly focused on acne. While some of my products also aid in acne treatment, it’s not my primary concern (anymore, thank god!!!). So, just keep that in your back pocket as you read.
Also, this post is just a round up of my topical treatments, and doesn’t include devices like microneedling or LED light therapy. It also doesn’t include face masks since I don’t do those at night or every day. Again, I’ll cover these things in future posts. I am a content Kween!1
The routine
Okay, so I’m a nighttime showerer. How anyone gets in their bed at the end of the day WITHOUT washing off the sweat their crotch has undoubtedly accumulated throughout the day is beyond me! Like, you don’t even have to be a heavy crotch sweater! It’s just human anatomy. Anyway, AFTER I SHOWER AT THE RIGHT TIME OF DAY THAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO SHOWER, I begin my skincare routine.
It starts with these Pacifica brightening pads with AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) and BHA (beta hydroxy acid) the power-houses for skin resurfacing, which leads to a brighter complexion. You can find tons of articles diving deep into what hydroxy acids do, but basically they target everything I give a shit about.
These pads are effective and affordable. I use them 3-4 times a week. I found that daily usage makes me super dry, which is the opposite of what I’m trying to accomplish, but if I use them every other day, I get just the right amount of skin renewal.
I discovered this product as an SKII Essence knockoff. I really love the SKII Essence, which is basically a watery serum that helps with brightening tone and replenishing moisture in the skin, but at almost $200 a bottle, it’s not always in the budget. The COSRX “knockoff” is 80% less than the SKII.
For me, these aren’t a dupe - the COSRX is more gel-like than the SKII - but that’s okay, because it still works really well. The COSRX toner actually contains MORE galactomyces than the SKII version, which are fermented yeast, which I know sounds fucking weird, but yeast is really having a moment in skincare and for good reason. It’s wonderful at reducing dark spots/hyperpigmentation, among other universal skin concerns like pore size and oil production. So, after I swipe my peel pad over my face and down my neck (ALWAYS TAKE YOUR SKINCARE DOWN YOUR NECK!), I pump a couple pumps of this into my hands and pat it all over.
I’m not a huge SkinCeuticals girlie. I know everyone loves their Vitamin C, but I didn’t find it to be the miracle potion so many people claim it is. But when I got my IPL treatment last year, the aesthetician I saw recommended the Phyto Corrective Gel to help calm my skin following the treatment and give a little moisture boost. I find it does these things well, so I’ve continued using it. It’s also a great moisturizer for acne-prone skin. I do a full dropper of this into my hand, not directly on my face! Keep droppers off your face, as it can spread bacteria around.
I may not be a SkinCeuticals girlie, but I AM a Caudalie woman!!! I’ve been using Caudaile products for a decade because they truly work. Yes, the price point is a little premium, but for products that work this well, it’s worth it for me.
The Vinoperfect Serum is currently the only Caudalie product in my PM lineup because I’m making my way through another eye cream and moisturizer (as you’ll see below), but I also absolutely love the Premier Cru eye cream and serum. But let’s talk about this serum. Vinoperfect is Caudalie’s answer to Vitamin C alternatives, making it a great option for people who have struggled with traditional Vitamin C. It’s another product that helps reduce dark spots (like I said earlier, this is a HUGE area of concern for me on my cheeks, so I’m really focused on attacking it) but it also delivers a hefty dose of hydration with olive squalene.
This is one of my Holy Grail products that you’ll always find me re-buying.
I’M NOT OBSSESSED WITH DARK SPOTS, YOU ARE!!!
Look, I realize there’s a lot of dark spot treatment going on here, but I’m telling you the way my hormones assaulted me before and during pregnancy is the stuff of legends. For the first time in my life, I had the kind of acne that made me feel bad about myself. It was a mind-fuck. Thankfully, once I got back on my birth control, the craziness stopped and I’ve been relatively blemish free since (acne was never a problem for me before - don’t worry, I’ve got tons of others!). Nevertheless, I was left with really dark red marks on my face, and as we previously established…ghostly white.
This dark spot gel from Versed is the newest product in my routine, but in a short time, I’ve noticed visible redness reduction in my old acne spots. It’s the first time I’ve used Kojic acid, and my skin seems to respond quite well to it. I’ve even started using it on some of the freckles on my arms. At this price point, why not?
STEP 6: Prescription Tretinoin
I can’t link this product since it’s a prescription, but holy fuck if you don’t have a prescription retinol, now is the time!! Even before I needed it to help with collagen stimulation and reducing fine lines, I used it as a spot treatment for breakouts as a teenager, and even on my inner thigh scars from growth spurts as a kid. Literally, I have no lines on my boobs or inner thighs. You gotta go easy on this shit, though, since it’s literally designed to make you shed your skin (overuse can cause irritation, itching, and intense peeling), but once you figure out the right dosage, it’s life changing stuff.
I use about a pea sized amount, starting on my cheeks and jawline THEN working my way inward. I find when I start in the middle of my face, my nose and forehead get scaly because of too much product going there, so working outward to inward helps a lot. I know some people even mix it with their moisturizer to cut the bite a little. It takes a little practice, but you’ll figure out what works best for you.
If I’m not using the Caudalie Premier Cru eye cream I mentioned above, then I’m using my next favorite, Shiseido Benefiance eye cream. In addition to ingredients to help soften existing lines, this eye cream also contains peptides and squalene to keep skin soft to mitigate future wrinkles. Also, I really like that it comes in a jar - it means you can scrap every last bit of product out.
Eye creams should always be one of your last steps, right before moisturizer.
For some reason, this product is sold as a mask that you can like, take off? But I don’t know why you would do that. I find this makes a beautiful finishing moisturizer to help keep all my products locked into my skin to allow them to work.
The Colleen Rothschild Intense Hydrating Mask contains hyaluronic acid, which is a staple in any moisturizing product, along with peptides and some other shit that’s great for keeping your skin supple. This isn’t my absolutely favorite moisturizer of all time, but in fairness, I don’t have an absolute favorite moisturizer of all time, so I keep rebuying this because it works pretty well and comes at a good price.
Finishing oils are a relatively new part of my skincare routine. I don’t love the idea of slugging, but I don’t mind the way an oil feels on my face. The idea is similar to moisturizer, in that it helps seal your product in overnight to allow them to work, but even more effective. You naturally shed skin all night long, and considering you’ve just potentially dumped hundreds of dollars worth of product onto it, you don’t just want that shit flaking onto your pillow only to turn into dust bunnies in the corner.
A rich moisturizer and face oil will help seal that shit in so it can do all your dirty work while you sleep. I’ve been using this face oil by Colleen Rothschild and appreciate that it doesn’t actually feel oily and absorbs nicely so in the morning I have a slight glow and my skin feels hydrated.
Welp, there you have it! My complete nighttime skincare routine — for now. This shit can change a few times a year, especially during the winter when I get drier, or if I discover a new product. But I’ll keep you posted on any new shit that tickles my pickle.
Do you use any of these products? What did I leave out that you absolutely love? Sound off in the comments! And don’t forget to tag me if on Instagram @cupcakesomg if you use anything I recommend!
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