I seriously can’t believe it has been a year this month we have had this pandemic! It’s been a very difficult time for everyone. Coming up with new things to do and trying to stay away from negative news can be challenging.
I have been thinking about a lot of things I’ve been able to do and appreciate during the pandemic. Being home a lot is difficult for most of us I’m guessing, but thinking of things to do that are healthy and beneficial has been something I try to look forward to. One of the things that has brought me some comfort and kept me happy has been a good skin care routine.
Some of the good things I’ve had fun with is enjoying learning about what other women are finding they love with their skin care and beauty routines. Being able to try new products and actually give them time to do their magic and see the results has been interesting. In the beginning of the stay-at-home order, I read about a few products and I wanted to see what all the hype is about.
I purchased a Nuface Trinity, which is an advanced microcurrent facial toning device that helps improve facial contours, the tone of your skin, and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. I’ve been trying to use this facial toner before I get out of bed in the morning. It actually feels really refreshing; the cold metal definitely wakes me up. I use aloe vera gel to help the microcurrent device glide smoothly over my skin. It also helps get rid of morning “puff eye”! I use it for about 5 minutes every morning. I definitely notice my whole face feeling like it’s had a workout, a toning workout. My face definitely feels like it’s not going south as fast!
I rarely put on makeup anymore and when I do it’s just for fun, do I remember how to put it on!?Even some of my friends are not wearing any make up on a daily basis, and some friends are even forgoing makeup on Zoom calls. And when I do wear makeup, it’s usually just eyebrows and maybe eye makeup, or just lashes and mascara. My go-to mascara is L’Oreal Double Extend Tubular mascara, or Surfer Curl by Tarte. If I want a super dramatic lash, I’ll even mix the two.
However, my every day routine has been pretty much the same during the pandemic. Sunscreen is for sure one of my must-haves. I’ve been using two different ones: La Roche-Posay Anthelios AOX Daily Antioxidant Serum SPF 50 or Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+/PA
At bedtime, I always wash my face, no matter what I’ve been doing that day. I feel that damp, clean skin helps your products absorb much better. After a gentle exfoliating night time wash, I apply my retinoids. For many months now, I have been mixing two together and I am definitely liking the results. My sunspots have diminished and the texture of my skin has improved.
I’ve also been using La Roche-Posay Effaclar Adapalene Gel 0.1% Topical Retinoid Acne Treatment. I don’t have acne, but this was the most potent retinoid I could find. I mix this with Cerevé Retinol Serum. I apply this mixture (just a small amount of each) and let it dry for a few minutes before I apply a night moisturizer. It did take about a month for my skin to get used to the retinoids, but with regular use and by-weekly exfoliating, it definitely makes my skin glow!
After my morning facial toning, I’ll shower and use a warm washcloth to remove the aloe vera gel and gently wash my face. As soon as I’m out of the shower, with my skin still damp, I apply hyaluronic acid. After reading how hyaluronic acid works, I found that combining polyglutamic acid with hyaluronic acid is the perfect way to advance its effectiveness. I’ve been using THE INKEY LIST Polyglutamic Acid. I will apply The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 and then apply the polyglutamic acid, let that dry, and then apply my sunscreen. If I need more moisturizing, I will use a vitamin C serum.
I’m happy with just this routine for a daily basis, and wearing makeup just when I feel like putting it on. I would love to hear about your pandemic routines on what you are doing to make your skin happy!