Girl, You Do *Not* Need A 10-Step Skincare Routine
Things you only fully understand in your 30s + up.
At this point, I’m quite sure that this isn’t a ground breaking revolution, but it is still one that needs to be unpacked. You literally don’t need a 10-step skincare routine, or hell, even a 5 step. (I do know different strokes for different folks, but still.)
When I first started working in beauty, I worked with complexion brands at L'Oréal and found myself quickly immersed in the world of all things glam. Post-pandemic me still doesn’t know how I managed to wake up at 5:30-6 AM and do a full face before heading into the office.
Of course, with this, I also became a slight skincare junkie. I learned the real basics of it all. Use cotton pads + micellar water over makeup wipes, wear your SPF (obviously), the works, ya know!? But, it wasn’t until I got to Glossier where I discovered the true meaning of what I’ve coined “Skin First.”
My G’bby’s (What I call my friends at the G) opened my eyes up to K-Beauty and the cult-loved 10-step routine. In our slack channels, we’d be sharing the latest products that were to die for from oo35mm (now known as senti senti) Our fave shared product was this shark sauce serum that honestly was one of the best serums I’ve ever used. (Let the record show that we wall on snail mucin before it went viral.)
But, as I approached the end of my 20s, I quickly started to notice that less was truly more and started to subtract from my very lengthy skincare routine. By the end of my 20s, I’d gone from 12-steps, to 10, then 10 to 7. Through the pandemic, a new decade of life + an entire career change, I had scaled my routine back to be 5-steps for my AM routine and 2-3 for the evening routine. (Like, don’t forget that your morning + evening routine should not be the same, ahkay!?)
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I’ll admit, my skin went through a trifling bout from 2020-2022 and by 2023, I had finally cracked the code and was finally back on the right side of the tracks.
Now, people often ask me what products I use for my skin + I must say that I hate to give out advice on skin because skin and the state of it all is primarily genetic + the same products I use on myself may not work for you, but, feel free to give it a go.
Ahead, I’ll break down my fave products I use in my morning + night routine. And of course give me a shout if you have any “pacific” Q’s.
Morning Routine: Cleanser, Vitamin C Serum, Eye Cream, Moisturizer, SPF. (Face oil for an added bouns.)
These are the cleansers I currently use for both day/nite:
Rhode’s Pineapple Refresh Cleanser
These are the Vitamin C serums I currently use:
BeautyStat “Universal C” Skin Refiner
Summer Friday’s “CC Me” Vitamin C Serum
This is the eye cream I currently use:
ILIA Beauty’s “Bright Start Activated Eye Cream
This is the moisturizers I use for day/nite:
The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors +PhytoCeramides
These are the SPF’s I rotate:
SuperGoop! “Unseen” Sunscreen SPF40
Naked Sunday’s SPF50 Cabana Clear Water Gel Serum
Glossier “Invisible Shield” SPF35
Evening Routine: Cleanser (sometimes I have to double cleanse) exfoliation, eye cream, moisturizer.
I use the same cleansers as mentioned above.
These are the exfoliants I rotate:
YSE Beauty “Your Favorite Ex” Exfoliating Pads
EADEM “Cashmere Peel” AHA + PHA Toner
This is the eye cream I currently use at nite:
Summer Friday’s Jet Lag Overnight Eye Serum
I complete the steps with the same moisturizer in my evening routine as well.
xxS