#another long read lol

Hey skincare friends! Cold weather season is almost here for me, so that means out with my summer products and in with my autumn/winter ones! In this post I’ll be going over my morning and night routine—all the steps I take and what I’m using. I’ll also include my skin type and such for reference, but generally all the products I use are great for all skin types unless I point out otherwise. Okay, this intro is long enough—let’s get started!

Skin type: Dry, sensitive (irritation/redness prone), with texture & acne issues (aka an endless struggle, lol).

A lil’ context: With the incoming cold weather season and considering I’m using several topical acne treatments, my focus these days have been on calming, moisturizing products with minimal & non-comedogenic (aka non-irritating, non-acne causing) ingredients (but, just FYI, what is irritating or not is also partly relative to the person). Anyhow, just thought I should give you a little background before we get started.  

☔ MORNING ⛅

1. Water-only cleanse.

Yep: in the morning, I just cleanse my face with water—not too hot, not too cold. Occasionally, I’ll use a toner on a cotton pad afterward or in place of a water-only cleanse.

• My go-to toners: Heritage Store Rosewater, Nakeup Face Stress 0 Toner.

2. Clindamycin topical acne treatment (prescribed).

3. Caudalie Grape Water Mist (or another mist I have on hand).

I like to always use a mist sometime in my routine, usually before (but sometimes after) a moisturizer. Mists have basically replaced my essence/serum step these days. I’m digging any sort of product that minimizes my having to touch/rub my face, so mists and any sort of no-touch products are my new favs. 

• My holy grail mist: Caudalie Grape Water—I 100% recommend this for every skin type and condition out there. If you’re looking for a great, everyday mist, stop looking around and just get this one!
  

Other mists I’ll sometimes use:

• Heritage Store Rosewater Spray.
• Missha Time Revolution Artemisia Treatment Essence (probably my most moisturizing mist—it’s literally an essence in a mist bottle). 

4. Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream. 

This is my everyday moisturizer. It’s good for all skin types, particularly my dry/normal friends. It’s moisturizing without feeling sticky or heavy. 

Other creams I sometimes use and/or layer:

• Etude House Soon Jung 2X Barrier Intensive Cream (application can be a bit sticky at first, just FYI). 
• Weleda Skin Food (for days my skin is extremely dry/raw; this one is very thick and moisturizing/nourishing and leaves a glow to the skin. I don’t recommend this for oily skin types as it is a pretty heavy, balmy type cream. And watch out very sensitive, acne-prone skin types—this one has oils and fragrance, but my skin hasn’t reacted badly to this one before. There’s also a lighter version of this that I plan to try soon.

5. Cerave’s Healing Ointment.

This is another must-have product for me in the colder months. I like to put this on my extremely dry and irritated spots and on my lips too. It’s like a more emollient/spreadable version of Vaseline petroleum jelly. My super dry, irritated skin loves this stuff and it’s the only thing that really stops my skin from flaking up, but I can surely see how a lot of people won’t like the feeling of an ointment on their face. Extremely dry, flaky skin types out there: this might be the cure you’ve been looking for. Just be aware, a slightly oily/shiny look is somewhat unavoidable with this one. If you don’t want to wear this in the day but want the deep moisture/healing properties of it, I’d recommend using this as an intense nourishing moisturizer/mask at night. It’s great for the body, too. 

6. SPF.

Of course, you know the drill: it’s super beneficial to wear SPF daily, even on those cloudy, winter days. 

My favorite SPFs (~certified~ no white cast & comfortable to wear):

• Purito Centella Green Level Unscented Sun SPF 50+ PA++++ (probably doesn’t get better than this for physical, clean sunscreens; this is an SPF I’ll always have on hand)
• Skin&Lab Fre C Sun Lotion SPF 50+ PA++++ 
  
• HYGGEE Relief Sun Moisturizer SPF 50+ PA++++ (this is the texture and feel of a cream moisturizer, with the added benefit of SPF protection; great for dry skin types in particular.)

NIGHT ❄️

1. The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser.

No matter what skin type you have, I recommend using a more gentle, non-stripping cleanser, especially in the colder months (that means gentler cleansers in the texture of creams, oils, balms, and milks). This cleanser by The Ordinary is super gentle and nourishing; it comes out as a cream and once warmed in your hands, turns into a smooth oil texture. It washes off clean and doesn’t make my skin feel tight. I’ve only just started using this one, but I already know I’m never going back to my foam cleanser.

2. Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLit FaceWare Pro LED Mask.

I use my LED mask for the timed 3 minutes every night (unless I’m feeling too lazy, lol). The light is supposed to help kill bacteria, improve skin texture, signs of aging, etc. LED masks are usually pretty pricey, (mine was around $400…yikes). This step, of course, is optional. There are a ton of other amazing treatment devices out there beyond LED masks, so if you’re wanting to add a little spa-level luxury to your routine, do your research and look around to find the tool best fit for you. 

3. Tretinoin cream (prescription).

4. Caudalie Grape Water (or another mist I have; just like in my morning routine).

5. Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream.

At night I usually want a more rich, nourishing cream, so I’ll go in after using Klairs with something heavier, like my Cerave Healing Ointment or Weleda’s Skinfood. I’ll probably be buying a few more moisturizers once the cold weather really hits where I’m located. 

6. Lip care: oil + ointment.

I usually layer an oil (I made a homemade one made of a mix of grapeseed oil and Tamanu oil) then I add an ointment on top, either Cerave’s Healing Ointment or good ol’ plain Vaseline. I always wake up with plump, moisturized lips when I do good lip care, so it’s worth the extra time!

7. Acne spot treatment(s): drying lotions & pimple patches. 

As a final step, I’ll occasionally spot treat, which, thankfully, I haven’t been needing to do as much. I tend to use drying lotions or pimple patches. I’ve seen good results from both. FYI, though, if I were going to use pimple patches, I’d put those on before applying my moisturizing products—the less product between the skin and the pimple patch, the more effective it’ll be. 

Finished!! Whew, is anyone else tired? What’s your skincare routine looking like these days? I hope this is helpful to those looking for routine recommendations and inspo. Let’s chat again soon. Bye for now~