Morning & Nighttime Skincare Routine

If you’re using oil-based products at night, an oil cleanse in the morning is an absolute must to effectively lift away those products and whatever they have brought to the skin’s surface overnight.

Heat up two pumps of your oil-based cleanser in the palm of your hand before massaging into skin and down your neck, then take a minute to work in the product and stimulate circulation. Rinse with warm water and leave skin damp for the next step.

A low-PH water-based cleanser in your morning skincare routine helps to properly deep clean without causing redness that is hard to calm before makeup application.

Work your water-based cleanser into a foam, gently massaging onto your skin, and rinse with cold water. Press a clean washcloth onto your skin to dry – do not rub.

Toner is the first barrier product you apply – good toner balances your skin’s PH, and is intended to hydrate – not strip your skin.

PUT THE COTTON PADS DOWN. Anything you put between your fingers and your face has potential to irritate skin, so embrace the practice of pressing. Tap a few drops of toner on your face and press it in to even application.

Essence is a concentrated formula that specifically targets dull and uneven skin tones, wrinkles, and fine lines. It works at the cellular level to improve your skin.

Apply essence by placing a dime sized amount in your hands and evenly patting all over your face and neck. Repeat two or three times, if you’re thorough.

Your face is up against a lot of agents that wish to do it harm throughout the day (exhaust fumes from the city bus, your dirty phone screen, etc). Serums see to it that none of those stressors cause long term damage to your skin.

A little truly goes a long way, so press a couple pumps into freshly toned skin and allow to absorb fully before moving on.

There is no such thing as skin that is too hydrated and there is no replacement for this essential step.

Press a thin layer onto skin and wait a few moments for full absorption.

If you only had time for one skincare product each morning, it had better be sunscreen.

Press a quarter-sized amount onto your face, and an additional quarter-sized amount onto your neck and décolletage.

Primer is equal parts skincare and makeup, but an optional step if you aren’t planning on applying any pigmented products after your sun protection.

Using a clean foundation brush with natural hair bristles, swipe an even layer over face and then press into skin with the brush.

Your eye area is host to the most sensitive skin on your face and is also this first area to show aging. Avoid scrubbing and tugging at this gentle area by using a dissolving eye makeup remover and cotton pad.

Heat up two pumps of your oil-based cleanser in the palm of your hand before massaging into skin and down your neck, then take a minute to work in the product and stimulate circulation. Rinse with warm water and leave skin damp for the next step.

Work your water-based cleanser into a foam, gently massaging onto your skin, and rinse with cold water. Press a clean washcloth onto your skin to dry – do not rub.

After patting skin dry with a towel, apply a quarter-sized amount of product by pressing it onto your face, not swabbing it on with a cotton pad.

Apply essence by placing a dime sized amount in your hands and evenly patting all over your face and neck. Repeat two or three times, if you’re thorough.

Serums are the most potent and customizable step in your skincare routine, and, depending on what issues you’re having with your complexion, will determine exactly which product you will need.

A good rule of thumb is to focus more on hydration and regeneration with your nighttime formula. Place a little on your skin and allow to absorb fully before moving on.

Applying an oil overnight will enable the skin to combat the overproduction of sebum and pore clogging oil that leads to the breakouts, blackheads, and enlarged pores of combination and oily skin.

Place a few drops in your hand and lightly massage in an upward motion.

The final step in your nightly routine should always be a viscous moisturizer to seal in the effects of all the hard work you’ve put in to the previous steps. Sleeping masks and night creams are intended to still be lingering in the AM, hence the necessity of starting your morning routine with an oil based cleanser.

The removal of dead skin cells at the surface level is vital to improving overall texture and tone, but harsh scrubs and granular exfoliants often cause more damage than they do good. It’s important to use gentle powders and polishes. And use them sparingly — physical exfoliants should never be used more than twice a week.

Alpha-Hydroxy Acids and Beta-Hydroxy Acids are ingredients that your skin requires in order to initiate exfoliation at a deeper level in the skin rather than just sloughing away what is already dead at the surface. Treating with a chemical exfoliation two to three times a week promotes more rapid cell turnover resulting in brighter and clearer skin and slows the aging process.

If you can’t make it in to see an esthetician once a month for a clinical strength chemical peel, you can still reap the benefits from the milder formulations for home applications. Acid peels should be used once a week at the absolute most, and always be sure to test your product on a small patch of skin before committing to a full application.

Your skin can never be too moisturized and a sheet mask is a great way to get a surge of moisture. We also love to use them after a plane ride or late night of socializing.