Create A Morning Routine From Scratch
With such a variety of information on skincare floating around the internet, it can be overwhelming and stressful when building a skincare routine. If you are experiencing these feelings, you aren’t alone! In this blog post, I will be covering all the simple and essential steps and tips you need when building a morning skin routine.
Step 1:
The perfect cleanser. Cleansers are not a one size fits all situation. The wrong cleanser can often leave your skin feeling stripped or not cleansed enough, depending on your skin type. I have a full blog post that you can take a peek at to see just how to find the right cleanser for you. But as a quick summary, if you run oily, try a gel or foaming cleanser. They do a wonderful job at cleansing the skin and removing excess oil. Two of my favorite cleansers for oily skin are Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel and Replenix Acne Solutions Gly-Sal 10%/2% Cleanser (20% off with Code AMY).
When it comes to dry skin, choose cleansers with a milky or creamy consistency. The main goal when cleansing dry skin is to preserve your natural lipids, that will help maintain your skin barrier, while of course removing sunscreen and makeup. Two of my must-have cleansers for dry skin are La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser and Skinfix Barrier+ Foaming Oil Hydrating Cleanser.
Step 2:
Choose a serum that targets your specific skin concerns. Two of my favorite AM serums you can choose from are either a Vitamin C or a humectant. Vitamin C will brighten and protect against oxidative stress. Vitamin C has been shown to increase collagen production, decrease pigmentation and provide additional UV protection when used in conjunction with your sunscreen! Take a peek at some of my favorite Vitamin C serums here.
Another amazing option for a serum is a humectant, in efforts to increase hydration. A few of my favorite humectants are Summer Fridays Dream Oasis Serum and Plum Plump Hyaluronic Serum.
Step 3:
Tailor your moisturizer to your skin’s needs. If you struggle with dry skin, choose a thick cream moisturizer. Two of my favorites are Medature PSL Repair Moisturizer and BiossanceSqualane + Omega Repair Deep Hydration Moisturizer.
As for oily skin, you will want to stick with a gel cream. They contain fewer emollients and oils than creamy moisturizers. Gel moisturizers are typically most compatible with oily skin due to their absence of oil. My absolute favorite moisturizer for oily skin is Barrier+ Skin Barrier Restoring Gel Cream.
Step 4:
You probably already guessed the final step in building a morning routine, SPF. This is, without a doubt, the most important step in your routine. I give all my top sunscreen picks and hacks in my blog post on The Best Sunscreens For Underneath Makeup. As you’d likely imagine, oil-free sunscreens are going to be best suited for oily skin. EltaMD UV Clear Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF46 is my favorite SPF for anybody who has a skin type on the oily side. Summer Fridays ShadeDrops Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Mineral Milk Sunscreen and Naturium Dew-Glow Moisturizer SPF 50 are both incredible choices for dry skin. However, if you experience hyperpigmentation, I always use a tinted sunscreen. The iron oxides in tinted sunscreen help to protect from visible light. Visible light is a variable that will make hyperpigmentation worse. I LOVE this tinted sunscreen from Elta MD, it is an absolute must-have.
Remember, your skin type might change over time. Don’t be afraid to reevaluate your regimen and make sure it still supports you! For the full video on building an AM skincare routine, make sure to take a peek at my recent Tik Tok!
Happy Holidays,
