A couple Mondays ago, I covered my evening skin care routine. My routine in the morning is decidedly simpler and less involved. I believe I’ve said this before, but my skin is combination/oily, dehydrated, sensitive, and acne prone. My skin gets oily throughout the day, so I limit what I layer on my skin in the morning. I focus on removing excess oil, toning, and lightly moisturizing.
This is all I use!
Boots Botanics Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm, $8.49
This is my morning cleansing balm. It’s very, very affordable and lasts a long time. You use this in the same way you do any cleansing balm. Scoop a little out, rub it between your fingers (it “turns into” an oil), massage onto your face, and remove it with a hot wash cloth. The reason I use this instead of my REN Cleansing Balm is two-fold. One, the REN balm is freaking expensive and I want it to last as long as possible. Two, this cleansing balm is not great at removing makeup (unlike the REN one). So for now, it’s the REN one for removing makeup and this one for cleansing my skin in the morning. I’m about to try out a different cleansing balm and I hope it’s great at removing makeup!
Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2, $13 – $22.50
This is my exfoliating toner for the a.m., just like the p.m. I sweep this over my face with a cotton pad.
Pangea Organics Argentinian Tangerine & Thyme Toner, $26
This is the misting toner that I use in the morning. It’s specifically for oily and blemish prone skin, which is why I opt for this one over a strictly moisturizing one. This has thyme in it, which is antibacterial and astringent. It’s also gentle. One of my favorite toners, the Caudalie Beauty Elixir, has thyme in it, too. It really is refreshing on the skin!
StriVectin SD Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles, $65
This is my eye cream of choice at the moment. It’s a sample that I received in my April Birchbox. It is super, super moisturizing yet it sinks into the skin. So, it’s not to heavy to use during the day. I find that eye cream samples last forever so I’m usually bouncing from one sample to the other. I haven’t bought eye cream in almost 2 years! This one is so nice, but it’s definitely not in my budget. If I could afford a $65 eye cream, I would buy this one. (I’ll be trying the Bobbi Brown one next)
Juicy Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum, $29
If I feel the need to put a blemish healing product on my face in the morning, I use this one. It has salicylic acid in it, but it’s so gentle that it doesn’t dry out my skin. I found this through Birchbox and as soon as I ran out of my sample, I purchased a full size. It’s that good!
Mary Kay Botanical Effects Hydration 3, $16
I’ve been using Mary Kay moisturizers since I started using skin care when I was younger. I switched over to this Botanical Effects moisturizer last year. It’s just the right amount of moisture to where my skin feels hydrated but my makeup doesn’t feel like it’s slipping around on my skin. It’s also a very affordable option for the quality of product!
Supergoop! Everyday Face & Body Lotion SPF 30, $14
I use this sun screen after the Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum and before my moisturizer. I also apply it to my chest area that might be exposed to the sun (i.e., if I’m wearing a v-neck). It’s not greasy, it easily absorbs into the skin, and it doesn’t have a strong sun screen smell. I highly recommend this if you’re in the market for a new sun screen for your face!
Aaaand.. that it’s it. Decidedly simpler than my evening routine. I am very happy with this set of products in the morning and don’t see it changing any time in the future. And as with my evening skin care routine, I also have this in video from here. If you’d like to see me ramble about morning skin care, then check that out!
Do you use different skin care in the morning, or do you prefer to keep it simple and use the same thing as your evening routine? I’d love to hear what you use!
Today, I’m linking up with Carly and Molly for Funday Monday.