We believe skincare is like brushing your teeth. Twice a day keeps the bad stuff away!
Of course, everyone has different ideas about what makes a great skincare routine, and we understand that this will be a purely subjective take on our part. But, we like to think we know what we’re doing here at Speaking Skincare, and a bunch of us around the office have come to a joint consensus (after much debate) on what we believe the best skincare routine is for both the morning and evenings.
Will you agree with us? Feel free to think we’re all know-nothing heathens if you wish! But maybe, just maybe, you’ll think we have something valuable to say.
Okay, without further ado, here’s our AM and PM skincare routine for flawless skin.
Morning Skincare Routine
The key to a successful morning routine is avoiding the more spa-like treatments that will take up a lot of time. It’s also important to use products that will go a long way to protect your skin for the day ahead. Here’s our recommendation.
Cleanse
Before any heavy-duty products are slapped on, the first thing to do is take advantage of a gentle cleanser.
Cleansing your face with a nice micellar water will not only refresh and revive the skin after a long night’s sleep but also prime it for further product application. Take a minute or two to wipe away the night’s gunk, and you’ll be ready for the next stage.
Serum
Next, a good antioxidant serum is our go-to number 2. If there’s a super effective way of fighting free radicals in the morning and setting the skin up to be protected throughout the day, it’s with a well-regarded antioxidant serum.
Containing a selection of vitamins, antioxidant serums can inject that boost of healthy goodness your skin needs in the mornings.
Moisturizer
Our final step in our morning skincare routine is applying a nice, rich moisturizer. Now, if you have oily skin, you may want to swap this out with something lighter that can help absorb excess oil rather than giving you more moisture than you need, but that will be down to you.
For us, there’s nothing better to prepare the face for the challenges of the day ahead than with a good moisturizer. It will help the skin retain water, look glowing and healthy, and ensure dryness is kept at bay. If you can find a moisturizer with built-in SPF, that will earn you bonus points, as this will help shield the skin from damaging sun rays.
Evening Skincare Routine
Phew! The day is over, work is done, and now it’s time to relax. Well, almost time to relax.
First, we have to take care of our face, after all, it will have been exposed to a host of different pollutants and environmental hazards during the day. This is why our evening skincare routine focuses on washing away dirt and debris, before settling down with something more soothing. Let’s get to it.
Cleanse
While our morning cleanse was nice and gentle, this one will need to be a bit more forceful. It’s going to be very important to really wipe away all that mess that will have accumulated on the face before applying further products. Failure to remove it all could result in blocked pores and eventually breakouts, so this has got to be done right.
You can use the same cleanser from the morning, though you may need to use it more than once, or you can opt for a cleanser with more potent active ingredients such as AHAs. The choice is yours.
Exfoliate
Now we need to really get down and dirty. Exfoliators are the best way to remove that hard-to-reach dirt and debris that has nested in the nooks and crannies of your face. It’s also a fantastic method of clearing away dead skin cells that have accumulated over time. Our skin naturally goes through a process of cell turnover, but this can get interrupted due to the products we use daily, or because of environmental factors. These dead cells, like other types of dirt, can clog pores and lead to further irritation.
Getting a good exfoliating session done in the evening will really reset the face after a long hard day.
Eye cream
You didn’t think we’d forget about the eyes, did you? It goes without saying that at the end of the day, your eyes are probably looking a bit worse for wear. They can look baggy, and dull, and overall give you a tired appearance. This is where an effective eye cream comes in.
Taking the stress off your under-eye skin will help to refresh the eyes, inject a bit of life, and help to restore elasticity which will reduce sagging and bags. We’d mark this step as super essential!
Night cream
Finally, the cherry on top of the skincare cake is night cream. This baby is applied just before bed and left on the skin overnight. As the dark hours pass, the cream rejuvenates the face, gives it a nice bit of plumpness, and gifts the skin with vital hydration and moisture. In the morning, your face will look glowing, youthful, and revived. Then, the whole process begins again.
Consistency is key
Following this routine or a similar routine will only yield results if you are consistent in your approach. Think of it as a lifestyle change rather than a skincare regimen. Over time, your skin will retain more moisture, look and feel healthier, exhibit a youthful glow, and be free of hazardous dirt and debris. What more could you ask for?
Conclusion
As we said at the beginning, these types of routines are purely subjective. What works for us may not work for you, but we can say we fully believe in the power of this morning and evening routine.
Of course, you must take into account your natural skin type and make changes accordingly. Thick moisturizers, for example, may not be entirely suitable for people with excessively oily skin.
Overall, however, your skin will thank you for getting in the habit of an AM/PM daily skincare routine.
