My Current Summer 2020 Skincare Routine
(Header photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash)
Not sponsored links. All products were purchased by me or gifted to me from a friend. Opinions are my own.
In total, my routine consists of 9 items, but I don’t use every item each night. Instead, I focus on what my skin needs in the moment. I’ve stuck with some favorites while introducing two or three new things to the mix. The major difference is that I’m not currently using heavy, thick moisturizers like I did in the winter. (Though I may reach for a thicker cream after a long day of makeup.) I know my skincare routine will change again in future because it’s something that will always be changing, and I think that’s exciting. But I’m teaching myself to let my skin breathe, to finish up products before moving on to new ones, and giving a product time to work with my skin’s natural cycle.
So, I’ve been trying to par down and focus on two things: hydrating my skin and taking care of my hyperpigmentation leftover from my cystic acne. This year, I started seeing an aesthetician, and I’ve had two ultrasonic facial treatments and one obagi peel treatment. I would have seen my aesthetician more, but I had to cancel and move back all appointments due to COVID. My skincare regime hasn’t changed after my facial treatments, I just make sure not to use any actives right before or after visiting my aesthetician.
I use a lot of CeraVe, The Ordinary, a few indie brands, and some higher-end expensive products (gifted from friends). My skin personally loves CeraVe and The Ordinary - its always reacted very well to both brands. So what works for me may not work for everyone. My skin is much drier in the winter with some oil in my T zone, and oily overall in the summer, so I ‘d say I have combination skin.
Current Summer Skincare Routine at a Glance:
Cleansers:
Meow Meow Tweet Deep Liquid Facial Cleanser (Every night, even if I hadn’t worn makeup. A double cleanse works great after wearing SPF and sweating all day)
Krave Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser (Every night, occasionally in AM if my face feels grimy or sweaty)
Actives:
CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum (1x week, separate night from Lactic Acid)
The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA (1x week, separate night from Retinol)
Serum:
Dr. Jart+ Cicapair™ Tiger Grass Serum (Every other night or if I feel like it)
Moisturizers:
CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion (PM and AM)
Primera Alpine Berry Water Cream (PM as needed)
Sunscreens:
[innisfree] OAT Mild Moisture Sun Cream 40ml SPF50+ PA+++ (For face, at least 2x daily)
CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion AM SPF 30 (For body, primarily arms and chest)
My all time favorite oil cleanser made with sunflower oil as the first ingredient. Other oil cleansers I’ve tried were always too greasy and hard to take off, but this one is just the right balance. It removes that first layer of makeup like nobody’s business. I use this nightly, even on days when I don’t wear makeup, because I like to double cleanse after wearing SPF 50 all day.
(Photo credit Meow Meow Tweet.com)
I started using this cleanser this summer, and it does an awesome cleansing job without being stripping. The matcha scent is definitely prominent, too, without being overpowering or sensitizing. The creator, Liah Yoo, is the first youtuber I watched who taught me about skincare. I learned that I had a damaged moisture barrier because of her informative videos.
(Photo credit kravebeauty.com)
I’ve only started using this retinol at the beginning of the summer. I use it once a week at most, but to be honest I forgot to use it most times. My skin didn’t react badly to it - no redness or irritation. I like the price point of this product, though I think it’s too early to say whether I’ll repurchase it or not because it can take months of use before results of retinol can be seen. I don’t think I’m at the results stage yet, so I will continue to use this product and see how I feel after I’ve finished the bottle.
(Photo credit Target.com)
I’ve been a fan of The Ordinary for a few years now. I haven’t touched a physical exfoliant since last year (I think), and I use this one on my face once a week at most. It tingles a little, but not too irritating. My skin is quite tough and can take a beating, but just cause it can doesn’t mean it should. I feel like this product gets the job done without irritating my face too much.
(Photo credit TheOrdinary.com)
I could do with or without serums. This one feels nice on my skin, and seems to do a good job of calming it down after I’ve done my double cleanse for the evening. I’ve tried the Cicapair face spray and I’d say I like it more than the serum, but I’m not a serum type of gal.
(Photo credit Sephora.com)
My go-to moisturizer for the last couple of years. No fuss and simple, I also use this on my body every other time after showering. I’ve used CeraVe’s body lotion too but I felt that it was too thick and never fully absorbed into my skin. CeraVe can be hit or miss for most people: My brother’s skin didn’t react well to it, while mine loves every product I’ve tried by CeraVe so far.
(Photo credit Target.com)
The consistency of this cream reminds me of Drunk Elephant’s polypeptide moisturizer: gel-like, yet creamy at the same time. I use it on nights when my skin needs that extra boost of moisturizer. I think gel moisturizers for summer just make sense: they provide a good amount of hydration without being too thick.
(Photo credit Sephora.com)
My all-time favorite sunscreen that I use almost year-round. My skin works very well with this sunscreen; I can apply makeup over it and it will last for hours. This product has never made me break out, and it applies much better than most sunscreens I’ve tried.
(Photo credit Amazon.com)
A good simple moisturizer with SPF for everyday use. I put this on my hands, arms, shoulders, and chest everyday. I’ll use this on my face as a backup, but it’s not my favorite because it pills a bit and doesn’t fully absorb into my skin. I don’t notice the pilling when it’s on my arms, so I’m not too bothered, but on the face it feels too thick and inconsistent. Still a good price point and nice to use on body and hands.
(Photo credit Target.com)
