By iamsandykay on July 10, 2020 ( Leave a comment )

My Favorite Skincare – Quarantine Edition

A little over a year ago, I posted about My Favorite Skincare products. It’s time for an update, because COVID and quarantine have us at home and makeup free A LOT.

Below are the products I use and the order in which I use them.

I have learned that it really does matter which thing you use in which order.

As a refresher:
I am 38, ~~starting to~~ really noticing my frown-lines/elevens (it’s from the face I make while concentrating), I have some surface sun damage,
I have super dry eyelids (usually coinciding with seasonal allergies),
and I deal with stress and/or hormonal acne.

My Nighttime Skincare Routine

1. CLEANSE

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel

If I’m lazy, I’ll use these wipes from Sephora

These are the only ones I’ve found that do not use micellar water – which my face does NOT prefer. I also always had these in my gym bag to take off makeup after work.

2. EXFOLIATE

Here is where I use my acids.

As mentioned above, I have both wrinkles and blemishes. I rotate nights between:

Alpha-H Vitamin A

and

Alpha-H Liquid Gold with Glycolic Acid

3. SERUM

Alpha-H Vitamin B

This one is going a long way to even out my skin tone and help with those wrinkles I mentioned.

4. EYE CREAM

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Gel Eye Cream

This is still the best eye moisturizer I have found to help/provide relief with my dry eyelids. Most are designed to firm and tighten and reduce undereye circles. None of that addresses my problem. Aside from staying hydrated, this works the best.

5. MOISTURIZE

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Moisturizer

It’s soothing, moisturizing, and those peptides really help with my wrinkles.

As we haven’t really been going anywhere and I haven’t been wearing makeup, my morning routine has been quite lax. I try to follow through with this list, but ehh….

My Daytime Skincare Routine

1. CLEANSE

If I shower in the morning, I use my Clinique scrubber with

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap (aka Step 1)

If I’m showering in the evening, I will sometimes start my day with

Clinique Pep-Start™ 2-in-1 Exfoliating Cleanser

It has these great exfoliating particles for those times
when you feel the need to scrub your face off.

2. EXFOLIATE

I had the Clarisonic Mia 2, but I prefer the shape of the Clinique head, better.

3. SERUM

I haven’t really been using serum during quarantine. I DID try Alpha-H’s Vitamin C serum and I had quite the reaction to it. I have had reactions to other Vitamin C products, so this wasn’t truly unexpected. Disappointing, for sure. I’m still on the hunt for something that can protect and heal current sun damage.

4. EYE CREAM

Same as at night.

5. MOISTURIZER AND SUNSCREEN

If it’s a makeup-free day – as 97% of my days are – I use this moisturizer and sunscreen combo. On me, it is too heavy for under makeup.