I’ve always looked young for my age and had pretty good skin. Although at 30, I look more radiant and youthful than I ever did, and here’s why: SKINCARE.
As a teen and young adult, I never gave much thought into my skin. It looked fine, so why bother worrying about it right? I was using the St. Ives apricot scrub (cringe I know, don’t come for me), no makeup remover, no SPF, and rarely even a moisturizer! It’s a miracle my skin isn’t in total disrepair today.
To top it all off, I was living in the Arizona and then California sun for a decade. Yes that’s right, with no SPF. In between when I would visit my family on the east coast in Maine, I would indulge in tanning beds since it was included for free in my gym membership. Of course, I would lay at the beach or by the pool when I was on the west coast.
My diet consisted of primarily fried chicken, taco bell, and alcohol, and my sleeping patterns were erratic. All of this combined left my skin looking dehydrated, freckly, and creased.
From 2015-2018 I struggled with moderate to severe acne breakouts, which left dark spots on my forehead. It wasn’t until around 2019 that I started taking my skincare routine more seriously. By this time I had relocated to Ireland, so at least sun damage was no longer a pressing issue.
Here is a list of the products I truly believe reversed the damage I caused my skin from years of sun damage, excessing drinking, and acne scars.
Cleanser
Since my traumatic St. Ives days, I’ve tried many a cleanser. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon this one that my life really changed. The Krave Beauty Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser is everything I ever needed and more from a cleanser. It has a pH balancing formula which will not strip your skins barrier of its much needed moisture, and is formulated without harsh SLS. It’s rich in vitamin B5 and green tea antioxidants. I use this morning and night in my routine, and it pairs beautifully with absolutely every skin product I have ever used. I’ve recommended this to loads of people, and they have loved it just as much as I do. This is a Korean skincare brand, and ships directly from Korea.
Vitamin C
Not to be dramatic, but vitamin C saved my skin. This might be the star of the show, or at least the star of my morning skincare routine. The No7 Vitamin C Serum is responsible for the flawless forehead you see today, completely free from any dark spots that were once prominent.
Can you even believe that’s the same forehead? Me either. Vitamin C is a powerhouse for reducing the appearance of dark spots and discoloration. It also supports collagen production, which helps to reduce wrinkles. You don’t need to break the bank, you just need to look for the term “Ascorbic Acid” within the first three ingredients. The further down the ingredients list, the less potent the vitamin C. I recommend a serum with 10-20% vitamin C, anything less is not as effective.
Moisturizer
The Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream is hands down THE BEST moisturizer I’ve ever tried. It’s ultra moisturizing and keeps my skin feeling plump and hydrated all day long. The patented ceramide complex formula helps to protect the skins barrier and reduce free radical damage. The best part is, even if you have normal to oily skin, this cream doesn’t leave you looking greasy or shiny. I don’t know how they do it, but it’s magic.
It’s especially good for those who use retinol or tretinoin, which is how I came to discover it. I use this cream day and night, and at night I layer my retinol or tretinoin over it. Another amazing Korean skincare brand, and it’s also fragrance free!
SPF
Like I mentioned before, I didn’t use SPF until fairly recently. I think that’s because I had this idea in my head that it would make me look oily and cause breakouts. However that hasn’t been true at all. I’ve tried many different sunscreens, but my tried and true go-to is the Purito Daily Go-To Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ with a PA++++. This truly is weightless and scentless like it claims, and wears beautifully under makeup.
I wear this religiously on a daily basis and have never experienced any negative side effects from it. It’s absolutely undetectable and does not leave a white cast. Purito is also a Korean skincare company, by now I’m sure you’re noticing a trend.
Exfoliant
The star of my evening routine has been the Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant. This has been a game changer for smoothing and evening out my skin tone and reducing my fine lines.
Beta hydroxy acid (BHA also known as salicylic acid) mimics the natural exfoliation process of younger skin by helping it shed extra layers while unclogging and clearing pores. With this formula in my arsenal, my breakouts simply did not stand a chance. My skin has never been clearer and more glass-like since I began using this.
Rosehip Seed Oil
Rosehip seed oil has been a holy grail product for me, and here’s why. Rosehip oils contains vitamin C and vitamin A, as well as essential fatty acids. Vitamin A is known to reduce and reverse the signs of sun damage, reduce wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and treat acne.
I immediately noticed how much more radiant my skin was when I woke up in the morning, and how the oil really locked in my moisturizer. I found I had no issue layering this over my other skincare products, I just made sure to wait a few minutes for them to sink into my skin before applying the rosehip seed oil.
Skin Balm / Healing Ointment
I started practicing “slugging” recently within the last six months, and what a difference it has made for the fine lines around my eyes. Slugging is when you slathering your face or parts of your face in a layer of petroleum jelly as the last step of your nighttime skin care routine.
Now I know this may sound bizarre. This trend was made popular by the K-beauty community, however many cultures have been doing this for decades. The reason being is that the petroleum jelly prevents moisture loss, in turn making it more difficult for fine lines and wrinkles to form. It’s also non comedogenic, meaning it won’t clog your pores and cause breakouts.
I’ve been using the Eucerin Aquaphor Skin Soothing Balm for around six months now, and the results are shocking. I’m a side/face sleeper, so naturally I get lines in my face. Particularly around my eyes. I was beginning to notice I had some lines that were not fading away throughout the day as they used to, and became concerned they could be permanent.
Thankfully after a few weeks of slugging around my eyes and even sometimes my forehead, the crease under my eye vanished. I haven’t really changed the way I sleep, but I’ve incorporated a silk eye mask into my sleeping routine. I find the extra protection has really helped not only from preventing the ointment from getting on my pillow, but from allowing the pillow to tug at my skin.
If you want to see a more in depth version of my skincare routine, check out my video below!
