morning skincare routine 2014

It has been about a year since I shared my skincare routine. I thought it would be a good idea to do a little update. Like last time, I will talk about my morning routine first and do an additional post about my night time routine. If you were curious, HERE is the post I did last year.

A brief summary on my skin type and skincare philosophy: oily, acne prone, scarred, and not all that sensitive. My main concerns are controlling oil without over drying as well as working at diminishing the appearance of my hyperpigmentation and scarring. I prefer to have a morning cleanser that is mild and usually non foaming just to wash away the night's oil production and residue from the lotions and potions I applied the night before. I also am a firm advocate of oil cleansers and second cleansing at night. I am not obsessively concerned with ingredients but I do read what is in what I purchase and tend to pick items that have a higher percentage of the beneficial ingredients rather than the fillers. I like having two types of toners on hand, one to hydrate and one to mildly exfoliate. Now on to specifics:

CLEANSER: Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip
This is quite expensive, $45 USD, but the price per use for this ends up making that price tag manageable. I am about 9 months in using it and I still have enough left for a good solid 2 months I would say. I like this cleanser. It doesn't feel stripping yet it cleans thoroughly. It claims to tighten pores and smooth out skin but I don't see much of that. It is very balancing which is what I'm looking for in the mornings. I would recommend it if you have the funds. I would think about repurchasing as I think this has been the best non foaming gentle cleanser I have tried so far (I have tried Cetaphil, CeraVe, and Dr. Hauschka).

TONER: Thayer's Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner
This is actually a repurchase for me. I enjoy this and think it will be a staple in my routine. It is inexpensive, alcohol free, and soothing. I thought about trying another type of toner in Thayer's range but I ended up coming back to this.

TREATMENT: La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo
HG and can't live without it. When I don't use this my skin is very congested and my pores get very clogged up quickly. A thin layer over my problem areas fixes this in a snap and the effects don't diminish over time.

TREATMENT: LUSH Grease Lightening
I bought this having very low expectations for some reason. But I love this. My skin seems to really respond well to tea tree oil. My skin is noticeably less oily during the day when I use this. I would repurchase and recommend it if you have oily skin or any oily zones in general.

MOISTURIZER: CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion
You guys are probably sick of me singing praises of this by now. Another HG product. I have been using this close to 10 years now and haven't had the guts to switch out or explore any other options. Why fix what isn't broken? Moisturizes, sinks in quickly, not greasy, unscented, easy to find, inexpensive...my list of pros goes on. If you have dry skin this isn't the best option as I think it will be too light for you, but if you have combo to oily skin you MUST try this out.

I use these products in the order I described them. I am very happy with the state my skin has been in with this current routine. The only complaint I have is trying to battle hormonal acne in which case certain products really won't have a huge effect as the problem lies within the body.