EASY skincare routine

I’m learning to embrace my elder millennial status (begrudgingly), I’ve decided I’m not going down without a fight- at least not when it comes to my skin. Instead of ignoring the inevitable wrinkles and age spots creeping in, I figured it was time to get serious about skincare.

Now, I fully respect those of you with 10-step routines and glowing, dewy skin that looks filtered IRL. But I knew if I was going to stick with something, it had to be simple, fast, and not ridiculously expensive. So I did what any responsible grown-up would do: I deep-dived into beauty blogs, watched way too many dermatologist TikToks, and tested a bunch of products until I found a routine that actually works—and doesn’t take up half my morning or evening.

If you’re looking for something easy to help your skin feel soft, look fresh, and maybe reclaim some of that youthful glow you didn’t appreciate in your 20s, I’ve got you. Keep reading.

I am not a doctor. Everyone has such different textures and skin needs so please try new products on your skin with CAUTION. Always, always do test areas.

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Easy Skincare Routine for the Morning

Step 1: Hey, wash your face. Seriously. This is super important- not just because of dirt, but because it gives you a clean slate so your next steps can fully absorb into your skin and do their job. I personally wash my face in the shower in the morning because it’s easier, and I LOVE the CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam cleanser. It just feels amazing going on and does the work. I should also note, it is very important to choose a fragrance-free cleanser.

Step 2: After cleaning your skin, the very next thing to use is a hydrating serum that will help your skin retain moisture- a hyaluronic acid! I don’t understand the science, but it literally makes your face feel hydrated and not oily. It also claims to offer magical anti-aging benefits, and let’s be honest, isn’t that what we all want? I use the Timeless Hyaluronic Acid Seru,m and it’s thick and only takes two drops!

Step 3: Another serum I recommend is a vitamin-C serum. This helps fight wrinkles, provides collagen, and helps brighten the overall appearance of your skin. Hey, it also protects against dark spots and sun damage. Talk about a jack of all trades. I tried the Timeless Vitamin-C serum after seeing a recommendation, and it really impressed me! I love the airless pump.

One thing to note is that some vitamin C serums have hyaluronic acids in them. You may need to remove step 2 if that is the case.

One more note: I am a huge CeraVe fan. That’s obvious, the number of products I use from them. However, I do not recommend their vitamin C product. The packaging is less than desirable, and it leaks. I have seen that this is a common complaint, and I had the same issue.

Step 4: After putting on all your serums, a moisturizing lotion is a perfect finish. Hundreds of moisturizers exist, each designed for a specific skin type—whether your skin is oily, dry, acne-prone, or sensitive. I recommend searching for and finding the best match for your skin. The preferred moisturizer I use is the CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion. I love to use it as a lotion for my hands when I have the leftover product after applying it to my face.

Step 5: The most important step of all in your morning skincare routine is sunscreen. I cannot emphasize this enough for you. The sun causes up to 90% of aging on your face, so even if it’s a cloudy day or you are inside mostly, wear sunscreen, wear sunscreen, wear sunscreen! I got recommended the holy grail of facial sunscreens – EltaMD 40 SPF moisturizing sunscreen, and I also concur, it is as great as everyone raves about. It does not make my skin feel greasy, goes on sheer, and is fragrance-free! It only takes a little pump to cover my face, my neck, and the back of my hands.

Need a tinted sunscreen for a little bit of color coverage? I also love the Cerave Tinted Sunscreen (30 SPF), La Roche-Posay Anthelios Sunscreen SPF 50, or the e.l.f. SKIN Suntouchable Whoa Glow SPF 30, Sunscreen & Makeup Primer

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Easy Skincare Routine for the Evening

Step 1: Hey, wash your face, again! Like in your morning routine, we need to start off with a clean base for dirt reasons. I am sure you have a lot of build-up on your face (i.e., sweat and makeup), but you also really want your other steps to soak in well. Like above, we are using our tried and true CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam cleanser. Find one that suits your purpose, whether it’s just for general cleansing or for makeup removal.

Consider adding micellar water and some cotton rounds for gentle make-up removal before cleansing your face.

Step 2: In our next step to keeping that 20-year-old glow for as long as possible, quite possibly the best thing you can add to your skincare routine is retinol! If you want a product that fights it all – discoloration, uneven texture, and woeful wrinkles – retinol is the main character. There are tons of over-the-counter options to start out your retinol journey. It is a long, slow process, but building up to a more concentrated % retinol is the goal! When you are ready, consult your dermatologist to get those more powerful prescription retinoids.

I should also note, retinol can be incredibly irritating if you have sensitive skin. Also, it is IMPERATIVE you use a daily morning sunscreen after applying retinol because retinol makes your skin more vulnerable to sun exposure, and sunscreen helps protect it.

I use the CeraVe Retinol Serum. I love the little pump and the smoothness of the application.

Step 3: Night cream moisturizers tackle different tasks than your normal daily morning moisturizer, like providing hydration lost during the day, helping to retain moisture, and reducing morning puffiness. They also have other helpful ingredients for anti-aging, acne-fighting, and so much more! For my nighttime moisturizer, especially in the winter, I want a thicker coverage. If you want to skip everything else in your routine after washing your face, this is the step you don’t want to skip. Hands down, my favorite night cream moisturizer is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream. It’s thick and has great coverage, but also very non-greasy.

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Skincare Add-Ons

These are not requirements, but are things I have used sporadically that you may want to introduce when needed into your routine. They range from spot treatments to weekly luxuries. You don’t need any of these, but they’re nice little extras just for you!

Eye Cream: Listen, everyone’s under-eyes are different, so you need to find a cream that works best for you. Whether you’re targeting collagen production or looking to brighten the skin. I can only recommend those I have heard great things about in all budgets!

Pimple Patches: Listen, no one is perfect, and we all suffer from pimples. It’s like death and taxes; they plague us all. But I highly recommend that if you feel a pimple coming on, wearing a pimple patch can turn it around real quick. I wear these usually at night because they typically require more wear time. I sometimes wear them during the day, but only around friends and family, whereas Gen-Z wears the bright colored ones like badges of honor.

Face Masks: If you are looking for something that rejuvenates the skin by forcing the good stuff into it over a period of time, consider a facemask done maybe once weekly. They come as creams, drying serums that you need to wash off, or sheet masks. Not only are they beneficial for skin purposes, but they also have the ability to scare unsuspecting friends and family while wearing them.

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