Morning and evening skincare routine in my late-30’s

I don’t consider myself an expert on skincare, but as with most areas of my life, I like to do my research and indulge in some slow tinkering. Over the years I’ve landed on products that really work for me, and even though skincare is SO personal, I wanted to share in case some of them might work for you! And it’s just fun to document my routine at different points in my life (here’s a post from eight years ago – only one product is still in rotation!).

So – here we go! My morning and evening skincare routine in my late-30’s.

Rise and shine! Here’s my morning routine:

1. Splash my face with water and pat dry. I’ve found there’s no need to cleanse in the morning. I’m hoping this retains more moisture in my skin!

2. Apply vitamin C serum. Vitamin C serum supposedly has antioxidant and ant-aging properties, and is supposed to give your skin a brighter, more radiant, and more even appearance. It’s one of the two products (along with retinol) it seems everyone recommends in your 30’s, and so I figured it would behoove me to try it. Even though I’ve used it for several years I’ve never really seen any positive effects from it I can isolate, but maybe it’s meant to be more of a protectant than something you see noticeable results from? I do think it gives me an extra layer of moisture, which I appreciate.

I have used many different vitamin Cs over the years — Mad Hippie, Timeless, Biossance, Barefaced — and have never really been able to tell a difference between them. I tend to try something new each time I have to restock. Whatever I’m using, I apply a few drops with my fingers and blend it in all over my face and neck, then wait for it to dry before putting on the next layer…

3. Apply sunscreen. I converted to Elta MD almost a decade ago and I predict it will be a lifelong love affair. It is not inexpensive, but to hear any skin expert talk, the absolute best thing you can do for your skin is wear sunscreen daily. I use one pump all over my face and any extra on my neck (amount shown below!). The Elta glides on smoothly, leaves no white cast, has a nice (very light) smell, and layers well under makeup. It’s also nice that it’s moisturizing enough that I don’t need to use a separate moisturizer, which helps justify the price!

I happily attribute the health of my skin at almost-40 to consistent daily sunscreen on my face since I was 20.

4. Apply deodorant. Like serums, I’ve cycled through natural deodorants over the years. I’ve used Wild for the last year or so and really like it!

5. Brush my teeth. I think doing this step at this point in the routine gives everything a chance to sink in before applying makeup. I use this toothpaste which I’ve raved about before – it actually does seem to whiten without causing pain!

6. Swipe on lip balm. Aquaphor for the win!

Time for bed! Here’s how I end the day:

1. Wash with charcoal soap. Almost a decade in, this product continues to be a slam-dunk winner for me! You cannot beat the price, and I feel like it continues to do so much to balance out my oily/dry skin. I’ve even turned John onto it! After I rinse, I’ll wipe my face all over with a clean, wet wash cloth, which serves as a gentle exfoliator. I am really weird about using an actual clean wash cloth every day, so I bought a cheap pack of 12 for $4 and just toss them in the wash with our whites!

I’ll also gently swipe my eyes with the Makeup Eraser to remove eye makeup at this point.

2. Swipe on toner with a cotton round. I was so sad to see that one of my ride-or-die products, a REN toner I’ve repurchased more than ten times, was discontinued earlier this year. It was the only thing that made a difference for the dry, flaky skin on my forehead, and I didn’t want to go back. After consulting the internet, I gave this Pixi toner a try. A month in, it seems to be working really well. I squirt a quarter-size amount onto a reusable cotton round and swipe it all over my face and neck.

3. Moisturize. This Neutrogena moisturizer was a lucky drugstore find — it’s light and sinks so effortlessly into my skin, yet is SO moisturizing and balancing. Every other day I add a drop (literally one drop!) of this tanning liquid to my moisturizer and mix them in my palm before smoothing it over my face. I find that a little more color on my face helps balance out any redness and makes it easier to wear lighter makeup.

On my body, I use the very unfancy Jergens Ultra Healing lotion, which is very moisturizing but sinks in well and doesn’t leave me greasy. In the spring, I’ll sometimes use the Saltyface tanning foam on my legs to give me a little more color.

4. Brush my teeth and swipe on more Aquaphor. Obviously :)

I’ve rounded up everything in this post right here for ease.

And that’s it! I’d love to hear the MVPs from your morning or evening skincare routine! I’m also interested in trying retinol – maybe once I turn 40 :) – so leave a note if you love yours. And I also have a beauty routine in the works if that’s of interest!

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