Like everyone else, I really got into skincare during the pandemic. I also started planning my wedding in 2021, which made me hyper focused on getting that glowy bridal look.
Another thing I got into during the pandemic was wearing less makeup. I prefer a more natural look to a full beat so keeping my skin in tip top condition is a priority for me.
I’m not a skincare expert and there are a lot of factors — like genetics, diet, and the climate where you live — that play a role in the condition of your skin. Also, it’s important to not compare yourself to other people, online or in real life. No shade (well, kind of shade), but most influencers are heavily filtering and editing their photos. So, that perfect, flawless, poreless skin you see is not real or achievable. I think as a society we’ve forgotten what real skin actually looks like. The goal should be health and confidence over perfection, always.
My skin is sensitive and I get hyper pigmentation easily so the products I use and recommend are reflective of that. I don’t use all of these products every single day, but they’re in my regular rotation.
Here’s my routine and the products I use to get glowy skin:
- Double cleanse. I’ve been getting into Korean beauty and skincare, and double cleansing is an important step. Double cleansing involves first using an oil cleanser or balm to draw out all the dirt and makeup, then following up with a standard foaming cleanser. (You can read more in depth about doubling cleansing at Soko Glam, where I buy a lot of my K-beauty products.)
- Banila Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Pore Clarifying ($22) – I’ve tried several oil cleansers and this one is the best by far. It gets ALL my makeup off, even water proof mascara.
- Fenty Skin Total Cleans’r Makeup-Removing Cleanser ($26) – This face wash gets my skin clean without stripping it. It also smells great.
- Noxzema Classic Clean ($4.69) – Yes, Noxzema, the face wash we all used in the 90s and early 2000s. It’s a classic for a reason!
- Tone. Toner helps to restore the pH balance of your skin and remove any last bit of debris dirt or makeup. Toner can also help to soothe inflamed skin and help with discoloration. The type of toner I use depends on how my skin is feeling.
- Some by Mi AHA.BHA.PHA 30 days Miracle Toner ($15) – I won’t pretend to understand what AHAs, BHAs, and PHAs do but this toner helps brighten and smooth my skin without drying it out.
- I’m From Rice Toner ($28) – This toner is super gentle and great for the winter when your skin is dry. It gives my skin that supple, moisturized feeling.
- Serum. Serums are highly concentrated and address specific issues and protect your skin barrier, depending on what the ingredients are. I use serum under my makeup and before bed.
- SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic ($182) – This is my holy grail product. I’m embarrassed to admit I spend this much money on a serum but it WORKS. This product helped clear up my hyperpigmentation and makes my skin glow. I also love it because it provides protection from pollution and helps with fine lines. I don’t use it every night (I gotta stretch the bottle) and it still does its job.
- SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Hyaluronic Acid Gel ($90) – This post is not sponsored by SkinCeuticals. My NYC apartment is extremely dry in the winter and this brings my skin back to life. It gives my skin a nice, bouncy feel. It’s also life enough to wear under makeup without getting greasy.
- Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops ($34) – Like the name of it says, this product makes your skin glow. This is great to wear under makeup; I used this during my wedding in the Caribbean and it helped my makeup glide on and didn’t give me a white cast in photos.
- Moisturizer. This step seals in everything you did before. This is also the most accessible step, in my opinion, because there are a lot of affordable moisturizers that get the job done.
- Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream ($65) – Another expensive product but it’s worth it. This is my everyday, daytime moisturizer that I’ll wear under makeup or without.
- Alo Yoga Luminizing Face Moisturizer ($48) – I, too, did not know Alo sold skin products until I got a couple of free samples. This is on the heavier side but still light enough for me to wear during the day without looking greasy.
- Alo Yoga Magic Multi Balm ($48) – This is my new favorite product. My skin has been really dry and I use this to seal in my nighttime moisturizer around two times a week. It can also be used on the body and as a cleansing balm, which is how I justified the price in my head. It’s also made with amla, which I love for my hair.
- Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream ($180) – I’m low key deranged for spending this much on a product but I swear by it. I first tried to for free when I worked at Refinery29 and I’ve never looked back. I’ve tried a lot of cheaper night creams but all leave me irritated. This cream is the real deal.
- SPF. If you can only do ONE step on this list, it needs to be SPF. I literally cringe when I think about how I used to bake in the sun without any sun screen at all. And despite what we all believed when we were younger, Black people and people with darker skin tones need sun screen too. I wear SPF every single day, even if it’s cloudy!
- Supergoop Glowscreen ($38) – This acts somewhat like a tinted moisturizer and is good to wear when you don’t want to wear makeup. It gives me a “glow” but does give a white cast in photos, so keep that in mind.
- Neogen Day-Light Protection Airy Sunscreen ($25) – This is my new favorite sunscreen. It’s super light and gives me no white cast. My skin is pretty sensitive to sunscreen and I haven’t broken out or had any irritation from this one.
Skincare can be super intimidating but it doesn’t have to be. To reiterate, I don’t use every single one of these products every day! A good cleanser, moisturizer, and SPF is a good place to start. Let me know your favorite skincare products in the comments!
This blog post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. Please note that I only recommend products that I personally use and believe in.
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