Ladies, what is your skincare routine? What do you think makes the most difference / is your holy grail product? I always have the best intentions for a 7 or 10 step skincare regimen, but would love to simplify my routine.

I live in the American Gardens building on West 81st street. I'm 27 years old. I believe in taking care of myself, and a balanced diet and a rigorous exercise routine. In the morning, if my face is a little puffy, I'll put on an ice pack while doing my stomach crunches. I can do a thousand now. After I remove the ice pack, I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower, I use a water activated gel cleanser. Then a honey almond body scrub. And on the face, an exfoliating gel scrub. Then apply an herb mint facial mask, which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine. I always use an aftershave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion. There is an idea of me, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real me. Only an entity, something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our life styles are probably comparable, I simply am not there.

Simple is best in most cases!

AM: gentle cleanser, ice roll, vitamin c, eye cream, moisturizer, SPF

PM: cleanse twice (especially if you were wearing makeup), retinol, eye cream, moisturizer

All of my products are currently Cerave, The Ordinary, Mario Badescu, or Neutrogena - all super inexpensive, clean, and simple.

Also highly recommend getting a silk pillowcase and dermaplaning (very easy to do on your own)!

I’m not even washing my face these days wfh

Honestly, I was STRICT with Rodan and Fields and it made a difference. Then, I stopped b/c it is exhausting doing all that before bed. So I did botox and microneedling. So much easier. Same result. Worth the price.

6 months ago I had a shit ton of acne. I now have perfect skin thanks to 2 prescriptions marked with✨ below.

AM:
Cetaphil cleanser
Thayer’s rose water
That one cult SPF forgot what it’s called (white bottle w red accents) + cerave moisturizer

PM:
Ceraphil cleanser
✨tretinoin + ✨clyndamycine (antibiotic) gel or good genes by Sunday Riley if i’m too dry
Cerave Moisturizer

Black woman here and only saying that because not everything is made for our skin.

PM: DHC Oil cleanse to remove makeup and the days build up
Dermalogica precleanse
Eminence gel wash
Dermalogica microexoliant 2-3 times a week
Paula choice mask renewal
Paula choice niacinamide
Fresh beauty moisturizer
Lancer Oil / cerave healing ointment
I tone between each step. I use Paula choice toner

AM is pretty similar but I also use Black girl sunscreen has it leaves no white cast.

1. Never sleep with product on your skin. If you are not in the mood to do a multi step routine, at least take off the gunk with Micellar water and apply moisturizer. Done. Moisturizer can even be a few drops of coconut oil or almond oil, doesn't have to be fancy
2. Always have sunscreen when stepping out of the house. Always. Not the crappy ones that are loaded with carcinogens. Buy a natural/clean one - do some research.
3. Once a week, exfoliate. If you don't have extra time for this, sync it with the days you wash your hair. I first shampoo my hair, put conditioner on, tie it up, use a face scrub (diy or store bought, doesn't matter), wash my body, wash my face and then rinse off conditioner. Works both ways - your conditioner gets to stay in your hair a few mins and you use that time to exfoliate your skin
4. You feel like you are too tired to do skincare but if you power through and go wash your face, you automatically get motivated to do the whole ritual.
5. Holy Grails would be - vitamin B and/or C (The Ordinary and Drunk Elephant, Murad), eye cream (100% pure), moisturizer ( Neutrogena), just started retinol and loving Drunk Elephant's one.
6. For exfoliation - Skin food black sugar, diy - sugar and any fruit and a drop of oil
DM if you need more info

We’d probably still like you if it was 1 step and you’d save so much money.

Simplest skin care there is: gentle cleanser, vitamin c(day), retinoid (some nights), moisturizer, spf with AVA/AVB block

Oil cleanser to remove makeup
Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel
Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 1970
Biologique Recherche Placenta Serum
Olay Regenerist Whip

I also get regular facials and microdermabrasion. The Lotion P50 is my holy grail product.

I have landed on a fairly simple routine that is really affordable. I’ve been wearing makeup less frequently so I often skip step 1. And I don’t use the exfoliators every day. I’ve tried a ton of products at pretty much every price point and have found this is what works best for me.

1. Micellar water to remove makeup
2. Cerave hydrating cleanser
3. Botanic Tree Glycolic Acid exfoliating cleanser (maybe 3 times a week)
4. Palmer’s coconut sugar facial scrub (for a deeper scrub, only once a week)
5. Cetaphil hydrating eye cream
6. Cerave renewing night cream
7. Palmer’s skin therapy oil

Holy grail is the botanic tree glycolic acid cleanser. I started getting cystic acne in law school and this stuff made such a difference. I’ve stuck to this routine for about 3 years now and my skin has never looked better. Who knew I’d end up loving all these drugstore products 🤷🏻‍♀️

Curology has been fantastic for me. I had pretty severe adult acne, and it cleared it up within a month.

The Ordinary Niacinamide and AHA. Life changing.

Wear sunscreen and drink water. I used to have a 10-step nighttime routine, and would spend $200 on a single product. After I switched to a sunscreen that’s proper for my mid-to-oily skin, and started tracking my water intake, I can seriously say I’ve never had a better, more glowing skin. It’s cliche but it works!

Since I am a man, my skincare routine is dipping my face into a quart of full-synthetic 10w-40, I exfoliate with a 200-grit sanding sponge, then I rinse with one fluid ounce of Islay Scotch.

Retin a. Seriously has locked me in at 32. Can’t rave enough at the wonders it does. For me it’s that at night time and otherwise a few moisturizers and serums for day.

Jojoba oil!

34-year old middle eastern / mixed lady here. Normal skin prone to clogged pores and hyperpigmentation (dark spotting):

Routine:
AM - wash with Cetaphil or Glossier Milk Jelly
Apply (alternate) between:
1) Maelove Glow tonic
2) Vitamin C serum (some Sephora brand)
Apply moisturizer: tatcha water one
Apply Supergoop Glowscreen sunscreen

If wearing makeup I’ll do it - I never wear foundation but will spot conceal. I always finish with one drop of Maelove Face Oil (I think it’s called Love 31?) and is my HG product.

Nighttime:
Double cleanse with oil / and milk jelly
Apply SK-II water thing all over face
Retinol when I’m not pregnant
Moisturize with either Tatcha water cream or something heavier if it’s drier

1/week I use Weleda skin cream over my face at night (very thick almost greasy feeling but never breaks me out)
1/week I use a gentle lactic acid overnight peel

I use soap like dove bar 1-2 times a week. In between just done warm water rinse