Let’s start with the basics: sunscreen, vitamin c, retinol, cleanser and moisturizer.
There are copious amounts of skincare products and many of them are good – some are great. But the key to habit formation is to keep it simple, approachable, achievable and to… well, form a habit. Sure, part of it’s genetics but most people with pretty, glowy skin religiously stick to their routine and the results come with time.
If you go out and buy every skincare product, you’re going to spend a lot of money, your partner will wonder where all the bathroom cabinet space went, and you will probably get burnt out with all the stuff you’re putting on your face.
So with that in mind, below are the products I recommend to everyone. Yes, everyone. They aren’t the only ones I love but they’re some of the best skincare products out there and worth starting your simple routine with. Most of the products have Dermstore links because I want them to sponsor my blog (lol) but mainly because it’s a great place for medical grade skincare, you can get points to save on future purchases, and they have great discounts/free medical grade gifts. As I write this, there’s a great PCA Skincare sale. You should be a bougie skincare goddess and love a good sale.
The best all-around sunscreen
EltaMD UV Sport Broad-Spectrum SPF 50
I own a lot of sunscreen (seriously a ton) and love different ones for different reasons. More to come on that. There is no point in spending money on skincare procedures (hello botox, lasers, facials) if you are not wearing sunscreen daily. You’re wasting your money because you’re continuing to age your skin. So, if you’re going to have one sunscreen to be gentle on your wallet and minimize all the bathroom storage space you take up, this is the one to get. Mineral based sunscreens repel sun rays and reduce the heat your skin absorbs. This sunscreen is also water and sweat resistant. So for my horse and hiking girls, this is the one that will feel nice under your make up and hold up while you’re living an athletic life. Also your partner will actually use it. Apply to your face, neck, chest and hands. Go wear your sunscreen, and make me proud.
The best vitamin c
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic
Unlike sunscreen, I don’t own many vitamin c products, and it’s because the good ones are expensive. The holy grail of vitamin c due to their ingredients and extensive scientific research (seriously, google it) is SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic. This product is on every “best of” skincare list, and it’s well-deserved. Vitamin C is a critical part of your skincare routine because it provides environmental protection, lightens lines, firms skin and brightens your complexion. Don’t waste money on instagram ads or sephora products that aren’t medical grade when it comes to your vitamin c. This is where to invest in your skincare. Put this on clean skin in the morning before any other products. This does not need to be applied again at night.
The best face wash
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser
I’m a big fan of gentle, moisturizing, fragrance-free face washes to offset all the other products you’re putting on your face, such as vitamin c and retinol. More moisture = glowy skin, y’all. This gentle cleanser is really hard to beat and is also economical. It removes makeup pretty well. I generally use jojoba oil from Trader Joe’s to break up the makeup and then clean with this. The jojoba oil is moisturizing (great for those eyelashes and laminate brows!) and non-comedogenic.
The best retinol
SkinMedica Age Defense Retinol Complex .25
Oh retinol. How I love you. Retinol gets put on the backburner by skincare newbies because it can be viewed as intimidating, drying, makes you break out, etc, etc, the excuses go on. The transition period to retinol can make your skin a little more red, and you might get a pimple in the process because your skin barrier is compromised from the skin cell turnover. That means it’s working. It might also be drying if you’re not appropriately moisturizing or are also pairing it with drying face washes. (Ehem, which is why you should use moisturizing cleansers like the one above.) If you want glowy, fresh skin, free of dead skincells, you need to have a retinol. And this is the one to get. There are varying potencies but TBH, 0.25 is a great place to start and the higher you go, the more likely you are to experience those other neggie side effects. I’ve gotten greedy and gone higher and have been annoyed with myself for not just using a potency I can use daily. So get this fantastic time release product, from a science-backed brand and start with two days a week. Build up to daily. Apply at night and follow with a moisturizer. Mwah.
P.S. if you ever buy retinol-adjacent products from target again now that I’ve finally written this blog post, then we might need to stop being friends.
The best moisturizer
PCA SKIN HydraLuxe
Ok. Moisturizer is not something that needs to be expensive. Now that I’ve written this, I have to say that my favorite moisturizer is expensive AF, I love it, and I’m not going back. This is my favorites list after all. So, there can only be one winner in the battle to save bathroom storage space and to also not waste money on products you kind of hate. I like my moisturizer heavier and robust so I can have glowy skin. (Are you following a trend here…). I’ve tried everything, and this is really the one that moisturizes my skin in the dry months, still feels delightful during the humid months and feels nice under my makeup. If you don’t want to spend this much or like something lighter weight, I’d suggest trying this from La Rouche-Posay. I’m breaking my own “best of” rule only because I believe moisturizers don’t need to be medical grade.
I have been talking about writing this particular blog post for years. It’s really a step 1 toward my dream to open a medspa. It’s in the 5-year plan, and this blog is my small start at building an online presence for what will hopefully one day be an impactful new business in AVL. I plan to dive into specific categories with more favorite products listed, like sunscreen. Seriously, I love sunscreen. More to come. Thanks for encouraging me, friends. 🙂
Glow Asheville 