The last few weeks of winter I have really been struggling with dry, dull, sensitive skin, so I’ve played around with new products and I’ve finally settled on my new skin care routine to bring my skin back to life.

Morning Skincare Routine

AM Cleanser: In case you missed my post about all the scary toxic stuff inside your beauty products, it’s a must read! After learning about toxic beauty products, I decided to make my own cleanser using castile soap and essential oils so I know exactly what’s inside of it. I purchased this foaming glass bottle from Amazon and eyeballed 1 cup of castile soap and 2 tablespoons of jojoba oil. Add in your essential oil(s) of choice (I used 5 drops of lavender, lemon, and frankincense from Young Living) and fill the rest of the bottle up with water. My skin feels really clean afterward and doesn’t feel tight and dry.

Lavender: calms and soothes breakouts, also good for anti-aging.

Lemon: good for red marks and dark spots, also helps to regulate oil production

Frankincense: anti-aging properties

Toner: I’ve used this toner for years because it’s alcohol-free and cheap! I prefer the cucumber +aloe version because it does a little better job calming down my skin when I have a breakout. It’s cruelty-free and doesn’t have any toxic chemicals (which is probably why it actually works).

Moisturizer: I used the Clinique Moisture Surge in the morning because it’s lighter on my skin and I know it won’t make my foundation separate. I love how cooling and calming it is when I apply it.

Self Tanner: I use the Coola Anti-Aging Face Serum every few days to give my skin some color. There is a reason it has such great reviews, it makes a big difference at evening out my skin-tone and giving my skin a subtle glow. I used to use the Clarins drop face tanner, but I’m 90% sure it broke me out.

Sunscreen: If I’m not planning to use the It Cosmetics CC Cream as my foundation (I linked my full review on it), I apply Dermalogica’s sunscreen. It’s a 5/10 on Think Dirty, so I want to switch products once it runs out. To be honest, I wouldn’t recommend it because it’s $$$ and I don’t think spending that much is necessary! It was a gifted product that I’m using up because I have it. I may try this one from Coola next because it’s a 2/10 on the EWG website. Sunscreen is the most important morning skin care step, so don’t skip it! Especially if you’re using citrus based essential oils on your skin.

Sara Happ Lip Slip: I’ve wanted to try this lip balm for years! It makes them look plump and healthy with a subtle shimmer. I use it morning and night.

Nighttime Skincare Routine:

This is where all the magic happens. I love to use good products at night because I feel like it really does something overnight while I sleep because I’m not putting makeup on after my routine.

I would always double cleanse to remove my makeup but recently I switched to the Colleen Rothchilds Cleaning Balm and it’s made the biggest difference in my skin. I raved about the cleansing balm in my January favorites post, but I’ll go into a little more detail here. This product will wipe away makeup, clean out all the congested pores on your nose and leave your skin radiant. What more could you ask for?!

How to use it: I use a clean q-tip and scoop out a nickel-sized amount of the product. I always recommend using something to scoop out products packaged in jars for sanitary purposes. Then I rub my fingers together to warm up the balm before rubbing it all over my dry face and gentle over my eyes to remove my makeup. Then I run warm water over the muslin cloth it comes with, wrench out the excess water, and gently rub it over my entire face in circular motions. The cloth does a great job at lightly exfoliating my skin while also grabbing off my makeup. Once you rinse off your face, your face will feel like velvet! I look forward to using this product every night.

Face Oil: I add in one drop of Face Oil (on sale) to my moisturizer or I use it on its own if I want to separate the steps. I’ve been a fan of using face oils for years now and I think it’s a crucial step if you’re serious about preventing wrinkles (and I mean who isn’t?). If you’re worried about using an oil on your face, don’t be! Read all about the benefits of using face oil and once you do you’ll be wishing you added it to your routine earlier. I also add oil to my nightly hand cream for extra moisture.

PM Moisturizer: I layer on the Extreme Recovery Cream after the face oil and it’s really thick and rehydrating without feeling greasy. If I skip these steps a few nights in a row, my nose will start to look dry and peel throughout the day.

I purchased all three Colleen Rothschild products in the PM Routine kit with a gift card courtesy of the brand to review. ITS BACK IN STOCK! Use code ITSBACK20 for 20% off your order. You can also check out the Discovery Kit for a great deal and try out a little bit of everything from the brand.

Eye Cream: To be honest, I never routinely used an eye cream until this year. I always just made sure to apply my regular face oil and moisturizer around my eye, so I didn’t think I needed to! But after a little research, I learned how important using an eye cream is! Eye creams are more concentrated than regular face moisturizer because the delicate skin around your eyes can handle it (and need it!). I received this Juice Beauty eye cream in a Fab Fit Fun box and have enjoyed using it. It’s been the only one I’ve tried so far that doesn’t leave me with a clogged little bump under my eyes, and it’s non-toxic! I also really love how convenient the pump is.

Castor Oil: This is the newest addition to my routine but I wanted to throw it in for those of you interested in conditioning your eyebrows and lashes. I’ve raved about Neulash for years, but I stopped using it a few months ago because I figured it didn’t contain clean ingredients (it’s not on Think Dirty). My grandmother recommended castor oil to my Mom for her eyebrows years ago, so using this product clearly has a reputation. I will warn you, don’t slather this on your brows and lashes, this oil is thick! I do a small drop on a clean mascara wand (it comes with it when you order) and start with my brows before applying it to my lashes. The first time I use it I slathered it on and I couldn’t see clearly until the next morning, ha!

Frankincense + Tea Tree Essential Oils: I didn’t mention this in my video, but I do like to use a drop of Frankincense on areas that are prone to wrinkles, like my forehead and smile creases. I also use a drop of tea tree oil on a cotton swab as a natural spot treatment for breakouts.

SKINCARE ROUTINE VIDEO:

Thanks for reading my typical skin care routine! Any products you’re loving that I should know about?

xo Amanda John

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