Hello to my early birds, or not (I am nowhere near an early bird, nightowl since ’92).

Allow me to introduce you to my current summer 2020 morning skincare routine, and an explanation as to why it matters.

Good skin care is essential at any age, the earlier you start the better. It creates a healthy habit that can strengthen and prepare your skin for the effects of aging down the road. Not only are you practicing self care, but you are also disciplining yourself, which relates to self love and will power (wow so corny, but true). A skin care routine may sound high maintenance ($$$) and time consuming, but in reality that is not the case. There are many skin care products that are affordable and as effective as high end products. When it comes to time, your skin care routine does not have to take long, nor does it have to be short (to each their own though). As long as you set some time aside for yourself!

Before grabbing your phone, checking your texts, and going on social media, give yourself some “me” time. My “me time” depends on what I have planned for the day, for the most part it is usually at least 10 to 15 minutes every morning. Not too bad.

Me time begins when I get out of bed, and that’s after hitting the snooze button ten or more times. First things first, I head to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. When it comes to washing my face in the morning I avoid using a cleanser. I personally do not cleanse my face in the morning because I already cleansed it at night. I prefer to not completely strip my skin of natural oils and the “good” bacteria. 
Before I head to the kitchen to make some tea or coffee (yum), I put on hydrogel eye patches. There are many great benefits to them, from de-puffing to brightening your Prada eye bags. You can leave them on for 5 to 10 minutes; I tend to keep them on, up until I feel them dampen (so not completely dry). If I have time, I de-puff my face using a face roller, but that’s the luxurious part of my routine and not something I do everyday (that is an extra minute yo, every second counts).

After the eye patches, if I feel that my face is a little dry I dampen my face using a face mist – it is also better for product absorption.

Then I quickly add my vitamin C serum – the only serum I use in the morning. (Check out my vitamin C blog on the benefits and why vitamin C is important!)

Next comes the eye cream, and I know some do not fancy using or having an eye cream, and that’s because, in all honesty it is just a high priced moisturizer (save your money – you can use your moisturizer under your eyes as well). So you can skip this step. I choose to use an extra moisturizing eye cream due to the constant eye pulling I do, being that I wear contacts. 

If I am planning on going outside, moisturizer wouldn’t be my last step, but if I am staying indoors it is my final step of my morning skincare routine. 

Oat So Simple Water Cream by Krave Beauty and Clinique are my current summer go to’s. Clinique is gel based and Krave Beauty is water based, both lightweight and non greasy, perfect for hot and humid weather.

Last but not least, would be none other than sunscreen.

I am sure this all sounds long and maybe overwhelming, but I promise you it is not! Take care of yourself first, and have a very good morning!