Daily skin care routine for glowing skin
Yes I am aware. Skincare is a saturated topic. Probably why I put off this post for so long. But I did also think at some point I'd like to share my experience because it was insightful for me to hear and learn from others.
A short reflection…
As a brown girl who was born and raised in London, it took me quite a while to realise not all products will work for me. And even longer to realise there is very little catered to skin of colour, though there is more in the market today than there ever was in the 90s and noughties, that's for sure.
Ironically, my skin in my mid 30s has been the absolute best it has ever been. 20-year-old me has nothing on the mid-30s me. So much so, in fact, I have complete strangers complimenting my skin. 20-year-old me could never dream of such a thing.
And when I get asked what I did, honestly… I couldn’t tell you though more than likely it was hormonal. I can share what worked but nothing ever lasted. I remember just waking up one morning and my skin was just clear. Probably not the response you are looking for but I think that's part of the problem: sometimes people assume something would fix our skin problems.
I say this because the beauty industry is truly on a rampage. It is unreal the amount of products there are and the eye watering price tags accompanying them. Many products are purely for marketing, boosting sales or self-indulging, the latter I’m not entirely against because it is the ritual of beauty which makes us feel special after all, and it’s a real treat being able to indulge in a new face oil or a luxury lipstick.
However, when it comes to effectiveness, sometimes all that showmanship is really not necessary…should results be what you care about. The simplest routine truly is the best and the most expensive price tag doesn't always reflect effectiveness.
Whilst I do not have the answers, and I’m most certainly not a trained practitioner (can’t deny, sometimes they aren’t exactly helpful either) what I do have is my experience.
So what causes problematic skin?
What I have come to learn is if you have topical acne / skin problems (problems which are surface level) you can use topical, over the counter products to manage them or even change your diet and lifestyle, and you’re likely to see a difference. However, if you have cystic acne or skin problems which are deeper (and those who have will be able to feel the difference between the two; topical issues you forget you have, cystic issues are deeper in your skin enabling one small spot to make your entire face ache), no amount of products, diet or lifestyle change is going to lead to a transformation as it's likely to do with a much deeper problem related to hormones (quite commonly) or some other internal imbalance (thyroid is another common issue…which is also related to hormones).
Whilst my skin is certainly showing signs of aging, the overall complexion and clarity of my skin has never been so clear. I couldn't have asked for a better output to be honest, because I always wanted to age gracefully. So this combination of a mature face against clear skin is the result of me working hard to look the best version of myself.
So without further ado, here's the routine I established which has managed to give me a clearer complexion and allowed my make-up to glide on smoothly to enable a glowing finish…
The night time skin routine
Retinol & Chemical exfoliator & Face oil
I alternate between all three, I never use all three products on the same night. Despite having a routine, I also listen to my skin and break away from it if I have to; if I can wear retinol for three - four nights in a row I go for it. Then on the fifth night I can feel my skin has become incredibly sensitive and take a break with the face oil, or apply nothing at all, to let it breathe.
Retinol
When I went down the rabbit hole of skincare and realised I need to try retinol, picking up Kate Somerville’s Retinol Vitamin C moisturiser truly was luck. I walked into Space NK and after quite some time assessing their range, settled on Kate Somerville. It has been four years and I am on my (third, I think) bottle and I have not used another retinol.
The world of retinol is very confusing and it needn’t be as expensive as many brands charge for it. But I got very lucky with finding one that worked for me straight away.
When I first started to use retinol, my skin would become dry and flakey as well as sensitive and I couldn’t apply it for more than a day or two, which can still be the case if I overuse it. You have to build up tolerance to it.
Whilst retinol may not work against my hormones (amidst my hormonal cycle there are moments when my pores widen and no amount of magic cream is going to make my skin look flawless for those few days until that part of the cycle passes) it certainly is a must-have skin care product which has kept my spots at bay and cleared many blemishes.
Chemical exfoliator
After intensive research, I settled with Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, which is also supposed to be good for skin of colour. I noticed an instant difference in my skin; the very next day it was bright and clear and I’m currently on my third bottle and have not once looked back. I haven’t had the chance to try any other brands (I haven’t really needed to so far) but whichever you choose, a chemical exfoliator is a must-have as part of your routine, it might be an incremental difference but still a critical one which strips away dead skin cells and allows your skin to look brighter and feel fresher. I used to use face scrubs a couple of times a week and whilst they certainly made me feel good for a day or two, no face scrub ever gave me the consistent result which a chemical exfoliator has.
Face oil
I initially tried rose hip oil from The Ordinary Company which was recommended by a beauty therapist. It was nice to have something hydrating on my skin but it didn’t do much for me. When The Ordinary Company first came to market I actually had a pretty bad experience with a couple of their products and was instantly put off by the brand. Though over time I have found the odd product or two to be some-what suitable, but can’t say anything to be impressive (I wouldn’t buy retinol or a chemical exfoliator from here for an example).
I then switched to squalane oil from Biossance and the very next day my skin visibly looked brighter and clearer. I also tried squalane oil from The Ordinary Company which worked better than the rose hip oil, which goes to show there are certain ingredients your skin truly does need to be better.
I use a face oil to hydrate and break up the routine between retinol and chemical exfoliator, both very harsh with active ingredients. It gives my skin a break and soothes it.
Tip for amazing party skin:
Retinol one night & chemical exfoliator the night after.
I stumbled upon this process by complete accident as I often apply products randomly at night (I don’t have fixed days that I use specific products, I try to just listen to my skin and go with the flow).
For example, if I have an event on Saturday, I would apply my retinol on Thursday night, and then chemical exfoliator on Friday night, then by Saturday my skin truly looks and feels flawless and I can apply my make-up smoothly and it settles on my skin beautifully.
Might not work for everyone as we all are different, but worth giving it a go.
The daytime skin routine
Hyaluronic acid + Moisturiser + Sunscreen
Unlike my nighttime routine, I layer all three of the products in my daytime skin care routine consecutively…
Hyaluronic acid
There are hyaluronic acids which penetrate your skin, and those which only stay on the surface. Both have different purposes. I was using the well known Mineral 89 Hylauronic acid from Vichy which was definitely a surface level product. It felt hydrating but also a bit pointless, can’t say I saw any difference from using it.
I’m currently using the lesser known Isntree which was recommended for skin of colour. (So lesser known in fact, no mainstream store sells it). This is a lot more penetrative and as a result I noticed it enlarged my pores after a few uses. I took a break, as I do when I notice unwanted changes, and gave it another try and my skin seemed to have adapted.
I haven’t managed to settle on the best-suited hyaluronic acid for me, I would likely continue to test and learn with other ranges.
Moisutriser
My golden rule for all skin care products is to be weary of heavily scented products, much to my dismay as I’m a sucker for fragrance. Whilst I overlook fragranced makeup (I love raising a lipstick to my lips and picking up its scent, it makes makeup applying a tad more special) I run the other way if any cream to touch my skin is going to be fragranced; really unfortunate as I love brands like Santa Maria Novella and Diptyque. I buy moisturiser from these places to display in my bathroom, otherwise I now refrain from buying any creams but absolutely splurge on everything else!
So when it comes to taking care of my skin, I buy Cetraben, family size, I slap it on my boys and all over myself after a shower, that including using it as a moisturiser on my face after the Hyaluronic acid. I don't think it has any magical powers like how other moisturisers claim to have, but I like the fact that it's simple, creamy and thick (fatty creams are a must-have for skin of colour due to pigmentation) and designed to simply hydrate and soften. No added miracles.
Sunscreen
Lastly, I layer on La Roche-Posey Anthelios UVMUNE 400. Every day. Even in the winter. This is one of the better ones which doesn't leave a white residue and despite being quite thick and heavy, it does sink into the skin making way for me to be able to apply make up very smoothly.
Sunscreen is the one category which measuring effectiveness is confusing. Whilst it has been proven sunscreen helps protect the skin, you wouldn't know for sure which ones are effective until five+ years time by which time your skin would have already suffered. So this category is a pure ‘guesstimate’.
Closing thoughts on skincare
I'm not a perfectionist. Whilst I would never say no to flawless skin, I'm certainly not going out of my way to achieve perfection. I like my skin being normal and the odd imperfection doesn’t bother me. As I've entered my mid-30s, the quest for mastering how to age gracefully is on.
What’s more, no product is ever going to vanquish those wrinkles, fine lines and large pores, for that you will need something invasive like fillers or surgery. However, well selected products can help enhance your appearance and in the process minimise unfavourable areas. Your skin is a living organism which will go through cycles and as women, given we already have period cycles, your skin is going to be highly reactive to it so I can't emphasise enough how important it is to listen to your body and not believe and buy into everything around you. The ultimate goal should be to work with your body, not against it.
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