Skincare is essential to our everyday lives. With the different factors affecting our skin, it’s important to figure out what kind of skincare routine is best for you and the type of skin you have. I’m clearly not an expert on skincare, but over the years, through trial and error and research, I’ve figured out the stuff that works for me and that’s good for skin in general. My skincare routine is personalized to my skin and what it needs. My skin type falls under dry skin, so I make sure to hydrate my skin as much as I can with the products I use and how much water I drink. I try to do my entire routine, but sometimes (most of the time these days) I get lazy, and then I’ll put on moisturizer and sunscreen.
This is the step-by-step process I follow. I researched a lot and found that this process is what most dermatologists and skincare companies recommend:
Cleanser
Toner
Serum*
Eye Cream
Face Oil
Moisturizer
Sunscreen- I cannot stress how important SPF is for your skin! I put on my sunscreen every day regardless of whether I’m going outside or not.
*I don’t have a serum yet, but I know which one I want and I’m hoping to get it soon.
Most of the products I use are “clean” meaning they don’t have toxic ingredients like sulfates and or parabens. I’m going to walk you through each of the specific products I use and my reviews (EWG ratings included)! I’ll give you a quick rundown on EWG ratings. EWG’s Skin Deep is a guide to safe and nontoxic beauty products. They rate products on their contents from the best (EWG Verified, 1) to the worst (10). The number ranking is derived from another ranking of none to high among these four-ingredient concerns: Cancer, Allergies & Immunotoxicity, Developmental & Reproductive Toxicity, and Use Restrictions. Within my reviews, some of the products are new and some of them are my trusty long-time favorites. There are also some products I would like to try once I’m done with my current ones.
Cleanser:
KORRES Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser (https://www.sephora.com/product/korres-greek-yoghurt-foaming-cream-cleanser-P456412?icid2=products%20grid:p456412:product ; EWG rating: 4)
This cleanser is great! I’ve tried SO many cleansers before, and this is one of my favorites. It smells really good, feels gentle on the skin, and cleans my face very well. I normally prefer cream cleansers over foam cleansers because I feel like they really clean my face. This cleanser is verified as Clean at Sephora, so it doesn’t have any of the bad chemicals. However, once I’m done with this product I plan to try out Luzern’s L’Essentials Pure Cleansing Crème (https://luzernlabs.com/collections/shop-all/products/lessentials-pure-cleansing-creme ; EWG rating: 2) because it has cleaner ingredients, is highly rated, and doesn’t have a fragrance.
Toner:
Caudalie’s Moisturizing Toner (https://www.sephora.com/product/moisturizing-toner-P253623?icid2=products%20grid:p253623:product ; EWG rating: 5)
The most important purpose of using a toner is to balance the pH level of your skin to prep it for the next skincare products you use. I definitely recommend using a toner in your skincare routine! This toner has been good, but I feel like it leaves my skin dry, rather than moisturized. And again, this product is verified as Clean at Sephora; however it does have a fragrance in it. I normally need to love a product to stick with it, and I don’t feel like I love this toner. After I finish it, I’m definitely going to try Mother Dirt’s AO+ Mist Live Probiotic Spray (https://motherdirt.com/products/ao-mist ; EWG rating: 1). It has an EWG rating of 1 (amazing!), it has simple ingredients and it’s highly rated.
Serum:
Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Anti-Pollution Drops (https://www.molecular-cosmetics.com/shopall/anti-pollution-drops ; EWG rating: 2)
I currently don’t have a serum, but I really want to try this one out! Earlier this quarantine, I attended a session of Skin School with Barbara Sturm, and I asked what the best serum was for a teenager with dry skin and whether I should try the hyaluronic acid. This serum was suggested to me because of the various benefits it offers to your skin. Barbara Sturm’s hyaluronic acid serum is supposed to be really good, but I didn’t want just hyaluronic acid. This serum has hyaluronic acid, a super-hydrator, but it also has ingredients that protect your skin from pollution and blue light (from electronic screens). Since I spend most of my year in New York City, this serum is especially helpful for my skin.
Eye Cream:
Biossance Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream (https://biossance.com/collections/eye-care/products/squalane-marine-algae-eye-cream ; EWG rating: 2)
Ok this product is fairly new. I haven’t used it for that long, but I like it so far. It’s really thick and rich, so a little goes a long way. At night, I use more of this product to really help hydrate my eye area, and I love how it just melts into your undereye. I haven’t seen that many effects of this cream yet, but it is definitely doing a good job of hydrating my undereye area.
Face Oil:
Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil (https://biossance.com/collections/moisturizers-oils/products/squalane-vitamin-c-rose-oil ; EWG rating: 2)
This is my favorite skincare product! It has been such a game-changer for my skin! It’s literally everything you would want in a skincare product! For real. It has helped hydrate, brighten, moisturize, soften, and smoothen my skin so much. I haven’t even used it for that long, and its effects on my skin are clearly visible. The oil is not that thick, but a little goes a long way. It makes your skin look a little greasy, but if you do a good job of massaging it in, it shouldn’t be a problem. If you have dry skin, definitely try this face oil!
Moisturizer:
Youth To The People (https://www.youthtothepeople.com/products/adaptogen-deep-moisture-cream ; EWG rating: 3)
This moisturizer is tried and true. I’ve used it for years and I still love it! It really does a good job of moisturizing and hydrating my face. I remember the first time I used it, I felt my skin tingling after I put it on because of how deeply it was moisturizing my skin. This is a great product if you have dry skin!
Sunscreen:
SuperGoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 (https://www.sephora.com/product/supergoop-unseen-sunscreen-spf-40-P454380?icid2=products%20grid:p454380:product ; EWG rating: 3)
Whoever made this sunscreen is a genius! This is the best sunscreen I’ve ever used! As an Indian, I have darker skin, so normal sunscreens usually leave so much white residue on my face. I’ve tried so many sunscreens, and they always leave that white sheen on my face :(. This sunscreen is literally a game-changer! When they say unseen in the name, they really do mean unseen. It doesn’t leave any kind of white sheen whatsoever. I especially love this sunscreen because it doesn’t make my face look less greasy but rather kind of matte after I put it on top of my other beauty products.
That concludes my skincare routine! I would recommend my routine for people who struggle with hydrating and catering to their dry skin. I also want to emphasize how important it is to use clean beauty products. Clean beauty products without toxic, harsh chemicals help prevent irritation and damage to the skin. You can buy clean products but look for those that accommodate different skin types you may have: oily, combination, dry, or normal skin. Remember, it takes a little bit of experimenting with different products to see what’s best for your skin and to perfect your skincare routine.