For the past 20 years of my life, I was pretty clueless when it came to anything skincare or makeup related. I religiously used the same Cetaphil face wash and Neutrogena Stridex wipes no matter how many times my sister told me that Stridex wipes didn’t really work. Despite other health issues, the universe (thankfully) blessed me with good skin. However once starting college, I started to experience more and more breakouts. So, I thought why not switch up my usual routine and opt for some different products? After researching extensively through the Cosmopolitan website, I found an article that gave a step-by-step skincare routine and product recommendations. After using the new regime and products for a month, here are my thoughts on everything I ordered and the routine in general!
For morning skincare, Cosmo said to use cleanser, toner, serums, eye cream, spot treatments, moisturizer, face oil, and sunscreen, in that exact order. Sorry, I didn’t make the rules. Some of the steps are optional like serums and eye creams, so don’t stress if you don’t use all of the products. I thought it was time to ditch my Cetaphil face wash and test out The Ordinary Squalene Cleanser. For a toner, I bought Paula’s Choice Pore-Reducing Toner. Although serums and eye creams aren’t necessary, I purchased a TruSkin Vitamin C Serum and the Olay Brightening Cream. I didn’t end up buying a new morning moisturizer (I still love the Boscia one!), face oil or sunscreen. The night routine is pretty much the same except with the optional addition of retinol after using moisturizer. I bought the Pearlescence Overnight Recovery Serum, The CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, and The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalene.
Overall, this skincare routine has made my face softer and I’ve only had a couple of breakouts (thanks to “maskne”) since starting it. I really loved all of The Ordinary products; they are affordable and don’t run out too quickly. I stopped using the eye cream as I didn’t really see any difference when I used it. The CeraVe Night Cream is amazing and my skin always feels so smooth after using it. I still use both of the serums I bought every day, except for the retinol, which I decided to only use a couple of times a week since my skin is relatively sensitive. I am incredibly grateful for Cosmo, since I probably would still not understand the definition of retinol if not for their help.
It feels nice to finally have a solid skincare routine that works for me instead of the two-step skin “routine” I had before. Over this past month, my skin has felt healthier and has made me happier and more confident! I would definitely recommend the Cosmopolitan skincare guide to anyone who was just as confused as me about the uses of each product and when to use them. Practice some self-care and get working on a fabulous skincare regime for 2021!