After trying product after product over the last few years, I have found a morning skincare routine that is PERFECT. I went to Skinpharm and did their skin consult to bring in the big guns for this morning skincare routine. You bring in all of your current skincare needs and a nurse practitioner evaluates your skin with the ingredients in each particular product. After mine she let me know which were working and which I should switch out.
I’ve broken it down to the essentials to provide even skin tone, texture, brightening and age defying agents.
*Many people don’t think they need to cleanse in the morning, but you want to make sure and start your day/ morning skincare routine with a fresh face. It’s important to cleanse any skincare product left over from the night before.
STEP 2: TONE
Since I have dry skin, I typically only do this three times a week. Kim Kardashian’s esthetician mentioned she loved Sanitas Brightening Peel Pads and they are as good as the hype lets on! It’s like getting yourself a mini facial at home. Great exfoliation that leads to an even skin tone and smaller pores. If you have oily skin, you can use more frequently.
STEP 3: PROTECT YOUR EYES
Since your eyes are the most delicate area of your face they need a little extra TLC. I prefer a thicker eye cream at night, but during the day something lighter that can go under makeup or not feel as thick is preferred. I’m loving this Colorescience 3 In 1 Eye Therapy . It helps with dark eye circles, under eye, puffiness, fine lines/wrinkles and has SPF. It is tinted and comes in a few shades. It is very easy to blend in.
STEP 4: SERUMS
This is truly the products that have been the “hero” skincare items that have transformed my skin. When adding in serums make sure that each layer is completely dry before applying another layer. I start with Skinpharm’s Glow Factor serum. This one is packed with antioxidants—and 0.5% ferulic acid. It has pure vitamins C and E. It brightens skin, fights fine lines and wrinkles, and really helps with firmness and tone.
I follow that with my number one favorite product, Skinpharm’s Youth Serum. I would bathe in this if I could. It’s giving your face a big drink of water. It’s packed full of hyaluronic acid and peptides that are the ultimate hydration to your face.
STEP 5: MOISTURIZER
Awhile back I did a 6 month review of a ton of different moisturizers. You can find that full post HERE. The type of moisturizer I use does change frequently depending on how dry my skin is. Also, when in a hurry in the morning it’s good to pick one that can soak in to your skin completely and be a primer if you are wearing makeup. The most used moisturizers I wear (typically dry skin) are Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream (there’s a reason it has so many 5 star reviews) and La Mer’s Moisturizing Cream. La Mer’s is pricy, but it is so thick and hydrating if you have dry skin.
STEP 6: SPF!!!
If you make one change to your skincare routine let it be wearing your SPF every day. My New Year resolution this day was to make sure I wear my SPF every single day. (Cloudy day, sunny day, days when you stay at home….all of them.)
Skinpharm’s Skin Pharm 100% Mineral Tinted SPF. Now that my skin is more radiant and even, I use this to replace my foundation most mornings. (I rarely wear much makeup these days..) This is a protectant, but also works like a BB cream. Light and even coverage.
I know this sounds like a lot, but it’s really quick to do and will totally transform your skin. Having glowing skin really gives you a boost of confidence.
HIGHLY recommend getting a skin consult to evaluate the products you are currently using and see what could be eliminated or added for your particular skin type. Skinpharm offers virtual consults if you are not local to Nashville or Atlanta.
Skincare is the most important beauty regime for me. As I age, I realize that taking good care of your skin is SO important. If I could only go back to college age me and make sure I took all my makeup off after a night out… cringe worthy now.
Don’t get me wrong I love makeup, but good skin makes you glow from within. There isn’t much time for makeup these days, but I MAKE time each night for skincare. It seems like a lot, but I can complete this routine in about 10 minutes.
A few months ago, I reviewed a different moisturizer for a week each for six months. (You can find that HERE. )
After that experiment I was even more motivated to find the best possible skincare routine for hydrated and younger looking skin. I jumped on Instastories and asked for recommendations, and tried SO many of them.
Dr.Biesman is an amazing doctor here in Nashville that has previously done my Botox. (Along with so many celebrities!) His office recommended SkinMedica products, and I have LOVED them. The biggest difference in my skin started after implementing them into my daily/nightly routine.
After removing all the makeup thoroughly, I use the Korres Greek Yoghurt Cleanser. You can keep this in the shower as well to incorporate into your shower routine. It has a great lather to it that isn’t too “soapy”, but leaves my face feeling so fresh and clean.
About two or three times a week I partner the cleansing with the Clarisonic. I was so late on the Clarisonic train, but I totally see why everyone loves it. Allure has a “best of beauty” awards and this is always on it. It helps to even out your skin, with firmness and with fine lines and wrinkles.
Anytime my lips are dry or flaky I will add Tarte’s Pout Prep Lip Exfoliant into the routine. I just add it on my lips and exfoliate and remove with a cool washcloth.
After fully cleansing my skin I move on to correcting. The TNS essential serum is the product I believe has given my skin the biggest difference in tone and texture. It contains antioxidants, peptides, and other age defying ingredients. It lightens age spots and helps foster the skins ability for cell renewal. It’s the product that gives me the most “radiance.” I know this one is on the pricier side, but I HIGHLY recommend.
Since my skin is typically dry and lacking moisture I double up a bit in this department. I start with SkinMedica’s Dermal Repair Cream It’s a really thick moisturizer so I like to do this one at night. It’s a bit too thick to wear under makeup for my daytime routine, but perfect at night. This one is blended with hyaluronic acid so it locks in that moisture.
Then I put on the most magic of creams, Charlotte Tilbury’s Night Cream. It’s thick and I wake up with the softest skin you could possibly imagine!! SO. DANG. GOOD.
The last step is Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate. This facial oil restores your skin while you sleep. It has lavender, squalane and evening primrose.
This has been the best nightly skincare routine I’ve found to date! I’m sure I will be switching it up and adding in products as I find great new ones, but it’s working so well for me currently!
I know it can be overwhelming when it comes to skincare. It is important to layer your products in the proper order. If you don’t it can cause some serious breakout and waste the product.
You can copy this to your phone if it helps!
Proper Order of Nightly Skincare Routine
1. Makeup Remover
2. Cleanser
3. Toner (I left this one out of the post, because I am still trying to find the perfect one. Lately I’ve been using Tarte’s Knockout Tingling Treatment. IT IS STRONG.)
4. Treatment Products
5.Night Cream
6. Eye Cream (Charlotte Tilbury’s is GREAT! You can find it HERE. )
7. Moisturizers
8. Facial Oil
Also, I will do masks or scrubs at night on occasion. I recently discovered the BEST. MASK. EVER. La Mer’s The Treatment Lotion Hydrating Mask. It has a full ounce of the treatment lotion in each mask. It’s so luxurious feeling and hydrating. It feels like you received a high end facial when you pull the mask off. If you are traveling or have a big event I would HIGHLY recommend using one of these. SO DANG GOOD!
About 6 months ago I jumped on Instastories and asked for recommendations on the absolute best moisturizers out there. I decided I would do a little experiment and try all the different types that were recommended as well as some I found on my favorite beauty bloggers and youtube accounts. Each week I tried a new product for the last 6 months.
Some were great, some were just ok, some were just plain not worth the money. I wanted to try the full spectrum from high end to drugstore. Really dig in and try to find some hidden jewels and the best moisturizers out there!
For reference, I have very dry skin. It’s not overly sensitive, but it is excessively dry.
I’m going to break this down by overall favorites, best for the price point, a total list of everything that I tried and some various “awards.”
I’ve jumped head first into this skincare world in the last year and love trying new products and finding what works. If you have any other suggestions I would love to hear them!
P.S. Some I did just try from friends or the sample size so that this project didn’t cost the price of my child’s future college tuition…. It was still a small fortune, but skincare is worth it to me!
You can click on any of the below best moisturizers to purchase or find out more information on them.
MY TOP 5 BEST MOISTURIZERS
(What I will continue to use now that this experiment is over..)
1. Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream– It’s just that…magic. I LOVE this stuff. Gold in a jar. Totally worth the price. It can be worn underneath your makeup too. A makeup artist friend of mine uses it on every client he has under their makeup and swears it’s what keeps them coming back time and time again.
2. Creme De La Mer Moisturizing Cream – I honestly didn’t want to like this one as much as I did. It’s a bit on the pricier side, and a cult favorite. But it truly is so good. It’s formulated without the use of parabans, sulfates, phthalates, etc. The cream is thick (which I do really like) so it takes a minute to truly soak into the skin. I used this when my skin was so dry it was itching and hurting. It acted as a healing cream, not just a moisturizer.
* I also did try their new Moisturizing Cool Gel Cream . I did love the texture and the cooling affect it had. It too took a minute to soak into the skin, but really hydrates. I thought my skin had a better glow with the creme de La Mer than the cool gel. This does feel so refreshing going on the skin!
** Yes, I know that these are very pricy. I truly wanted to hate it for that reason and find much better, but it’s just that good.
3. Tatcha Water Cream – This was one of the last moisturizers I tried and I’m truly impressed. For the price point, it’s hard to beat! It’s much lighter than a lot of the other moisturizers that I tried, so I didn’t think it would be as powerful as it is. This is actually great for wearing under makeup. My skin was so smooth directly after use. A little goes a long way with this one. I didn’t notice ANY “oily” after math on my skin what so ever.
*Also, I love Tatcha’s Luminous Dewy Skin Mist. It’s a mist moisturizer (in my opinion it should not replace a moisturizer) that I like to use AFTER makeup use. It really does the best with creating that “dewy” look.
4. Tarte Drink of H20 Hydrating Boost Moisturizer – If you have been following along you know I LOVE Tarte’s products because they are made ethically and free of all the “bad stuff” out there. This is a cooling mixture like the last La Mer, I just talked about above. It is lighter that that mixture, but still feels so refreshing going on. It leaves my skin so soft. This price point is MUCH lower, and truly works great! This one is really quick absorbing. It gives you a bit of glow with no grease.
5. SkinMedica HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator– This was recommended to me by Dr.Biesman and I think so highly of him! I love SkinMedica products! So this one has a much different texture than a lot of other moisturizers. It is not thick and creamy, it goes on very fluid. This product is very long lasting. At the end of the day my skin is still so soft after using this one. (I only used one pump.) I noticed a difference in fine line wrinkles with this one as well. It is scent free.
6. . Egyptian Magic- This was another one that I hadn’t heard of, but was recommended multiple times! It can be found at the drugstore, so it’s a great price point! It’s INSANELY hydrating. It’s a miracle worker and I had to include it in the top 5 because the price point is so good and it works like a charm. If you are dry…this will cure that right up!
Honorable Mention..
* IT cosmetics confidence in a cream – I like that this was a thicker mixture but not greasy. It’s very hydrating and soft. It’s a fairly good amount in the jar for the price too. I loved the slight smell of this one!
Best Moisturizers For the Price
1. Kiehls Ultra Facial Cream – I do love good ole Kiehls products. I actually purchased Trey ALL the Kiehls mens skincare lineup for Christmas and I have noticed such a difference on him since he started using them. You can find that one HERE. This one is lightweight and really hydrating. I like that this one has essentially no scent to it.
2. Neutragena Rapid Wrinkle Moisturizer with SPF – I liked that this one had SPF and it works great under makeup. I did notice that this one smoothed fine lines. It’s not as hydrating as other ones I tried, but does leave a great smooth face and slight glow. It’s a drugstore product and a good product for the price!
3. Pond’s Moisturizing Cream – So many of ya’ll told me about this one! So I will say it does truly really hydrate and left my skin really smooth for under $10. However, it has a very distinct smell. I’m not a huge fan of the smell, but if you can get past that it does an amazing job at a REALLY great price.
4. CeraVe Facial Moisturizer– This was an under $20 Target find. I actually had a dermatologist reach out to me about this one! She sells high in products, but recommended this as well. I used this one at night. It’s lightweight yet packs a hydrating punch!
5. L’Oreal Age Perfect Cell Renewal Day Cream with SPF– If someone took the packaging away and you tried this.. never in a million years would you believe it’s $7. It smells fresh, provides that dewy look and is ultra hydrating! I was shocked with this one.
Not Worth The Price
1. Doll Face Beauty Nourish Anti-Oxidant Protective Moisturizer – I tried this as one of my first one, and the packaging was pretty. At first I thought it was decent because it was one of the earliest ones that I tested. After trying so many others I realized it just doesn’t compare, and you absolutely can’t warrant the price for the results.
2. Kenzo Moisturizing Skin Garden- This one is very thick and refreshing, but I noticed it didn’t stay at all. I loved the way it felt going on and honestly bought it for the name. It’s not TERRIBLE, by any means, but not worth the money either.
I tried 25 total moisturizers to find the best moisturizers out there! Some others that I tried….
* Tula Hydrating Day & Night Cream- I actually really liked this one as well. It’s made with probiotics and is ultra hydrating. This one was close to making the top list, and I will continue to use this one at night.
* Shiseido Essential Energy Moisturizing Gel Cream– Did have the typical cooling and refreshing feel of a gel cream moisturizer… I just didn’t think it was as great overall as the Gel by La Mer or Tarte.
Remember, all skin types are different. What worked for me and my skin, might not work as great on someone else. Hope this helps guide you in your search for the best moisturizer for your skin!
