My Current Skincare Holy Grail Products



Having a solid skincare routine is SO important. If you want radiant, healthy skin, finding the right products that keep your skin happy is key! While I have had extra time in quarantine, I have really invested a lot of time and energy into finding the right skincare products that my skin loves. I've tried SO many things and I am so happy to report that I have finally established a true skincare routine that works for me and results in smooth, glowing skin every single day. It is truly the best feeling to be able to go without makeup and still feel like my skin is smooth and glowing.


A little back story about my skin.


I have always had acne prone, problem skin ever since high school. I remember being a sophomore in high school and going through a REALLY tough breakout that lasted what felt like an eternity! My face had so many tiny, red, irritated bumps in the middle of my face in sort of a butterfly shape and it was the worst. I cried every single morning before school and felt so embarrassed! I remember one of my younger cousins asking me "Jamaria, what's all that stuff on your face?" and me feeling so horrible. She was like four or five years old and didn't mean anything by it, but man.. it stung. It was a reminder that these mountains on my face were very visible to everyone. My mom tried literally everything she could to make this breakout go away. Finally, I started using 'Proactiv' and that was the only thing that cleared up my bumps. It left behind lots of tiny scars that if I look close enough, I could still see years later, but I didn't care because the bumps were gone. I used Proactiv long enough for the bumps to clear up and then it became too strong for my skin and dried me out really bad. So then, the journey for skin care continued!


After that, I tried so many different cleansers, moisturizers, and toners. They would all seem to work at first and then after a few weeks, it would be like my skin would start rejecting it and I'd break out all over again. Now, I've been blessed to not experience a bad breakout like the one I had in high school since then (knock on wood), but I do get occasional pimples and hormonal acne. Being in quarantine over the last few weeks gave me the opportunity to REALLY figure out what products my skin loved and what I just did not need to use or my skin would absolutely freak out. When you have sensitive skin, you literally never know what will happen!


In my research, I realized my skin is combination. I have oily skin in the middle where my nose and eyes are, and then my cheeks and forehead can get pretty dry if I don't moisturize properly. I learned that when using products, I don't have to put each product on every single part of my face, and that it is okay to just put the products where I need it to be or where my skin is craving it. I also learned that you don't have to spend extreme amounts of money for your skincare and that some of the best products are VERY inexpensive.




So what do I use?



Let's start with the morning. My morning skincare routine is VERY simple, but it works for me. I cleanse my face with CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser. I love it because it is super gentle, but cleanses my face really well. It creates a super nice lather and it doesn't dry my face out after using it. After I cleanse, I go right to moisturizing. I know some people use serums in the mornings, but I have found that my skin does better throughout the day without anything heavy on it, so I leave the serums for the evenings. I use this moisturizing lotion every single day and it is perfect for my face. It is lightweight, but keeps my skin moisturized all day long. I used to use a different moisturizer and it was way too thick and my skin was extra oily a few hours into my day. My favorite last step of my skincare routine is this glow stick! Y'all.. it has this cooling effect and instantly gives my eyes a boost. Perfect pick me up in the mornings and throughout the day if needed. After these three things, I'm pretty much ready to start my day or if I am wearing makeup this day, I will add my makeup. FYI, I'm still testing out a few sunscreens so I won't include that here, but sunscreen is definitely important to protect your skin loves!


"Nighttime Is My Time to Heal"




Now let's talk about my nighttime skincare routine, which I personally believe is the most important! I feel like your skin goes through a natural detox during the night and also naturally restores itself. Make sure to NEVER skip taking care of your face at night, friends!


So if I wore makeup during the day, I start my routine with this day eraser oil. I LOVE this stuff! It cleanses so well and it actually smells pretty good too. I like to double cleanse after wearing makeup, so after that I use my CeraVe cleanser again. It's gentle enough to use multiple times a day and you will be fine. Then I will apply my serum(s). Depending on the day, I will use multiple serums, but if it's an everyday thing, I go straight to this AMAZING Glow Maker serum that I cannot live without. It has truly changed my life, haha! If you want to know more about this, just go to my Instagram page and check out my IGTV video about it. Next, I move on to my night renewer cream and eye enhancer gel. Then, I'm ready for bed! I love how my skin glows before I even lay down to sleep and I wake up with even more of a glow and the smooth feeling is unmatehed!




What Are Your Occasional Products?


So, I do have some other skincare holy grail items I use occasionally at my own discretion, but I don't use them every single day. These are 'as needed' products and only applied to the area that is affected.


I use this mask and this toner when my skin needs a little extra TLC. This brand is black owned and the products are all natural and I LOVE THEM. I don't use a toner every day because it can dry me out if I do. Also, who has time to mask every day? Not me, lol! About once a week, I use this scrub to really deep cleanse my skin. It's gentle enough to not damage my skin, but also strong enough to do the job. It's a cleanser and a scrub all in one. Lastly, when that time of the month is near, my skin tends to freak out just a little bit so I like to use either this serum and/or this serum to really combat those breakouts. Y'all... they are SO cheap! Like under $8 each, but they are SO GOOD. It's crazy!






I have learned that the general rule for layering serums/skincare is to always start with the lightest one and gradually work your way up to the thicker products and serums. Spot test always and be patient with yourself. Don't expect results over night, and be sure to pay attention to whether or not the product you are using is meant to "draw out" impurities. When a product does that, you will likely see more breakouts before you see your skin start to clear up. That is because it is "drawing out" all of the underlying bumps that were there ready to surface at any moment. Give it time to work itself out. I learned this the hard way. Also, for a super nice spa-like feel, invest in a facial steamer! I LOVE mine! I don't steam my face every day or even every week, but when I do I try to have calming music playing and completely zone out. It's so nice and your skin will love you for it!


I hope this post was helpful to you guys and will give you some new products to try and love just as much as I do! My skin is NO WHERE NEAR perfect, but I am so happy with it! I still get pimples every now and then and I'm still testing out new products. I don't think there's a such thing as perfect skin, but I do feel my skin is healthy and I enjoy my no makeup days SO much more now!


What are some of your favorite products? I'd love to hear about them in the comments!


Thank you so much for reading! xo

SHOP THIS POST




PIN FOR LATER

8 comments

  1. I hadn't heard of Maelove before. Will have to check it out.

    ❥ tanvii.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love the Cera Ve and Cetaphil products! I haven't tried the others though. Definitely need to change that!

    Lizzie
    www.lizzieinlace.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Used to use Cerave and Cetaphil for years! Think they are solid products too! xoxo, Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm always fascinated by the skincare routine that other women use. We're all SO different, with such different skin and some of us use the same products and some are different. It's fascinating to me! I have a couple favorites that are the same as yours, but I've also never tried some of the others. It's fun to read through this though!

    ReplyDelete
  5. These sound like great products! I'll have to check out some of these! Xx.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I use a lot of these products! Clinique and Cera Ve are two of my favorites!

    Greta

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anna English7/31/2020

    There's a few brands in here I haven't heard of before. Totally checking them out!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love reading about other women's skincare routines, thanks for sharing! xo Jaimie www.jaimietucker.com

    ReplyDelete

Any comments you share with me are very much appreciated and I do my best to respond to each of you. I love feedback in all forms. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback and love with me. xo

Through Jam's Eyes