PREVIOUS ARTICLE
Our editors, clockwise: Christine Pride, Alison Piepmeyer, Kaitlyn Teer, Joanna Goddard, Jannelle Sanchez, and Kelsey Miller
Are you a skincare fan? I absolutely love it — and I love hearing the little details of people’s routines. It’s such a fun peek into someone’s daily life. Our team of editors has a varied mix of skin types and challenges. Today, we figured we’d share our daily skincare rituals (and we’d love to hear yours)…
How would you describe your skin type?
Alison: Acne-prone. From age 12 to 34, I dealt with painful breakouts and tried almost every treatment. I felt so insecure when it flared up, especially because it was hard to hide. I had a few clear stretches over the years (like during pregnancy or after Accutane), but it was only a few years ago that I finally figured out my acne triggers and a routine that works for me. (Basically, cut out dairy; more on that below.)
Christine: In magazine parlance, “normal-to-dry.” In the parlance of my girlfriends and me: “Black don’t crack.” Melanin does as much work as any expensive serum to keep my skin fairly wrinkle-free.
Jannelle: Combination. I always have some shine on my forehead and nose by the afternoon. I don’t really mind, but if I’m going out for a special occasion, I’ll bring setting powder in my purse.
Joanna: Very fair and ruddy. I’m always blotchy when I wake up in the morning. Also, with perimenopause, my skin is shifting a lot right now, so my skincare routine has been shifting, too.
Kaitlyn: Dry, especially in the colder months.
Kelsey: Reactive. She reddens, she clogs, she scars if you even look at her funny. Frankly, my skin is a total diva.
What’s your morning skincare routine?
Alison: I have a special skincare plan that my esthetician from Acne Clinic NYC created for me six years ago! In the morning, it’s simple: exfoliating serum and hydrating gel.
Christine: Nothing, really — it’s a miracle if I remember to wash my face. That’s a hazard of working from home; there’s so little motivation.
Jannelle: I have three kids under five, so personal time is limited. On busy mornings, all I do is rinse my face with cold water and dab on CeraVe cream — it’s my go-to moisturizer because it’s hydrating, fragrance-free, and cheap!
Joanna: This winter, my skin got dry and blotchy, so much so that I’d wake up with little red bumps, almost like a rash. My dermatologist’s theory was that my cleanser was stripping my face, so she suggested switching to the very simple Vanicream. It cleared up my skin right away, and my boys now use it, too. After cleansing, I use INNBeauty Extreme Cream, which is super creamy and hydrating. I started using it a few months ago, and it’s working really well for me. My skin finally feels glowy again!
Kaitlyn: I typically cleanse during my morning shower. A couple times a week, I also apply a clay mask to my T-zone and let it do its thing while I get dressed and make coffee. After rinsing it off, my skin feels extra fresh and clean.
Kelsey: Every night, I rinse my face and dry with a clean towel. If my skin feels cranky, I’ll soothe it with Summer Friday’s Jet Lag mask/moisturizer. That stuff zaps redness like nobody’s business. I finish with a thin layer of polyglutamic acid serum. It’s incredible and has an instant smoothing effect on skin texture (see: scars). It’s a million times better than any primer I’ve tried, and I use it even on no-makeup days because it also keeps me hydrated, with zero stickiness or shine.
What do you use for sun protection?
Alison: On my face, I use this tinted mineral sunscreen. For my body, I like this sport one. Both are acne-safe! I’m really careful about the ingredients in my beauty products and run everything through a pore-clogging checker before buying.
Christine: I’m very bad at sunscreen. Very bad. As in…I never use it, ever. (The shame!)
Jannelle: I used to be a SuperGoop gal, but it made my skin feel oily. I switched to Beauty Pie two years ago, and I really like its matte finish. Also: hats!
Joanna: I like lots of different sunscreens, but one I always go back to is Vacation because I LOVE the scent. Another favorite is EltaMD, which never irritates my sensitive skin.
Kaitlyn: I spend a ton of time outdoors and reach for Trader Joe’s daily facial sunscreen every day. It’s clear, unbelievably lightweight, absorbs easily, and has a subtle-but-nice scent. Skin cancer runs in my family, and I’ve had a few scares myself, so I keep this sunscreen in our bathroom, in my purse, and in the car.
Kelsey: Most sunscreens make me break out horribly. In the winter, I use Ilia’s Skin Tint with SPF 40. But summer is coming, and I need the hardcore stuff that’ll stay put through sweaty commutes and beach days. Any recs?
What’s your personal hero product?
Alison: I don’t really believe in hero products! I’ve seen the best results from sticking to a consistent, boring routine. I’m not very fun to talk beauty with; if someone recommends something new, I’m like, ‘No, I already know what works for me.’ I’ve got my system.
Christine: I’ve recommended these exfoliating pads so many times, I deserve a spokeswoman gig: M-61 PowerGlow Peel. Years ago, when I first tried them, my skin got a noticeable glow. Instant results? Sold!
Jannelle: Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. I get blemishes during my period, but I can’t use most acne products because I’m allergic to some of the common ingredients. This stuff always takes care of stubborn pimples without causing a reaction.
Joanna: I know I’m a broken record, but Vacation sunscreen doubles as a fragrance, and I get so many compliments on it. My whole family is obsessed with the scent. We even bought the Vacation air freshener for our car because we love it so much.
Kaitlyn: My friend gave me a jar of calendula salve after my daughter was born, saying it was good for diaper rash. My kids are now (thankfully) out of diapers, but that salve is so great that I still keep it on hand for kitchen burns, dry skin, etc. My whole family has a cold right now, and it’s healing all our red, tissue-chapped noses.
Kelsey: Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser. It’s an excellent exfoliator, and the longer you leave it on, the more it works (in the shower, I’ll let it sit on my face for a couple minutes while washing the rest of my body). I use it a couple times a week, because as with most “brightening” products (and it is genuinely brightening), it can make me a little pink if I overdo it.
What does your evening routine look like?
Alison: I usually shower before bed and use this body wash. Then I’ll wash my face with an oil-free cleanser, do a quick second cleanse with micellar water, use a hydrating gel, and finish with Vaseline on my lips. I also wash my pillowcases every two or three days so I’m not sleeping on anything dirty (especially since I only wash my hair once or twice a week!).
Christine: I try not to overthink skincare, so I stick to a three-step routine: wash (Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleanser), tone (Mario Badescu Cucumber Cleansing Lotion), and moisturize (Sunday Riley Vitamin C Cream). This combo (plus the PowerGlow pads a couple times a week) keeps my skin in balance — and I like that it’s a mix of high and low. Aveeno is a solid drugstore brand, while Sunday Riley is a splurge for me — but that’s kind of the point. It’s a treat for my skin, and I love the luxurious texture and scent.
Jannelle: If I’m wearing makeup, I’ll remove it with micellar water. (I started using it after reading Chloe Hall’s beauty uniform, and I now I can’t NOT use it.) I feel a difference when I skip this step, and the difference is not good! Then I use my ride-or-die Cetaphil cleanser, which I’ve been devoted to since I was a teenager. It makes my skin feel squeaky clean but never dried out. After that, I’ll put on a nice layer of CeraVe moisturizer, drink a glass of water, and call it a night.
Joanna: I wash with Vanicream cleanser again (I keep one bottle in the shower and one by the sink). Once a week I’ll use a Korean exfoliator, which I love because I can actually feel the dead skin sloughing off. My skin is SO smooth after. Then I finish with the same INNBeauty moisturizer, and that’s that.
Kaitlyn: Every night, I like to press a warm, wet washcloth to my face for a few seconds. Holding the heat over my closed eyes is such a comfort, especially if I’ve had a long day. If I’m feeling responsible, I’ll follow it up with a night cream, which is formulated for mature skin, as they say.
Kelsey: I wash my face in the shower, alternating my beloved Indie Lee with La Roche-Posay’s Foaming Cleansing Oil (I know foaming ≠ cleansing, but I need the foam). I use a glycolic acid toner a few times a week. SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic serum is my favorite treatment product (it does everything — fades sun damage, evens tone, makes me look more awake), but it’s pricey, so I don’t always have it. Moisturizers are my splurge. I love Caudalie’s Premier Cru Cream and Summer Fridays Rich Cushion Cream, which are both super hydrating but never clog or irritate my skin.
What’s the biggest skincare lesson you’ve learned?
Alison: What I eat really affects my skin. Years ago, I spent four months working with an esthetician to figure out my personal acne triggers. For me, dairy products cause breakouts, and I can almost always tell within a few days if I’ve accidentally eaten some.
Christine: I hate facials! It took two of them before I realized that, for me, they aren’t relaxing at all, and I don’t enjoy people touching my face. I’ve also learned to accept that I’m just not a product fiend. I like the stuff I like, and I’ll probably be using it until I die — the same way my mom’s been using her Noxema for 65+ years.
Jannelle: Sleep makes a HUGE difference. If I haven’t had a good night’s rest, my skin feels so dry and flaky. Of course, we can’t always control how much sleep we get (I’m currently waking up to breastfeed three times a night), but if I have an event where I want to feel my best, I try to go to bed early for a few nights leading up to it. I swear, getting those extra hours makes my skin brighter.
Joanna: As a teenager, I’d sunbathe on my dad’s back deck in Michigan (it was the ’90s!), and I’d sometimes get sunburned. My twin sister was the opposite: she’d douse herself in sunscreen and wear long sleeves to the beach! Decades later, you can see the difference. Her skin is like cream. Now I tell every teenager I know to wear sunscreen.
Kaitlyn: Not to sound like a habit-stacking bro, but what works for me is keeping my cleanser and face scrub in the shower. Seeing the scrub in the shower helps me remember to use it once a week.
Kelsey: Dehydrated is not the same as dry. You can pile on the moisturizer, but if you don’t exfoliate and get the dead skin and makeup residue off your face, it’s not going to do anything but sit there and build up. That is the recipe for upset skin. Oh, and everything they told us about drinking water is true.
What does your own routine look like these days? Any hero-products we should check out?
P.S. 8 readers share photos of when they felt beautiful, and one beauty product we always finish.
Note: If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission or have a sponsored relationship with the brand, at no cost to you. We recommend only products we genuinely like. Thank you so much.
96 COMMENTS
