Notes on my skincare routine
When I was a teenager, I remember reading fashion magazines where celebrities would be interviewed about their beauty routines. When asked about the one makeup item they couldn’t live without, they’d always say mascara or red lipstick and I’d think: HOW DO YOU LIVE WITHOUT CONCEALER?! Although I never had crazy cystic acne, I had pretty constant breakouts in my chin and oiliness in my T-zone and I was so self-conscious about it! Looking back, I’m pretty sure everything I did to cover it up just made it more obvious, but alas: with age comes wisdom. 
Because of that, clear skin has long been big priority of mine: I’m so much more confident, with or without makeup, with good skin. My mom has always been the biggest champion of taking your makeup off every night: by that I mean I don’t think I ever went to bed in high school or college without my mom asking if I’d taken my makeup off, and it’s a tough habit to shake! I’m obviously a very routine-driven person, and nowhere is that clearer than in my mornings and evenings.
Beyond the obvious face washing, moisturizing, etc. below: I also try to drink a ton of water (I never go to bed without a glass on water on my nightstand), wear baseball caps when I’m in the sun for extended periods of time, get eight hours of sleep, and always wear SPF 50+ on my face. I also take a nail, skin and hair supplement every morning. The biggest thing that still affects my skin: my stress levels. When I do break out now, it’s usually the direct result of a crazy stressful week at work OR a ton of travel, which is inherently stress-inducing for me. Getting enough sleep and regularly meditating is a huge part of managing my stress, and when it comes to travel, it’s also been helpful to stop wearing makeup on planes. Instead, I slather on Plant-Derived Squalene Oil before take-off to help combat dehydration and put on makeup whenever I get to my destination. TY Eva Chen/Cup of Jo for the intel: it’s been a lifesaver! 
Morning
I wash my face with Ursa Major Fantastic Face Wash in the shower: made with cedar, spearmint and lime, it smells super fresh and invigorating.
I’ve been a big fan of The Ordinary products for the past few months: they’re reasonably priced and I’ve seen good results. In the morning, I use the Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%: it’s supposed to help brighten skin tone and even out skin texture. I’m a little self-conscious of the acne scarring I have on my chin, which is a big reason why I use this.
I’m very committed to Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer with SPF 50: it’s affordable, non-greasy, and provides a solid layer of sun protection that is necessary year-round in San Diego. Although I’ve always been good about wearing it on my face, I’m now more intentional about also putting it on my neck and my chest.
Evening
If I’ve worn makeup during the day (which is maybe once a week, unless I’m traveling), I use Yes to Grapefruits Facial Wipes as a first step in the evening. When I travel super light (aka one-night work trips), I might not bring a lot of the below but I always pack these and just hope for the best.
Most evenings, I’ll also use the Ursa Major Fantastic Face Wash. One tip that my facialist gave me was to use a fresh washcloth every evening when I’m washing my face: it helps with light exfoliation and also keeping my face super clean. I just bought some of these simple ones from Target and I throw them in the wash with my laundry at the end of the week!
On Sunday and Thursday nights, I use Murad Skin Smoothing Polish Exfoliator. I used to be extremely devoted to Murad products, and this is one of my favorites. It does a great job of exfoliating without being too scratchy or intense. If I go to the beach and feel like my face is extra sunscreened/sweaty/oily, I’ll opt for this instead of the Ursa gel cleanser.
After cleansing, I like Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera as a toner. It’s pretty gentle but still effective.
I’m most dedicated to The Ordinary Buffet. The product description is that it “combines a comprehensive array of studied technologies to target multiple signs of aging at once” aka YES. I also die for this on their website: “The name of this formula was inspired by some brands referring to their expensive products offering combinations of these technologies as a “buffet”, distastefully comparing such products to buffets that offer various kinds of food in one sitting.” Anyway, who knows if it’s actually cancelling out all of my wrinkles but it’s certainly not doing any harm and it’s way less expensive than half of the stuff at Sephora.
I also use Salicylic Acid 2% to help with skin clarity and reducing blemishes, mostly on my chin. It’s where I have most of my acne scarring, and when I do break out, it’s usually here.
Last step is a moisturizer: I like Neutrogena Anti-Wrinkle Retinol Night Cream. In general, I’m a big fan of Neutrogena products because they’re affordable and they work.
Weekly
On Monday mornings, I do a Murad Acne Clarifying Mask while I meditate. I focus it on my chin and T-zone since it’s mostly a way to control my oiliness and acne.
On Wednesday nights, I do the Drunk Elephant Sukari Babyfacial: this was one of those v trendy products that I decided to splurge on, and so far, I like it! It has kind of a tingly sensation on your skin, which I hope means it is fulfilling all of its promises of improving skin texture, tone and clarity.
Quarterly
Living in New York City, I got in the habit of quarterly facials. This was mostly driven by the gross air quality of the city (my facial wipes used to just be black with smog and pollution and who knows what else at the end of the day) and the fact that I would always break out between seasons: when it got hot and humid in summer, my skin would get clogged up, and when winter came around, it would be so dry. I eventually became a monthly member of Heyday (if you live in New York or Los Angeles, I can’t recommend them more) and it really helped get my skin back on track. In San Diego, I go to BLH Beauty: I’m a big fan of her “Boring Skin Club” concept and her dedication to extractions, however painful as that may be for me, ha!
Also: this seems ridiculous to have to say, but I don’t get Botox or any other fillers or cosmetic surgery type stuff. Who knows what will happen down the line, but I’d much rather spend that money on travel and fun stuff that I’ll actually enjoy instead of just anti-wrinkles. My general philosophy is that regular facials, lots of water and a solid skincare routine is enough. Right?! Right.
Yearly
Since turning 30 and moving to an extremely sunny city, I also have committed to annual skin screenings with a dermatologist. It’s no secret that I looooove the sun, but I’m trying to be more responsible about my exposure and using at least SPF 30 every time I go to the beach (SPF 50 on my face, neck and chest). I went to tanning salons pretty regularly in high school and college and my grandmother had skin cancer: I’m well aware of the risks, both genetic and self-imposed. And so! I know that I need to get regular screenings and I’m very grateful that my insurance covers it (with a $75 co-pay, which is well worth it). If you’re in San Diego, I really like my dermatologist!
