So far we’ve covered skin types and ingredients and now we’re diving into products before we move onto routines.

What does each product do? How do I know which products I need? Keep reading to have all of your questions answered,

• Cream
  • Ideal for dry and/or sensitive skin
  • Melt away makeup, dirt, oil, and impurities without stripping the skin
  • Very gentle
  • Apply to dry skin, massage in, and rinse
  • A little goes a long way
  • Drugstore: Ponds Cold Cream Cleanser
  • High End: Kate Somerville Cold Cream Moisturizing Cleanser
• Balm
  • Remove dirt, oil, and makeup without drying out the skin
  • Transforms from a solid balm into an oil upon application
  • Apply to dry skin, massage in, then rinse
  • Little bit goes a long way
  • Drugstore: Ponds Cleansing Balm
  • High End: Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm
• Cleansing Oil
  • Remove makeup, surface debris, and excess oil
  • Better suited for those with dry, sensitive skin
  • Moisturize and work as solvents
  • Quick and easy removal of all makeup–face, waterproof mascara, liquid lipsticks
  • Drugstore: Neutrogena Ultra Light Cleansing Oil
  • High End: Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil
• Micellar Water
  • Made up of micelles (tiny balls of cleansing oil molecules) suspended in soft water
  • Remove dirt, oil, and impurities without drying out the skin
  • Gentle and hydrating
  • Good for dry and sensitive skin
  • Use with a cotton round
  • I use it to remove eye makeup and liquid lipstick
  • Drugstore: Garnier Waterproof Micellar Water
  • High End: Lancome Bi-Facil Face

• Gel
  • Lightweight, hydrating cleanser that rinses completely
  • Will remove light makeup
  • Leaves skin fresh and clean
  • Normal to combo. acne-prone skin
  • Drugstore: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Cleansing Gel
  • High End: Philosophy Purity
• Foaming
  • Removes most types of makeup
  • Foaming action leaves skin soft
  • Combo to oily, acne-prone skin
  • Drugstore: Garnier Micellar Foaming Face Wash
  • High End: Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Foam Cleanser 
• Lotion
  • Leaves hydration after rinsing
  • Not the best for removing makeup
  • Drugstore: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gentle Cleansing Lotion
  • High End: It Cosmetics Confidence In A Cleanser

• Removes built-up skin for clear, renewed, smoother, and younger-looking skin
• Physical
  • Exfoliate the surface of the skin and are rinsed away after application
  • Can be too abrasive and cause tiny tears that aggravate the skin
  • Drugstore: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Exfoliating Cleanser
  • High End: dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Exfoliator
  • Other: Bare Minerals Skin Polishing Grains –you can add these to your cleanser
• Chemical
  • Diminish the appearance of wrinkles and improve the look of plumpness and firmness
  • Certain formulas can minimize pores
  • Clarify dull, uneven skin tone; smooth rough, bumpy skin; unclog pores; increase hydration
  • Formulated as Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA)
  • AHA
    • Better for dry skin and advanced signs of aging
    • Improves moisture content for extra smoothness
    • Exfoliate the surface of the skin
  • BHA
    • Better for oily skin with clogged pores
    • Skin-calming and hydrating
    • Relieve clogged pores and white bumps
  • My skin doesn’t respond to chemical exfoliants. I used the beloved Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid religiously for months and saw no changes.
  • I keep my skin clear and my acne at bay with physical exfoliants. I use a more intense scrub, the dr. Brandt, once a week and a gentle one, the Hydro Boost, daily. If I don’t use the Hydro Boost, I mix in the Bare Minerals in whatever cleanser I’m using.
• Generally, you use exfoliators one or two times a week, but frequency depends on your skin.

• Unclog pores by removing dirt, oil, and grime
• Restores your skin’s pH
• Remove traces of cleanser
• Close pores after cleansing
• Some are numectants, which help bind moisture to the skin
• Combo/oily skin–can reduce enlarged pores and excess oil
• Normal/dry–lessen redness and flaking
• Lots of toners contain alcohol because that helps them dry fast. However, alcohol can be drying to the skin so look for alcohol free toners or those with alcohol further down on the ingredient list.
• Apply with a cotton round or spray directly onto the face
• Drugstore: LOreal Hydra Fresh Toner
• High End: Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Fresh Balancing Lotion
• Drugstore Spray: Shea Moisture Matcha Green Tea Soothing Relief Toner & Hydrating Mist
• High End Spray: Kopari Coconut Rose Toner

• Lightweight, hydrating liquid to help prepare the skin for moisturizer
• Primes the skin to absorb serums and moisturizers
• Don’t apply with a cotton round, pat into the skin with your hands
• I’ve never used an essence so I don’t have on to recommend, but my friend Christine recommends the Fresh Black Tea Kombucha Antioxidant Essence. She has awesome recommendations so check out her blog!

• More advanced, more concentrated formulations designed to target specific needs
• Typically used in night routines so need to worry about them having an SPF
• AM–use before moisturizer
• PM–before moisturizer and eye cream
• Can use serum alone or with moisturizer depending on what your skin needs
• Drugstore: Aveeno MaxGlow Infusion Drops
• High End: Bare Minerals Brilliant Future Age Defense and Renew Serum

• Skin around the eye is the first to show age
• Regular moisturizers don’t have specific ingredients to target things like dark circles
• Only need a pea-size amount applied with ring or pink finger because those have a lighter touch
• AM Drugstore: Neutrogena Hydro Boost City Shield Eye Serum
• AM High End: Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream
• PM Drugstore: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Eye Gel-Cream
• PM High End: It Cosmetics Confidence In An Eye Cream
• I prefer a thicker cream at night and a more lightweight formula in the morning.

• Makes skin feel smoother, softer, and protected against moisture loss
• Dry skin–creams or balms
• Normal skin–lotion
• Oily skin–gel
• Acne-prone and/or oily skin, look for an oil-free formula
• Like eye cream, I prefer a thicker formula at night and more lightweight formula in the morning.
• Best all around: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel
• Dry/Aging: It Cosmetics Confidence In A Cream
• Redness: It Cosmetics Bye Bye Redness
• Lightweight: Philosophy Purity, It Cosmetics Confidence In A Gel Moisturizer

• Good to use if you have dry, dehydrated skin and moisturizer just isn’t enough. Also good to use for seasonal dryness.
• Conflicting opinions on whether or not to apply before and after moisturizer. I’ve done both, up to you. You can also mix it in with your moisturizer.
• Help to lock moisture in
• Try to avoid fragrance oils
• Recommended oils–coconut, jojoba, grape seed, rose hip, argan
• I got a rose hip oil at TJ Maxx for $5 and it does the job. As long as it’s 100% pure, you’re good. No need to spend a lot of money on oils.
• I can tell a big difference in my skin when I use an oil at night. When I wake up, my skin feels so hydrated and plump.
• Drugstore/Affordable: The Ordinary 100% Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
• High End: Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate

• You NEED an SPF. Non-negotiable
• The sun is bad
• SPF prevents against UV rays
• Prevents sunburn and skin cancer
• The sun’s rays lead to premature aging and wrinkles
• Need an SPF of at least 30
• Drugstore Normal/Dry Skin: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50
• Drugstore Combo/Oily: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid Sunblock SPF 70
• High End: Murad Invisiblur Perfecting Shield SPF 30

• Supporting role in a skincare routine
• Clay 
  • Absorbent
  • Draw out debris from clogged pores
  • Leaves skin matte, but not dried out
  • Temporarily tightening
  • Apply after cleansing, but before the rest of your routine
  • Apply, let dry, rinse off
  • Don’t use more than twice a week
  • Drugstore: LOreal Clear & Comfort
  • High End: GlamGlow Supermud
• Peel Off
  • Remove a thin layer of dead surface skin
  • Leave skin feeling soft and smooth
  • Don’t over use or it will dry out your skin
  • Apply after cleansing, but before the rest of your routine
  • Apply, let dry, peel off
  • Drugstore: Aveeno Pre-Tox
  • High End: GlamGlow Gravity Mud Firming
• Sheet 
  • Part of Korean skincare
  • Saturated with skincare ingredients that you leave on for 10-20 minutes to allow the ingredients to soak into your skin
  • Massage remaining product into the skin
  • I don’t know that sheet masks have a lot of skincare benefits, but they’re a great way to relax and they leave my skin so soft. I stick mine in the refrigerator before I apply it and it feels amazing.
  • Drugstore: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrogel Mask
  • I don’t have a high end recommendation because these aren’t something to spluge on.

• Jade Roller
  • Smooth stone, cool feeling
  • Best benefit: reduce puffiness
  • Jade itself does not have any specific, special properties that benefit the skin
  • I got mine at TJ Maxx for $10ish, no need to spend a lot on these. Amazon has good ones too.
  • TJ Maxx, Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta
• Konjac Sponge
  • Cleansing exfoliator made from konjac root
  • Very gentle and safe to use on sensitive skin
  • Works to gently exfoliate and cleanse better than just using your hands alone
  • Toss after a month, not self-cleaning or anti-bacterial
  • Different colors signify different active ingredients i.e. red sponge has red clay
  • 100% biodegradable
  • ecotools, Boscia, Julep
• Sonic Cleansing Brush
  • Leaves skin soft, smooth, and CLEAN
  • Allows dead skin cells to exfoliate faster
  • Remover oil and debris that are clogging pores
  • Cleans deeper into pores than your hands/fingers can
  • Overuse can disrupt skin’s pH, irritate, and cause redness and inflammation
  • Skin issues like rosacea, eczema, psoriasis–be careful not to use a brush head that’s too rough
  • Clarisonic, Foreo, PMD, elf
    • The rubber bristle ones like the Foreo, PMD, and elf work better for my skin. I have a love the elf. I haven’t used it because the battery died and I’ve been too lazy to change it. #honest
• Manual Cleansing Brush
  • Don’t need to use every day, could lead to over exfoliation
  • Stimulate circulation, removes dead skin
  • Cleanse deeper than just your hands/fingers
  • Sephora, BareMinerals
• I had a Clarisonic, but the brush heads were just too rough for my sensitive skin. Yes, even the sensitive skin brush head. I’ve had better luck with manual brushes, but I don’t use

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Now that we’ve covered products and tools, let’s move on to what order you apply all of the aforementioned.

As I said earlier, I don’t use an essence, but if you want to, you use it after toner. I also added in exfoliator after cleanser since you only use it a few times a week.