MY NIGHTTIME SKIN CARE ROUTINE
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I was probably about 30 years old before I found out that not every woman washes her face before bed.
I’m not just talking about taking off your makeup… I’m talking actually washing your face.
Ever since I hit puberty (which was at the ripe young age of 11…), I have dealt with breakouts and hormonal acne. I honestly don’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t washing my face before bed every single night. In fact, I remember when my husband and I were dating, washing my face while he drove home after our dates with just enough time to finish my whole skin care routine before he called me to tell me goodnight.
(I know… aren’t we the cutest?!)
I can’t imagine not having a skin care routine in my life - and now that I’m getting closer to 40, I don’t know if I ever want to go without having one. I honestly think it has been key to me looking significantly younger than my actual age of 36.
But, finding the right nighttime skin care routine and the right products to help with my hormonal acne and breakouts has definitely been a struggle.
Obviously, when I was younger, I would grab a face wash for acne from Target and hope for the best. While it worked well enough, it still didn’t help clear up my skin entirely.
I think I have probably tried almost every skin care product out there for acne-prone skin, just hoping to find something that actually worked.
One thing that worked for me was pregnancy and my hormones completely changing, but once we had our last baby, I was absolutely frustrated that my skin looked worse than it had in years.
The first products I found that FINALLY cleared up my skin was the Unblemish line from Rodan + Fields. I swore by these products for years because my skin never EVER had a zit… EVER. And I was in love with them - and still would be using them to this day, but...
I was having a lot of eye issues that I didn’t relate to my R+F products until years after using them. Within the first week of using the Unblemish routine, I ended up having a subconjunctival hemorrhage - something I had NEVER had before. I had no eye issues up until that point, but it never occurred to me that the cleanser could be causing that.
Then, for years while using the products, I dealt with horribly watery eyes. My eyes watered CONSTANTLY. I couldn’t get them to stop and even complained to my eye doctor that I thought I had dry eyes. She told me to get some over-the-counter eye drops, but those didn’t help either. Again, I would’ve never thought that the skin care products were actually the issue.
I had been using R+F for years before I finally decided that I wanted to start switching out my beauty products to more natural products. I finished up my last bottles of what I had and tried out some all-natural, non-toxic products from Dermstore.
Two things happened…
My eyes immediately got better
My skin got way worse
I spent 6 month trying different natural skin care products, only to throw in the towel and switch back to R+F.
And then, MONAT came out with their skin care line. I’ll be honest - I was nervous. The only thing that had ever worked on my face to keep it clear was R+F. I had my doubts that MONAT could have a natural product that actually worked for my skin because nothing else had in the past.
So, I told myself I would try it for a month, and if it didn’t work, I’d switch back to R+F.
And guess what? I haven’t used R+F products since!
Does that mean MONAT has been perfect for me? Unfortunately no. But, the majority of my skin care products are MONAT because they have been the only natural skin care products that have worked for my acne-prone skin.
The only issue I have had over the last year is that I am no longer on birth control. (No, no more babies… just have other forms of birth control in place that have allowed me to get off hormonal birth control.) Of course, this meant that my hormones would be all over the place again, and now I deal with breakouts about 7-10 days of the month.
While I would LOVE to be better at cycle syncing and eating foods that help to prevent breakouts, I can’t complain about how my skin looks during those 10 days because it’s maybe only a zit or 2 that I have to deal with. Not perfect, but so much better than it used to be!
So, what does my nighttime skin care routine look like that has helped with my acne-prone skin? Here’s my step-by-step skincare routine, including the products I use that have helped keep my skin looking its best - and my confidence at an all-time high…
(Some of the products linked below are affiliate links. However, please know that I would NEVER recommend anything that I don’t currently use myself and would recommend to my mom or best friend. And since you’re a friend, just know that if you decide to try these products for yourself, I appreciate your support and know you’ll love them just as much as I do!)
STEP 1. REMOVE MAKEUP
If you wear makeup on a daily basis like me, you definitely want to make sure that you’re removing your makeup prior to washing your face. My go-to makeup remover is this Makeup Vanishing Balm. I use it to remove my eye makeup (it removes my waterproof mascara which is pretty dang awesome) and then use a Miracle Face Erase washcloth to remove the rest of my makeup.
STEP 2. FIRST WASH
Yes, this is just the FIRST WASH of my skincare routine. I am a big believer in the double wash (for both skin AND hair). The first wash is meant to get rid of all the dirt, grime, and makeup, while the second wash actually cleanses your skin. For my first wash, I recently switched to the Be Purified Cleanser, which is for oily or acne-prone skin like mine, but I also have used the Be Balance Cleanser with great results as well.
STEP 3. SECOND WASH WITH LUMISPA
Like I said, the second wash is to actually cleanse the skin. And I like to use a LumiSpa facial cleansing device to really get all the dirt and grime out of my pores. I’m currently using the cleanser that came with my device (it’s for acne prone skin as well) and it’s worked great! I think my favorite part is seeing all the additional makeup that my first was DIDN’T get. More reasons you need to be washing your skin 2 times!
STEP 4. TONER OR ESSENCE
Don’t skip this step because it goes hand-in-hand with cleansing your face. It’s the last step to get all the nastiness out of your pores, and over time will help to tight them up. As you can see, there are A LOT of steps just to get things out of your pores, but this is really important if you have oily or acne-prone skin. That build-up is what causes your skin to breakout, so getting them clear is essential! I use this Skin Revitalizing Essence after washing my face.
STEP 5. SERUM
Next up is your night serum. For me, this is all about anti-aging as I get closer to 40. I love the Rewind Age Control Nectar to help with fine lines + wrinkles, and lock in moisture, but you could also use something different for your skin type if you’re not worried about aging like I am.
STEP 6. EYE CREAM
I don’t think it’s ever too early to start using an eye cream - and I honestly wish I would’ve started sooner! I love the Eye Smooth cream. I always put it on BEFORE my moisturizer because I want to make sure my eye cream is doing its job and the moisturizer isn’t blocking it!
STEP 7. SPOT TREATMENT
Obviously, my go-to spot treatment is for acne. It took me a long time to find something that actually worked, but I ended up getting a prescription acne cream through Rory that has been a life-saver! And I love that I can text my dermatologist anytime if I have questions. I was dealing with some dryness that I thought was from the acne cream, but he was super helpful in walking me through what to do to make sure the prescription was working correctly! I definitely think this has a lot to do with how my skin looks currently!
STEP 8. MOISTURIZE
Even if you have oily or combination skin like me, you NEED to have a moisturizer! I love the Nighthaven Moisturizer to lock in the moisture of my skin (and it smells so good)!
STEP 9. RETINOL
Again, I’m getting closer to 40 so I’ve started using a retinol. Actually, I use a vegan retinol alternative to help with age spots, uneven skin tone, fine lines, and wrinkles. I haven’t been using it for too long, but I definitely think it’s helping to even out my skin!
Yes, I KNOW it’s A LOT of steps, but it is the combination of things that has been working really well for my skin. I still get a zit here and there (thank you hormones), but for the most part, my skin feels smooth and looks clear most days!
Want to see what skincare products are right for your skin? You can take my FREE Health + Beauty quiz to find your right combination of products - and I’ll even send you a FREE at-home skincare spa to try for yourself!
I love sharing my routines with you! If you like my nighttime skin care routine, you’ll love my daily makeup routine as well!
PS - I would NEVER recommend anything that I didn’t truly believe in, love, and use myself. And I want to be 100% honest with you always (#trust). So, I need you to know that I DO use affiliate links that allow me to earn a commission from things you buy with the links I share. It doesn’t cost you any thing extra and it helps me keep this here blog going!