5 on A Friday: Morning Face Routine (8/52)

 Hi! I realized the other day that I am loving my current morning face routine, so I thought I’d memorialize it here.

1. WASH MY FACE: I do not use a lot of water here, guys, so I cannot relate to the face washing angst and the big wrist towel things I see on IG. I start by pumping a pump of this cleanser into damp hands, working it into a lather, and gently coating my face. Then I get a wash cloth wet and wring it out. I use the wet cloth to gently wipe the soap away. We are talking DAMPNESS here, not wetness and splashing, etc. (I use this same stuff to wash my face at night in the shower, and I do not need an additional makeup remover).

$10, and I have an Amazon subscribe and save for this— I keep a bottle in my bathroom closet, a bottle in the shower, and a bottle in the boys’ shower because it’s great for all faces. 

2. Hyaluronic acid serum: I use Lancôme’s brand of this, but you can get this kind of anti-aging serum across brands and price points. I got hooked on this one in a holiday gift box and haven’t looked back— just a teeny bit makes my whole face feel smooth. I apply right away to a damp face.

3. Azelaic acid: Also a redness fighter, and I use this mostly around my nose and mouth if I have some rosacea going on.

4. Primer: LOVE THIS ONE even though the scent makes me think I should never ever look it up on the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database.  I could put this over OR under my moisturizer, but I like to use it first **shrug** I don’t wear foundation or anything like that, so I am only priming my face for more moisture. Sometimes. I do lotion first and then mix this stuff with my favorite Tarte BB cream as a final layer. It is perhaps thicker than I like a moisturizer to be, so I like to use a thin layer under moisturizer or mix with the Tarte stuff. I never like to feel like anything is sitting on top of my skin.

Also— I took pics of all of these things yesterday while I was getting dressed, but only 3 ended up in my photo library (???) or my camera roll (???) and Ben is sleeping in our room right now, so it would be SO RUDE to recreate the moment.

5. Moisturizer. I do not LOVE love this one, but the price is good, and there is nothing bad about it. My skin looks good. It sinks right in, and it has SPF. What else do I need?

This whole routine, from wash to the final swipe of lotion, takes less than 2 minutes. In just under 4 minutes, I can brush my teeth and wash my face— so there’s no excuse for me to be under groomed at school drop off. I definitely have 4 minutes. 5 if I floss!

BONUS: I use an eye cream and The Ordinary caffeine solution on my eyes morning and night. In the AM I use this Lancôme eye cream, but I also have a subscribe and save order for this Neutrogena one for nighttime.