This past March I turned 40 years old and when I posted this on social media so many people commented that they thought I was much younger, some even thought I was in my mid-20’s. While I was flattered by all of the comments, the truth of the matter is that I am 40 and it is okay to look 40. I have always had the philosophy that skincare is an investment, not an expense, so I do not mind spending extra when it comes to good products or services that I will use and love. My main goal in a skincare routine is to take care of myself and to be healthy, it’s not necessarily to look younger than I am. How skin ages varies from person to person and what works for one may not work for another, it’s a lifelong process of trial and error and finding what works for one’s unique skin type.
My skincare routine is broken down into daily, weekly and quarterly routines. Below is a breakdown of these routines and what they entail. As I have mentioned so many times before in my blog, like most things in my life, I like to keep things simple, but effective. I do not think we need every gadget or serum created in order to have good skin as just a good, consistent routine will yield great results on their own.
morning routine
My morning skincare routine is probably the most simple routine that I have. I do not wash my face with a cleanser as that can strip the skin of its natural, beneficial oils. Listed below are the 4 steps I do in the morning.
- Splash mildly warm water on my face and pat dry with a clean towel.
- Spray with Caudalie Beauty Elixir and let set until air dried (usually I will make the bed during this process).
- Put on The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support Serum.
- Apply Caudalie Firming Cashmere Cream to face and around the eyes as an eye cream.
nightime routine
The nighttime skincare routine is a little more involved as our faces get dirty during the day from makeup, pollution, touching our face, etc. I like to take my time at night to show my skin some care after a long day as a way to keep it healthy and as blemish-free as possible.
- Remove makeup with BioDerma Micellar Water and a clean face pad.
- Wash face with Caudalie Vinoclean Instant Foaming Cleaner.
- Apply Face Cream to face and around the eyes as an eye cream (either Caudalie Firming Cashmere Cream or Caudalie Intense Moisturizing Cream).
- Apply Laneige Sleeping Lip Mask to lips.
sunday facial
Sunday is a reset day for me where I get everything ready for the week ahead and that includes my skin. It feels luxurious to be able to take some time out to care for my physical self and doing a Sunday facial starts my week off feeling like my best self. The weekly facials are more involved due to their purpose of deeply cleansing and moisturizing and like most things in my life, I elevate the experience by lighting a scented candle, putting on my Luxurious Hotel Vibes playlist and then I proceed to give myself the following facial below.
- Remove any makeup with BioDerma (if I wore makeup that day).
- Wash face with Caudalie Vinoclean Foaming Cleanser.
- Use a Dr. Dennis Gross Universal Daily Peel (these peels are very strong as they basically remove the top layer of dead skin that you will see peel off as you are using them. I use these only once a week during the warmer months and twice a week during winter when my skin gets very dry and peeling).
- Apply Caudalie Moisturizing Mask for 20 minutes to the face and neck.
- Rinse the mask off and apply The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support Serum.
- Apply Caudalie Intense Moisturizing Cream.
- Do a quick lip scrub then apply Laniege Lip Mask.
thursday facial
The Thursday facial for me is the mid-week maintenance facial. It’s a chance to do an at-home spa night and to take care of my skin on a deeper level. This routine may be the most involved of all and I also elevate the ritual with candles, spa music, a fluffy robe and slippers and a glass of lemon water. Here is what I do for my Thursday night facial.
- Remove makeup with BioDerma until clean.
- Apply argan oil to face and use gua-sha (I try to use the gua-sha a few times a week as well, but it can be sporadic).
- Use my Michael Todd Beauty Sonicsmooth dermaplaning tool to dermplane my face.
- Wash face with Caudalie Instant Foaming Face Cleanser
- Apply Caudalie Vinergetic C+ Instant Detox Mask to face and leave on for 15 minutes.
- Rinse face and moisturize with Caudalie Intense Moisturing Cream.
- Put on Pixi Dream Calming and Replenishing Eye Patches for 10 minutes.
quarterly facial
Once a quarter I will go to a spa to have a professional facial. I do this to not only take some time to relax, but to also have a professional check in on my skin and for them to provide a very thorough facial that I am not able to do at home. During the warmer seasons of the year I will get a Deep Cleanse Facial and for the colder months of the year I will do a Sooth & Hydrate Facial. I go to a spa that is right by my apartment and not only do I enjoy the facial itself, but I also very much enjoy the luxurious atmosphere.
other skincare moisturizers i use
While this post is mainly about my facial skincare routine, other skincare items that I use for my body are:
- Caudalie Vinosculpt Lift & Firm Body Cream on my neck and chest
- Nécessaire The Body Lotion for my arms, stomach, hips, and legs.
- Caudalie Vinothrapist Foot Beauty Cream for the feet.
- Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Retinol Deodorant for under the arms.
Another thing that I will mention is that I do also wear sunscreen whenever I am out in the sun for an extended period of time, so that is really the only other thing that I did not mention above. I love taking care of my skin and knowing that I put in this effort to create a skincare routine that works for me has reinforced the self image of a woman who takes exquisite care of her body. This doesn’t mean that I have perfect skin, because I do not. My skin is normal with texture and pores and the occasional breakout, but I will still invest in keeping my skin as healthy as I can regardless. Style may come and go throughout the years, but our skin is with us for a lifetime, so that’s why I invest wisely in keeping it healthy.
Kelsie says
“Skincare is an investment, not an expense” is such a good reminder! When telling a server we were celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary, he asked me skeptically, “Tenth? How old were you when you got married?” Now I won’t bat an eye when it comes time to restock my skincare haha. I just have to make sure I get everything on at a decent hour before I’m too exhausted!
ThePetiteTresor says
Oh that is so nice that your server thought you were so much younger than you were, it’s always such a compliment. And I completely understand about trying to do the skincare routine before you get too tired, especially on the workdays when all you want to do is curl up and go to bed. Thank you for stopping in and reading the blog today, Kelsie 🙂 I’m so happy that you enjoyed the article.