My All-Time Favorite Skincare Products

I am going to start off this post with an opinion that some may disagree with – if I had to choose between having perfect skin or being able to do perfect makeup, I would pick perfect skin every single time. There absolutely was a period in my life when I IDOLIZED makeup gurus on social media, but as I have gotten older and seen my skin go through the wringer (from cystic acne to chemical burns), I have realized how important it is to take care of your skin. Gone are the days when I had no skincare routine or when I was doing way too much and seriously irritating my face. After much trial and error, here are my all-time favorite skincare products in every category.

Please note, these are products that work for MY skin, please read the product information to see if you think they will work for your skin as well. I will be sure to update and re-publish this post as time goes on. As of right now, I would classify my skin as normal to dry and somewhat acne prone. I do not get as many breakouts as I used to a few years ago, but if I consume too much dairy, sugar, or alcohol I break out pretty quickly. I also am starting to notice the first signs of aging, including dullness and fine lines around my eyes and on my forehead. Here is the link to my Beauty playlist on my YouTube channel, which is where you will find my must updated skincare-related videos.

Cleansers

If you are a makeup-wearer and don’t double cleanse, what are you doing?? If you have never heard of double-cleansing, I will cut you some slack. A double-cleanse is when you first use a product to remove your makeup (the Farmacy and Clinique cleansing balms, for example) and you follow it up with a more traditional face cleanser. I personally prefer a nice gel cleanser that foams up a bit for a second cleanse.

Serum

I am not going to lie, I used to not really understand why serums are important. Now I know that they are a critical step where you can focus on specific skincare concerns that a standard cleanser and moisturizer routine wouldn’t be able to tackle. Here are a few serums that focus on everything from adding additional hydration to tackling anti-aging. No list of my all-time favorite skincare products would be complete with retinol, which has completely transformed my skin. Check out The Ordinary’s 2% Retinoid Emulsion!

Moisturizer

It shocks me to say this because I used to be extremely oily in my teenage years, but I have dry skin. I need my moisturizers to be pretty heavy-duty in order to not wake up with a face that feels tight. This is especially the case when I use more intense active ingredients to tackle anti-aging and acne. I have tried many, many moisturizers, and these are the best if you also have dry skin!

SPF

If you want to look younger than you actually are as you get older, you must incorporate SPF into your routine. Period.

Eye Cream

Eye creams are one of those skincare products that can get very expensive, very quickly. I personally don’t think I will ever shell out for eye cream over $100. Even $50 eye creams feel painful to me! If you are like me and starting to see some little lines under your eyes, the best thing you can do for them is to start using an eye cream. I am no skincare expert, but I have noticed that even more basic eye creams that focus on moisture without expensive anti-aging ingredients help the look of crepey under eyes. If you want to go for hardcore anti aging, look for options with retinol.

Face Masks & Treatments

I have tried countless face masks and treatments over the years, but these are the only ones that I have purchased again and again. Whether you are looking for a nice mud mask to clear out clogged pores or a chemical exfoliant that will make your skin feel brand new, I’ve got you covered. Please be warned, I learned the hard way that over-using different masks and treatments back to back is a great way to stress out and irritate your skin. If you want to try any new masks, please follow the usage directions and let your skin recover for at least a day or two between harsher masks.

Lip Care

I used to think that nice lip balms were overrated. I typically would use whatever random chapstick I had been gifted most recently. It wasn’t until I discovered the Laneige lip care line that I started to understand the difference between lip balms that actually heal your dry lips vs balms that fix the problem temporarily. Above are products at all price ranges that work incredibly well.

Tools

I never would have thought that I would be including face tools in my all-time favorite skincare products up until very recently. The world of skincare tools is big, confusing, and expensive, but here are the only tools that I am using at this time. I love my skincare fridge for extending the shelf life of products with active ingredients. I also use the special face razors to dermaplane my face and get rid of facial hairs. It makes my makeup lay on incredibly smoothly and I will never go back to life before. Please research how to dermaplane a home so that you do not injure yourself or your face.

My favorite facial tools have to be my stainless steel facial roller and gua sha from Sacheu Beauty. Here are the benefits of both. I used to think that using these tools was nonsense, but I have used them every morning and night since the end of 2021 and they have completely changed my skin. By massaging my face and increasing blood flow to the area, I have noticed a more glowy and sculpted face with less tension wrinkles and less acne. They are cheaper than most facials and med spa treatments, that is for sure!