I am obsessed with skin care. I have a full routine I follow every morning and every evening. It’s so refreshing to wash my face and apply my skin care first thing in the morning. My A.M. skin care is the best part of my morning right after coffee time. It’s just so relaxing to start my day taking care of myself and showing myself a little love. Here are the skin care products I am currently loving.

Before I wash my face, I ALWAYS wash my hands. Clean hands are super important if you want to keep your skin clear and healthy. It does you no favors to apply a ton of awesome products if you’re just going to undo all that hard work with dirty hands. The first thing I do when I sit down at my vanity to apply my skin care is use some of my Bath and Body Works anti-bacterial hand gel. Remember: Clean hands and clear skin go hand in hand.

Face Wash

I don’t wash my face or apply my skin care until after my workout. While I’m in the shower, I foam up my Clear Skin Pore Penetrating Gel Cleanser by Avon. I like this face wash because it isn’t heavily scented and it isn’t harsh on my skin. I find that while this gel cleanser does a good job of keeping pimples at bay, it doesn’t dry out my skin.

I would give a link to this face wash, but it seems Avon no longer carries this product. Excuse me while I sob over my last tube of this lovely gel cleanser. It will be missed when it’s all gone. I’ll update you with what I find to replace it.

Moisture/Water Layer

After washing my face, I make sure to completely pat my skin dry. Leaving water just sitting on your skin can dry out your skin. Why, because as the water evaporates off of your skin, it takes the moisture from inside your skin with it. Be sure to dry your skin. Once again, let’s not undo all this hard work.

It seems odd that I just told you to dry your skin only for me to turn around and say I wet my skin right after. There is a reason for this. The water I’m using is filtered and mixed with tea tree oil. That means the water I’m leaving on my skin to be absorbed is clean. It also receives an extra boost from the tea tree oil.

To make this solution just add filtered or distilled water to a small spray bottle and add a few drops of tea tree oil. Shake it up with each use. I like to spray the water onto my face then I’ll gently pat it in.

Another important note I want to make is to apply your skin care to your neck and hands also. They say your neck and hands give away your age, but yours won’t if you follow this rule.

Toner

Now it’s time for toner. I use the Moisture Toner Aloe Vera 90% by Gangbly. This is a South Korean brand. I love Korean toners because they aren’t as astringent as American toners can be. This toner is perfect for locking in moisture and calming the skin with aloe. I simply pat this into my skin also.

Serum

I’ve been using Caudalie’s Vinoperfect Radiance Serum. I got this little sample from Sephora as my member birthday gift back in June. I didn’t start using it until August, but I’m glad I did. It has a thick texture and easily spreads over my skin. I noticed that this serum locks in the moisture that I applied in the previous steps and helps to keep my skin tone even. I apply this by spreading it over my face and neck with my fingers. Then I’ll press it into my skin with my palms.

This tiny bottle has last about a month and a half so far and I’m only half way through. Sadly, once it runs out, I’ll be on the market for a new A.M. serum. If you clicked the link above you’ll see that this product is $79. I love this serum, but my checkbook hates it. One day…

Moisturizer

I have been using the Skin Active Clearly Brighter moisturizer from Garnier for about two years now. It has everything a morning moisturizer needs. It contains SPF 30, it’s not too oily, and I haven’t noticed any flash back in pictures. The price is pretty reasonable and it’s even better if you can find a coupon. I apply my moisturizer the same way I do my serums.

Lips

The last step in my routine is lips. My lips get chapped easily, so I want a product that keeps them moisturized. I received the Macaroon Lip Balm by KVossNYC in my May 2017 Ipsy glam bag. It stays on my lips for a good amount of time after applying. I noticed that it conditions my lips, so they don’t chap through the day. The price is a little high, so I’ll probably move on to something else when I finish my sample.

That’s my morning skin care routine. I’ll be replacing a few of the products as I run out of them, so I’ll have to do an update in a few months. Please check back for it. If you have any affordable cleansers, serums, or lip balms, please let me know in the comments. If you found my tips useful be sure to share them with a friend, so you and the squad can sport a bomb skin glow together.