Our Best Tips on Perfecting your Skincare Routine

When it comes to skincare, the discourse is constantly evolving, ranging from product favorites to unique techniques that we incorporate into our routines. Today’s media has become a massive influence on these conversations, as social media provides an outlet for anyone to share their thoughts, opinions, and concerns.  Self-care culture is a widespread topic in many posts, making users feel compelled to adapt their routines and make new purchases. While rituals are a fun way to find what we like and create habitualness, the pressure to follow the masses gets more intense with each popular trend. It's important to recognize that skincare isn’t one size fits all. Different skin has different needs and different reactions. Here, we've gathered the experiences of select individuals with one goal: to show that skincare isn't universal.

Danielle does it all:

Danielle does it all. “I love trying new skincare. The base of my routine is typically the same though. I always use panoxyl face wash, and I follow it with Pixi eye patches. While those set, I use my face roller that I leave in the fridge to stay cold. After that, I use a facial toner and finish with Aveeno moisturizer which has SPF. But, I also really like Peter Thomas Roth face masks. I use a kit with five colored masks for different purposes, like detox, pore cleansing, moisturizing, and I just choose the concern that I feel like I need that day.”

Sam doesn’t stray from her routine:

“I honestly just stick with what works for me. I use an oil-free Neutrogena makeup remover and a quartz face roller to minimize puffiness. During the winter, I’ve been using Kiehl’s avocado eye cream before bed. If I have an event, I use the Patchology eye gels before my makeup. It’s super simple, but when I try to use new products and steps, I actually break out more than when I use nothing at all.”

Ella doesn't overcomplicate it:

"My skincare routine is fairly simple. In the morning, I wash my face with a CeraVe hydrating cleanser and moisturize with CeraVe with SPF 30. At night I use a little bit of a heavier CeraVe renewing SA cleanser to exfoliate and clean my skin. After washing my face, I use a lighter CeraVe moisturizer."

Ella's friend is somewhere in the middle:

"My skincare routine is the same for the morning and night and it starts with a biossance oil cleanser in order to take any makeup and dirt off my face. I always double cleanse and follow the oil up with La Roche Posay cleanser, which I love. After fully cleansing, I apply a topical prescription cream. Then I use CeraVe moisturizer followed by an eye cream."

James took a while to figure it out:

"I had mild acne in high school, and Accutane cleared that up really quickly. A lot of it has come down to shaving for me; I have really coarse facial hair so I used to get a lot of razor burn. Now I use a safety razor and Herbivore aftershave, and I moisturize after I shave, and that has worked pretty well. I used to get really sucked into the routines of guys on TikTok, but they'd always make me break out more. It took me a while to realize I just needed to find what worked for me, but since then it's been great. Now I just wash my face twice a day with CeraVe and I use a tinted moisturizer for a little color and to smooth out my skin tone."

So no, you don't NEED that toner that model is promoting; it might work for you, it might not. Worth a try maybe, but don't feel the need to keep using it just because it worked for them. Find what works for you!