my ~quarantine~ skin care routine

May 17, 2020 Maya McNeal

Quarantine hasn’t changed my skincare routine except for two things.

First, and most importantly, I actually am wearing my SPF 50 every single day. While I made an effort to do it before, having a little extra time to really be sure that I’m giving my skin that necessary protection.

Second, and related to the first - I have more time! This means I’m listening more to what my skin needs, instead of sticking to a set routine. The weather has been so wonky here lately, which my combo/oily skin doesn’t love. Plus with the added stress of working, wearing a mask all day at work, and then on the rare occasions I leave the house, and just being in a pandemic (!!!), I’m breaking out more than usual. Slowing down for a bit to really address the needs of my skin on a more day-by-day basis has been much more helpful!

THE ROUTINE

In the mornings, I just wash my face with water. I always shower and wash my face before bed, so there’s no major reason for me to do a full wash anymore in the mornings. So in the morning, after rinsing with water and letting my face air dry, I moisturize with Protini, and B-Hydra if my face is feeling a bit dry. I always follow up with C-Firma for a boost of Vitamin C, and then finally, sunscreen. That’s really it, for mornings. I put cocoa butter on my lips in the morning, and reapply with various creams (glossier’s balmdotcom, or plain old Palmer’s cocoa butter) throughout the day as needed. Now that I have a skincare fridge on my vanity, my products (save for the marula oil) all provide a nice, cool pick-me-up before I set off for work. I also store my jade roller in there, so when I remember, I use it on my sleepy skin to help depuff a little bit.

As for nighttime, the first thing I do is rinse my face with micellar water (if I had any makeup on). I don’t wear much makeup, and definitely haven’t been using any foundation since I’m in a mask all day. At most, I’ll do my brows and wear a little mascara, so there’s never much to take off at the end of the day. For soap, I use Beste no. 9, then rinse with toner. Same as the morning, I moisturize with Protini, and then on nights when I don’t use a face mask, I use T.L.C. Framboos glycolic night serum, followed by a drop of marula oil for some needed hydration. I used Laneige’s sleeping mask (in vanilla) for a few weeks, and found it to be very hit or miss. It definitely provides immediate hydration, but some days I woke up with super chapped lips. Just depends!

Twice a week, I use Farmacy’s Vitamin C mask: Bright On. Every Sunday, I set aside some extra time for self care: a deep condition mask for my hair, and Babyfacial. On mask nights, I skip my usual Framboos serum!

Two other huge things that help my skin: changing my pillowcase at least once a week, and using a humidifier! I got the humidifier initially after my tonsillectomy at the suggestion of a friend who’d also had the procedure, and also at the intense urging of my surgeon. of course, it helps with my throat in dry air, but also helps stop my skin from being super dry when I wake up!