Simply Accessible: AM Routine

The inspiration of this blog came from my friends and families admitting that all the information and products out there about skin care was so daunting that they didn't even know where to start. I am a self-professed skincare nerd so I love learning about the chemistry and science behind it but I can certainly relate to it being complicated. Here I will provide different tiers of a morning routine to get even the very beginners off to a right start!

Level 1: Help! I splash water on my face...when I remember

First of all, yay! You are inspired enough or have come to some sort of realization that maybe you want to do some sort of routine. For the very, very beginners, all you really need in the morning is:

- cleanse your face. I personally just like to splash water on my face. That's it! My sensitive, oily skin does better if I don't strip it of all the natural oils and goodies that have been on my face from my PM routine the night before. You do not need to use a cleanser on your face and a splash of water just hydrates it enough and lets any residual sweat (or drool...hey, no judgment!) wash off your face

- put on sunscreen. If you do nothing else after reading this post but commit to daily application of sunscreen, I will consider it a success! Sunscreen is so important in only helping cosmetic concerns (fine lines, wrinkles, spots, pigmentation, etc.) but also preventing skin cancer and burning. It doesn't matter if you are already darker or if you never wore sunscreen before. Add it to your routine!

Level 2: Ok, I am ready for a couple more steps

Nicely done, you are ready to add some active ingredients. Here is where things may get complicated. You want to select active ingredients based on the concerns you are looking to address. I will get into more details in a future blog post but an active ingredient that everyone can incorporate into their routine is...Vitamin C!

This powerhouse is wonderful for brightening skin tone, reversing sun damage and preventing free radical damage (basically all the pollutants and damaging molecules in our environment that is looking to attach itself to a stable molecule...like the ones on our skin). You can use Vitamin C at night but personally, I love it in my AM routine. 

Level 3: Full-fledged routine!

Let's have some fun now, you've got a sunscreen you like and your Vitamin C serum is treating you well. What can you add? I personally love cherry picking ingredients. My skin concerns are not the same all over my face so why should my routine be the same? If you are like me, maybe you have blackheads but only on your nose or are starting to see wrinkles that stay even after you stop smiling or squinting. Depending on what you are working on, you can add or adjust your routine. Granted, most products need time to work but there is no harm in adjusting based on what your skin needs.

I'll link my future posts on specific active ingredients based on concerns back to this post to so be sure to check back!