Lately, self-care has been a major priority of mine. I have been taking extra great care of my skin since we have been staying at home. A little bit of a backstory here. Growing up, I was plagued with extremely horrendous acne. As I’ve aged, I noticed while it’s not as bad as it was in my teenage years, I do still suffer from acne breakouts, especially when it’s “that time of the month.” One thing I’ve noticed is that my skin shows the best results when I stick to a routine. If I veer from this routine for a day, my skin will show the effects.

So, my first advice would be to stick to YOUR routine. If something works for you, continue to use it. In the world that we now know, there are major influencers that promote different products, and we, the consumers, are encouraged to run out and buy that very expensive $80 product because, after all, if it works for them, it works for you, right? To that, I say…Don’t do it, sis. I’ve learned the hard way that not everything works for everybody. Even with the products that I will be discussing below, yes, they work great for me and my dry skin, but that does not mean they will work the same for you. I will, but say the products I use are intended for sensitive skin, so they usually cause less extreme breakouts or skin sensitivity issues than other products cause.

If you’re like me, you enjoy a quick and simple skincare routine. I’m a mom of two boys, and my schedule does not allow for a 30-minute routine. My skincare routine consists of six steps and one very important prerequisite that must be abided by if you would like to achieve nice, smooth, and healthy skin!

Let’s start with the most important step. The most important step to maintain healthy and glowy skin is W-A-T-E-R! We should all know by now the benefits of drinking water. Not only for our skin but our entire body. Water flushes out toxins and helps to prevent acne. It improves your skin tone by increasing the blow flow. If you don’t drink enough water the body will begin to retain water to protect you from dehydration, in doing so this causes the skin to swell and look puffy. While I’m not a doctor, by far, I have done a great amount of research on how much water I should be drinking daily. Which depends on your BMI. Speak to your doctor or use my most trusted friend GOOGLE to research how much water you should drink daily. Let’s get into the major “keys” to healthy glowy skin.

1. CLEANSE. First things first, start with a cleanser. Cleansing the skin helps to remove buildup and makeup, and it also helps to keep your skin’s pH balance. Yes, your skin also has a pH balance. The ideal P.H. balance of the skin is 5.5. This helps to maintain the natural oils and to make sure your skin is healthy from the inside out! I use AMBI Skincare EVEN & CLEAR Foaming Cleanser. While this is a Salicylic acne cleanser, it’s really gentle on the skin. I only use a pea-sized amount of warm water. You’ll notice it begins to foam and lather instantly. Some cleansers leave the skin dry, but this one does not have that effect.

2. EXFOLIATE. Next, I exfoliate using the Cetaphil extra gently daily scrub. This nonirritating scrub gently removes dry skin and reveals radiant, smooth skin. It is not harsh and also does not overdry the skin. This exfoliate is a must for everyone, especially sensitive skin individuals.

3. MASQUE. This next step is not intended for everyday use, but I use it once a week. It is Kiehl’s RARE Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque. This mask is made with Amazonian White Clay, which helps purify the skin and minimize pores. It works wonders! It is the only mask I’ve used that did not completely dry out my skin and leave it brittle and flaky.

4. TONE. To tone, I use Dickerson’s Enhanced Witch Hazel Hydrating Toner. It moisturizes and soothes the skin. It also contains vitamin E, which helps to soften and condition the skin while gently removing impurities. I use a little bit on these exfoliating cotton rounds both in the morning and at night.

5. MOISTURIZE. Today, I moisturized my face with ELF’s Happy Hydration Cream. I love this moisturizer for my dry skin, especially in the wintertime. It leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth without feeling greasy. Two other moisturizers I recommend are ELF’s Holy Hydration Face Cream and Pond’s Dry Skin Cream. Both are alternatives for dry-skinned people who need that extra moisture.

6. LIPS. Yes, I know many people forget to include this step in their routine, but for me, it is a must. I despise dry and cracked lips. So, besides having a nice, smooth face, I like to exfoliate and moisturize my lips. To exfoliate my lips, I use ELF’s Brown Sugar Lip Exfoliator. It gently exfoliates the lips to remove dry skin. It leaves them extra smooth and feeling revitalized. After I exfoliate, I use Laneige Lip Glowy Balm in Berry Fruits. It’s a lightweight moisturizing lip balm that’s slightly tinted and leaves the lips soft and juicy throughout the day.

This is my very simple 6-step skincare routine. I follow this routine morning and night. You have heard it’s not necessary to cleanse your face in the morning, but it is absolutely imperative to follow some type of routine both day and night. I hope you enjoyed my updated skincare routine. Don’t forget to let me know if you try any of the products I recommended. Like this post, if you found it useful, and follow my blog if you have not done so already!

-Latoya