My New Oily Skincare Routine

Over the last year, I decided to make more of an effort when it came to my skincare. I had noticed some changes to my skin where it was breaking out more, I had several dark spots, it was kinda dull-looking, and had an uneven tone. So when we started wearing masks and I started wearing less foundation I realized that it was time to take some action.

Related read: My Favorite Beauty Products For My Oily Skin

I did a little research to see what my skincare issues could be and it all came down to one thing - hydration. Or the lack of it. I realized that the products and techniques I was using weren’t adding enough hydration to my skin so it was dehydrated.

 

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Dehydrated skin is different from dry skin. The lack of natural oils and sebum is the cause of dry skin. Dehydrated skin is when the skin lacks water.

I have oily skin so of course, I thought that I should be doing things that would dry out my skin to help control or stop the excessive oil production. Apparently, that was the wrong approach. I should have been working with my skin instead of against it.

Related read: 7 Things You're Doing Wrong With Your Oily Skin

To address the dehydration I changed a few of the products I used in my morning and nighttime routines so they were more moisturizing. I even started doing some product layering which is something I hadn’t done in the past.

For my morning routine, I switched to using a really gentle cleanser Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. It doesn’t dry out my skin at all while leaving it feeling refreshed.

After washing my face, I give my skin a few swipes with a cotton ball saturated with my DIY toner mix of 

• Witch hazel
• Apple cider vinegar
• Filtered or distilled water
• And a little lavender oil

While my face is still damp, I apply a serum. I started using serums after seeing how they could enhance a skincare routine. Next in my routine is my nighttime serum The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%. I use it because it helps to control potential breakouts, shrinks any pimples that may form, decreases my dark spots, and helps to control oil production on my skin.

To finish off my morning routine I immediately apply two moisturizers. I use two moisturizers because I found that with a bit more moisture I can lessen my oil production and keep my skin from drying out in the Winter. 

The first moisturizer I apply is the Earth To Skin Super Fruits Brightening Citrus Day Cream. The second moisturizer I apply is the Neutrogena Hydro Boost City Shield Water Gel with SPF 25 so that the SPF is the final step. I know there is some debate on whether SPF or moisturizer should be applied first, most of the opinions I found are in the camp of SPF being applied last so the moisturizer doesn't impact the effectiveness of the SPF.  

At night I do a very different routine as I actually really need to clean my face from the makeup, I wore during the day as well as the dirt and sweat that accumulated.

To start off I use a makeup remover wipe to get all my makeup off. I then follow that up with my version of double cleansing, Essentially I just wash my face twice with the Noxzema Classic Clean Original Deep Cleansing Cream. 

After cleansing twice, I apply my DIY toner. The serum I use at night is The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 https://rstyle.me/+tgrOmCr8hCiw7EYLba-lHw. Since I added this to my routine I noticed my skin looking plumper and brighter.

At night I only apply one moisturizer, the Earth To Skin Super Fruits Brightening Citrus Day Cream.

Since I switched to these two new routines I’ve felt more confident in going out with my bare skin and haven’t been wearing much makeup anymore. Especially foundation. Because of this, I plan to keep on with this routine and refine it as needed.

Shop my skincare regimen