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This is part two of my seasonal skincare routine update, my skincare evening routine for fall 2024. (Click here to read about my morning routine)
I make slight changes to my seasonal skincare routine each season. While the basics stay pretty consistent year round, as someone that suffers from adult acne I need to build my routine around my prescription, there are changes in some of the product that shift the focus ever so slightly, and the focus for fall is to lighten the hyperpigmentation that darkened despite me using diligent sun protection. What can I say, I just love being outdoors.
It is by no means bad, but more noticeable than it is during the rest of the year, two patches on my temples that appeared during my pregnancies and then age spots, sun spots and the brown leftover marks from acne scars. Basically the chronology of my life and choices. (More info: The different types of hyperpigmentation explained)
Cleansing – Double Cleanse or not?
While I usually Double Cleanse all summer, in the colder periods of the year I decide based on my day if I feel it is necessary or not. (More info: Is Double Cleansing always necessary?) When filming the video, I was wearing a full face of makeup and had done a sweaty workout before returning home, so a Double Cleanse it was. (More info: Post-workout acne – How can you prevent it?)
To remove my makeup and the dirt and sweat, I am using the Florasis Botanical Hydro-Sooth Cleansing Oil (full review here). Once it gets colder, I will switch to balms (no specific reason, I just like the texture more in the cold), but right now it is still moderate in temperature, just very rainy, so I am trying to finish this one before the drop in temperature comes. It is very good at breaking down makeup, emulsifies with ease and rinses clean, even though I in general prefer to remove it with a wash cloth.
To then cleanse the skin, I use a foaming cleanser, but one of the now available non stripping formulas, Right now it is The Ordinary Glucoside Foaming Cleanser (full review here) It is what I would call a nice cleanser in terms of it is very good at what it does but it doesn’t make my heart sing.
Skincare devices – LED Light Therapy
Once my face is clean and fresh, it is time for my LED mask. I have talked about the potential benefits of LED Light Therapy before (you can read about it here), but want to repeat that the results you can expect are subtle at least and that you need to be very consistent with using it in order to see any changes. If you already know you probably can’t commit, don’t spend the money!
That being said: I do enjoy my 10 minutes of LED each (most) evenings a lot and find it incredibly relaxing. Over the last two years I have been using different brands (and currently have two in the lineup for review), but the one I keep coming back to in between is the one I reviewed first: The Currentbody Skin LED Light Therapy Mask (full review here)
Once it is on, I tend to meditate or just lie around with my eyes closed to relax – even if it didn’t do a thing for my skin, this 10 minutes of decompressing would probably already have a positive impact on my skin.
My only minor complaint is that after the ten minutes, I have a little redness on my nose from pressure. I get that with all the masks I have tried, so either my nose is really big or it just can’t get them to sit quite right.
Toning step
I feel like I constantly repeat myself, but no, a toner is not a necessity. It is however a step I enjoy and that I feel makes my skincare routine just a little bit better, so I use one. Right now it is the Timeless HA Rose Spray with Matrixyl 3000 (full review here), not for the peptides it contains – I don’t think they’ll have a huge impact in a facial spray – but for its lovely fine mist and subtle rose scent.
My serums of choice
Until here my routine basically stays the same every night, but as I use my Tretinoin only every other night, there are two different routines after that: One for the nights with Tret and one for the recovery nights in between.
On my recovery nights I use a mixture of two serums: First the NIOD Copper Amino Isolate 1:1 Serum (full review here) for my peptide fix – I know it is expensive, but I get one bottle during their Slovember sale and it lasts me about a year, and then a bottle of Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum (full review here). Even after years of using it, I can’t quite put my finger on why I love it so much, but I assume the general formulation and included fermented ingredients just work for my skin. (More info: The benefits of fermented ingredients in skincare explained).
On my Tretinoin nights, I use another serum, The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% (full review here), which is the first thing (other than the mask) in this routine that actually aims to help with hyperpigmentation (More info: The 10 best ingredients to fight hyperpigmentation) But even though Niacinamide does have a contributing effect on targeting pigmentation, it is not the main reason why I incorporate it (although every little bit is welcome). Niacinamide seems to help the skin tolerate Tretinoin better, and as despite using Tretinoin for eight years now, I do still have to be careful in the colder months to not risk irritation, so incorporating Niacinamide is serving two purposes here.
Eye cream – this time with retinol
I said in my morning routine that eye cream is optional, but at night it is a step I rarely miss. That is because I use one with Retinol to address the (no longer!) fine lines around my eyes and because the skin around the eyes i quite delicate. If I were to apply my Tretinoin to that area, my eyes would be on fire! The one I use (and have been using for quite some time now) is the Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Serum (full review here) – don’t be fooled by the name, it is enough on it’s own without a separate cream.
Moisturizer – two different options
A moisturizer is either the last or the second to last step in my routine, depending on wheter I use Tretinoin or not. I never managed to build up to using Tretinoin daily, but as with using it every other night in the lower concentration (I use 0.05%) my adult acne, the main reason why I am using a prescription, is under control, that isn’t really a problem. I have said it before, but will repeat it again: More isn’t more when it comes to your retinoid, so there is no need to build it up extensively.
On non-Tretinoin nights I follow my serums with The Inkey List Alpha Arbutin (full review here). It used to be called a serum (now it is listed in the treatment category), but has a texture that makes it work as lightweight moisturizer for my combination skin, at least as long as it isn’t freezing. Arbutin is the precursor of Hydroquinone (More info: The benefits of Hydroquinone in skincare explained), which is the gold standard for treating hyperpigmentation, but at least in Germany relevant doses of Hydroquinone are prescription and come with a relevant risk for irritation, which is why I stick to Arbutin for now.
If I am using Tretinoin, I use a richer product to act as barrier between the retinoid and my skin (More info: How to use Tretinoin with minimal irritation), and my pick at the moment is the Murad Quick Relief Colloidal Oatmeal Treatment (full review here). Again it is not meant to be as cream, but as soothing treatment for eczema, but ever since I first tried it last winter I knew it would be perfect for this time of year. I let it sit for at least five minutes on my skin before going in with my prescription as the last step in my evening routine.
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