I get compliments on my skin ALL the time. As an elder millennial, I really appreciate it! I thought I would share my Skincare Routine with you all here so you will be able to follow in my footsteps if you so choose.
Some of you are not going to like this. You’re either going to say “that’s too much work!” or “I’m not going to stop eating [insert favorite food item that’s causing your skin to break out]!” And that’s okay. This post isn’t for you.
I didn’t start giving a damn about my skin until I was nearly 40. That means I had nearly 40 years of barely using sunscreen and washing my face with whatever crap I bought at Walmart before I finally said “gee, I’m getting older, maybe I should give a shit.”
The basic foundations of skin health are always the same: Eating healthy (to make sure your skin gets all the vitamins it needs), maintaining a healthy Gut microbiome, and supporting your liver.
That’s right: probably the most important thing I do for my skin is eat real, whole foods, plenty of vegetables and fruits (frozen or fresh,) and stay away from sugary drinks, ultra-processed foods, and anything made with wheat.
I have tried and tested at least a dozen different products for my after-shower (evening) routine. I’ve tried all the stuff that’s gone viral on Facebook and TikTok. I tried Musely for awhile with no luck (who cares if you need a prescription when their company is the one who “prescribes” it to you?) and I’ve got a package of Froya Organics to try next.
I quite liked the Osmosis Calm face serum I have been using for the past year but I read recently that using hyaluronic acid on your face too much can thin the skin, so I’m taking a break from it for awhile to make sure I don’t do that.
One company that really does stand out is Beauty of Joseon, who sells through TikTok. You have to buy through TT as far as I can tell because the versions of this stuff made in the US suck (by all accounts.) Their skin serum is awesome and I fell in love with their sunscreen, which I now use daily from April through October.
I started sleeping on a Silk Pillowcase a few years ago and will never go back, I love the way it feels and it protects my sensitive face skin every night.
My morning routine never changes. I get up, put some of my handmade Witch Hazel extract on a cotton ball and wash my face with it. It dries within about 30 seconds and while that’s happening I am looking myself in the eyes in the mirror and telling myself how beautiful I am. (Laugh if you want, but this simple act daily has boosted my self-confidence in ways you can’t even imagine!) I also jump around and wave my arms, doing a little Qi-Gong to get my lymph flowing.
Then I rub some of my Aging Face Oil on my face (avoiding my nose) and proceed to use a Gua-sha tool to gently drain the stagnant lymph from under my skin. You can watch my whole routine here:
Don’t forget: what you put on your skin every day gets absorbed into your body, so you want to make damned sure you’re not filling your body with toxic endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
In the winter time (November through March) after I’ve relaxed and had a cup of tea and breakfast, I usually wash my face with witch hazel one more time and then I spritz some of this Akamai Skin Fuel (oil) on my face before putting any makeup or anything on. Sometimes I will skip this step and just leave the anti-aging face oil on all day instead though. It’s best to have some sort of barrier on your skin to help prevent the dry winter air from harming your delicate facial skin.
I only use eyeliner for makeup, rarely anything else. I prefer Pacifica eyeliner.
I have phases where I like making smoothies (full of fruits, greens, collagen powder, and other goodies) but I’m in a phase right now where I’m just not in the mood, and my skin is responding fine. I have started taking an NAD supplement daily to help my aging skin as well, and I think it’s doing something. I do my best to relieve stress, because I will get a big fat cystic zit on my face if I’m too stressed out over something (I’m sure you’ve been there!) and those things can take months to go away.
I also finally started a new habit last year of going to get a professional Facial from an esthetician about twice a year. It’s not as expensive as I thought it would be, makes my skin feel fantastic, and I get great ideas about skin products and other solutions from an expert. It’s worth the investment, to be honest.
Incidentally, I have an entire Chapter on Skincare and another on dealing with Stress inside my new book, Think Like an Herbalist. You can also check out my mini class Bringing Your Beauty Back on my website.
Just a note: If you order through some of my links on this page I will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping me out here!