A Simple Nightly Skin Care Routine

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Kat Depner has remained my personal stylist since our first collaboration. I send her pictures of my outfits in the form of very poorly taken selfies, and Kat responds with encouraging expressions! On top of Kat having an eye for fashion, she also has worked in the beauty industry for years. Her simple nightly skin care routine is highly credible.

I’m all about quick and efficient routines these days, and this one can take less than 5 minutes, with minimum products. It fits my blog’s vision exactly – “Be More, Want Less, Gain Quality.”

I am pleased to finally have an expert delegating my simple nightly skin care routine. There are a few high quality product recommendation and others that can be found in the drugstore. I try to insert quality over variety in my minimalism quest and this routine fits the mold well. As I enter my 30’s, perhaps I can say goodbye to neglecting my nightly skincare routine and instead devote 5 minutes with products that will help rejuvenate my skin while I sleep.

Stay tuned next week for another beauty industry expert, The_makeovermama, who gives us a quick and efficient morning beauty routine. Remember, these are just product suggestions from one busy lady to another. I find the aisle in the store delegated to skin care extremely confusing. The bright lights, the confusing terms, varying prices, and brands leave me without a simple answer. I actually prefer an expert to tell me exactly what to buy.

FYI – Kat and I make no commission off these brands. Her suggestions are based purely on her own personal beauty industry experience. Links in this post just take you to the product on Amazon.

Guest Writer – Kat Depner

“Three in a row, go for one more, go for it, Connect Four!”

This is the catchy childhood jingle I sang to myself as I barricaded myself in the bathroom, staring down a trio of cystic, volcanic pimples that lined my chin in a perfect row. I needed just one more to win the adult onset acne game of “Connect Four.”

I don’t know if you have ever had a small colony of pimples inhabit your chin. These pimples were so inflamed that it appeared as though my original chin had recently given birth to a new chin. Having an acne-produced double chin would be fine and expected if I was splashing in the splendor of my awkward teen years, but when you are in the prime of your 30’s it’s not so sexy.

The cause of my acne-infested chin was rooted in my very inconsistent skin care regimen – and by inconsistent, I mean downright lazy. I was the girl who slept with her makeup on, moisturized my face with hand lotion, and excavated anything I suspected might be alive and moving on my face. I was a former makeup artist and skin care connoisseur who knew better, and my skin was paying dearly for my sins. It was not until that fateful evening when I found myself barricaded in the bathroom trying to manage my colony of chin pimples and patchy, Kris-Kringle-like complexion that I decided to change my ways.

And while you might not be facing the same dire skin care emergency, perhaps you may feel like your skin care regimen is inconsistent and could use a new and simple evening skin care routine.

Follow my lead, dear reader, and you will never endure the horrors of patchy, uneven skin tone or play a terrorizing game of “Connect Four” with your adult onset acne. With a few simple over-the-counter pieces and one investment serum in place, I will lead you into the land of milk and honey complexions.

Step 1) Remove Your Makeup

Your great, great, great, great grandmammy will swear by this product and so will I. There is nothing easier and more comforting than Pond’s Cold Cream when it comes to makeup removal. This oldie-but-goodie is like butter on your face, but unlike butter it is noncomedogenic and won’t clog your pores. I like to take a round, quarter-size dollop in my fingertips and gently massage my entire face for 2-3 minutes with the cream. The magic happens when you massage this bad boy into your skin at length as it simultaneously breaks down makeup and dirt while adding some much-needed moisture to the skin. Then I simply take a warm moistened washcloth and wipe off all the muck from the day. The cream can lift even the most stubborn waterproof makeup. This is a game changer in makeup removal, and one that you want championing your skin care cause.

Step 2)  Wash Your Face, Girl!

Good facial cleansers don’t have to break the bank. After a buttery face massage from Pond’s cold cream, I like to wash my face with Aveeno’s Clear Complexion foaming cleanser. It is a miracle worker of sorts as it is both soap and oil free, meaning that it will be a friend to any skin type on the continuum. And remember, dear reader – the magic is in the lather time. I like to use a dime-sized amount on my fingertips and work a lather onto my face for an entire minute. I have found that the difference between 30 seconds and a minute can be the difference between a cystic pimple or clear skin. Let Aveeno do its job and break down any last remnants of dirt and makeup.

Step 3) The Magical Serum

I am a no-frills kind of dame. If I can find a skin care equivalent at the grocery store, I will always unequivocally go that route. However, in my humble but valid opinion, a good serum is one thing that you will not find at a grocer or drug store. It is something you will need to invest in.

So what exactly is a serum? Serums are highly concentrated topical treatments that are designed to deliver active ingredients like vitamins and antioxidants into the skin. Unlike moisturizers (which are typically unstable compounds), serums provide more stable compounds for active ingredients to work their magic – meaning more potent benefits for your skin. My favorite serum is Visionnairre from Lancome. While it is an investment at $105.00 for a one ounce bottle, your skin will glow and people may stop you in the street and ask you why you are walking around unchaperoned without an adult in tow… ok, you won’t look that young, but you will notice a substantial difference. And more importantly, starting with this serum at a younger age and continuing with it over time will preserve the integrity of your facial skin over time, leaving you with fewer problems to address along the way.

To apply Visionnaire, I squeeze half-dime-sized amount into my hands, rub the serum into my palms to warm it up, and gently massage it into my face for an entire minute. As mentioned before, don’t skimp on your minute or else you’ll skimp on the magic.  After your minute is up, allow 10 minutes for it to fully absorb into your skin.

Step 4) Jojoba Oil

After steps 1-3, I like to finish my routine with a dime-sized amount of organic jojoba oil. Be warned: you will look like you just made out with a vat of bacon grease when you first rub this magical oil into your face, but leave it on your face when you go to sleep and it will absorb quickly while you dream of porcelain skin. Jojoba is a botanical substance that is almost identical to the sebum in your skin, meaning that it also is noncomedogenic and won’t clog your pores. It’s also a natural humectant ingredient, which means that it works to seal your skin with a protective barrier to keep moisture from escaping. Lastly, it is antimicrobial and antifungal, killing all the nasty skin bacteria as it seals in moisture. This is the rock star of natural oil moisturizers and it’s also incredibly affordable.

A Simple Nightly Skin Care Routine

There you have it: 4 skincare steps that can be completed in 5 minutes total each night, leaving your skin thanking you and asking for more. Connecting these 4 steps together each night is well worth the effort as connecting 4 pimples across your chin might be your alternative! For more simple fashion and beauty tips, head over to my blog at Seconds To Impress for weekly giggles, advice, and inspiration for your style!

-Kat Depner

Join the Discussion

How have you simplified your nightly skincare routine? What serums do you swear by? Ever tried Jojoba oil? Leave your comments. We’d love to hear from you!

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