I’ve loved my role as a Beautycounter consultant for the past three years, and during my time with the company I’ve learned a ton about skincare. I’ve also been able to help dozens of women find skincare products to address their specific skin type, skin concerns, age, etc., which is incredibly rewarding.
It also means I’ve had lots of conversations with women about skincare products, and a common theme I hear is that they seem both overwhelming and time consuming.
I often hear:
“Why do I need to use ALL these products?”
“I’m not going to have time to do this every morning and night.”
“There’s no way I can make this a consistent habit.”
And I get it! It can feel like A LOT to add into an already busy schedule. Some nights, I know it feels like all you can muster is to brush your teeth and fall into bed. Seeing a collection of products like these on your counter can feel very daunting:
So I thought I’d use this post to share a bit of information about the purpose each step in a regimen serves so you have that context, and I also wanted to share a tip about when to do your nighttime skincare if right before bed just isn’t sustainable for you.
First, that tip: Try doing your skincare earlier in the evening. If you leave the house for work and typically change into comfy clothes after getting home, go ahead and do your skincare, too. Or maybe you make it a habit to take five minutes to complete your skincare routine before dinner each night. That way it’s DONE, and when it’s time to go to bed all you’ll have to do is brush your teeth.
(The whole routine should only take five minutes or so, though. It really is easier than you might think to build it into a habit and, believe it or not, once you do you’ll really start to look forward to that portion of your morning and evening!)
Okay, moving on to a brief overview of the four key steps in a skincare routine. (This is true for any routine, Beautycounter or otherwise.) All of these are steps that, ideally, should be completed both morning and night:
- CLEANSE: I think we’re all clear on this step. A skincare routine starts by using a cleanser (whether it’s a more traditional foaming or cream-based cleanser or an oil-based option), and it’s this step’s job to remove makeup, dirt, and excess oil from your skin.
- PREP: This is your toner step, which is something many people neglect. This step is really important, though. For one, it helps to remove any dirt or makeup your cleanser may have left behind. It’s also formulated to help really clean and tighten pores. And finally — very important — it preps your skin for the next step in your regimen, making that next step more effective than it would be without this prep step.
- TREAT: This can be a serum or a product like Beautycounter’s Overnight Resurfacing Peel (nighttime) or All Bright C Serum (daytime). It’s a super-concentrated, heavy-hitting product that is formulated to perform a specific task to improve your skin, whether that’s plumping the skin, hydrating the skin, brightening the skin, improving cell turnover, etc. I like to think of this as the tequila shot of your skincare routine. 🙂
- PROTECT: This is your moisturizer, and it either protects your skin from the environmental elements it will come in contact with over the course of the day OR aids in its repair as you sleep. (That’s why there are typically different day creams and night creams. Also, day creams tend to be more lightweight so they wear well under makeup, and night cream is often thicker to really help with the repairing process.)
In addition to those four steps, you can add things on like an eye cream, a facial oil, a face mask, etc., but these are the foundational elements. (I’m happy to help you know how and when to incorporate those additional products any time!)
I hope that’s helpful if you’re someone who falls into the camp of feeling overwhelmed by alllll the products in a skincare regimen!
And remember: If you’re interested in giving Beautycounter a try, the best place to start is with my skincare survey to help me learn more about your skin. That way, I can send personalized recommendations your way and we can put together a collection of products geared toward YOU.
Happy skincare time! You’ve got this…and your skin will thank you for it.
