I shared my spring routine back in April, and now that the weather is unbearably hot, I’ve brought out all the hydrating products and lightweight gel creams. I’ve always said that a consistent routine is key to achieve healthy, balanced skin, but I’ll fully admit my routine this season has been all over the place. I’m testing new products more frequently than I have before, and I’m trying to prevent my skin from reacting poorly while doing so. I may test some products for only a week or two before deciding I want to move on to something else, or I may empty the whole bottle – who knows! This routine may be all over the place in terms of products I’m using, but the steps in my routine almost always remain consistent.

Skin Type: Combination
Skin Concerns: Hormonal Acne, Hyperpigmentation, Dehydration
Climate: Desert/Dry

MORNING ROUTINE

Cleanse: Bioderma Sensibio H2O on a cotton round
Tone: Heritage Store Rosewater & Glycerin Mist or Cocokind Rosewater Facial Toner
Essence: Fresh Kombucha Antioxidant Facial Treatment Essence or Shani Darden Sake Toning Essence or Fenty Beauty Fat Water
Serum: Bodewell Light Serum
Hydrating Serum: The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum
Vitamin C Serum: Josie Maran Argan Bright Skin Vitamin C Serum
Facial Oil:  Go-To Skincare Face Hero or Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Oil
Eye Cream: Saturday Skin Wide Awake Brightening Eye Cream or 100% Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream
Massage Tool: Mount Lai Gua Sha Face Tool
Moisturizer: Shani Darden Weightless Oil-Free Moisturizer or Krave Beauty Oat So Simple Water Cream or Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47
Sunscreen: Innisfree Daily UV Defense Sunscreen SPF 36 or Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47

I’m still skipping traditional cleansers in the morning and opting for the Bioderma Sensibio H2O micellar water on a cotton round. I’ve come to the conclusion that skipping a cleanser in the morning hasn’t benefitted my skin in any way, but I’ve gotten used to doing it. After wiping my face down, my toner of choice is still a hydrating rosewater mist. I just emptied my bottle of Cocokind Rosewater Facial Toner, which I enjoyed, but I recently stocked up on my holy grail mist (aka the Heritage Store Rosewater & Glycerin Mist) and have gone back to that – it’s cheaper and I prefer to use it more frequently than the Cocokind. While my face is still damp, I add a few drops of essence to my palms and pat it into my skin. I really love the Fresh Kombucha Antioxidant Facial Treatment Essence, and I’ve had it open for a while so I’m trying to get through it, but recently opened the Shani Darden Sake Toning Essence as well. I really enjoy the Shani Darden essence, but can’t yet speak to how it works for my skin has I keep going back and forth between her essence and the Fresh essence. Another essence-like product I’ve been enjoying this summer is the Fenty Beauty Fat Water. This is described as a toner-serum hybrid, but the consistency is more like a thick, watery essence that’s supposed to refine pores, lighten dark spots and even skin texture. I love the texture of this, but don’t reach for it as often as I’d like due to it containing witch hazel, which is an astringent that’s meant to refine pores and control oil production. I like to apply this only to my T-zone, which is the only area of my face that gets oily, and let my other essences do the work on the rest of my face. I’ve also been testing the Bodewell Light Serum, which is supposed to combat redness and hyperpigmentation. It’s a spray, but it comes out like water, so I simply layer it over my essence. Redness is something I’ve struggled with for as long as I can remember, and this has been doing a pretty good job at reducing the redness in my cheeks. When my face is still a bit damp from the essence, I go in with The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum and pat it in. I actually just ran out of this and haven’t restocked yet, so my current routine is missing this, but I highly recommend it if you’re in the market for an affordable hydrating serum! This seems like a lot of steps so far, but they’re all lightweight, hydrating layers that will keep my dehydrated skin happy in this dry ass desert. Vitamin C serums have always been a staple in my routine for lightening dark spots and evening out my skin tone, and I’m currently testing the Josie Maran Argan Bright Skin Vitamin C Serum. The main ingredient is Argan oil, of course, so it feels more like a facial oil than a serum. Not mad about it. It sinks in nicely and my skin has been enjoying it! I love layering facial oils, so next I go in with a few drops of the Go-To Skincare Face Hero, which is a beautiful blend of 10 fruit and nut oils. It’s hydrating, brightening, and the price is pretty solid. I also love the Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Oil, although it is a bit pricier. I have a mini Saturday Skin Wide Awake Brightening Eye Cream that I’ve been using, which my undereyes love – I haven’t really seen any brightening effects but it’s lightweight and layers well under makeup. I also recently started testing a sample of the 100% Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream which I received in a Detox Box from The Detox Market. It has a lightweight cream texture, and it smells like coffee, so I’m hooked. This also layers well under makeup, feels moisturizing, and I love how it feels on the skin. While my facial oils and eye cream are still soaking in, I go in with the Mount Lai Gua Sha Face Tool for a facial massage. Using a gua sha consistently is supposed to promote lymphatic drainage and help sculpt your face, but I mainly use it because it feels relaxing, especially on my jaw since I grind my teeth at night. For my moisturizer, I need a gel cream or water cream that isn’t too heavy for my face or will make me sweat indoors, but I still need it to pack a hydrating punch for my dry cheeks. The Krave Beauty Oat So Simple Water Cream is always a classic! I’ve been testing out other moisturizers as well, like the Shani Darden Weightless Oil-Free Moisturizer and am currently obsessed with this. Not only do I love the pump packaging, but it’s truly a lightweight gel cream that absorbs nicely, doesn’t pill, and works like a dream for my combo skin. I’m also really enjoying the Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47, which is hydrating enough for my combo skin as a moisturizer and also doubles as a mineral sunscreen! It leaves a slight white cast on me when I apply it, but disappears after a few minutes. It wears well under makeup, but I typically like to switch it up and use chemical sunscreens on days where I wear makeup, and mineral sunscreens when I’m staying in and putting nothing on my face, or when I’m spending a lot of time outdoors. My favorite chemical sunscreen is the Innisfree Daily UV Defense Sunscreen SPF 36 – I can’t rave about it enough. I just ran out of this one, but the Krave Beauty Beet Shield is currently in the mail and I can’t wait to see how the two compare! P.s. if you’re not wearing sunscreen everyday, even if you’re staying indoors, you absolutely should. No exceptions! After sunscreen, I follow up with a few more spritzes of the Heritage Store Rosewater & Glycerin Mist.

NIGHT ROUTINE

Pre-Cleanse: Bioderma Sensibio H2O on a cotton round to remove eye makeup
First Cleanse: Farmacy Green Clean Cleansing Balm or Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Smoothing Enzyme Cleansing Balm or The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm
Second Cleanse: Fenty Skin Total Cleans’r or The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm or Shani Darden Cleansing Serum
Tone: Heritage Store Rosewater & Glycerin Mist or Cocokind Rosewater Facial Toner or Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour™ Probiotics Repair Mist
Essence: Fresh Kombucha Antioxidant Facial Treatment Essence or Shani Darden Sake Toning Essence
Repair Serum: La Mer The Concentrate
Hydrating Serum: Caudalie Vinosource SOS Deep Hydration Serum or Primera Black Seed Cold-Brew Serum
Exfoliating Serum: Farmacy Honeymoon Glow Resurfacing Night Serum or Shani Darden Texture Reform
Facial Oil: Bloomy The Herbalist Skin Oil or The Inkey List Squalane Oil or Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil
Eye Cream: Saturday Skin Wide Awake Brightening Eye Cream or 100% Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream
Moisturizer: Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Face Butter or Caudalie Vinosource SOS Intense Hydration Moisturizer or Youth To The People Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream
Sleeping Mask: Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask with Vitamin C
Lip Mask: Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

I kick off my night routine by soaking a cotton round in the Bioderma Sensibio H2O to break down my mascara, so I’m not scrubbing away at my lashes. After, I’ll go in with a cleansing balm to break down dirt, makeup, and SPF. The Farmacy Green Clean Cleansing Balm is my holy grail and my go-to, but Glow Recipe recently sent me their Papaya Sorbet Smoothing Enzyme Cleansing Balm, which I’ve been testing for a couple weeks now. I’ll fully admit that I was expecting to hate this or not reach for it often – I’m not the biggest fan of cleansers that claim to exfoliate, as I prefer to leave the exfoliating up to my serums! It also has a strong papaya fragrance that I thought was going to irritate my eyes, but I’ve surprisingly had no issues with it. No eye irritation; no clouding up my contacts. I’m impressed, and it hasn’t caused any issues with overexfoliation, but I would probably reach for Green Clean more often as it is more gentle of a formula. I also really like The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm, but it has tiny exfoliating particles, so I don’t use this near my eyes. Also, I think the hot temperatures here have literally melted this product – I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to have a thick consistency but now it’s very thin and liquidy. Anyway, I prefer to use this as a second cleanse since it doesn’t leave an oily film/residue. Another second cleanse I’ve been enjoying is the Fenty Skin Total Cleans’r – it’s thick and creamy and does a good job at removing the rest of my makeup and SPF. Another second cleanser that I literally only cracked open last night and have only used once but am obsessed with already is the Shani Darden Cleansing Serum. It’s a cleanser with a thick, gel-serum consistency that lathers really nicely and rinses off easily. It’s packed with hyaluronic acid, so it’s hydrating my skin while cleansing away impurities and doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight or dry. I also love the pump packaging! After cleansing, I’ll follow up with the same toner and essence from my morning routine. I recently incorporated another mist to use at night, which is the Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour™ Probiotics Repair Mist. The formula is top notch, but I’ll fully admit I haven’t seen life-changing results that justify the price. Next, I’ll go in with The Concentrate from La Mer. I’ve been testing this as part of a sponsorship and really enjoy it – the antioxidant protection and barrier strengthening is great. I heard it’s also great to use after skin procedures like microneedling, extractions, facials, etc. I do, however, totally understand this isn’t a realistic and budget-friendly option for most people. Another serum I really love – I wouldn’t call it a dupe, but it also has antioxidant and barrier protection – is the Primera Black Seed Cold-Brew Serum. I just ran out of this and really loved it! After The Concentrate, I follow up with another hydrating serum, Caudalie Vinosource SOS Deep Hydration Serum. This is my second bottle and I’m a huge fan. Next, I layer an exfoliating serum on top. After Curology, I learned it was best to layer exfoliating serums (especially those containing retinol) over a hydrating serum (for my skin, at least!), so the hydrating serum acts as a “buffer” and doesn’t penetrate your skin as deeply as it could. You may be reading this and think, well, I DO want my exfoliating serum to penetrate as deeply as it could to get rid of my texture, but if it’s a strong serum and you’re using it pretty frequently, you do risk putting your skin barrier at risk! I learned the hard way by applying Curology on clean, freshly toned skin for a week straight and absolutely annihilating my skin barrier. Anyway, I loved Curology when I was on it, but wanted to start testing some new products. I went back to my Farmacy Honeymoon Glow Resurfacing Night Serum for a while, which has been my go-to exfoliating serum. This stuff is strong, so I only use it 3x a week (M/W/F) to prevent overexfoliation. I just started testing the Shani Darden Texture Reform, which is formulated with 7% lactic acid to gently exfoliate and a mild retinoid to reduce fine lines, dark spots, acne scars, and uneven texture in sensitive skin. I’m really loving this so far and haven’t experienced any irritation; I’m excited to see how this works for my skin! After my exfoliating serum sinks in (or my hydrating serum, if I’m not using my exfoliating serum that night), I follow up with a facial oil. I really love the Bloomy The Herbalist Skin Oil, which is a CBD facial oil that’s super nourishing and really helps calm my redness and breakouts. It’s also super affordable, and 5% of their sales go toward The Last Prisoner Project. Again, I love layering facial oils, so I’ll layer The Inkey List Squalane Oil on top of the Bloomy – this is also super nourishing and affordable! I recently ran out and haven’t restocked yet, so I’ve been using a few drops of the Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil instead. I’m fully obsessed with this oil; there isn’t a noticeable scent and Argan oil has so many benefits. If you’ve been wanting to incorporate Argan oil into your routine but think the price of Josie Maran is too steep, I’d highly recommend searching Amazon or your local health store for 100% pure, organic, and cold-pressed Argan oil that you can find for a fraction of the price – same goes for any other pure facial oil out there (like marula and rosehip). After oils, I follow up with the Saturday Skin Wide Awake Brightening Eye Cream or 100% Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream and my moisturizer. The Youth To The People Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream is always a favorite, especially as a summer night cream, but I’ve been testing a few other moisturizers lately. I’m really loving the Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Face Butter; it’s rich without feeling too heavy. I use this on nights where I don’t use an exfoliating serum. On nights where I’m exfoliating, I use the Caudalie Vinosource SOS Intense Hydration Moisturizer. This is rich, it’s thick, it’s heavy – but not too heavy to the point where it breaks me out. This is my third jar and I’m obsessed; it’s also amazing as a day cream in the winter. If I feel I need to go even further with the moisture, I’ll seal it all in with the Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask with Vitamin C. Best sleeping mask, hands down. This also works well as a night cream by itself! I’ll apply some Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask to my lips, finish off with a few more spritzes of the Heritage Store Rosewater & Glycerin Mist, and call it a night.

DISCOUNTS

Save 20% on your Farmacy order with code “RACHAEL20”
Save 20% on your Bodewell Skin order with code “RACHAEL”

DISCLAIMER

Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning I make a small commission if you make a purchase through my link. Your support is always appreciated and allows me to spend more time on creating content and writing reviews! While some products mentioned were gifted to me by the brand, all thoughts/opinions are my own.

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