Skincare Routine in Your 20s

Last year, I started becoming more conscientious about my skincare routine. I’d always put on sunscreen at the beach and pool and typically would remove my makeup at night. Though there were more times than I’d like to admit that I just flopped onto my bed, tell myself I should wash my face and thought “Too tired to leave bed.” Or I’d forget to put on moisturizer with SPF before putting on makeup in the morning. But then I saw a PSA online before a YouTube video about skin cancer.

I have instances of skin cancer on both sides of my family and I grew up knowing my parents and grandparents all went to the dermatologist for regular checkups. This PSA mentioned 5 points that make you vulnerable to skin cancer (family history, freckles and moles all over, etc) and I had 4 of those points. I immediately panicked and called my mom to see if her dermatologist had any openings to see me when I was coming home in a few weeks. The checkup went great and the doctor saw nothing troubling. Phew!

But I knew I had to ditch my laissez-faire attitude when it came to taking care of my skin.

I’ve made my skincare routine streamlined and quick so I have zero excuses (like being too tired to leave my bed). Because I appreciate full disclosure when I read blogs, I do want to tell you that IT Cosmetics sent me the products I’m about to talk about. However, I use these products on a daily basis and am not being paid. So the below contains my honest-to-goodness feelings on the products:

Morning

Step 1: Apply Anti-Aging Serum. IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Lines has an amazing citrus scent. It just puts me in a good mood. I apply a thin layer on my face, neck and décolleté and let it absorb as I brush my teeth. I told you, I’ve got this down to a science.

Step 2: Apply Sunscreen. On the weekend, I typically don’t wear makeup. Unless I’m going out somewhere, I try to give my skin a breather. My CC cream that I wear as foundation has SPF 50 so during the work week I tend to skip this step. But on weekends, I use the Bye Bye Lines and Anti-Aging Armour and boom, I’m out the door!

Night

Step 1: Remove Makeup + Wash Face. IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Makeup is magical. I swear. This balm is a triple threat: It removes makeup, cleanses + contains anti-aging serum. A little bit goes a long way so this will last you for awhile. Typically after I use Bye Bye Makeup, I’ll also cleanse with my favorite face wash. Believe it or not, Trader Joe’s Spa Face Wash has been my go-to for more than 5 years. I have oily skin and the combination of Bye Bye Makeup and TJ’s Face Wash leaves me feeling like I’ve gotten all the makeup, not to mention the dirt and grime of the day, off my face.

Step 2: Apply Eye Cream. I use my middle finger to apply Bye Bye Under Eye Cream because funny enough, the middle finger is the weakest and won’t pull as much at the super-sensitive skin under your eyes and on the eyelids. It sounds ridiculous but just go with it, trust me. I have chronic dark circles under my eyes and have tried just about everything in the book to get rid of them. I slept more, upped my Vitamin C intake, tried every product under the sun, you name it. While my circles don’t fully go away, this eye cream is excellent for keeping them at bay. So if you’re like me and suffer from having dark circles, try this eye cream out. I promise you’ll see a difference!

Step 3: Moisturize. I reapply a layer of Bye Bye Lines and follow that up with a layer of Confidence In A Cream. Trust me, the name fits. It moisturizes, smoothes lines, reduces the size of pores (I have serious pores on my cheeks and nose and this helps make them significantly less noticeable) and firms up your skin. I don’t think it gets much better than that.

I started using IT Cosmetics over a year ago for makeup and now I am hooked on their skincare products as you can see. I especially love that their products are 100% cruelty-free, are created alongside dermatologists and most of their products use natural ingredients and are sulfate-free! I’ve definitely noticed a considerable difference in my skin since I started up this skincare routine. Oh, and all of the products I’ve mentioned above are now available at Sephora!! Don’t wait for a New Year’s resolution, start your new skincare routine today!