One of my fondest memories of my mom was our bedtime ritual when I was a child. My mother would kiss my twin sister Jill and I goodnight and I will always remember how her skin smelled. She used a night time moisturizer called Flowing Velvet (it was yellow) and she smelled like fresh picked flowers. My mom had beautiful skin and was into all the latest products, even in the 1950’s. As a little girl, I wanted to be just like her!
Back to the present… I promised you a simple 3 step routine for morning and evening. I will give some examples of products for each step, but in future blogs, I will offer specific information and reviews of my favorite products, so stay with me. Here we go….
MORNING ROUTINE
- Cleanse- remove dirt without stripping the skin of moisture. Older skin is thinner, drier and more sensitive; do not use soap. Try Cetaphil (drugstore brand), Purity Made Simple by Philosophy (Sephora,QVC) or any milky or hydrating cleanser.
- Nourish- with a serum that contains anti-oxidants such as vitamin C, Vitamin E, green tea or peptides. Anti-oxidants repair past damage and prevent new damage from free radicals in the air, radiation from the sun and smog and pollution. When Hope is Not Enough serum from Philosophy, Matrixyl 10% with hyaluronic acid from The Ordinary.
- Protect-with SPF 30. This step is non-negotiable for prevention of future damage. There are so many choices—you can use a moisturizer like Neutrogena Daily Defense 50 (drugstore) or a tinted moisturizer like It Cosmetics Your Skin but Better CC Cream SPF 50 or even an under makeup primer like Supergoop Unscreen Sunscreen SPF 40. I will do an entire blog later on SPF choices; there is no excuse not to find one that you like, whether chemical or mineral.
EVENING ROUTINE
- Cleanse- repeat morning step one.
- Exfoliate- this is removing dead skin cells that make us look older to reveal fresh young cells. Men exfoliate their faces every day when they shave. You can exfoliate in many ways: use a washcloth with your cleanser; use a Clarisonic tool and cleanser to wash your face; use a leave on exfoliant after you wash your face. Try Paula’s Choice AHA leave on exfoliant.(Paula’s Choice.com).
- Nourish- hydrate and moisturize with hyaluronic acid and retinol. Retinol penetrates deep into the skin. It accelerates cell renewal and repairs damage. You will have smoother, younger looking skin with continued use. Try Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair (drugstore); Dr. Denise Ultra Moisturizing Face Serum with retinol and hyaluronic acid (QVC)
Have I scared you away? I hope not. For those of you who like to move slowly and cautiously, make a commitment to try one new step of the routine, for example, exfoliate or use SPF every day for the month of February. I committed to not spending any money other than necessities for the month of February. (It’s a short month). For those of you who like to jump in with both feet, Philosophy has a Todays Special Value today, Feb 4th on QVC that offers the Purity Made Simple Cleanser, When Hope is not Enough serum an exfoliator and a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid for $99.00. You can get it home for $16.00. I do not receive any remuneration or commission from Philosophy or QVC for recommending this set. I have used these products with good results; it is an excellent value and a simple system; you only need to add an SPF for daytime. Please leave me a comment or question. I value your feedback! Until next week…..Penny
The simpler the better for me or I won’t keep it up! I already do the daily sunscreen which is so easy to remember in Florida! But I use dove soap on my face. So I’ll try cetaphil instead. Sounds like something I can easily do! I think I’m not convinced I can make a difference at 70!
Good for you Kathy that you are vigilant about using sunscreen, especially in Florida. Try the Cetaphil. It is a nice gentle cleanser. Let me know how you like it. Penny
My Mother always takes good care of her skin and the effort shows! She has the most beautiful, glowing young looking skin with no wrinkles!
I do nothing other than wash my face twice a day! She always says to me- you don’t have wrinkles yet but if you don’t take care of your skin you will!
I am inspired to try this 3 step skin care routine and be on my way to better skin! I’m actually going to get the philosophy products because it seems easy and I like their products! Thanks for the inspiration!!
Thanks Jamie. So happy you were inspired to try the Philosophy regime. Keep me posted!
I need you to remind me about sunscreen, I know you never go out without it. Yesterday I was in the sun for 1 hr at the beach and I forgot to put it on. I am going to look for the products you mentioned in the states next week and bring them back here. I have a very hard time finding skin care products here. Love your blog, and your Mom had beautiful skin till the day she died! My Mom was a soap and water person but used moisturizer and sun screen also till she died, her skin was very soft and hardly a wrinkle in sight. Keep up the interesting insight, you are an inspiration.
Hi Debby. I will remind you about using SPF every day. It is the most important and easiest thing we can do to prevent further damage. I love that you are an ardent follower of the blog. I think you will like next week’s blog. It involves the pact we made about our hair. Penny
I love this Penny,
I’ve been lucky enough to have been blessed with nice skin. I don’t know if it’s because I used to watch my older sister pamper herself every night and always wanted to do what she did, or just the luck of the skin gods. In any case, I agree with your routine and try to do similarly every day. I’ve developed psoriasis over the last 3 years, so now I see a dermatologist. I now use medications for my scalp and forehead when I have to, but other than that, my skin is still soft and not too filled with wrinkles following these simple routines. One thing I do make sure to do is to use a moisturizer with sunscreen. Thanks for your advice!
Hi Shellie. I agree that a lot is genetics, but you have taken good care of your skin through the years and it shows. Keep following next week for the silver revolution!
Love your blog, Penny. My dermatologist recommended cetaphil and I used it for many years. Since I started using shiseido I began using their foaming cleanser which is very creamy, but like all their products, very pricey. The only sunscreen I use on my face is a BB cream which has an SPF of 30. Is that sufficient? Do you think I should use something higher for Florida? Also I use a toner every morning after cleansing. Is that the same as an exfoliant? Sorry for SO many questions. I would love to simplify my routine!
Hi Karen. I’m so glad you love the blog. I love writing it! I welcome your questions. If you want to save money, you can go back to using Cetaphil as your cleanser. So many dermatologists recommend it. I would use a higher Spf in Florida. The BB cream is fine for winter here, but I would switch to a 40 or 50 in the summer here and in Florida. Regarding your question about toners and exfoliators, an exfoliant is one type of toner that uses mild acids to get rid of the dead skin cells. Other toners balance the skins PHlevel, add hydration, or contain herbs that feed the skin. If you tell me the name of your toner, I can find out if it is an exfoliator. Penny
Thanks for the reminder about sunscreen! I’m pretty diligent in the summer, but in the winter I tend to slack off! Wonder if they still sell flowing velvet? Meg
Hi Meg. So many of us forget to use spf in the winter. It’s important every season because we get the damaging rays even while driving. .I googled Germaine Monteil Flowing velvet to see if it’s still around, but couldn’t find it. Thanks for your comment. Penny