Morning Skin Care Routine | Summer 2021

 Summer is just about here and with that comes an updated morning skin care routine. Since we have somewhat defined seasons in Ohio*, it can be necessary to change up your skincare routine from winter to summer.

*We occasionally have weeks with weather for every season- highs in the 80s, drop below freezing with a few inches of snow, a really pleasant day, and then storms with a tornado warning. 

Today I’m going to share my current summer morning skincare routine. For reference my skin type is combo but leans toward dry. Because of this I tend to use more hydrating products that might not work as well for someone with oily skin.

This post may contain Affiliate links, where I earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Full disclosure available here.

Cleanser

Usually I’ll just splash some water on my face to just rinse my skin and refresh it after sleeping. I’ve found that cleansing can be too drying for me and just isn’t always necessary.

If needed I go in with a gentle non stripping cleanser. This is whatever I use at night as my second cleanse.(If you double cleanse, the first cleanse is usually a balm or oil to remove makeup and sunscreen.)

 I’m currently using e.l.f. Holy hydration daily cleanser with hyaluronic acid and ceramides.

Hyaluronic acid is a really hydrating ingredient. Ceramides are lipids in your skin barrier that help your skin stay moisturized

 While this cleanser is gel-based,  it’s not stripping for the skin. 

Available at Target, Amazon, and Ulta.  

Toner

Next I go in with the Laneige cream skin toner and moisturizer. This is a hydrating toner that leaves the skin feeling soft and hydrated instead of dry and tight. 

It has a milky appearance and texture, so be careful when dispensing into your hand. I usually pour 2-3 drops into the palm of my hand, rub between both hands and gently pat onto my face. 

This toner is fragrance free, which is nice if you’re sensitive. 

(If you have oily skin this toner could possibly be used as your moisturizer as well. For me it’s not enough alone and I do go in with a moisturizer later.)

Available at Laneige and Sephora.

Treatments / Serums

Then it’s time for serum! I’m currently using the Naturium Azelaic Topical Acid 10%. This serum has 10% azelaic acid but it also has niacinamide and vitamin C. 

This combo is supposed to reduce redness and dullness to give the skin a more even complexion. It should also help with balancing excess oil production.

I like that this serum has a nice combo of ingredients so that I don’t have to spend time applying each separately. If you have the time and desire that’s great- I like to keep things simple when I can. 

Available at Naturium, Target, and Amazon.

Moisturizer

For some people the Laneige cream skin toner and moisturizer might provide enough hydration but my skin needs more. I’m currently using the La Roche-Posay lipikar balm intense repair moisturizing cream. 

This cream can be used on the face and also all over the body. It comes in a nice large size at 13.52 fluid ounces and is . The cream is very hydrating yet it absorbs fairly quickly and leaves the skin feeling hydrated and smooth. 

The Lipikar Balm is made with shea butter and also contains niacinamide. There is no added fragrance so it’s less likely to be irritating. In fact, this cream has been accepted by the National Eczema Association so it is appropriate to use if you have sensitive skin. 

My bottle came with a pump top. A little goes a long way, so I don’t even push down for a full pump. I pump a small amount onto the back of my hand and then use one finger to take some and dap on my face then blend it gently. I take the rest from the back of my hand and spread in an upward motion on my neck and then along the chest. 

Available at Target.

Sunscreen

It’s not a complete morning skin care routine without a great sunscreen. My current favorite is the Australian Gold Botanical tinted face sunscreen. It is an SPF 50 broad spectrum sunscreen.

This face sunscreen is a mineral and vegan one that uses titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

This sunscreen comes in several shades- fair to light, medium to tan, and rich to deep. I use the fair to light.

While it is a tinted sunscreen, it’s not heavy. It actually leaves a nice light, matte finish. I think it has a bit of a blurring effect. So your skin looks a little nicer like you are using a slight filter, but it definitely does not have the coverage of a foundation.

It has layered well under makeup for me. I try to wait 15 minutes before applying makeup so that all my skincare has time to soak in, instead of applying it straight away.

Available at Target, and Amazon.

I have another post comparing a couple of other mineral sunscreens by Versed and Biossance, so be sure to check that out here if you’d like more options to consider trying.

What’s Your Morning Skin Care Routine?

Your morning skincare routine doesn’t need to be complicated. It could be as simple as rinsing, moisturizing and applying sunscreen. 

If you’d like to learn about more skincare products then be sure to check out this post next. It’s about my favorite skincare products from 2020. 

Remember skincare is personal and it might take some trial and error to find the products that work really well for you. Customize your routine to work for you.

I’d love to hear from you! Do you have any skincare holy grail (HG) products that you absolutely love?

Let me know in the comments. 

Have a great day!

If you liked this post, please share it on social or save to Pinterest. Doing so really helps small bloggers 😀. Thank you!

• 

•