My Nighttime Skincare Routine

I try to keep my skincare routine down to about 5-10 mins at night, because honestly I don't think I would commit to much more than that at the expense of sleep. Here are the products I've been using lately. Keep in mind that I have dry skin and usually wear only light makeup (including nonwaterproof mascara). I'm probably also not as thorough as many of the other bloggers out there in terms of cleansing, but so far this has been working well.

I have only four steps in my routine: 1) Cleanse, 2) Eye cream, 3) Face Treatment Cream, and 4) Moisturize. I will rotate out products in these four steps, especially the face treatment as I run low on things, but generally I stick closely to this regime. I'll also be away from home for much of the summer, so here are the products I will pretty much be using for the next three months:

Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser: I got this on a whim, and am surprised at how much I've been using it. I love that it foams, because it makes it feel so much faster and easier to just give it a quick pump and immediately slather it on the face. I will say that this is not great at removing makeup, and on days when I do wear more makeup I have to resort to a cleansing balm instead. However, for light summer days, this is good, and also generally effective at getting my mascara off.

Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Eye Cream: I like this the best of the eye creams I've tried. It's rich but easy to rub in, and it also doesn't cause millia unlike many other creams I've tried. I just wish it were more moisturizing.

Sulwhasoo Timetreasure Renovating Cream: I got this as a sample, and so far I like it. It has a nice herbal scent, and I think I do notice a slight difference in my skin texture and general glow after a few uses. But it's not quite enough to justify the $400 full-size price tag - yikes!

Kiehl's Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Cream: This was also a sample, and I use it on days when I don't use the Sulwhasoo. I like the smell and the light texture, but after continual use I'm not sure it's all that effective, as I haven't noticed any significant changes to my lines. But it is pleasant to use.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream: This has been my nighttime moisturizer for quite some time now (reviewed here), and I find I keep going back to this. It's just so easy to use and really is very effective at keeping my dry skin hydrated. But it contains parabens, so I'm going to need to find a replacement after I finish it up.


In terms of how I use these products, I always make sure to gently pat them in and avoid rubbing, which causes premature wrinkles. I also try to be gentle when cleansing. I see so many girls tugging harshly at their faces while cleansing, and it makes me wonder if by being so thorough they're doing more harm than good. Thus, my philosophy is to stay as minimal and delicate as possible with my skin. I won't kill my face to try to get every last scrap of makeup off, but I will do as much as I can. It's a balancing act.