I get asked about my skin quite often, and I don’t know if it helps or hurts me to say, “I treat my skin like crap, sleep in my makeup, get too much sun, only use my products when I remember to, etc.!” BUT, now that I’m in my 40s (41 to be exact), I’m realizing more and more that I should be better to my face. And I seem to be different from a lot of women in that I love my smile lines, crow’s feet, and even the wrinkles! I’ve never had any injections, chemical peels, prescriptions/medical grade skincare products, and so on. I think I’ve had three facials in my lifetime. I have nothing against any of that stuff, and say you do you! But I get pretty tired of influencers saying, “these products are all I use to get my face to look like this,” yet they never mention their Botox, surgeon, prescriptions, etc. That doesn’t feel honest to me, so I always want to keep it real with yall!

All that to say, I have gone through phases where I’ve tried products, or been given products (usually from my bestie, Kristin, who is obsessed with skincare and spoils me) and I know they’re excellent! I just need to be more diligent about using them because I see and feel the results when I do so. I’m going to share my faves, as well as some new products I’ve fallen for recently! As always, when you shop through my links, I get a small commission, paid for by Amazon (not you), and that’s what helps pay for this blog to keep going! Just click on the pics to get to the links! I am so grateful for you!

Let’s start with things I do every so often, and one of the big ones is shaving my face!

I know I know, WHAT?! But hear me out…it’s just at-home dermaplaning, and it’s amazing for your skin! It’s to take off peach fuzz, dead skin, etc. and it leaves your skin feeling soooo smooth, and your makeup glides on. “But won’t my hair grow in darker and thicker?!” No. That’s a myth. The facts: when your hair follicle first grows back in after shaving, it grows in at an angle in the pore, which makes it appear thicker and darker. But once it continues to grow, it straightens out, looks thinner, and is the correct shade. Think of it this way: if the myth were true, every man would have a thick, black beard, and every woman would eventually have black leg hair, right?! All this to say, dermaplaning your face will not have you looking like the bearded lady in the circus! You can thank me later 😉 I have tried several brand of razors, and I always come back to the Tinkle! Bonus: you can use them on your eyebrows to shape them up too!

A recent fave is the ice roller! It’s AMAZING! Helps reduce swelling, puffiness, and redness. And it just feels sooooo good. Bonus: you can use it on injuries, or on your forehead when you feel a headache coming on! My daughters use this even more than I do!

My bestie, KT, loves these chin straps! They help reduce the look of double chins by tightening the skin in that area. Is it a permanent fix? No, because it’s not surgery and you haven’t lost any weight. BUT, if you have an event, and want to tighten the skin quickly, these work!

If eyes are your problem area (I have bags and dark circles because I’m a terrible sleeper), here are two products that will help! First, eye patches, as they majorly help reduce the swelling, especially if you keep them in the fridge! Kristin loves the Pixi Detoxifeye ones, but they’re sold out on Amazon, so try these instead!

I know there are tons of eye serums on the market, but I think this is the best bang for my buck! Tightens and brightens the under eye area!

These three-in-ones pads have been incredible! I realize they aren’t supposed to be a replacement for doing a skincare routine, BUT there are nights when you just CAN’T imagine doing the whole shebang (they’re great for post workout/sports too, and when you travel). That’s where these come in…I keep them on my nightstand and the girls’ gym bags! There’s a micellar water cleanser, hyaluronic acid hydrator, and a vitamin C antioxidant all in one. Makes it easy to have zero excuses!

I use these exfoliating pads for my whole body, and I believe they have these at the Four Seasons hotels?! There is a rougher side, and a gentler side, and the rougher is great for the body, especially if you’re about to apply self-tanner. And the gentler side can be used with the face washes I’m about to recommend!

So let’s now get into the face-related products I’m using every day, or at least as much as recommended (when I remember and put forth the effort lol)! I’ll start with the face washes and explain when I use them.

I love this Cerave foaming face wash, and not only do I use it, but so do my minis (who are both teenagers). It’s creamy, foams nicely but not too much, and gets the job done. It doesn’t have any fragrance, so if you’re sensitive to that, Cerave products are for you! You can use this morning or night as your cleanser!

This Revision brightening cleanser has almost a cult-like fan base. People LOVE this stuff, and I do too! It’s certainly more pricey than Cerave products, but not a luxury product by any means, and the bottle is a great size! You’ll notice a difference in the glow of your skin using this!

This exfoliating shower scrub is one of my favorite products! It’s not too rough, and definitely makes your skin smoother once used, but doesn’t dry it out. It’s recommended to be used a couple times a week, not every single day!

THEN THIS IS THE HOLY GRAIL PRODUCT! Kristin bought it for me because she knew I’d never buy it for myself. But I will absolutely never NOT buy it for myself again because it has transformed my skin, and I don’t say that lightly. I had only used it twice and people in my DMs were already noticing, “your skin looks amazing; did you do something to it?!” It’s a scrub, and it’s coarser than the scrub above for sure, but it’s not painful. I definitely do not use this daily…it’s more of a treat! You know that feeling after you’ve shaved your legs and you get in your sheets for the first time…that’s how your face feels after using this Zo scrub! Makeup goes on easier, you’ll have a glow, and you’ll feel like a million bucks, I promise!

Those are the cleansers and scrubs, now for the serums, and moisturizers!

In the morning, when your face is clean, you’ll want to put on some Vitamin C. There are so many on the market, but again, I’m a fan of the Cerave one here! Compare the products in this to much more expensive ones, and there’s hardly a difference 😉

After you cleanse, and put on your Vitamin C, it’s time for your SPF and moisturizer! I can’t say enough good things about this Aveeno product. It’s got the gentlest scent, goes on smoothly, and is oil-free (zero greasy feel)! Gives you great SPF 30 coverage and keeps your skin protected all day!

Now, let’s go to the nighttime regimen!

After you’ve cleansed, you’ll want to put on some retinol. I go back to Cerave for this as well, and love the way it feels on the skin! This will help with breakouts and acne scars!

After the cleanser, and retinol, you’ll want to moisturize, and this Cerave night cream rivals the MUCH more expensive ones! I’ve converted so many people to this product, as it’s creamy, not greasy, and gives your skin the moisture it’s craving all night long!

And this last product is a new one to me, so I’m still testing it out for us. But it’s for dark spot treatment and melasma, and has 2% hydroquinone in it, which is the ingredient that helps with the lightening of the spots. The container may seem small when you get it, but a little goes a long way! I can’t wait to see noticeable results (takes several weeks)!

I think that sums up my absolute favorites and must-haves. New skincare products may come in and others may fade out, but for right now, these are the best! Let me know in the comments if you have and love any of these! And as always, sharing is caring, so feel free to share on your social media if you found it helpful at all! Send to a friend!