Summertime Skincare: What I’m Doing Now

Although my waistline has taken a beating during quarantine, my skin has been doing pretty well. Per usual, I can’t take any credit for it since it was my sweet friend and esthetician Anne Yeaton who gave me some tips to follow since I’ve been hunkered down at home.

If you know Anne, she’s wonderful at breaking down routines to what’s most important and using products you already have on hand. She helped me come up with streamlined steps for morning and night.

Morning Routine

“Caucasian women love to strip everything out of their skin,” Anne explains. “I don’t think you need to cleanse your face in the morning. Just splash some water on it, put on sunscreen, and you’re good to go.”

I was definitely in the crew of women who was over-washing and over- exfoliating my face every morning. But today, the products below are the only ones I use when I wake up:

After I brush my teeth, I use just a little bit of this m-61 Vitablast C 20% Cream and some Supergoop Glow Screen under my makeup. It’s been more than enough to keep me hydrated and protected from the sun for summer. This

Before Bed

The night-time routine is a little more involved, but Anne reminded me that this is when our products work their hardest.

“Before you go to bed is the best time to use your products,” she says, “because they have more time to absorb while you’re sleeping. This is when I like my clients to really cleanse their faces and wash the dirt off from the day. Keep in mind that your finger pads are too soft to really lift the grime, so it’s best if you can use a thin cloth, in circular motions, to wash your face.”

After your face is clean, Anne suggests that anyone over the age of 35 use a Vitamin C product on their skin.

“This should just be a staple in your medicine cabinet,” Anne explains. “There are thousands of different products out there that you can choose from to shield your face from all the stuff in the air. Think about what happens to your car over time when it’s left outdoors in the elements unprotected. Now, think about what can happen to your face when it’s exposed to the same type of things.”

Anne’s favorite Vitamin C product is the CE Ferulic Serum from Skinceuticals. It’s pricey, but if you’re going to invest in your skincare, this is where Anne recommends you do so. There are some conflicting reports about this product on the internet, but Skinceuticals does claim that this product works for 72 hours after each application. Anne says women in their 30s should think about using a Vitamin C product every other night, while those of us in our 40s and over should use it every single night.

“This is another big reason to do your skincare at night,” says Anne. “If you apply this CE Ferulic before bed, it really soaks in, is less likely to break down in the sunlight, and will really keep the bad stuff from hurting the inner layers of your skin.”

After the Vitamin C, Anne likes clients to apply a moisturizer and she’s not picky about which one that is.

This is my current night time lineup:

Yes to Grapefruit Face Wipes, Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, CE Ferulic Serum, and The Cream from Augustinus Bader

I’m sure these products wouldn’t get Anne’s total stamp of approval, but I always start with these Yes to Grapefruit face wipes to get the first layer of makeup off of my face, especially my mascara. Then, I lather up with this Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm that I love. It lasts forever, is so moisturizing, and it smells really good. It actually comes with a thin wash cloth, too, so that you can properly wash your face.

After my face is clean, I apply the holy grail, the CE Ferulic Serum. This stuff is gold! It used to be that you could only buy this from a doctor’s office or medical grade spa, but now you can find it in some beauty stores like Bluemercury. In the four weeks that I’ve been consistently applying a dropper full at bedtime, I can see a real difference in the texture and coloration of my skin. I have lots of sun damage and I think this has really helped tone that down. The only strange thing is the scent. One blogger I follow said it smells like hot dogs and she’s totally right! But it’s easy to get passed this when your face looks fresher. This product is an investment, but it definitely lasts a couple of months and the results seem obvious to me.

Lastly, I was totally influenced this spring into trying The Cream from Augustinus Bader. IT IS AMAZING! Again, it’s pricey, but a little goes a long way…so far that I know I’m using less product in the morning because this one is so effective at moisturizing my skin at night.

So the big takeaway from all of this is to get yourself some Vitamin C serum for your skin!

One last fun fact when looking at the products you have at home. Women have asked me about what the order should be when you’re applying things to your skin. Anne confirmed that after you wash your face, you should apply things from thinnest to thickest, so start with your serums and end with your creams.

Was this helpful? I’m obsessed with how skincare works and would love to explore it more if you’re interested. Just let me know!

xo,

You can find Anne Yeaton at Dr. Perlis’s office in Lake Bluff.

My name is Ann Marie Scheidler and I'm thrilled you've decided to check out my blog. I'm a pearl-loving yogi with a thing for travel, a weakness for beautiful bags, and a passion for storytelling. In this space, I'll be sharing stories about my family, go-to recipes, my wellness journey, fashion and beauty favorites, and my love for Chicago’s North Shore. I find new inspiration wherever I go. Thanks so much for coming along for the ride!

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  1. Heidi wrote:

    That CE ferulic is truly the best! I’ve never used it at night because sometimes it feels a little sticky – but I’m going to try it ! It makes all the difference for me too during the day and I find I don’t burn the same in the sun- that first then sunscreen and I’m good! I’m about to go look for the honey crisp that was so pretty on you! Who makes it again

    Posted 6.25.20 Reply