I recently took over HelloAva’s Instagram stories to share my morning and evening skincare routine. I talked about my favorite products, the best beauty finds in your kitchen and a few other tips & tricks. Here is a recap of everything I talked about and more about the products I used.

The Morning Lineup:

Typically during the week, I don’t wear much makeup and since my evening routine is pretty thorough, I don’t go too crazy with the skincare in the morning (unless it is after a night out, then that’s another story). I like to use a light toner or micellar water. My mom got me into rose water recently, so that is another option. I just use a cotton pad and swipe my face pretty quickly. If my skin is looking a little rough, then I’ll use a cleanser or an exfoliator.

Next, I like to spritz a little facial spray all over and then apply my moisturizer for extra hydration and a dewy look. I’ll link my favorite products below.

Okay, so I’m a little crazy with sunscreen. I think it’s because I was a lifeguard for three summers and became paranoid about my skin/sun damage from standing outside for hours. This Coola one doubles as a moisturizer, but I also like to use any type of BB cream or tinted moisturizer with SPF in it.

Winter Dryness

If you live somewhere cold like me, then you know all about your skin getting dry and dull during the winter. Moisturize!!!!

 

For more winter tips, check out my post on how to beat the winter blues.

Oil Me Up

A lot of people are afraid of using oil on their face, they think it’ll clog their pores. If you find the right one and use the good stuff, it shouldn’t. The more oil the better, I heard it fights wrinkles so I’m here for it. If you want an inexpensive option for a cleansing oil, you can always go for coconut oil or Vitamin E oil. I especially love using either of those to take off eye make-up or lipstick. I feel no matter how well I take off my makeup at night, if I wore mascara or a smokey eye, I always find residue in the morning so I love using the oil for that since it’s gentle.

I started getting more into Vitamin E oil when I had some scars that were healing and I was using a lot of Bio-Oil which worked really well. Vitamin E Oil is also pretty much the same thing and less expensive. Both of these can help with stretch marks, uneven skin tone, dryness and scars.

Random Must Haves:

These have been my two at-home/DIY faves lately:

• Apple Cider Vinegar: there are like a million benefits with ACV, but my fave is rinsing my hair with it in the shower. I make my own little mix of water and ACV, but I’ve heard the dpHUE ACV Rinse is really good. Love doing this about once a week to help get rid of build up from hair products and exfoliate foliate my scalp. I also just got the new Kristin Ess Scalp Mask, which is supposed to help with that as well. I’ve only used it once so far and liked it. But I love all of her products, so I’m sure it is good. 
• Activated Charcoal:  I’ve tried whitening stripes in the past and they hurt my gums + I’m impatient. Using activated charcoal (you can buy some on Amazon) is quick and easy. I have a separate brush (nothing fancy) that I use for the charcoal, but you could always just sprinkle some on your toothpaste when you brush your teeth. I don’t use it every day because it can be a little harsh on your teeth if you use it too often. I’ve heard mix things about it so I try to only use it once a month. 
• While we are talking about teeth, let’s talk about the tongue. If you do not have a tongue scraper, I am judging you. I promise you will use it once and not be able to live without it. Tongue scrap, brush, floss. No exceptions. I could do an entire post on tongue scrapers. Just go buy one, it’s like $7 and life-changing.

G Night

Sometimes I can get a little intense with my nighttime routine, but lately, my go-to routine has been a cleanser, peel pad, face spray (it’s just so refreshing) and then my LUA calming oil has been my absolute fave before bed. It has this relaxing, lavender scent, it’s amazing. I got it in my HelloAva box. If you still have not used HelloAva, you must give it a try. They have a personalized skincare quiz and recommend different products based on your skin type.

P.S. HOW CUTE IS MY MINI PINK SKINCARE FRIDGE?! A bit unnecessary, but I love it so much.

Okay, now tell me what’s the one skincare/beauty product you cannot live without?