Okay, so I started this whole skincare thing ’cause my face looked dull as dishwater last winter. Couldn’t stand it anymore. Here’s exactly what I did step by step – no fancy jargon, promise.
Morning Stuff (Takes 3 minutes tops)
First thing when I wake up, I splash my face with lukewarm water. Not hot, not cold – just right. Then I squeeze a pea-sized blob of this hydrating cleanser on my palm and rub it everywhere. Gentle circles around the nose, forehead, you know the drill. Rinse with more lukewarm water.
While my face is still damp, I pat on this vitamin C stuff – three drops max. Feels sticky but whatever. After it dries, I smash moisturizer all over like I’m spackling a wall. Not glamorous but effective.
Biggest game-changer? Putting sunscreen last every single morning. Doesn’t matter if it’s cloudy. Doesn’t matter if I’m staying indoors. I missed two days last month and felt like I betrayed my own face.
Night Stuff (Dead simple)
After dinner, I attack the day’s gunk with micellar water on a cotton pad. No rubbing hard. Then same cleanser as morning, but I scrub extra around the hairline – ’cause that’s where gunk hides.
Instead of vitamin C, I slap on retinol cream now. First week it made my skin peel like a snake. Reduced to twice weekly until my face toughened up. Finished with same moisturizer again. Done by 9 PM.
What Actually Changed
- Stopped using soap on my face (felt like pouring acid on paper cuts)
- Cut out those 12-step routines (who remembers all that?)
- Set phone reminders for sunscreen
Noticeable stuff happened around week 3. Less sandpaper texture when I rubbed my cheeks. The mirror reflection stopped looking exhausted by 8 AM. People started asking if I got more sleep (rude but flattering).
Key takeaway? Being lazy pays off. Two ingredients in the morning, three at night. Stick with it even when you think “does this even do anything?”. It does. Eventually.
