There are a ton of skincare and beauty products out there and I’ve barely scratched the surface on experimenting with them. I’ve always been really into making sure my skin looks nice and hydrated. Since high school, I’ve been really conscious of products and foods that cause breakouts while having somewhat of a routine to keep me looking fresh. Winter sometimes wreaks havoc on my skin and since I’m aware of that, I can take some preventative measures to eliminate out-of-whack skin. So today, I thought I’d take a break from food and share my favorite skincare products!

I’m going to preface this post by stating the obvious: I am not a dermatologist. The products and routines that work for me, are for me and may not work for you. I simply want to share the products that I love in case you’re interested in learning more about them. Please consult with a dermatologist before doing anything radical, guys. OK?

Alright, now that I got that out of the way…

I’m not particularly loyal to any specific skincare brand – there are a variety of companies that serve many needs for me. Most people mix and match skincare products anyway, right?

My favorite skincare products!

OK – I don’t even know where to start really so. . . I’m just going to dive in. It’s important to note that skincare in this post is specific to facial care – not the entire body.

C L E A N S I N G
For years, Cetaphil Daily Cleanser has been one of my go to products. It’s inexpensive and food for removing the gunk from the day and removing makeup. Lately though, I’ve been using Pholk Beauty’s glow replenishing face wash. It has a lot of natural ingredients, smells good and it’s Black-owned (bonus!). What I love most about it is that a little goes a long way with this face wash.

On some days, I love using my ageLOC LumiSpa cleanser and pair it with my LumiSpa device for optimal cleansing. It gets the job done and isn’t heavy on my skin.

When I’m feeling too lazy to grab my LumiSpa device, I grab my handy Boie face scrubber. It’s light, easy to travel with and a quick way to cleanse your face.

M O I S T U R I Z I N G
I’m always telling people, when you moisturize, don’t forget your neck! The neck is a tell-tell sign of neglect if it’s not taken care of properly. Lately I’ve discovered Rosen Skincare and have started using their Tropics moisturizer. Bonus: it’s another Black-owned skincare company! The tropics moisturizer is very different from other moisturizers that I’ve used but I’m loving it. Keep scrolling to the end for some other products from Rosen Skincare I can’t wait to try.

Before Rosen, I’d been using a Cetaphil moisturizer. There aren’t any bells and whistles with this moisturizer and it’s decent if you’re looking for something simple.

O T H E R   P R O D U C T S
Serums are great and currently I’m using The Ordinary’s hyaluronic acid serum (love it). I’ve also started using Bliss’ Vitamin C serum, which I love and it smells nice. I usually apply my serum when my face is damp (I read that makes the serum more effective, no idea if it’s true).

I love using masks because it allows me to multitask while taking care of my skin. I’ve tried tons of masks but right now, my favorite masks are Bliss detoxifier masks. You don’t have to rinse it off your face; you just gently rub the serum from the mask in your face and you’re done.

Eye gels and creams are something I’m still experimenting with. I’ve tried a lot (whew) and  I’m currently into L’Oreal’s honey eye gel. I also love these Skyn Iceland cool firming eye gels – they feel good when you put them on. I also keep some of Bliss’ everyday eye cream on-hand too.

I hate to admit this but there are nights when I feel really lazy and I’m not interested in doing my entire skincare routine. On those nights, I usually dip into my makeup remover wipes. I don’t know how good or bad these are for your face (or how effective they are) but they save the night when I need them. I usually bounce between three brands: Publix, Neutrogena and Target’s Up & Up. They all work fine. I’ve only had one bad experience and that was with Burt’s Bees’ facial wipes; they irritated my skin. John likes them, though.

Using a toner has helped my skin feel more refreshed. I LOVE Thayers! Right now I’m using their rose petal toner but they have a variety of toners and other products (I’ll link some at the end of this post). Make sure that the toner you purchase (no matter the brand) is alcohol free.

Bonus products

Lip care is very important, y’all. Please don’t neglect them. My go to brand for taking care of my lips is Fresh lip scrub. I also swear by a variety of Vaseline products.

Last year, I became one of those people who purchased a jade roller and I have to be honest, I love it. Sometimes I use it when my sinuses are hurting other times it feels really good the morning after I’ve maybe had too much to drink. For my normal skincare routine though, I use it after I’ve applied my serum (to help seal it in). I keep one jade roller in the freezer and one on my nightstand.

Also once quarantine started, I purchased a vibrating face massager and beauty bar. Sounds normal, right?

Eye make up remover is a thing and I’m not that picky about it. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be but the Up & Up brand from Target seems to work well for my needs. I’m open to other recommendations if you have them.

Hydrating face oils aren’t in my day-to-day routine but I keep some on hand for special cases. A couple of months ago I was having some issues with my skin and this SheaMoisture oil was great as a resource to use at night before going to bed.

Alright, I’m wrapping up here. Lastly, is a multi acid resurfacing peel from Goldfaden MD. I don’t use it often but I like it. It’s best used on clean skin and promotes softer, smoother skin. It’s pricey but they have other products that may be worth looking into.

Additional Black-owned beauty products

Since I first wrote this post, I’ve incorporated new products into my routine including some awesome Black-owned products. The products below are items I haven’t used yet but they’re high on my list to try:

• Paloma serum by Rosen Skincare
• KNC Beauty lip scrub set
• Rosewater face dew by Rosen Skincare
• Epi.Logic’s Brightening Glycolic Gel
• Hyper Skin’s Hyper clear brightening serum
• Black Girl Sunscreen
• Aloe face milk from Naked Flamingo

Shop this post + Your favorite skincare products?

Whew, I’ve talked a lot in this post. Tell me: what are some of your favorite skincare products?