From Sunrise to Sunset: A Comprehensive Guide to Your AM and PM Skincare Routine

To achieve glowing, blooming skin, you need a healthy diet, lifestyle as well as additional minerals from a proper skincare routine. And I have to admit people seem to underestimate the importance of morning skincare and think morning skin care is not necessary. That’s extremely wrong since taking care of your skin in the morning helps you prepare your skin for the day ahead as well as removing leftover product from the previous night which may affect your makeup. 

The morning and evening skincare routines differ in their goals and techniques, and it’s important to understand these differences to get the most out of your products. If you haven’t planned out your AM and PM skincare routine, let us do it for you.

AM Skincare Routine

For a good beginning to a new day, you probably need to refresh yourself with a good skincare routine. In case you don’t know where to start, we’re here to help you.

Cleansing

Cleansing in the morning is important to remove any sweat, oil, or debris that has accumulated on your skin overnight. Choose a gentle cleanser that won’t strip your skin of its natural oils, and massage it onto your skin using circular motions. Rinse off with lukewarm water.

Toning

Toning helps to balance your skin’s pH level and prepare it for the rest of your skincare routine. You would love to use a toner that is alcohol-free and contains hydrating ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid. Apply it to a cotton pad and sweep it over your face, avoiding the eye area. You can also apply it on your bare hands and pat them on your face like how Asian women do. To me, this is the best Korean skincare for 40s technique ever.

Serums

Serums are lightweight formulas that penetrate deep into your skin to deliver active ingredients. Choose a serum that targets your specific skincare concerns, such as hydration, brightening, or anti-aging. Apply a few drops onto your fingertips and gently press it into your skin.

Moisturizing

Moisturizing in the morning is important to keep your skin hydrated and protected throughout the day. Choose a moisturizer that contains SPF to provide sun protection, and make sure it’s suitable for your skin type. Apply it all over your face, neck, and chest.

For those who haven’t found any matte moisturizer with SPF, here are our recommendations:

La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 Mineral Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid: This lightweight, oil-free sunscreen provides broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection with a matte finish. It’s also water-resistant for up to 80 minutes.

Cetaphil Pro Oil Absorbing Moisturizer with SPF 30: This moisturizer is specifically designed for oily skin and helps to control oil production while providing sun protection. It also contains niacinamide to help soothe and calm the skin.

Supergoop! Matte Screen SPF 40: This mattifying sunscreen contains silica to help absorb excess oil and create a smooth, matte finish. It’s also enriched with antioxidant-rich plant extracts to help protect the skin from environmental stressors.

Sun Protection

Sun protection is essential to prevent damage from harmful UV rays. Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, and apply it generously all over your face, neck, and any other exposed areas. Reapply every two hours if you’re spending time outdoors.

PM Skincare Routine

After a busy day, it’s night time and you can spend some time for yourself now. For relaxation, you might want to start doing your daily PM skincare. 

Cleansing

You should double cleanse at night to take off your makeup and clean dirt, and oil that has accumulated on your skin throughout the day. Start with an oil-based cleanser to break down any makeup or sunscreen, then follow up with a water-based cleanser to remove any remaining impurities. You can also use a clay mask for deeper cleansing.

Toning

Unlike your morning routine, you might want to choose a stronger toner at night. Go for a product that contains gentle exfoliants, such as alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) or beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs), to remove dead skin cells and promote cell turnover. Apply it to a cotton pad and sweep it over your face, avoiding the eye area. You can just pat the toner all over your face if the product you’re using is gentle on the skin.

If you’re looking for a cruelty-free, Paraben free and naturally derived toner that has at least 2% of salicylic acid, Azimd skincare the one spray can work well for you.

Treatments

Night time is the best time to apply treatments that target specific skincare concerns as you don’t have to go out for the next 8 hours, giving your skin more time to absorb the product. Choose a treatment that is suitable for your skin type and concerns, and remember to read the instructions before using it. If you want to retain moisture, while providing protection and enhancing the natural repair process of your skin, you should try out Essential Beauty hydrating facial serum.

Eye Cream

To hydrate and protect the delicate skin around your eyes, you might want to use eye cream. This is optional since most people who use eye cream are over 30. Choose a product that contains antioxidants, such as vitamin C or E, to brighten and protect the skin. Gently pat it onto the skin around your eyes, using your ring finger.

Moisturizing

Moisturizing at night helps to hydrate and nourish your skin while you sleep. A moisturizer that is suitable for your skin type and contains hydrating ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid or glycerin is best for a night routine. 

Recommended Skincare Items

Bad Habit Skincare

Bad Habit is a skincare brand from the US that is focused on resetting stressed-out skin. They help people with damaged skin from bad habits recover like dehydration from too much screen time.

The brand ensures that their products do not contain parabens, sulfates, phthalates, mineral oil, formaldehyde, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, triclocarban which might cause irritations and other skin problems.

Bad Habit is also perfect for people who are vegan since their products are 100% cruelty-free and clean.

This brand is quite popular on social media and many influencers, and even Emma Chamberlain have done a Bad Habit skincare review. Most of the feedback is positive but it’s claimed that this brand is not for people with sensitive skin.

Photo from Cosmetic Businesses

Le Mieux Skincare

Le Mieux is a skincare brand that offers a range of products for various skin concerns, including aging, acne, hyperpigmentation, and sensitivity. The brand combines science and nature to create innovative formulas that use advanced technology and high-quality ingredients.

Le Mieux products contain a variety of active ingredients, such as peptides, stem cells, and antioxidants, to improve the appearance and health of the skin. The brand also offers various types of products, including cleansers, serums, moisturizers, masks, and eye treatments.

The brand claims that their products don’t contain binders, thickeners, fillers, sulfates, or parabens. They are also a proud participant in PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies Program, their products are cruelty-free and not tested on animals.

Many people have used Le Mieux’s products and left a lot of reviews. They said their products were effective, well-formulated and affordable. You can read Le Mieux skincare reviews on social media or online shopping websites like Amazon.

Photo from Create. Play. Travel

For healthy, radiant, youthful skin, you should be doing your skincare properly and frequently as well as knowing your skin and the products you use well. The key for a perfect skincare routine is understanding and being steady as skincare is a form of relaxation and self-love. And don’t be impatient if they don’t work immediately, your skin needs time to absorb. If you’re into skincare but don’t know where to start or just want to try new products, you should check out Bad Habit and Le Mieux, they might have what you need.