Winter Skincare Routine 2020 – AM & PM

This post will be sharing my current Morning and Nighttime Winter skincare routine.

It’s that time of the year again where I go hunting for toners, essences and moisturizers that will keep my skin hydrated all day and night. In the past few weeks, I’ve made major Korean & Japanese Skincare splurges from all my fave retailers; StyleVana and Jolse. I’ve also used this period to try out new retailers like YesStyle, Dokodemo and Olive Young Global for myself and my readers. Best believe my bank account has been crying. But it’s winter which also happens to be the period I spend the most money on skincare.

This year, I focused a lot more on switching my entire face and body routine to Asian skincare sprinkled with some Drugstore skincare. For my face, while I searched for the most hydrating toners, I’ve been on the lookout for more emollient moisturizers. Where possible, I’ve been layering water and gel creams with my hydrating toners. When it comes to my dry dehydrated skin, there’s no such thing as too much hydration.

I have quite a lot of products to share with you today so let’s get right into it.

My Morning Winter Skincare Routine

I’ve recently started to embrace the no cleanse method in my morning routine. This is where I skip my morning cleanser and just go straight to a lightweight toner and continue with my routine. So far, it has been working for me and I haven’t had any issues. But when I do decide to cleanse my skin, these are a few of the products I use. Also, it goes without saying that I don’t double cleanse in the morning as well.

Cleansers

• Cerave Hydrating Cleanser
• Neutrogena Hydroboost Water Gel Cleanser
• Acnecide 5% Benzoyl Peroxide Face Wash ( Cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser with 4% Benzoyl Peroxide is a great alternative)

As you can see, depending on the state of my skin, I alternate between hydrating cleansers and a benzoyl peroxide fash wash. The latter comes in handy when I wake up with nasty breakouts.

Toner

• TonyMoly Wonder Ceramide Mochi Toner
• Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Lotion

The TonyMoly Ceramide Toner is a lightweight creamy toner which I decant into a spray bottle for easy application. It has a way of instantly waking my skin up immediately after application. Plus it comes in a massive 500ml bottle. What’s not to love? After cleansing my face, I typically skip the TonyMoly toner and go straight in with a layer or two of my Hada Labo Premium. Hydration Galore!

Treatment

• Melano CC Concentration Measures Essence
• Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Blemish Care Serum

After a bit of back and forth, Vitamin C serums are back into my routine. During the course of my research, I found out that Korean & Japanese Skincare have some amazing serums that I needed to try. I’m excited about these products and I can’t wait to get results with them. Melano CC Essence is a popular Japanese Vitamin C serum while the Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Serum is a Korean powerhouse brightening serum with Niacinamide, Arbutin and Yuja Extract.

When I use my cleansers, I prefer to go in first with my Vitamin C serum first before my toners. This is because the products have a very thin consistency and I just find it easier for them to go first before layering my toners.

Eye Cream

• The Ordinary Caffeine Solution

Most days, I wake up with puffiniess and dark circles under my eyes. When I need to go out, I grab The Ordinary Caffeine Solution and dab it under my eyes. When I’m indoors, I skip it completely. It defintely helps to reduce the under eye puffiness significantly.

Moisturizer

• Pyunkang Yul Nutrition Cream
• The Ordinary Rosehip Seed Oil

My absolute faveourite moisturizer to use in the mornings is the Pyunkang Yul Nutrition Cream. I love it soo much. It’s everything I want in a moisturizer and more. It’s thick, creamy and greasy. It also manages to give my skin a nice glow over my sunscreen. I love it! When I need to go out and I need to lock in the moisture on my skin, I reach out for my trusty The Ordinary Rosehip Seed Oil. It never fails to dissapoint.

Sunscreen

• Klairs Soft Airy UV Essence SPF 50
• Cosrx Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50

For sun protection, I alternate between the Klairs Soft Airy UV Essence as my indoor chemical suncreen and the Cosrx Aloe Soothing Sun Cream as my outdoor hybrid suncreen. The former is super lightweight but doesn’t exactly keep my skin moisturized like the latter. The Cosrx Aloe Sun Cream is a moisturizing sunsreen which slightly heavier and as such is perfect for outdoors.

My Nighttime Skincare Routine

In 2020, skincare has mostly been for me about self-care. I haven’t been able to travel or do some of those things that I typically would. So, I’ve poured all my energy on skincare as an outlet for self-care. I always look forward to my night routine because I genuinely enjoy it.

Here are all the products I’ve been using this season:

First Cleanse

• Banila Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Original
• B. Pure Micellar Oil (discontinued)
• TonyMoly The Chok Chok No-wash Cleansing Water

I’m currently trying cleansing balms for the first time and I’m absolutely enjoying it. I was tired of being stuck to the now discontinued 150ml B.Pure Micellar Oil so I had to introduce the Banila Co Clean It Zero. Even though I don’t wear makeup, I enjoy oil cleansing for about 2 – 3 minutes to take off my sunscreen and just give myself a facial massage.

On the days when I couldn’t be bothered to do a deep cleanse, I just cleanse with the TonyMoly Cleansing Water which I really enjoy using.

Second Cleanse

• Neutrogena Hydroboost Water Gel Cleanser

After my first cleanse, I typically don’t rinse my face. Instead, I just go in with my gel cleanser which foams up enough to take off my oil cleanser in one rinse. I’ll be trying out new cleansers in the coming months and I can’t wait to share my reviews with you.

Exfoliate

• Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
• By WishTrend Mandelic Acid 5% Skin Prep Water

My skin concerns are acne and hyperpigmentation. So, I use the best chemical exfoliants targeted to them. I use Salicylic Acid to get rid of active breakouts before they become blackheads. While I use Mandelic Acid; the most gentle of all AHAs to get rid of dead skin cells and help fade my hyperpigmentation.

Hydrate

• Neogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence
• Innisfree Green Tea Balancing Skin
• Innisfree Jeju Orchid Lotion
• Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Lotion

On the days I don’t exfoliate, I go straight in with my hydrating toners. I either use the Neogen Essence and innisfree Jeju Orchid Lotion combo or the Innisfree Green Tea Balancing Skin and Hada Labo GokuJyun Premium Lotion combo. I use as many layers of these hydrating products until I’m satisfied.

Treatment

• The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2%
• The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
• Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster

I cut down a bit on my treatment serums in my winter skincare routine to focus more on hydration for obvious reasons. So, I just rotate between three ingredients that target my hyperpigmentation; Niacinamide, Alpha Arbutin and Azelaic Acid. If i’m breaking out and I don’t want to exfoliate, I use the Paula’s Choice Azelaic Acid because it also has Salicylic Acid. If i’m not, I use The Ordinary’s Azelaic Acid. I pair either of them with Niacinamide or Alpha Arbutin.

Eye cream

• Benton Fermentation Eye Cream
• It’s Skin Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Eye Cream

While I focus on depuffing my eye area in the mornings, at night, I focus on hydration. In the coming months, I’m going to be trying out eye products with more active ingredients.

Moisturize

• Cosrx Advanced Snail All In One Cream
• The Inkey List Tumeric Moisturizer
• Illiyoon Ato Ceramide Concentrate Cream

I like to finish up with a layer of the Cosrx Snail Cream especially if my skin is irritated. It has a way of calming down any sensitivity. Also, there’s no such thing as too much hydration. So, in between treatments, I like to sandwich a hydration layer. In the end, I go in with a generous amount of the Illiyoon Ceramide Cream. But unfortunately, it’s not as emollient so I usually have a final step.

Occulsive

• Cerave Healing Ointment

This has been a game-changer for my skin. I had to get a big tub because I know it can sell out at any time and I would struggle to get it. I typically reserved it to repair my damaged skin barrier. But these days, I use it every night at the last step of my routine because my moisturizers are not emollient enough. It keeps my skin moisturized all night and I don’t have to struggle so much with dryness in the mornings.

Monthly Winter Skincare Routine

This routine used to be reserved for the weekends but now I’ve reduced the frequency to monthly basis.

• Exfoliate with The Ordinary AHA BHA Peeling Solution
• Soothe & Calm with I’m From Mugwort Mask

No, The Ordinary Peeling Solution doesn’t stingle or irritate my skin because I’ve learnt how to use it safely. Also, my skin barrier is currently in tact with all the repair and soothing products I’m using. Also, I follow up with the I’m From Mugwirt Mask to buffer any potential irritation.

Final thoughts

For my dry dehydrated skin, winter used to mean extreme dryness and ashiness. But these days, it now means layers of humectants, emollients and occulsives. While, I’m having fun experienting with different hydrating products, I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way.

I hope you have also found your staple products and have created a winter skincare routine. If you have, share your holy grail products with me below!