Morning Skincare Routine Winter 2021

We’re in the middle of endless winter here in Canada so it seems fitting to share my morning skincare routine winter 2021 edition. The only semblance of routine I have left these days is my skincare. I’m grateful to have one piece of normalcy to cling to right now. Skincare and scented candles are my liferaft. My life may be a disaster, but I’ve found a morning skincare routine that’s working for me. I’ll take the wins where I can get them. Keep scrolling for product details or to watch the full YouTube video and save yourself from reading. 🙂

EXFOLIATORS​

The first step to battling the cold weather is to get rid of the dead skin its causing. Some people swear by chemical exfoliants but I’m currently on a physical exfoliant kick. I like physically feeling what’s going on because it’s very easy to unknowingly do too much with a chemical one. I’ll leave that to the professionals.

The Fresh Strawberry Exfoliating Face Wash smells like summer and is a chunkier abrasion that melts as you wash your face with water.

The complete opposite is the Goop Glow Microderm Instant Glow Exfoliator. It feels like a fine film of sand moving along your face. I recommend massaging lightly with this one, as if you were using a fine grain of sandpaper.

FRESH – Sugar Strawberry Exfoliating Face Wash
GOOPGLOW – Microderm Instant Glow Exfoliator

CLEANSERS​

Exfoliating only happens a couple times a week whereas cleansing is a twice daily routine for me. Washing my face in the morning is ultra important since discovering I have rosacea and now know what demodex is. Perhaps we can discuss that at another time. I digress. Fresh Soy Cleanser is an old love that I continue to come back to. Lightly cucumber scented, it’s a refreshing face wash that does an excellent job of cleaning my face. 

FRESH –

FACIAL SPRAY // ESSENCE

Are facial sprays excessive and probably not an essential step? Probably however, it buys me time in between washing my face and adding a serum without my face completely drying up. Plus it just feels nice. I dream of the days when I could get the Evian canned facial spray at Costco. Every time I go there, I’m always hopeful but continue to be let down. This Caudalie face mist smells great and I’ll happily use it to lock in the moisture while I frantically rummage through my medicine cabinet looking for my next skincare step.

CAUDALIE – Beauty Elixir Face Mist

SERUMS

Vitamin C is a must. Whether you use any of Skinceuticals offerings (which are plentiful and effective) Biossance squalane magic, or a random one you picked up a 99 Cent Store on your last trip to the US, it’s a good choice. The Indie Lee Stem Cell serum has hyaluronic acid which is an ingredient that’s like a diaper for your face. It traps that moisture in which is the key to hydration in the winter.

SKINCEUTICALS –
INDIE LEE –
BIOSSANCE –

CREAM

Is there such a thing as too much Vitamin C? Probably but I don’t want to know. The Derma E Vitamin C cream smells like Pez so for that reason alone I will continue to use it. And the bougie Tata Harper Water Lock Moisturizer is HEAVENLY. I wish I could afford to lather it all over my body but alas only my face shall enjoy its deep moisturization.

DERMA E – Vitamin C Renewing Moisturizer
TATA HARPER – 

SPF

SPF is a non-negotiable. I love this Juice Beauty CC Cream SO MUCH I wish the broad spectrum coverage was larger, like at least 45. But something is better than nothing. I’m still not sure what my stance is on eye creams, but I’ve been using this Reversa one lately.

JUICE BEAUTY –
REVERSA – Anti-Wrinkle Contour Eye Cream SPF 15

LIPS

Ideally your lip balm would also contain spf, this one doesn’t but it tastes like Vanilla Bean so it gets a pass. I can always smother the Juice Beauty CC Cream on my lips and pretend it’s 2003 again. If not, no worries. 

EOS – Vanilla Bean Balm

More Skincare Related Items….

Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out my morning skincare routine winter 2021 with me! If you dig this video, may I point you in the direction of my YouTube Channel. Or peep my previous posts such as: 2020 Empties, MAC Powder Kiss Collection, or the Buxom White Russian Collection! xo SJ

photographs - sandy joe karpetz