A few weeks ago I did a full post of my evening skincare routine so I thought it was about time to delve into my morning routine. It is a surprisingly different yet very similar process to my evening routine involving serious layering of products! If you are still not layering then I ask myself what are you waiting for as it will make such a difference to your skin. Just trust me on that point even if you don’t on any other! My entire morning routine just takes few minutes as I can never afford to spend more than that in the bathroom. Due to the hectic nature of life I have two main requirements, firstly that it is as quick as possible whilst still being as effective as possible in this small window of time! All the products I use are all natural…..which is of course the case with all my skincare products. I always want my skin to be fed with no nasties as it deserve the very best. I have a combination skin type with dry cheeks and oily t-zone but all these products will work on pretty much all skin types.
So now down to business, in order of application here is my routine!
Cleanser – I’m very surprised when I hear that people don’t cleanse their face in the morning and instead just swipe over it with a cotton pad doused in toner! Really??!! Every morning I make sure to cleanse my face, there is no way I will miss this step! Lately I’ve been using the lovely certified organic Kahina Facial Cleanser which has a white milky creamy consistency with a nice subtle neroli scent. All Kahina Products are Argan oil based (I don’t think we need to describe the amazing properties of Argan Oil anymore as it’s now one of the most famous oils for hair and skincare…..along with coconut oil) and this cleanser is perfect and lightweight for mornings. It also contains aloe vera to keep skin hydrated, papaya enzymes to brighten and gently exfoliate and willow bark to eliminate toxins and impurities. You don’t need to use a lot of this product, just 3 drops is easily enough for your entire face so it will last you ages. It’s a great product that doesn’t leave my face feeling tight or stripped after cleansing as it’s very gentle and soothing. Love it! I did also try to use it to remove my makeup but it didn’t perform well at all and I was still left with a ton of makeup when I passed my cotton pad with a bit of toner. So it definitely works best as a second cleanser or in the morning.
Toner – After cleansing I follow with a toner. I keep most of my toners in the fridge as spritzing my face with a refreshing toner gives me a nice little boost to wake up and be ready for my long work day. The one I have been using for the last few months is The Jasmine Garden Botanical Mist From May Lindstrom. As the products name suggests you actually feel like you are in a garden full of jasmine flowers when you spritz it on your face. The smell of this toner is something I have never experienced before with any other beauty products as it’s so unique and smells so good. The ingredients list contains Jasmine Extract, Witch Hazel, Rose Hydrolate, Argentum Metallicum, Ylang-Ylang essential Oil and Cocoa Oil. All of these beautiful oils mixed together gives me a feeling of well being and makes my skin very soft. This product is an absolute favourite of mine! Once in awhile I like to swap this toner in my routine for my homemade Hydrating Toner. It’s the one I always take in my work bag as it gives me a refreshing hydrated boost (find the recipe here).
Eye Cream – I really enjoy using Honest Beauty products. I love their tinted moisturiser, eyeshadow, lipstick and The Younger Eye Cream is great too! It’s a very hydrating eye contour formulated with Chamomile, hyaluronic acid, barbary fig, and baobab fruit. This is a perfect combination for dehydrated eyes. I dab just a tiny bit around my eyes as the cream is very light, soaks in quickly and works well under my makeup. My skin feels really moisturised after application.
Serum Facial Oil – After putting on my eye cream I apply the certified organic Grown Alchemist Antioxidant Treatment Serum to my skin which is still damp from the toner (A little tip for you guys is to always apply facial oil on damp skin as it helps lock in the moisture). I just apply 2 drops of it otherwise it leaves my skin a bit greasy and takes time to absorb. This is exactly what we want to avoid in the morning when we are in a rush and need to apply makeup as fast as possible (I would rather spend a few more minutes in bed). I love the fragrance as it has a very pleasant herby smells. This serum only contain 6 ingredients, Camellia seed oil, Rosehip oil, Lavender flower oil, Australian Sandalwood oil and Geranium leaf oil. It’s a very nourishing serum full of antioxidants and omegas which make the skin much softer and more supple. I nearly forgot to mention the packaging which would be a travesty as it’s exactly the kind of packaging I love…..very simple but yet so nice with it’s vintage apothecary style. It’s a great simple serum that does it job really well (I probably shouldn’t point this out but it would be very easy to recreate yourself if you are into doing DIY recipes).
Face Cream – The last step of my routine is to apply a moisturiser to seal in all of the products. I really like the one from Alex Carro, I have already reviewed it so if you missed the blog post and fancy knowing more about it then have a look here. It’s quite a thick cream so definitely don’t be heavy handed! Don’t take this the wrong way though as it doesn’t feel heavy on the skin at all and it absorbs quite quickly so you can apply your makeup straight after.
As I explained on my previous post about my evening skincare routine here, this is definitely not an inflexible routine as I swap the products here and there depending on how I feel and what my skin needs. I also have some new products waiting in my drawers screaming at me “Use me, Use me”^^ so I can’t wait to see how they will turn out and if any will squeeze their way into either of my daily routines. However, the selection I have outlined here are the products I have used the most lately that I’m very happy with and will wholeheartedly recommend to everyone. As always if you have any question just leave a comment.
