I have always been really interested in skin care. Even in high school, I scoured the aisles at the drug store to find things to treat my teenage, acne-prone skin. I loved my Noxzema cold cream and 10-0-6 toner! I even started wearing sunscreen on my face as a teenager. In my 20’s, when all my friends were baking in the sun and going to bed with their makeup on, I was wearing spf 40 moisturizer, washing off my makeup every night, and using night cream. As I’ve gotten older my routine has evolved. My skin is kind of schizo, and it changes all the time! What worked for me 5 years ago, doesn’t necessarily work now. My needs change often. I try everything I can get my hands on. I am constantly looking for the magic combination of skin care products to get my skin just right. I love learning about skin care.
One thing that I continue to mess up, and get asked about by readers, is the order to apply my skincare products. What do I do first? Do certain products cancel out others? What’s the best option for my skin type? As always, I go to the experts with questions like these. I reached out to one of my favorite skin gurus, Kelly Wolff, esthetician at Charlotte Plastic Surgery in Charlotte, NC. Kelly has been an esthetician for 12 years. Charlotte Plastic Surgery is one of the most well regarded and largest practices in the country. They’ve been around for 66 years and are the experts with pretty much anything cosmetic surgery related.
Kelly is so knowledgable. She gives it to me straight. If I don’t really need something, she tells me. She gives me great information. I love getting facials, dermaplaning, and chemical peels with her. She can work magic with skin issues. I knew she could tell me exactly what to use and when to use it. She went even further and told me exactly which products to order. I have links to them below.
If you’re local to Charlotte, NC, make an appointment with Kelly Wolff and get your skin on the right track.
Here is the order that you should apply all your magical potions…
Morning Skincare Order
- Begin the day with a light exfoliating cleanser to buff away dead skin cells, brighten skin and clean out pores. Kelly loves SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser . This is a new step that I’ve recently added to my routine based on Kelly’s recommendation. I can tell a big difference in my skin. It’s far less dull and much brighter.
- Skin should always be dry before adding serum and treatment creams. Serums are applied first. I like to begin with either a peptide or growth factor with or without antioxidants. For AM and PM try SkinMedica Recovery Complex.
- Antioxidants are then recommended and applied. This can be in the form of serum or cream. Try Revision Vitamin C 30%.
- Moisturizer
- SPF, like the Revision Intellishade Original.
Evening Skincare Order
- A gentle cleanser is recommended to remove make up, oil and the grime left on our skin from the day.
- If you are using a night serum this should be applied before applying prescription RetinA or retinol creams. Kelly recommends Sente Bio Complete Serum.
- Moisturizer. Try SkinMedica Dermal Repair.
**** Be careful of using a “night” cream and retinol together. Most moisturizers specific for pm use either contains retinol or alpha hydroxyl acid. Applying too much of either can dry or irritate the skin.
I like to keep it simple. Hopefully, this list will help you get your skincare routine on the right track. Keep your skin bright and beautiful, try out some of these great suggestions from the experts.
really helpful