My New Skincare Routine

by Stephanie McCarthy

Close-up of young woman in black t-shirt washing face over sink.
Close-up of a woman washing her face by Alena Darmel. 

One thing you can bet on is that life is always changing and we need to change with it. In our quest for perfection, we’re always evolving and striving to be better human beings. Products come and go. Some no longer cut it. Some may need to be added. Some may need to be swapped out for a different version. The list goes on. Therefore, I’ve made several necessary revisions to what I use in my skincare regimen.

Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10 Acne Spot Treatment, Maximum Strength, 1 ounce, $11.20 at myotcstore.com: The salicylic acid in the Advantage Acne Spot Treatment, from the same brand, wasn’t cutting it. Due to a major lifestyle and medication change in 2019, my breakouts were horrible and stubborn and they enjoyed sticking around for two years. Then I purchased this spot treatment and they were gone. The gel also diminished my acne scars. The only caveat is that the benzoyl peroxide in it bleaches your towels. So be sure to use lighter-colored or cheaper ones that you’re not too invested in.

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 30, 3 ounces, $21.88 at Target: I had been using Eucerin’s Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Sensitive Skin Lotion with SPF 15 for 10 years and it was hard saying goodbye when it was discontinued. Then I came across this lotion online and most of the reviews on it were good. I ended up being very pleased with it. I have very fair skin and the SPF 30 protects me from the sun’s harsh summer rays. I never get burned when I wear this. The hyaluronic acid in it is what really sold me on it. I’m up for anything that reduces fine lines and wrinkles. My easily irritated skin also gets a little red around my period and the niacinamide in it lessens that. Finally, the price point is wonderful.

Differin Restorative Night Moisturizer, 2.5 ounces, $20.83 at iHerb: In 2021, I discovered that you shouldn’t wear your day moisturizer in the evening, being that the SPF in it can clog your pores. This was one of the reasons why my acne-prone skin was breaking out. I remembered some of the best brands my first dermatologist recommended to me when I was in my mid to late 20s. Differin was one of them. I encountered this evening moisturizer in a Google search of the brand. The formulation of it is so luxurious. It feels like ribbons of silk on your face.

L’Oreal Revitalift Moisturizer, 1.7 ounces, $12.96 at myotcstore.com: For a while, when my Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Sensitive Skin Lotion with SPF 15 started being phased out and was getting way too expensive, using the Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Day Cream with SPF 25 was the next best thing. The only problem was that it was making me break out more than usual. The consistency was way too thick for the blemish-prone skin on my face, especially in the warmer months. Now that I’ve found CeraVe AM Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 15, which alleviates fine lines and wrinkles, I no longer need this version of Revitalift with all of the extra properties. The regular bare-bones version does just fine on my chin and neck in the day and evening.

Change is a difficult, but necessary part of life—especially if you’re getting older and would like to prevent signs of aging as much as possible. These products help me look years younger and have helped me get my skincare routine down to an exact science. I hope they will be able to help you too.

An earlier version of this article, Must-Have Skin Products to Look Great over 40 (and They Won’t Break the Budget!) originally appeared on Taffeta.

If you happen to like what I’m doing, feel free to go to the Subscribe section in the left-hand corner and hit the Follow button. 

Consider supporting my work further by clicking on the PayPal button and leaving whatever amount you see fit to contribute or by leaving a comment below. I appreciate your support! :)

PayPal

This post contains Sovrn affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Rest assured, I only recommend products that I've tried and love, pinkie swear!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Revisiting Judy Blume’s Forever Alongside My Own Life Updates

Image
by Stephanie McCarthy April, 2007 book cover of Judy Blume’s Forever , with the main characters, Katherine and Michael,  lying  together   on on a bed. After abandoning this blog for a little over a year, I’m ba-ack. This blogging business is a lot harder than I thought it would be, especially when it comes to making money from it. It was a busy time. Last spring, I completed my RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) studies. Then, in late September, I got married to my husband, who I’ve been with for 11 years. He's actually the one who suggested that I breathe life back into this blog. Isn’t it great when the one you love is so supportive of what you do? I’ve started adding books I’ve read, especially ones from my childhood, to this revamped blog/rebranded blog. If you happen to like what I’m doing, feel free to go to the Subscribe section in the lefthand corner and hit the Follow button. Now, on to my first book review! Forever  by Judy Blume, $3.78 at AbeBo...
Read more

Pinrose’s Pillowtalk Poet—a Dead Ringer for Dedcool’s Milk

Image
by Stephanie McCarthy Lighted candles in the bedroom by Taryn Elliott. Attribution link: https://www.pexels.com/photo/lighted-candles-in-the-bedroom-4099356 / It was a cold, rainy, and windy evening in February and I really didn’t want to be at my RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) class. ‘Why didn’t my parents just baptize me instead of letting me choose my religion?’ I silently wondered to myself. If they had done so, I wouldn’t be sitting here every Monday night since October of 2023. Then a total sense of calm washed over me and I allowed my mind to wander. I was at home, next to my fiancé, with my feet propped up in some fuzzy socks as we quietly and intently watched the British TV series, Endeavour . We were both fresh from our respective showers and smelling really good. Him, with his Old Spice Swagger deodorant and me, with my Nivea Q10 Gel-Cream with lotus flower extract. There was nowhere else I’d rather be…That’s precisely what Dedcool’s Milk smells like. Milk isn...
Read more

Robert Forster and Alisson Wood Look Back in Their Memoirs

Image
by Stephanie McCarthy Best friends & fellow singing, songwriting & music partners, Grant McLennan & Robert  Forster  of the band, the Go-Betweens.   Grant & I: Inside and Outside the Go-Betweens   by Robert Forster, $11.30 at AbeBooks  This was not a very happy and enjoyable read. Right from the beginning, you’re basically dreading the untimely death of one of the lead singers of the group, Grant McLennan, from alcoholism. It’s not easy being a musician and the book captures this very well, especially if you’re more on the sensitive side and have depression, like Grant did. At the end of the day, he was too much of a people pleaser, whereas the other lead singer of the band and author of this book, Robert Forster, was more of an oddball and couldn’t care less what you thought of him and the Go-Betweens’ music. It’s a crime that this band didn’t gain more notoriety in their heyday. Their music still sounds wonderful and fresh all these years lat...
Read more