Last week I talked about my bedtime skincare routine,  but his week I would like to share my morning routine. It isn’t written for thirty-somethings; instead, it is written for all the rest of us–the forties, fifties, and sixty-somethings!

Didn’t you just love the fact that because most of us are baby boomers, it seemed that all the world was focused on our needs and well, it is no longer that way!

Pick up almost any magazine, and it is focused on our children.  Mine are in their thirties, and all I remember about my thirties was…not much.  I was too busy raising children, trying to maintain a good relationship with my husband, and working on my career.  Too busy living to worry about much else, I certainly wasn’t worried about my skin, other than a little makeup, some mascara, and blush.

Well, those days are certainly behind me; and my skincare routine is so important now.

My Morning Skincare Routine

Upon waking in the morning, I first use a baby washcloth to wipe the sleep from my eyes, then I use my eye makeup remover to remove anything that might show up after sleeping all night.  Because I use a waterproof mascara,  sometimes I fail to remove all of it the night before.  Afterward, I use a cotton disc saturated with a toner called Derma-e Firming Toner with DMAE, Alpha Lipoic and C-Ester to remove anything else left behind.

I have always loved the way toners leave my skin.  I know that most say that toners really aren’t needed.  Well, maybe so; but I just like the feeling of them on my skin, and it does a good job of cleaning up any residue.

A Great Skincare Book

Years ago, I read a book that made me a believer in DMAE, Alpha Lipoic Acid, and C-Ester.  The book, “The Wrinkle Cure” by Dr. Nicholas Perricone, was one of the best books I’ve ever read.  It basically changed my cleansing routine, my diet, and my lifestyle.

Dr. Perricone also does a good job of explaining why these three ingredients are important.  I get the DMAE from my diet, take alpha lipoic acid in capsule form and get C-Ester from a serum which I’ll describe later.

I probably should go back and reread this book, as one tends to drift away from good advice.  I am no exception to this rule.    If you haven’t read this, you really should.  Dr. Perricone is one reason my complexion is so clear and still without much wrinkling.

Next, I apply another Arbonne product.  I cannot find this anywhere else, and I really like it, though I doubt I would have had time to use it back when I worked.  They say it is botox in a tube, and I agree with its temporary toning of my skin.  I just think it helps for my skin to use this.

This Arbonne product has Copper Peptides.  Copper is something that exists naturally in our tissues, but as we age it decreases.  It is an anti-inflammatory.   It works by suppressing inflammatory cytokines.

You can read more about it here.

And we have all heard that increased inflammation brings about aging.  Copper also promotes collagen and elastin production.  It, too, is an antioxidant.  I have already begun using with good success a decolletage cream from Arbonne with copper peptides, and I’ve been trying some of their other RE9 products, too.

By the way I have already begun using with good success a decolletage cream from Arbonne with copper peptides, and I’ve been trying some of their other RE9 products, too.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

After waiting about 10-15 minutes, but Arbonne says you only have to wait 2-3 minutes, I then apply a serum.  By the way I use the 10-15 minutes to sit down and read a book.  I love my morning routine since I retired.

As for the serum, if you’ve read my blog much, then you know that I’m always out for the “cheapest” product.  This one qualifies.  I use Oil of Olay Regenerist Regenerating Serum because it contains hyaluronic acid which helps my skin suck up moisture.  It helps my skin stay hydrated.  There are much more expensive products on the market, but this one gets my vote.

The older we get the drier our skin feels, because it is thinning and is simply dry.  This helps reverse some of this process.  Also, this product is a great eye serum, so put it all on your face, eyelids, under eye areas, neck, and decolletage.

 

Last,  I apply to my face, neck, and decolletage Estee Lauder’s DayWear Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme with SPF 15, but there are some other products that are cheaper to use,

 

such as Lumene Complete Rewind Recovery Day Cream, which is thicker so I use it in the winter.

I also just discovered Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Sun Damage with SPF 28.  It is a total bargain at $7.19.  I am trying it out as both my antioxidant and my sunscreen (which I talk about later in this post).  I’ll let you know how it goes.

So this first step of my morning makeup regime is complete.  It begins with eye makeup remover and toner, it continues with a serum and eye cream, and it ends with an anti-oxidant with sunscreen.  If I don’t do anything else, my skin is protected.

I usually go downstairs and eat breakfast.  Showering and the rest of my makeup routine come later.  Eating breakfast is my most important dietary meal of the day, so I never, ever skip this step.  I’ll talk about that in a later post.

The Most Important Cream in My Toolbox

After I shower, I apply my absolute, most important product.  It is my sunscreen.  I never skip applying sunscreen.

It is the most important cream in my tool box.  I live in a lower latitude, so sunshine is a blessing and a curse.  Luckily, my family has been in this area for about eight generations; and the women in my family provided me with good lessons in skincare.

One of my grandmothers grew up in a very controlled atmosphere.  As a young girl, she was not allowed to go outside without coverage for her face and her arms.  Ranny was born in the 1890s, so everything else was almost always covered anyway.  She continued to practice this her entire life.  She lived until I was in my early 30s, and I noticed how translucent, clear and beautiful her skin was, even though it was wrinkled.  After all, she was in her 90s when she passed.

 

On the other hand, my other grandmother had skin that looked like wrinkled leather with spots.  Neither of them smoked, but this grandmother loved to sit in the sun and never worried about her skin.  By her late seventies, she had had to have several cancerous spots removed from her face, arms, and hands.  The liver spots, which we now know are actually sun spots, were unsightly.  She was able to cover it with makeup, but the makeup itself seemed aging.

I had two role models in my life.  They taught me about sunshine and skincare.

By the mid to late 80s, all the wonderful sunscreens came into being; and I began to apply them religiously.  In my 40s I was wearing them daily in and under my makeup. By the way, I also don’t use tanning beds nor do I lay in the sun.

Today, I wear L’Oreal’s Revitalift Triple Power Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen.   It wears well under my foundation.  I also apply a generous amount of this sunscreen to my neck and decolletage, by itself without any foundation.  It is not the only sunscreen I apply, but that is done elsewhere on my body and I’ll try to talk about that later in another post.

 

 

Thanks to my grandmothers and to Dr. Perricone’s confirmation of what they taught me, I believe sunscreen is my best weapon against aging skin.  (By the way, I also try to remember to reapply sunscreen again about noon if I plan to be in the sun much that day.  I keep some in the glove compartment of my car.)

Eye Creams Make Good Lip Creams

Finally, I would like to talk about my lips.  Both of my eye cremes can be applied to my lips, and I always use the traces of these products left on my finger.  I read once that your lips are comparable to the delicate tissues around your eyes.

There is, however, a great little peptide lip therapy creme made by PCA skin.  It hydrates and is an antioxidant that is very useful during the wintertime when my lips are dry.  Click on the Amazon box below, if you are interested in this product.  Dr. Perricone also makes a good lip therapy creme with alpha lipoic acid and DMAE.   Both of these products are good antioxidants, and I probably should use them more frequently.

 

 

Well, there you have it.  A skincare routine that is not for our youthful kids.  This one is for all of us.

Now my face is ready for some serious camouflage.