I get it. Most people don’t wear makeup every day, or wear very little. This two-part series covers why I want you to still have a beauty routine, starting with skincare and ending with makeup. Spoiler alert: focus on skincare.

Of course I’m biased and think everyone should have a beauty routine every day, including both skincare and makeup. I’ve seen and heard, first-hand, how so many want results but are disappointed when one makeover doesn’t meet expectations.

Here’s the secret:

The best skin and makeup comes from consistency.

I realize that’s not sexy, and I’m acutely aware it doesn’t sell beauty products. The truth is you need to find what works for you - not just product-wise, but also methods you can consistently repeat - and do that day in and day out.

Further, I’ve spoken with older women who express deep frustration and even anger when “no one told me sooner to wash my face and wear sunscreen,” or “I never learned how to do eyeliner and I was too ashamed to ask at my age.” So, no matter where you are in life, no matter your age, let’s start, right this second, with a sound routine you can rely on.

Skincare

The most basic skincare routine:

At night, wash your face and apply moisturizer. In the morning, apply sunscreen from your hairline to your chest.

Level up:

Morning and night wash your face, apply moisturizer, and in the morning apply sunscreen.

Optimal:

Morning and night use time- and concern-appropriate products to wash your face, tone, and apply eye cream, serum, lip balm, and moisture; of course sunscreen in the morning and throughout the day, don’t forget your hands.

Goals:

All of the above plus clinical treatments from a dermatologist/plastic surgeon.

Again, we all want to be JLo, but we have to factor in what we’re really willing to spend in terms of both time and money. Be realistic, and you will get results if you consistently keep up your skincare routine; and remember, a lot of issues like sun damage and wrinkles don’t show up until years later, so prevention is the name of the game.

Sunscreen

Sunscreen is one of the very best anti-ageing systems around. I’ve been wearing it since I was 11 years old (thanks for the heads up, Granny!), and a skin analysis shows that my skin is at least 10 years younger than my actual age.

You might be familiar with this photograph:

It shows approximately 28 years of sun damage simply from being a truck driver, with the sun always on one side of the face, and not wearing sunscreen.

I know it’s annoying and hard to remember, but if you want results, this is one of the the best things to do. My favorite is the EltaMD UV Clear because it’s in a pump, spreads easily, is very light, my dermatologist loves it, works on its own or under makeup, and doesn’t feel greasy.

Actives

You might hear skincare marketers tout how their company’s products contain “active ingredients.” That means is the product should do something cool, like iron wrinkles or even skin tone. Compare that to something like your basic moisturizer…it just needs to hydrate (which is also very important) versus doing any heavy lifting.

You should get your personal skin profile form a skincare professional, but there are two universally-accepted actives from which most everyone can benefit: Vitamin C and Retinol.

Vitamin c

You can read more here, but basically, topical vitamin C helps skin recover from environmental damage. It’s like daily garlic to ward off skin vampires. You want to ensure you get a stable version, and, like all actives, make sure there aren’t any potentially irritating interactions with other active ingredients. This is why a skincare professional’s help is so important!

The great thing is you can use this in the morning and our good friend retinol at night.

Retinol

Also known as vitamin A, retinol is a powerhouse anti-aging solution. It can be irritating, and you’ll definitely need to wear sunscreen during the day, but this active helps promote collagen (sorry…the pills and powders won’t really help your skin), reduce wrinkles, and even clear some acne.

The key to this one, of course, is consistency. If you use a product that’s too irritating (been there) you won’t keep it up. I’ve found an incredible nighttime serum that’s given me awesome results over the years, plus it’s helped build up my skin so I can branch out into stronger versions.

Bottom (lash) Line

Find a good skincare routine that you will keep up with. Period. A consistent routine of washing your face once a day with solid moisturizer and a sunscreen is far superior to doing nothing. You got this.

Next time, we’ll chat about “no-makeup makeup” and how to be prepared for when you want something more. Appreciate you, mean it. JY