Hello Tretinoin! My latest skincare routine, because I'm getting old and northern Arizona is SO DRY

Well, I am back, again, in all my mid-30s glory, here to share with you my latest skincare routine, which I use to fight both the dry air here in northern Arizona as well as the fine lines settling into my face, because… well. I’m a woman. And society says I’m not allowed to age, because I lose value as I do.

Jokes (not sure that was a joke though?) aside, it has been a bit since I’ve shared a skincare routine. I feel like I’ve found a happy medium full of holy grail products I absolutely cannot live without (hello, Nivea Sun Project Super Gel!) as well as a few so-so products that work juuust OK… but could maybe be upgraded, eventually?

I’ve also struggled lately with some of my favorite products being discontinued. I’m looking at you, Belif!

So, here’s what I’m working with now. I have three different routines: One morning routine and two evening routines.

I do the morning routine every morning, and the first evening routine six times a week, and the second evening routine every Sunday.

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(Some of the following links are affiliate links.)

Morning: CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser + belif Bergamot Herbal Extract Toner + Timeless Skin Care 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum + OLEHENRIKSEN Banana Bright Eye Crème + belif The True Cream – Moisturizing Bomb + Nivea Super Sun Protect Water Gel

Evening 1: Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water* + CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser + belif Bergamot Herbal Extract Toner + The Ordinary “Buffet” + Copper Peptides 1% + Tretinoin 0.025% Cream + Josie Maran Argan Pro-Retinol Eye Cream + belif The True Cream – Moisturizing Bomb + The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane + The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum

Evening 2: Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water* + CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser + The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution + belif Bergamot Herbal Extract Toner + Mario Badescu Skincare A.H.A. & Ceramide Moisturizer

*Only if I’m wearing strong makeup that needs to be removed.

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Let’s detail the changes.

First… I stopped using retinol. I switched from retinol to Adapalene (Differin) a few months after publishing the last version of my skincare routine… and then I switched to Tretinoin a few weeks ago after my dermatologist gave me a prescription. I’m on a very low-strength dosage right now, and I’ve been using it six nights a week with no adverse affects so far. I’m still waiting for the “purging” to happen… though. So far, nothing?

I do still like using The Ordinary’s AHA/BHA peeling mask once a week – it’s great at getting all the dead skin off my face. (If you’re new to skincare, combining certain “actives” — aka, potent chemicals — in the same go can be at best, ineffective, and at worst, damaging.)

I’ve also stopped using First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration as my daytime and nighttime moisturizer. When I switched from retinol to Differin, it started burning due to the eucalyptus… and when I added the squalane oil to my night time routine, it started pilling off my face. So… after experimenting for a few months, I went back to my longtime favorite belif. I used to use belif’s True Cream Aqua Bomb when I was living in Chicago until I realized hyaluronic acid is the devil in dry climates. (You can read more about that in my last skincare update post.) Luckily, belif makes a hyaluronic acid-free moisturizer — the True Cream Moisturizing Bomb (linked above) — which has been working great so far!

I’m going to have to find a new toner, too. I’m super hesitant to combine actives with other actives, so I’ve just used my toning step to add yet another level of moisturizer into my routine — and so far, the belif toner has worked great! But… it’s been discontinued, so I’m in search of a new moisturizing toner. I recently ordered a small bottle of fresh Rose Floral Toner to try when my belif toner does run out in the next week or so.

I’ve also been even more diligent about sunscreen use since I’ve upped my actives and started using Tretinoin. I spend so much time outside, too. I still slather on a thick layer of my beloved Nivea sunscreen every morning, and I still carry a bottle of it everywhere with me and reapply it throughout the day. But, since I found myself getting a little more into paddle sports last year, and have gotten back into running lately, I also started using a waterproof sunscreen as well. If I’m doing something in the water or super sweaty, I’ll top off my Nivea sunscreen with Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40.

I use Supergoop PLAY Everyday Lotion SPF 50 with Sunflower Extract on my body. We keep a giant jug of it on our bathroom counter, and a smaller bottle of it next to our front door. I also have small tubes located in various backpacks and purses around our apartment.

So, there’s an update! My skincare routine is constantly evolving, as is my skin, but it makes me feel really great to have a routine I can follow every night. I spend so much of my days sweating — either playing around outside or teaching hot yoga — and even if the “science of skincare” is up for debate (like everything, these days), this routine makes me feel happy and refreshed… and sometimes that’s all you can really chase in life.