Need advice

[Missy3360]

I need some help. Currently, I do not have a skin care routine. I usually just use water to wash my face at night. In the morning I use a primer and I recently have been using tarte foundation. Which has matched my skin. Iam 36 and looking for recommendations on products that will help smooth out my skin and give me a more youthful and bright look that doesn’t take a bunch of steps. 

[briannainkc]

I have normal skin and love farmacy's clean bee cleanser. The recommendations above about moisturizing sunscreen sound good. I would stop in a Sephora store to ask about something to brighten your skin type. In general though, moisturizers with vitamin c are brightening. Congrats on finding a foundation that works for you! That is a major hurdle!

[baddbri]

I recommend a drug store facial cleaner such as cera ve. If you have oily skin, use the foaming cleanser. If you have normal to dry skin, use the hydrating cleanser. 

[WinglessOne]

Hi @Missy3360 ! A few questions for you:

1. Does your skin typically feel dry, oily, or a combo of those 2 things? 
2. Is your skin sensitive? (Example: do most products make your face flush red and/or cause rashes?) 
3. You mentioned smoothing out your skin. Is your skin texture rough and flaky (dry patches, peeling skin, scaly skin, etc.)? Or do you have lots of little skin-colored bumps? Or, do you have acne? 

A good skincare routine can be as simple as PM cleanser, PM & AM moisturizer, and AM sunscreen. Since you wear foundation and you want to look more youthful and bright, but you want the fewest steps necessary, here's my suggestion: 

Spoiler

PM 

1. Gentle cleanser (nightly) - You need more than water to fully remove foundation and the day's grime and cooties. Ideally, you want a cleanser that won't leave your face feeling dry, tight, stripped of all oils, or "squeaky clean." Some good effective options are CeraVe Cream-to-Foam Facial Cleanser or one of Cetaphil's cleansers; you can find all of those at your local drugstore. On my own mostly-dry combo skin, I use the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser Bar each night on my face and body in the shower. 
   
   
2. Moisturizer (nightly) - To reduce steps in your skincare routine, a moisturizer that contains a low to mid strength amount of retinol may work well for you. Retinol and other members of the vitamin A family are good at evening skin tone and smoothing skin texture. Sephora sells Paula's Choice RESIST Barrier Repair Moisturizer with Retinol 1.7 oz/ 50 mL which has 0.01% retinol (low strength) plus green tea and licorice root extract. All 3 of those ingredients can brighten skin. At the drug store, consider Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream (there are 2 versions: fragranced and fragrance-free); I think that one's also low strength. It's usually best to work retinol slowly into your routine, so consider using one of these moisturizers just a couple nights a week at first, alternating them with something like CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion, Vanicream Moisturizing Cream, Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer... a good one especially for oily or combo skin is Paula's Choice CLEAR Oil-Free Moisturizer 2 oz/ 60 mL (I use this one at night). 

AM 

1. Gentle cleanser (optional) - This is when you might not need to wash your face. I often just gently wipe my face with a wet plush microfiber cloth in the morning, and sometimes I do that only around my eyes. If I need an AM cleanser, I use a very gentle, creamy, non-foaming cleanser like CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser (the one I actually use is Paula's Choice Optimal Results Hydrating Cleanser) or a cleansing balm made by Paula's Choice or The Inkey List. 
   
   
2. Moisturizing broad spectrum sunscreen (daily) - At least SPF 30, applied generousy to ALL skin exposed to sunlight (eyelids, ears, behind ears, nape of neck if exposed, hairline, etc.) and reapplied every couple hours, all year long, regardless of weather or season. Sunscreen is the best preventative anti-aging skincare product on the market, since many "signs of aging" are caused by UV damage—including hyperpigmentation and some wrinkles. Which sunscreen's right for you depends on your skin type/behavior and personal preference. In warm weather, I can skip my usual AM moisturizer (Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer) and just use Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Invisible Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA +++ as a moisturizer. That sunscreen contains shea butter and dimethicone, 2 good moisturizing ingredients. In cold weather, I have to wear a moisturizer under my sunscreen. Unseen Sunscreen can also act as a primer. Other options are sunscreens made by Eucerin, La Roche-Posay, Paula's Choice, and too many other brands to list. 

At some point, you may want to add a "treatment" step between cleanser and moisturizer/sunscreen for either AM or PM. That's where you'd use things like exfoliants, skin brightening serums (no retinol serums though, since it'll already be in your moisturizer; don't double up on vitamin A), etc. 

[Missy3360]

Thank you so much for the info. I tend to have a combination with dry patches with a little sensitivity.

[SportyGirly125]

@Missy3360 @It would help to know your skin type.