My skin used to be one of my biggest insecurities. I used to not leave the house or even go swimming without makeup on. I felt hopeless: Proactive, Differin, Pevonia, RetinA, Skin MD, R+F — Nothing was working.

Does this sound like you? Ok friend, keep reading because there is hope.

Let me just say, I’m not claiming to have perfectly clear skin now. I still have breakouts because hormones are real, but my skin has never been clearer in my life. So today, I’m going to share with you 5 simple tips as well as my skincare routine so you can have clearer skin too!

1. Wash your face morning & night.

Washing your face in the morning is important because your face has been pressed against your pillow all night, which has dead skin cells and other impurity’s trapped on it. Even if you don’t wake up with oily skin, trust me, your face is dirty.

At night time, you need to wash away the day. You might have sweat, accidentally got food on your face — y’all there is dirt floating around in the air so even just walking outside, your face is getting dirty.

Tip: Wash your face with a gentle cleanser for at least 30 seconds. If you simply splash your face with water or scrub for less time than that, you’re just pushing the oils/dirt around on your face.

My Routine:

Cleanse: Before I cleanse my face, I wipe off my makeup with a makeup removing cloth. I do this first so that when I do wash my face, I’m actually washing my face vs taking off makeup. My go-to everyday cleanser is Kiehls Ultra Facial Cleanser – Gentle Foaming Cleanser because it isn’t too harsh on my skin. 2-3 times per week I’ll use the Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser because it’s grittier and exfoliates the dead skin off.

Follow up: In the morning, I follow up with a Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30 because mama doesn’t want wrinkles. At nighttime, I follow up with the Super Multi-Corrective Cream if my face feels dyer because it is a super hydrating cream or the Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil Herbal Concentrate if I notice I’ve got some small breakouts or my face is red since the oil helps to calm and clear.

2. Don’t workout with makeup on.

Because I hated leaving the house without makeup on, I used to wear makeup to workout. I was embarrassed by my blemishes so I wanted to cover them, but it only made my breakout worse. You see, when you sweat, get in a hot shower, or steam room, your pores open up. It’s a way of our body controlling our body temperature. The bad part? If your pores are opening up, that means it’s letting whatever is on your skin in. Makeup + dirt + sweat = not a good combo.

Tip: Don’t wear makeup unless you absolutely have to. Wash your face or use a towelette immediately afterward.

My routine:

I don’t wear makeup unless I already had it on from the day/work, which is rare. Regardless, I carry these handy Oxy face wipes in my gym bag. It’s comes in a canister so it’s easier than carrying around my cleanser/wash cloth etc. After my workout I always wipe my face and even my shoulders with these pads so I don’t breakout.

3. Stop touching your face.

Growing up, my dad used to always tell me to stop touching my face. I would do it and not even realize I was doing it; especially if I was sitting at a desk, I would prop my head up by putting my elbow on the table and my hand on my chin.

Tip: On top of not touching my face with my hands, I also don’t let my phone touch my face. There are so many germs on our phones so putting it to your face will transfer those germs to it. (So if you call me, there’s a 99% chance you’re on speaker #sorrynotsorry).

4. Drink water & eat clean.

I’m sure you’ve heard this one before and as annoying as it is to repeat what’s been said before, it’s also true. Our body wants to get rid of toxins. So if you eat greasy fast food and don’t drink enough water, your skin will want to help out the rest of our body (????) by trying to push out the toxins.

Tip: It’s simple – eat less processed or fast food and more real whole foods. Also try and drink at least 2 liters of water per day. (I honestly easily drink +1 gallon per day).

5. Invest in your skin.

I honestly wish I would’ve started to do this sooner vs waiting til I was almost 30 years old. Getting facials and quality products can be expensive, but it pays off whenever you feel confident being able to not wear makeup.

My routine:

In a perfect world, I would get a facial every week – shoot, every month, but I don’t. I try and get one at least every other month. In between facials, I do masks at home. If my face looks dull and dry, I use a Calendula & Aloe Soothing Hydration Mask. If my face is breaking out, I use the Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Clay Mask or this Targeted Control Acne Spot Treatment.

You might have noticed by now that I’m a big fan of Kiehl’s. Rest assured, this is not a sponsored post. I have used all of these products for months and months now and purchased with my own dolla dolla bills y’all so all opinions are my own.

If you have any questions or more tips to add, feel free to drop them in the comments below!

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