My minimalist morning skincare routine

I love a good skincare routine – not only does it make my skin look better, but I also feel pampered and on top of my life.

But what I really don’t like is navigating through all the different steps (they keep adding them!!) and never-ending releases of new ‘life-changing’ products.

In the past, I used to fall for such ads too many times, but after realising that the best way to look healthy is to eat whole foods, drink plenty of water, get good quality sleep and reduce daily stress, I decided I will use my skincare as a top-up – as a cherry on top of my healthy life sundae 🙂

With that mental shift, I could finally embrace a more minimal approach without the fear of missing out. 

And now I want to share it all with you!

*NOTE: My skin has no special requirements, it’s not too dry or too oily, so my beauty products are aimed to clean away the impurities and hydrate. Also, all the products I’m currently using I love, and are more natural & cruelty-free.

1. HEADBAND

I always start my skincare routines with my cute headband that makes sure my hairstyle stays intact.

I love this one so much I gifted it to most of my girlfriends – the majority of us women use one, and this one sparks so much joy, so it was a no-brainer!

This one is from The Body Shop, and they have many different styles, even reindeer ears, but they’re a seasonal piece and from what I can tell they’re only available in the winter months. 

2. MICELLAR WATER

Since I already thoroughly washed my face the night before, I don’t need to do it again.

Instead, I clean my face with micellar water, to remove any makeup residue and oils from the last night.

For that, I use my reusable cotton pads, that I love, love, love!

I bought them around three years ago, and they’re still going strong. I love this sustainable option; the only minus I can think of is that they soak up more product than regular cotton pads, so I need to apply a bit more.

But if you never tried them before and you have some old t-shirts or table cloths laying around, get crafty and create your own DIY versions. To help you, I found a video tutorial to help you.

Currently, I’m using the rose micellar water from Melvita, but I also love the Aloe Vera toner from The Body Shop as an alternative.

3. EYE CREAM

After that, I use my hydrating eye cream, and this one is my little love, haha!

Maybe I’m just lazy, but I love the fact that I don’t have to use my fingers to apply it. Instead, I gently circle it around my eyes, and I’m done! So simple 😉

I must say I’ve tried many richer eye creams before settling on this one, and I didn’t find they do what they promised to do, so I was often missing this step.

But with this one, I find it so easy to use, I apply it in the morning and evening, and it hydrates my skin enough that I see a difference when I use it.

This little staple is a Vitamin E eyes cube from The Body Shop.

4. SERUM

Then I continue with a serum. 

I would say this is not a necessary step, and if you’re trying to keep your routine truly minimal, then skip it.

I do the same thing whenever I’m travelling to save space in my luggage.

But if you like to experiment a little bit, this can be a fun area where you get to test new products.

For me, this area helps me with my ‘skincare FOMO.’

So far I’ve tried only three different serums (it takes time to use them up, haha) and I like the current one the most, but I will continue testing out new products to see if can find my holy grail.

And if I do, I’ll definitely let you know.

My brightening serum from Natura Siberica is a nice addition to my morning routine.

5. SPF DAY CREAM

My final step is a day cream with an SPF.

I don’t know about you, but usually, SPF creams break me out badly, so I had to spend some time looking for ‘the one’.

And luckily I found not only one, but two holy grails – one is with SPF 20 and the second has an SPF 30.

I like to use the SPF 20 in the winter because it has a creamier consistency which works better for the drier winter weather.

And in the summer I use SPF 30 because it has higher protection, and a lighter consistency and I can apply it again and again if I need to. Plus, I use it as my face sunscreen on vacation with a combination of an SPF-50 face mist.

After that, I spritz on some perfume, and I do my makeup routine, which I’ll share that in another post 😉

Meet my two holy grails: one is a Day cream from Natura Siberica with an SPF-20, and the other one is a Vitamin E emulsion with SPF 30 from THe Body Shop.

This is my 4-step morning routine, that makes me feel amazing and because it’s so simple I rarely skip it like I used to with more complicated routines in the past.

My morning skincare products

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Do you have a morning routine that works for you and what do your steps look like? 

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