I just celebrated a birthday and feel like I’ve aged five years in the last two — that’s what having two littles will do to you! I’ve been freaking out a bit about aging and have made a lot of changes to my beauty routine , which I think are helping. I get a lot of questions, so I thought I’d share here.

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Skincare

Here’s a quick description of my skin — I’ve always had combination skin, I’ve started developing lines and my biggest concern is my eyes — I have dark circles, crinkly undereyes and puffiness. I’m also prone to clogged skin (I get whiteheads aka milia), so non-comedogenic (i.e., non-clogging) products are key. I recently went to the dermatologist and updated my routine based on her recommendations. Eyes are so important that I made them their own section below.

I am not currently nursing or pregnant and some of the products listed below may not be safe for pregnant or nursing women.

Retinoid.
- my dermatologist recommended that I use a mild retinoid two nights a week to treat and prevent wrinkles (apply after cleansing). I’ve linked all of the items I use other than this as I think it’s important to discuss with your dermatologist.
Cleanser.
- retinoids are drying, so the dermatologist recommended a moisturizing facial cleanser. I’m using this one, which is fragrance-free and contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid
Toner.
- {Update 3/13/19: I discontinued this because I’ve developed some irritation and my dermatologist says that rose water is sometimes the culprit} I’ve been using this moisturizing toner daily for a year and it smells and feels amazing!
Crease-less for those pesky “11s”
- My friend used to have an ownership stake in Osmotics Cosmeceuticals. He gave me about ten products to try on within a week I was hooked on Crease-less as it visibly reduced the lines between my brows. I’ve been using it for about ten years except when pregnant or breastfeeding.
Moisturizer
- My dermatologist recommended this gel cream moisturizer, which is oil-free, dye-free, and fragrance-free and contains hyaluronic acid. I use it at night and under SPF in the morning (though per below I will likely switch to an all in one for summer)
SPF — sun coverage is important for anti-aging, and cancer protection. It’s also especially important for those using retinoids.
- Tinted sunscreen / moisturizer
  - I like this for low price and most days wear it with moisturizer underneath
  - I like this tinted moisturizer too (I wear Vanilla 02)
- I use a moisturizer from this brand and will likely try their SPF moisturizer for summer
- This higher end daily SPF also has anti-aging properties, it’s nice but a little pricier than any of the other options (was sent to me for editorial consideration). Buy it at Nordstrom (here’s the direct link) as they let you try and return if it doesn’t work for you.
Neck cream
- I’ve noticed that most of my friends developed neck lines right around the time that they hit thirty. I’ve found that this cream from Osmotics visibly reduced the lines (I recommend buying at Nordstrom so you can return if it doesn’t work for you, here is the direct link)

Eyes

As I mentioned above, I have a bunch of genetic eye issues so I’ve tried a lot of eye products and these are my current favorites. It sounds like a lot, but I layer three products in the morning and use only the third one at night. This routine has visibly reduced my undereye crinkliness and puffiness. Undereye concealer used to do nothing for my puffiness and gather in my crinkles, but now I’m finally able to coverup my circles.

my dermatologist recommended this new eye cream that visibly reduced dark circles and puffiness (use at least every morning, ideally at night too). Be sure to warm it up in your fingers first to help absorption and read the instructions as they recommend applying it a specific way.
I find this eye treatment effective for brightening and depuffing my eyes. I try to use it every morning. It does take a couple of minutes to apply (read the instructions carefully). Buy at Nordstrom (here’s the direct link) as they let you try and return if it doesn’t work for you.
Neither of the above is moisturizing enough for me, so I add a layer of moisturizing eye cream too. I’m currently using this one, but plan to switch to this less expensive one when I’m done with my current jar.

While we are on eyes, I’ll share that I currently use this as an undereye concealer and this brightener in the outer corners of my eyes. Now that I can finally wear under eye concealer I may test some out and share my findings!