I have terrible skin and have always wanted to follow a basic skincare routine, but thanks to ADHD I am lucky if I remember to even splash water on my face in the morning. Usually I will buy a product, use it a few times, then get bored of it and forget it exists. So I’m curious, what are your skincare routines like? How did you get them started? Are there specific products or types of products that make it easier?
Micellar water is your friend. Find some reusable cotton rounds, put micellar water on one, take the nastiness off your face without a sink. It it perfect? No. Better than nothing? Yes. I wash my face in the shower every morning. Would it be better if I did it with lukewarm water over the sink? Yes. Would that happen? 🤣🤣🤣. And the only way I remember SPF is by putting it at the core of a morning makeup routine. I can see whether I put on lipstick; can’t really see or feel my face SPF. (Etude Sunprise Mild SPF 50+++. Not for dry skin.). Visual reminders are great.
I hate washing my face so I only do it at night in the shower. CeraVe hydrating cleanser, CeraVe hydrating toner, centella serum, Aveeno daily moisturizer. Every other day mix CeraVe retinol serum with the moisturizer. Add a couple drops of vitamin e oil to the moisturizer if my skin needs a boost. This is the routine that completely cleared up my skin.
I work at home and don’t bother doing anything to my face in the morning most days. Maybe a splash of water or some toner and a light moisturizer. Sunscreen if I’m going outside. Tinted moisturizer if I have to do a zoom call.
After shower: vitamin C serum then rose hip oil
Bedtime: I keep biodegradable face wipes next to my bed and use them while I check my alarm and start up my Bluetooth headphones and “fall asleep to” show.
Both of these are due to habit stacking. My after shower stuff is right next to where I put my jewelry and watch while I shower so I see those products right after my shower. And the same with the face wipes. I’m sitting on the edge of my bed getting my electronics ready so I figured why not use my other hand to wash my face at the same time.
Do you have any morning or evening routines that you manage to do every day successfully? You might have more success if you link them together with your skincare routine. So for example if you manage to always brush your teeth 2x a day, just add skincare time right before or after that. Or even tie it in to changing for bed. And don’t beat yourself up if you end up skipping a few days or weeks, it’s just about getting back to it at some point.
Also think about location. Maybe if doing your skincare routine at the bathroom sink isn’t working for you, then you may want to start doing it in your bedroom, or maybe even the kitchen! Try out different places, and maybe switch it up if you find yourself skipping a lot of days.
As for the routine itself, I find it helps to find a product you find pleasure in that also suits your skin type. I have acne-prone skin that’s also sensitive and a touch on the dry side, so I cater to those needs. It might take a little experimenting to see what works for your skin.
Think about things like scents, colours, fun. Do you like having pretty bottles? Is your favourite scent strawberry? I do my washes with a goat’s milk soap bar from an Etsy seller that smells amazing (and I get to feel good about using a product that leads to less plastic waste), but in the past I have also used the Laroche-Posay Effaclar cleanser, which was really good for my acne, and has a really nice texture. The Effaclar I used without any other products, in hindsight I probably should have at least moisturised after wash, but it’s a good option for when you have little energy/time/interest because it’s pretty effective by itself.
For the other products I found a routine that works for me using mostly The Ordinary products, which goes:
Every AM and PM wash face and neck, then:
Day 1 AM Azelaic acid > Moisturiser > Sunscreen PM Granactive retinoid > Moisturiser
Day 2 AM Niacinamide 10% with zinc 1% > Moisturiser > Sunscreen PM Salicylic acid 2% > Moisturiser
The moisturiser I currently use is their borage seed oil. It’s probably the most important of all the steps (after wash), as dried-out skin produces more oil which leads to more acne.
As you can see it involves alternating products every other day, which gives me some variety. Most of the products are in little jars with pipettes, a little more fun to use than the squeeze tubes. And they’re fairly simple products in their composition, so if you find one step of the routine doesn’t work for you you can maybe swap it out with a different product. Most importantly for me, the products aren’t too expensive, and you’re using a few drops at a time so it takes a while to get through them.
You didn’t go into specifics on your skin type so wherever you go you might want to get help from the sales associates. You don’t have to get everything they recommend, try it out one product at a time and see what works for you.
Most of all be kind to yourself, ADHD is hard on the self-esteem and terrible skin is also hard on the self-esteem! I regularly miss out on skincare days but thanks to having done the routine successfully for months in the past (and also to getting older), my skin is a lot more manageable these days.
Good luck, and have fun trying new things out!
At the moment, my skincare routine is pretty much non-existent. Back when I had a schedule and a routine in my every day life, I was actually pretty good at caring for my skin. Doing it enough as part of a routine really helped me. I am currently on sick leave and there’s no stability in my every day life that helps me get into a routine, sadly.
The routine I had was facewash, tonic, and cream.
