We’ve come a long way in the skincare world from the days of our grandmother’s Pond’s Cold Cream. I even have a girlfriend who told me that her grandmother’s evening skincare routine included coating her face with Vaseline! Imagine going to bed at night with THAT kind of sticky junk on your face. Just, no. Pleeeeaaase no. We can do so much better than this, people. It’s 2020, for Heaven’s sake. 

Let me help you out by recommending a few of our favorite skincare products fromArt of Skin Care. If you haven’t heard, we’re running aBe Your Own Valentine Giveaway, and one lucky winner will receive a$250 gift certificate for Art of Skin Care(plus about $1000 worth of other fabulous prizes). If you need help knowing how to spend your money, I’ve got you covered! Tap this pic to enter! 

For the Skincare Newbie

If you’ve been more of a one-and-done makeup wipe kind of girl, that might work for you for a while. Until it doesn’t. Eventually, your skin is going to cry out for more. I’ve picked out a few no-brainer skincare products that are sure you give your skin an instant pick-me-up with little effort or expense.

Nelly De Vuyst Micellar Foam - If you haven’t heard about micellar water, you’re basically missing out on the holy grail of modern skincare discoveries. This magical elixir contains micelles, or tiny magnets that attract the gunk right out of your pores without irritating your skin. Get this - it even removes stubborn eye makeup!If you’re in a hurry, you don’t even have to rinse it off. Just pump it onto your fingers, massage on your face with a circular motion, then wipe it off with a clean cloth and go! 

Because Nelly De Vuyst’s micellar foam also maintains the pH balance of your skin, you don’t need to use a toner after you clean your face. So this is really two products in one: cleanser + toner.  This is the ultimate in skincare for lazy people. Or busy people. Or very active people who want a quick cleanse after a good sweat.Nelly De Vuyst Micellar Foam is certified organic and acne-safe, but if you want one specifically formulated for acne-prone skin, they have that, too. (Clickhere.) 

AOS Prime & Protect SPF 40 - Here’s another multi-purpose skincare product that saves us time and money!   Prime & Protect is a moisturizer, makeup primer, and chemical-free sunscreen all in one.The texture is buttery, and the application is super smooth. If you’re spending the day mostly at home or want to go out a little more au naturale than your usual, Prime & Protect provides you with the slightest hint of tint (or you can choose untinted, ideal for very fair or darker skin tones). It can look a little dark on fair skin at first, but it blends in really nicely.

If you want more coverage, you can mix 1 pump of Prime & Protect with a pea-sized amount of your favorite foundation. (Illuminare Moisturizing andMattifying Mineral Formulas are both great.) I love that this is a simple, healthy way to protect your skin.  We need sunscreen even on cloudy days or days spent in front of screens(that blue light can make us age before our time - eek!). 

Au Naturale The Anywhere Creme Multistick - If you’re going for the ultimate in minimalist skincare, you can top off your look with a multistick. For you newbies, a multistick is a 3-in-1 makeup product. You can dab it anywhere you want a hint of color - your lips, cheekbones, and eyelids. The best part?  There are no rules for how to use this versatile splash of color.Blend it with your fingers or a brush, whatever works for you! 

The Anywhere Creme Multistick is acne-safe, and all of Au Naturale’s products are 100% natural, cruelty-free, vegan, and made in the USA.Side note: The multistick pigment might look a little intense at first, but it will blend in with your natural skin tone.Creamy makeup is definitely the way to go if you’re our age. Powdered makeup just settles into your cracks and crevices and makes you look older than you are. No thanks!

For the Skincare Enthusiast 

So you have your basic skincare routine down (cleanser + toner + moisturizer), and maybe even the occasional facial serum or face mask. If you’ve been using the same 3 skincare products for years, it’s time to change things up. Just like your muscles get bored of doing the same workout day after day for weeks on end, your skin also gets tired of the same skincare products. If you want to keep your skin responding to active ingredients and maintain your healthy glow, you have to mix it up. Here are a few ideas…

Rhonda Allison Foaming Peptide Cleanser- Now, this cleanser can look at little less than exciting at first glance. It doesn’t have any color or wildly scentual aroma, but there is still so much to love about it!  From super-sensitive and acne-prone skin to dry, aging skin - EVERYONE loves this all-purpose milky cleanser. Foaming Peptide Cleanser removes your makeup like a dream, making it an excellent choice for a first cleanse (if you’re into double-cleansing at night, which you might want to consider if you’re going to be a real skincare enthusiast). 

The one weird thing about this “foaming” cleanser is that it doesn’t actually foam. I don’t know why. It works great without the foam. If you have questions, I guess you’ll have to ask Rhonda Allison about her logic on that one.

Sorella Apothecary Pomegranate Acai Antioxidant Serum - That’s basically Sorella speak for “this is a nutritious acai bowl for your face.” If you already know about the acai superpowers--including antioxidants, omega fatty acids, and vitamins--then you know your skin will drink up this serum and thank you for it.  Sorella Apothecary truly puts the “beautiful” into your beauty routine.From the classy bottles that double as bathroom decor to the natural fragrances and lovely textures… it’s just all. so. yummy! 

I can’t go on without mentioning that  this antioxidant serum contains 20% vitamin C to brighten, strengthen, and defend your skin from pollution. The texture is creamy, and, when you first apply it, it feels the slightest bit tingly--that’s the vitamin C doing its thing.One little tip:this luxurious serum is packaged in a beautiful glass bottle (bonus points). The tricky part is in getting the last valuable bit of serum out of the bottle. If you’re serious about maximizing every last drop, Art of Skin Care sells a tiny“waste not” spatula for only 3 bucks just for this purpose.

Sorella Apothecary Quench & Protect SPF 30 - Yep. Another Sorella product. I’m told that this is one of Art of Skin Care’s top-selling moisturizer + SPF products. Again, it’s two products in one--which I love. If you take a look at the ingredients, you’ll see that this moisturizer really has it all. It combats the signs of aging with resveratrol, which is pretty much like serving up a calming glass of red wine for your face (without the buzz).  Quench & Protect does exactly what the name says. It hydrates your skin with the moisture-retaining powers of hyaluronic acid and also safely protects your skin with natural UV-reflectors, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide. It’s seriously good stuff.

Let me just warn you, don’t be shocked when you suddenly start receiving out-of-nowhere compliments on your skin. It will happen.Quench & Protect magically provides your face with a dewy, illuminating veil.And by dewy, I don’t mean oily. I mean, a healthy glow without the grease-slick shine of your teen years. Just like with the Prime & Protect I mentioned above, you can mix a drop of your mineral foundation with Prime & Protect for a natural finish that will provide just enough coverage, but still allow “you” to shine through.

For the Skincare Junkie

Alright, where are my fellow junkies? Don‘t be shy. If you could see my bathroom counter, you’d know that the obsession is real over here, ya’ll. There’s no shame in wanting to take good care of our skin--it’s the only skin we get!If you think you’ve tried it all, hold on for just a minute. Take a look at these pro-quality skincare products that might possibly change your life.

Caviplla Multi-Serum - Like so many of my favorites, this one product can be used in several ways. But before I get to that, let me tell you that this product is like the Cadillac of Korean skincare.I mean, it contains caviar--hello! This is a product for the skincare lover who wants serious results and is willing to pay for it. (But, hey, if you win our Be Your Own Valentine Giveaway, you can totally afford it!) Because this product is a little more on the costly side, you can reserve it for special occasions, hot dates, photoshoots, or anytime you want to boost your glow by about 1000%. 

You can use this single product as a serum, a moisturizer, a hydrating mask, or an overnight sleeping mask.It’s also amazing as a skin-rejuvenating wonder for your aging neck and chest area (good-bye crepey skin). Because of the oxygenation delivery system, you’ll notice little micro-bubbles form all over your face. This is good! Continue to massage it into your skin until it’s fully absorbed. If you really want to go crazy, top it off with theSculplla H2 Stem-Cell Mist (which also doubles as the perfect makeup setting spray). 

My Skin Buddy - Okay, can you handle one last recommendation? To achieve actual skincare junkie status,you can’t go without investing in your own professional skincare gadget. And if you have to choose one that isn’t crazy expensive, this would be it. A friend of mine recently enjoyed a facial at a classy spa and guess which tool they used on her face? A My Skin Buddy! The esthetician raved about the miracle-working wonders of this device, so I have to share it with you, too.

The My Skin Buddy uses ultrasonic technology to both deep cleanse your skin AND drive your skincare products into your skin--which means you get more bang for your skincare buck! It also offers LED lights in 3 different colors and 6 different modes to choose from.You can cleanse your skin, balance oil production, brighten dark spots, promote healthy skin renewal, and more with this one tool.Jeana, the owner of Art of Skin Care, shows you exactly what it is and how to use it in a videoright here. 

If you have questions about any of the skincare products I’ve suggested here, the skincare experts on the artofskincare.com live chat are very helpful! You can also drop your questions in the comments, and we’ll do our best to answer them. And don’t forget to enter theBe Your Own Valentine Giveaway!

Xoxo - Kristin