Hey, beauty! 

Welcome back here. 

Please tell me I’m not the only one whose routine changes based on my mood. My morning skin care routine keeps changing depending on the season, my budget, the products available, and even my mood.

I’ve been itching to share more of my routines at different stages so that gives you an idea of how to figure yours out (if you don’t already have one). Remember the reason I do this is to share my journey and inspire you to love your skin better!

This post contains affiliate links which means I may make a commission if you purchase through them. It helps keep the blog running, so thank you for your support!

My Current Morning Skin Care Routine Steps 

1. Cleanse

The first step of any morning skin care routine is to cleanse. 

These days, I’ve seen routines where people can skip cleansing and use a toner after rinsing their face with just water. 

I’m not comfortable with that yet, because I live in Nigeria where it is hot and humid mostly. Another reason for me is, I like to clean off the residue from the last night’s skincare routine. Perhaps I would try skipping a cleanser someday in the future. Yet my recommendation, especially if you’re just starting out with caring for your skin, is to have a cleanser in your morning skin care routine. 

My current cleansers are Frudia’s Citrus Microcleansing cleanser and Tiam’s Snail & Azulene low-pH cleanser which I have reviewed in the post below.

A Review of My Current K-beauty cleansers: Tiam Snail & Azulene Low pH Cleanser Vs Frudia Citrus Brightening Micro Cleansing Foam.

I prefer to use Frudia in the morning because it feels like a deep cleanser. Sometimes I use Tiam’s because it’s way more gentle.

How I use

1. Wash my hands with my body soap- always try to start with clean hands.
2. Wet my face- please avoid using hot water on your skin.
3. I use a dime-sized amount of product.
4. Rub the product in my palms.
5. Massage my face for about 60 seconds (this is hard to remember if I’m rushing, but some days I stick to it- it’s a great hack to get the most out of your cleanser).
6. Air-dry or use a paper towel to dry.

Recommended Cleansers

1. Tiam snail and azulene low pH cleanser
2. CosRx Low pH cleanser
3. Simple refreshing cleanser
4. Simple moisturizing cleanser*
5. Olaedo naturals gentle facial cleanser

*Iruoma10 gets you 10% off

2. Tone

My next step is to tone. A toner helps remove any leftover dirt after cleansing and balances the pH of your skin. It is one of the “negotiables” regarding skincare, but it can be a great addition. 

Toners have evolved to have extra properties like hydrating or exfoliating which add some extra touch to your morning skincare routine (and evening routine too). 

My current toner is Dr. Rashel Vit. C and Niacinamide essence toner. This toner is the affordable skincare lover’s dream. It’s a huge (500ml) product and does a good job of hydrating. I would say it hasn’t done much for me in terms of the ingredients used, but overall it’s a great product. 

How I use

1. Apply a generous amount of toner to the palms (or cotton pad).
2. Apply the toner to my damp face ( This hack is the best for products with hyaluronic acid, but I love doing it for any toner)
3. Massage or dab the product on the face.
4. Let it air dry.

A (Detailed) Review Of The Beauty Of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water

Recommended Toners

1. Beauty of Joseon ginseng essence water
2. Simple Soothing facial toner* (10% off with Iruoma10 )
3. Dr. Rashel Hyaluronic acid essence toner
4. Tiam Vita B3 mist toner
5. Dear Klairs supple preparation toner

3. Treat

Usually, my next step would be to moisturize after my toner, but I’ve been trying the Tiam Vita B3 source serum. It is my current serum for both the morning skin care routine and evening routine and I’ll be reviewing it soon. 

This is where I shamelessly plug my newsletter so you can see a review when it’s up on the blog! Subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss out on updates, alright? See you there!

[mc4wp_form id=”265″]

How I use

1. After my face is dry from the toner I use 2-3 drops of the serum
2. Massage it into my skin- face, neck, and ears.

Recommended Serums

1. The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA
2. Dr. Rashel Youth Revitalising Hyaluronic Acid serum
3. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc
4. Tiam Vita B3 source 10% Niacinamide and 2% Alpha Arbutin

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + Ha 2% Superficial Peeling Formulation

4. Eye cream

I started using an eye cream because of my eye bags from school. Eye creams are debatable in the skincare community. Okikiola Asher, @skinpriest on Instagram talked about its importance recently. Some people say eye creams are overrated moisturizers, while some swear it makes a difference.

I haven’t used my eye cream consistently enough to give a fair verdict, but I would be the girl who still applies it, overrated or not!  The skin around my eyes feels hydrated due to my eye cream habit, so let’s see if I can keep up this time.

My sister commends the eye cream she uses and after 1 use, my mum decided to get one.
One thing to note is that eye creams (like every other skincare product) come in different grades due to the quality of ingredients/ actives used. The result you get from one product could vary significantly from another brand.

My current eye cream is the Facefacts Collagen with q10 Eye cream. I use this product both day and night.

How I use

1. Apply a pea-sized amount on the back of my hand.
2. Apply on my eyelids and inner corners of my eyes and below.
3. Use your ring finger or pinky finger to dab. Do not tug at your eyes as it is a thinner skin area than the rest of your face.

Recommended Eye creams

• The InkeyList Caffeine eye cream
• Face facts hydrating eye cream*

*Use Iruoma10 to get 10% off your order

5. Moisturize

A moisturizer helps seal in the moisture from your skin care products and reduces the level of transepidermal water loss. In simpler terms, it keeps your skin hydrated, plump, and able to withstand environmental stress.

I’m currently using the Face facts Collagen with q10 day cream. This looks so much like their hyaluronic cream but I would still share my thought on it.

How I use

1. Apply the product on the back of the hand
2. Spread evenly across the face
3. Massage it to spread evenly on the face, neck, and ears.

Recommended Moisturisers

1. Nivea Perfect and Radiant Eventone Light Moisturiser
2. Face facts Hyaluronic Face cream*
3. Simple hydrating light moisturizer
4. Simple replenishing rich moisturizer
5. CosRx Advanced snail mucin repair cream
6. Neurtogena hydro boost

* Iruoma10 for 10% off

6. Sunscreen 

Sunscreen is the last non-negotiable step of any ideal morning skincare routine. Trust me, if your routine only has a cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen, you are good to go!

Those are the essentials as skincare blogger Amanda explains in her basic skincare routine for beginners.

Sunscreen protects you from sun damage to your skin. My only problem with sunscreens is the cost. You can barely find sunscreens that leave no white cast and are not pocket-jarring for the size.

My current sunscreen is the Bondi sands daily moisturizing SPF 50. I talked about it in my last blog post and the review is there as well.

https://adashofiruoma.com/bondi-sands-spf-50-review-does-it-live-up-to-its-claims%ef%bf%bc/

How I use

1. Dispense product from the tube using the 2-finger breadth method
2. Apply to face, neck, and ears
3. If I’m headed out and my decolletage, shoulders, arms, and hands are exposed, I apply SPF there as well.

Décolletage means the “low-neck line of a woman’s dress” and has been adopted as a word for the area under your neck or the chest.

Recommended Sunscreens

1. Bondi sands SPF 50
2. Biore UV
3. Nivea sun gel
4. Gavia Sunblock
5. Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel

7. Lip balm

It’s easy to neglect your lips, but please don’t!  Lip care does not need to be fancy or expensive to keep your lips moisturized and not looking chapped.

I use a foolproof DIY lip balm recipe from Torera George and the watermelon variant of Nivea lip balm.

How I use

1. Apply DIY lip balm with the index finger 
2. Follow with Nivea’s lip balm- mine has a colored tint that I love!
3. I could use lip gloss if I’m headed out.

Recommended Lip balms

1. Nivea Watermelon Shine Lip balm
2. Vaseline Rosy Lips Lip Therapy
3. Carmex Moisturising Lip balm

Summary

A morning skin care routine can be simple with just a cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. If you’re like me and need some extras, then my routine would be helpful!

• Cleanser
• Toner
• Serum
• Eye cream
• Moisturiser
• Sunscreen
• Lip balm/gloss

FAQs

1. Can I repeat the same step for my nighttime skincare routine?

Yes, you can! The only thing missing would be sunscreen because it’s nighttime.

2. Can I use a towel to dry my face after cleansing?

Yes, you can. 

The thing to note is that this towel should be solely for your face and cleaned regularly to avoid it causing breakouts.

I recommend that you use paper towels which you can dispose of and is more gentle on the face. 

Personally, I prefer to air dry or use a paper towel.

3. Do I need different products for the morning and evening?

My biased answer is Yes and no.  If you have just one cleanser and moisturizer, those suffice until you can afford another. 

You can also have a different cleanser and moisturizer for your nighttime skincare routine. There are also some products that are best used at night like retinol, or during the day like vitamin C. 

I hope you found this helpful, friend! 

What are the steps in your morning skincare routine?

Share with me in the comments

 CONNECT WITH ME: INSTAGRAM // TIKTOK // BLOGLOVIN’ // PINTEREST 

See you soon!

HELPFUL POST>>> Your Best Daily 5 Minute-Skincare-Routine

Getting started with makeup is one thing while learning how to clean your makeup brushes is another. I never thought I would be doing my makeup to a large extent so while I’m excited about it, I also love my skin a lot and like clean things to make contact with it.

Did you know that a silent culprit for triggering acne could be your makeup brushes? One good skin care tip is to use clean makeup brushes so let me share how I wash mine with you!

If you’re tired of seeing your brushes look the same or not satisfactorily clean, try cleaning them with a silicone mat. But first, let’s talk about the benefits of cleaning your makeup brushes.

Why You should clean your makeup brushes

Spending good money on a skincare routine and topping it up with dirty brushes is counterproductive. Here are some reasons I’ve found why it is important to clean makeup brushes.

To Reduce breakouts and skin irritation

After using your makeup brushes, the product residue comes in contact with the air, dust, and bacteria. They become stiff with the caked-up makeup and can irritate your skin or clog your pores leading to breakouts. Washing your makeup brushes often keeps them soft and prevents irritation of your skin.

Clean makeup brushes apply makeup better

When your brushes are not flexible, it’s more difficult to apply your makeup. I don’t think I can get used to how my makeup looks better when I apply it with clean brushes. It makes sense because clean brushes or beauty blenders allow for proper blending of your foundation or concealer and overall a better look compared to when you use a dirty brush. 

Also when there is makeup residue on your brushes, it makes it harder for the brushes to pick the actual color of your product hence giving a not-so-good appearance. Hence cleaning your makeup brushes makes it easier to achieve a flawless look.

Cleaning your makeup brushes makes them last longer

Buying any quality makeup product or brush is an investment and you want to take care of your investment.  If you’re spending good money on these brushes, then they deserve some love. Don’t let your money waste by cleaning your brushes as often as possible.

Dirty makeup brushes contaminate your makeup products

Imagine dipping your uncleaned brush into your favorite makeup product e.g your eyeshadow palette and introducing dirt and bacteria into it.

Not only does the bacteria have more chances of multiplying in the product, but it would also predispose you to infections and breakouts.

How often should you clean your makeup brush?

A lot of people have different schools of thought on this. When I put up on my IG polls, my community had varying answers. Some said once a week, biweekly, a friend even told me she does hers after every application. I would say it depends on your frequency. If you’re a professional makeup artist or use makeup regularly, it is recommended you wash after each use.

Most dermatologists recommend it at least once every 2 weeks. I do the same because I barely use makeup now that I’m home. If I plan to use my makeup for filming content or for church on Sundays, I wash it a day or two before use.

Please, pick what works for you, but make sure it’s something you can do and be flexible with. The goal is to clean your makeup brushes often. 

How to clean makeup brushes effectively

Now to the fun part, finally! Here’s a step-by-step process I use to wash my brushes with a silicone mat. Ever since I started this, I have been hooked!

Stuff you need:

• Brush cleaner- I use liquid dish soap. You can use a shampoo or that cleanser you don’t like on your skin.

• Lukewarm water

• A silicone mat

Ps- Don’t use a silicone mat for beauty blenders because it would snag them.

Steps

• Step 1- Wet your mat and place it in a sink
• Step 2- Insert your brush into the liquid soap
• Step 3- Rub against the mat until you see it looks cleaner
• Step 4- Run the brush under clean water
• Step 5- Repeat the process for as long as you want until satisfied
• Step 6- Do the same for all your brushes
• Step 7- Assemble all the clean wet brushes and leave them under the sun to air dry

• For your beauty blenders; Soak them in the liquid soap and water mixture for about 10 minutes and rinse off continuously till you’re satisfied.

I did a tutorial on my IG:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Iruoma • Beauty & Lifestyle blogger (@adashofiruoma)

Pro Tip- Clean your makeup bag too once in a while.

Where to buy

You can get a silicon mat from any makeup shop, but I got mine from @jay__vogue on IG for 1000 naira ($2).

FAQS

Here’s where I answer some questions you might have about makeup and cleaning your brushes:

• Can makeup cause you to have acne?

No, this is a myth. Makeup doesn’t cause acne. Using dirty brushes can increase breakouts or irritate your skin, but makeup inherently doesn’t. If the makeup is expired, then it could also cause breakouts. Sleeping with makeup can clog your pores and eventually cause breakouts too.

• What soap can I use to wash my brushes?

I use liquid dish soap to wash my makeup brushes. Other good options are sulfate-free shampoos and facial cleansers. You can even use bar soap, but I think that may be inconvenient. Please don’t use detergents as they may leave residues on the brushes.

• Can I use hot water to wash my brushes?

No, please. Use lukewarm or cool water to wash makeup brushes. Hot water affects the bonding between your handles and the bristles which reduces the shelf life of your brushes and makes them shed. 

• Can I use a heat dryer to dry my makeup brushes?

Your makeup brushes are best air-dried. I like to put mine outside on a sunny day or just leave them in an airy place. Make sure to keep an eye out for rain so you don’t end up like me who spent 2 days drying her brushes.

• When is it time to get new brushes?

Once you notice that your brushes are shedding and have lost shape.

Do you clean your makeup brushes? Was this helpful? Let me know in the comments!

Thank you for getting to this point! If you found this post helpful, check out these related posts:

• A Review of MY Current K-beauty Cleansers: TIAM vs FRUDIA

• 6 Easy Ways To Care For Natural Hair- a Naturalista’s guide

Connect with me here~ TWITTER // INSTAGRAM // TIKTOK // BLOGLOVIN’

See you soon!