Skincare Routine At Home, Plus how to incorporate RIKI LOVES RIKI to your routine day in and day out

With 2020 behind us, the world is slowly but surely reopening. And as it reopens, let's continue on our journey to better skin. Because skin will always be in, and if the last year taught us anything, it's that while circumstances change around us, our skincare routine can always be that constant, predictable, everyday routine. 

Skin is in.

While your favorite lipstick may not be getting as much love these days (#masks), not having to wear makeup every day has its benefits. Face makeup makes the skin overproduce oil, increasing oiliness, clogged pores, and even pimples. By not wearing makeup such as foundation, concealer, blush, or bronzer, your skin returns to its natural oil balance. But your skin may need some extra TLC as it detoxes and rebalances itself. Added bonus - you also free up a lot of time in the morning and evening by not applying or removing makeup! 

Now that we're all bare-faced let's talk about skincare routines. A skincare routine that meets your skin's needs helps prevent fine lines, breakouts and keep your skin looking its best. With a solid skincare routine, you're setting yourself up for better skin in the future. And remember, prevention is always better (and cheaper) than correction. But to actually have an effective skincare routine, knowing how to apply the products is 100% necessary.

If you're applying skincare products in any order, with no rhyme or reason, stop! By using products in the wrong order, they can be ineffective or irritate your skin. But don't worry. We got you!

The 8 steps to apply skincare products the right way:

The key is to apply lightweight products first and end with your heaviest, more consistent products. Makes sense? Let's continue.

1. Day & Night: Cleanser

Skip the makeup wipes and cleanse your skin with a gentle cleanser before applying skincare products. That way, your skin can properly absorb the products. Even if you didn't wear makeup all day, washing your face is essential to get rid of any day's old sweat, oil, and impurities.

2. Day/Night: Toner

Toner helps remove any residue that stayed behind even after cleansing. They restore your skin's PH balance and primes the face so that products can penetrate deeper into your skin. Apply toner with a cotton round - or if you have a toner in spray form, that's cool too, and wait for it to dry before continuing to the next step.

3. Day/Night: Serum

After the water-like consistency of toners, we move on to our serums. Serums are probably the most important and effective part of your routine if you're looking for more than just clean skin in your routine. Serums are powerful because they consist of high concentrates of active ingredients compared to face creams. There are many different serums on the market, so it can be confusing to find the one. Make it easier for yourself by sticking with two—one for mornings and the other for evenings.

4. Day/Night: Eye cream

The skin underneath your eyes is the most delicate so give it some extra care with gentle eye creams that reduces irritation. And please don't rub it in. Carefully use your index finger and smooth the product into the area or use an eye cream in a rollerball applicator.

5. Night: Spot treatments

This is personal and optional. This is where you cover your pimple so that it *hopefully* disappears overnight or use treatments to combat dark spots or acne scars in specific areas on your face.

6. Day & Night: Moisturizer

Finally, we've gotten to the moisturizer. And if you've been putting your moisturizer before other products - you're not alone. But remember, the moisturizer is much thicker than other products, so it will always be towards the end of the routine. For the A.M., opt for a moisturizer with SPF of at least thirty because, duh. And at night, opt for moisturizers with rejuvenating ingredients because that's when your skin repairs itself.

7. Night: Retinol

If you regularly use Retinol, this is when you'll use it. Yep, after the moisturizer because it's that potent. If your nighttime moisturizer already contains Retinol, skip this step to prevent inflammation. If you need a more potent dose of Retinol, then just switch out your P.M. moisturizer but never double down. 

8. Day/Night: Face Oils

And lastly, face oils to seal the deal. After going through steps 1-7, you want to make sure that your products and hard work stays put, and oils do just that. They are last in the routine because oils can penetrate the other layers, but no other product can penetrate an oil. 

So while providing your skin with some TLC, we just have to ask

How's your lighting?

Poorly lit vanities in bathrooms or bedrooms can be detrimental to your eyesight. Bright daylight lighting is ideal for perfect makeup application and it’s just as important for seeing every detail of your face during your skincare routine or DIY beauty treatment like eyebrows. 

RIKI LOVES RIKI mirrors are more than just lighted mirrors. They are sleek, modern, and their lights are as strong as your Retinol. And they can be part of your skincare routine as well. If you're still working from home, the line between work and home can be a blur. Setting a morning and nighttime skincare routine with RIKI LOVES RIKI helps you, your body, and your mind wake up or wind down. 

Each one of our mirrors comes with different levels of dimming to achieve the level of brightness you want. At night, dim to the lowest level and add some candles and relaxing music to help decompress during your nighttime skincare routine. In the morning, use the bright daytime light to help wake you up and to get ready for your day in or a day out. 

Pick the perfect size and color for your space. RIKI Tall is a full-size lighted vanity mirror. It comes in black or white, compatible with magnifying mirror and magnetic phone holder. RIKI Skinny can be seen as a smaller version of RIKI TALL, available in popular colors like rose gold and champagne gold, as well as limited edition like Tropical Pink. It works well with a suction cup and can be mounted onto your bathroom mirror or window to instantly create a well-lit space. Both RIKI Tall and RIKI Skinny fit perfectly into small spaces if that's your concern!

By upgrading your routine with a fabulous RIKI mirror, we promise you’ll enjoy it even more. Everything is more fabulous with a glamorous vanity mirror, right?

Love,

RIKI