New Pandemic Nighttime Routine

Pandemic means the world is coming to an end from an infectious disease and anxiety is high so you need to take care of yourself! My nighttime routine has changed just slightly to form better habits since the start of this pandemic, so here it is! I usually start winding down around 10pm when I had a full-time job. Without an obligation to wake up early in the morning recently, my bedtime has been pushed back. The routine remains the same 🙂

Skincare

I flit back and forth between my parents and my apartment in Long Beach so I have 2 sets of skincare products that I use. I usually stick with Japanese, Korean, or French brands. Also important to note that I have normal to mildly oily skin. I rarely take up a full blotting sheet and I only get oily on my cheeks and forehead normally at the end of the day. My skin is normally pretty moisturized.

For my cleansers, I do use the American brand Kiehl’s, as well as a very budget friendly option from Bioré that I’ve been buying for years. I find that the salicylic acid ingredient really helps prevent acne. I get it from Amazon or at Target!

Sulwhasoo is really popular in Korea right now, and according to my mom it’s known as the “Shiseido of Korea.” The packaging is elegant and the bottles are heavy like ceramic. It’s a lot cheaper to buy skincare in sets if you’re committed to a single brand, and I got this duty-free at an airport! I never slather any type of product on my face – I use just enough because that’s all I need plus it makes things last longer. I pat in the Balancing Water and rub in the Balancing Emulsion next, followed by the Firming Cream. Always in upward strokes for the cheeks!

For the French brands that I use, I love Vichy and my mom raves about Sisley. I got these two when I was in Paris, which meant they were tax free. To get that tax rebate, you need to spend 175€ in a single store and provide your passport. This bottle of Sisley Emulsion retails for $250 on their website – it’s cheaper in France but I still easily hit the 175€ minimum 😉 I use the Vichy Mineral 89 as a serum, followed by the Sisley Emulsion as a moisturizer.

Teeth

My dental hygiene has always been decent, but I tend to build up plaque pretty easily and I also have bruxism. I now need to floss every day rather than every other day, and I have an expensive Nightguard to wear at night to protect my teeth from grinding. I use your standard Colgate/Crest floss, but I got these samples of Cocofloss from my dentist! They’re thicker and kind of woven so that they expand when you use them, making it better to get all the gunk between your gums. Plus the flavors are nice!

Lash and Brows

I once met someone at an Apple store who had these amazing eyelashes. No mascara, nothing. Her secret? Castor oil. I’ve tried some of those packaged eyelash serums but never saw results. So I got me a $3 bottle of castor oil, cleaned up an old mascara wand, and I apply just a tiny bit of the oil to my brows and lashes every night after I take off my contacts. I just recently started this so I will likely do a separate post if I see a difference in the hair growth. There’s no current evidence that castor oil makes lashes grow faster, but fuller and longer? Fingers crossed! 

The End!

Sometimes I will use a sheet mask or one of the many mud mask samples I have about once every 1-2 weeks. I think that I get my clear skin from hormonal balance from my birth control pills, but it’s still good to have a healthy regimen 🙂 Let me know what brands or products you love to use!

xx Sam