5 Must Haves In My Morning Skin Care Beauty Routine

[I am not a professional so please take everything I say with a grain of salt. I am merely sharing my own experience as a consumer.  I have not gotten the Hyram approval 😉 This post reflects my own opinion based on what works for my skin. This post is not sponsored and does not contain affiliate marketing]

Let me start of by saying that it has taken me almost 30 years to finally create a morning beauty ritual. I spent a lot of time trying out different products, but had never been consistent with a routine.

When we lived up north, we had a tiny bathroom with no sink space. I kept all my beauty products on top of my dresser in the bedroom, but I wasn’t as organized and my skin care was irregular.

I am fortunate to have been blessed with great skin through genetics. I have small pores and a perpetual baby face. I have had generally clear skin throughout my life (except for puberty, mascne and that time of the month). I would say I have combination skin that’s not too oily and not too dry. My biggest motivation for getting a ritual down were all the professionals saying you lose 1% of collagen in your skin per year once you reach mid-20’s.

Since I am vegan, the anti-aging collagen that I use is completely derived from plants. All the products that I use in my morning beauty routine are cruelty free, vegan and are mindfully chosen for the most part. Let’s jump in to what works for me:

1. Pacifica Collagen Cleanser

For the first time in my life I have the ability to wash my face in the sink like they do in the commercials. I remember Jennifer Love Hewitt and Vanessa Hudgens with their Neutrogena products. [sidenote: Neutrogena products make my skin peel off. I used these products when I was a pre-teen and I had flaky skin for weeks – it was totally no bueno.]

I have been using Pacifica Collagen Cleanser for the past few months and I can honestly say this is the first time in my life I have been consistent with washing my face. Honestly, I don’t wash my face in the shower because I hate hot water in my face, but using Pacifica’s Collagen Cleanser makes me feel like I’m really pampering myself.  A little bit goes a long way with this stuff, I like to put it on the “Pallett” of my hand (that’s where I put all my beauty products). I wet my face and apply to my skin in a circular and upward motion – sometimes I will use my PMD Beauty facial cleansing device but more often than not I’ll do that at night time.

I love how PLUMP and SMOOTH my face feels after I use this – I love having soft cheeks.

According to Pacifica, this product will: “Gently remove makeup, oil and daily residue while replenishing the skin with hydration. Formulated with vegan collagen* and flower milk, this sulfate-free gel cleanser builds into a soft lather with a creamy gentle texture. Cleansed skin is left feeling healthy, replenished, balanced. Great for daily use and all skin types.”

2. Face Sprays

Okay so here’s the thing about face sprays. I used to get one of these in my FabFitFun boxes & CauseBox, so I kind of have an abundance of these at the moment. I know that Hyram talks about how it’s a waste of product spraying it all over like that, but I guess I enjoy the high maintenance feeling I have when I use this. Something about it just seems so *high fashion* and *fabulous* to me. I appreciate the extra hydration in my skin.

I don’t have brand loyalty, because these products have seemed to just *show up* in my life haha.

3. SPF

I am going to be so honest with you right now – up until the past couple years I was really anti-sunscreen due to the harmful chemicals. Many sunscreens contain ingredients that are toxic to aquatic life and the coral reef. I like to use EWG.org as a resource to check all the products that I use, this being said:

SPF is important for the anti-aging process. It’s actually non-negotiable. It’s just a fact.  Our skin is our biggest organ, so we want to make sure that the products we are using on our skin are GOOD for us and benefiting our skin versus causing cancer or long-term damage.

The first sunscreen I used for my face was Coola that came in my FabFitFun box, but I’m pretty loyal to Pacifica going forward. I use the Pacifica spray sunscreens for my body  (except for my Cannasmack sunscreen specifically for hydrating my tattoos).

I use either the Pacifica’s Collagen Daily Lotion, Sunscreen or Sunscreen Spray depending on what I plan to do for the day. If I’m probably going to spend most of the day inside and take a walk at some point, then I’ll put the collagen lotion with SPF – which makes my skin feel so plump and youthfully soft.

If I’m going to be spending most of my day outside then I’ll just opt for the face sunscreen all over my face. It doesn’t leave a white overcast on my skin or any residue (except sometimes on my scalp) and one pump is usually enough for my entire face and neck.

If I’m going to be going out and wearing make up then I’ll usually spray this matte sunscreen finishing spray. This stuff doesn’t smell the best, but it gives me the feeling of protection when I want to wear make up. I will spray this on my face BEFORE and after I put my make up on – a spritz before, a spritz after.

The benefit of using Pacifica products is that when the container is empty you can mail them back to Pacifica for them to recycle and reuse!

4. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is so hydrating and nourishing for my skin – especially my tattoos. Research has shown that coconut oil improves anti-oxidant levels and can slow the aging process. Sometimes I don’t put it all over my body until after my shower, but at the very least I make sure my tattoos and knees are moisturized. I have been guilty of ashy knees too often, and keeping your skin moisturized and hydrated is so important!!  I have had this huge ass tub of coconut oil since December of 2019.

5. Lip Balm

The last step of my morning beauty routine is putting some lip balm on my lips! My morning go-to has been this plumping rose balm that I received from one of the lovely mothers of a child I previously nanny’d for and was the preschool teacher of. I think about how grateful I am for those connections in my life every time I put on this lip balm. The woman who gave it to me let me know she saw “vegan” and thought of me 😊 This has lasted me since August.

I have other lip balms that I use throughout the day or bring with me on my journeys, but this particular balm stays in my bathroom and is specific to my morning ritual.

I have the tendency to have chapped lips so I make sure to reapply often and try to have a variety of balms around the house and in different coat pockets.

What products are MUST HAVES in your beauty routine? Have you tried any of the products I shared with you today?