What I Know About Skincare Now

I first wrote about my skincare routine in my thirties. Years later, I've learned that good skin is less about doing more—and much more about doing the right things consistently.

I had to smile when I came across an old MBellished Life post I wrote about skincare.

I was in my mid-thirties, suddenly dealing with breakouts and, in my own words, “obsessed with taking care of my skin.”

I had a routine. I had products. I had rules.

Some of them still make sense.

Others? Let's just say I've learned a few things since then.

As I've gotten older, my skin has changed—and so has my approach to taking care of it. I'm much less interested in complicated routines or the latest miracle ingredient and much more interested in consistency, good products and understanding what my skin actually needs.

I've Simplified My Routine

My old routine had a lot of steps.

Today, I think the basics matter far more than having a bathroom shelf overflowing with products.

Morning: cleanse as needed, treat, moisturize and—most importantly—SPF.

Evening: cleanse thoroughly, use whatever treatment I'm currently incorporating, and moisturize.

That's the foundation.

Everything else earns its place.

Sunscreen Became Non-Negotiable

If I could go back and give my thirty-something self one piece of skincare advice, it would probably be this:

Wear sunscreen. Every day.

Not just at the beach. Not just when it's sunny.

It's one of those decidedly unglamorous habits that becomes increasingly important as the years go by.

I've Learned That More Isn't Better

This may be my biggest change.

There was a time when a new serum, mask, scrub or treatment immediately interested me.

Now I'm much more careful about piling things onto my skin.

I've learned that irritation isn't evidence that something is “working,” and that introducing too many active ingredients at once can make it impossible to know what's actually helping.

Sometimes the best thing I can do for my skin is leave it alone.

My Skin Keeps Changing

In my thirties, I was worried about breakouts.

As I've gotten older, my priorities have shifted. Hydration, texture, pigmentation and maintaining healthy-looking skin matter more to me now—and hormonal changes can make skin surprisingly unpredictable.

That's probably been the biggest lesson of all:

There isn't one perfect skincare routine for life.

What worked beautifully five years ago may not be what my skin needs today.

I'm More Interested in Ingredients Than Brands

My original post actually advised choosing your cleanser, toner and moisturizer from the same skincare line.

I definitely don't believe that anymore.

Today, I'm perfectly happy mixing brands. I'm much more interested in what a product does, how my skin responds to it and whether I'll actually use it consistently.

A beautiful jar is lovely.

A product that works for my skin is better.

The MBellished Routine

After years of experimenting, my routine has become fairly simple. I use vitamin C in the morning for brightening and hyaluronic acid at night for hydration, with a few extras throughout the week.

Morning

Cleanse — Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
A gentle cleanser that I've used and returned to for years.

Tone — Forest Essentials Rose Water Toner
After cleansing, I mist on rose water. I love the freshness of it—and there's something about the scent of rose that makes this little step feel especially lovely.

Brighten — Boots No7 Vitamin C Serum
Vitamin C is my morning serum of choice. I use it consistently as part of my routine for brighter-looking skin.

Moisturize — Forest Essentials Rose Face Cream
Another little bit of rose and Ayurveda in my morning. I love that skincare can be effective but still feel like a ritual.

Protect — Supergoop! Glowscreen
SPF is now non-negotiable for me, and I love that Glowscreen gives my skin a little luminosity at the same time.

Evening

Cleanse — Fresh Soy Face Cleanser

Treat — Plated INTENSE Serum
One of the treatments I've incorporated as my skincare needs have evolved.

Hydrate — Hyaluronic Acid
At night, hydration is my priority. I'm less loyal to a particular brand here—I look for something with hyaluronic acid and use it to give my skin that extra layer of hydration.

Twice a Week

Exfoliate — Face Scrub
I like the feeling of exfoliating away the buildup of dead skin, but I've learned that I don't need to scrub every day. Twice a week is plenty for me.

Whenever I Need a Little Extra

Eye Gels
I love eye gels. Before a night out, after traveling, or whenever I look particularly tired, they're one of my favorite little beauty rituals. I'm not especially loyal to one brand—I just like having them around.

What I've Learned

The biggest difference between my skincare routine now and the one I wrote about in my thirties is that I understand what I'm trying to accomplish with each step.

Vitamin C in the morning. Hydration at night. SPF every day. Exfoliation a couple of times a week.

And then a few products simply because I enjoy using them.

I think that's an important part of skincare too. It doesn't all have to be clinical. The rose water, an eye gel, taking an extra few minutes at night—those are little rituals that make taking care of my skin something I enjoy rather than another thing on my to-do list.