I am not a morning person, so I have a love-hate relationship with anything that requires me to allocate time outside of my bed that could be better spent snuggling my dogs. But if I don’t leave enough time to take care of my skin, I break out like I’m in high school again. (Frosting is a big enough portion of my diet that I’m already not doing myself any favors in the acne department.) Here’s how I prep for my daily battle against zits, the sun and aging:

{Dove beauty bar + Arcona Brightening Gommage}

Most mornings, I wash my face with Dove soap. But twice per week, I use Arcona Brightening Gommage. It’s on the pricey side but, in my opinion, worth it; I notice the difference after using it. It doubles as a face mask of sorts; I leave it on for 3-5 minutes while doing the rest of my business in the shower, and my face is much smoother and brighter. Plus, because you only need a teaspoon and don’t use it more than twice a week, one tube will last a long time.

{Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster}

Once my face is dry, I swipe on Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster. It’s packed with Vitamin C, has a fresh, light citrus scent and brightens, minimizes fine lines and helps boost natural collagen production.

{Kate Somerville Daily Deflector Waterlight}

Next, I put on a facial moisturizer. I always use a moisturizer with at least SPF 30, but a facialist turned me onto my current favorite, Kate Somerville Daily Deflector Waterlight. It is SPF 50 and is lightweight and absorbs quickly and easily, so I have no trouble blending tinted moisturizer or foundation on top of it.

{CeraVe Body Lotion SPF 30}

Finally, I apply body lotion. Again, I never use a lotion without SPF in it; skin cancer runs in my family and you can tell from one photo of me that I am basically allergic to the sun. But even if you are capable of getting a tan, with everything we know about the dangers of sun damage, it just doesn’t make sense not to wear some sort of protection against the sun. (One of my friends has the most gorgeous tan of all time, always, and she’s as religious about sunscreen as I am; she just gets a spray tan. You can’t tell.) I love CeraVe’s new InvisibleZinc body lotion because it carries an SPF 30, and you can buy it at the drugstore. It’s lightweight and blends and absorbs quickly, and dries clear so I don’t have to worry about getting white streaks on my clothes.

*This is not a sponsored post. This is me saving your skin, and mine!