From Dial Soap to Dewy Serums: A Skincare Story I Didn't Think I'd Tell

As a teen, my skincare routine was simple: a bar of Dial soap and wishful thinking. No toner. No moisturizer. No step-by-step routine lovingly crafted by YouTubers with glowing skin and ring lights. Just a harsh orange bar that doubled as face wash, body wash, and - if we’re being honest - a personality trait.

Back then, I didn’t think much about skincare. I didn’t think much about self-care at all. I was trying to survive high school, heartbreak, and hormone-fueled chaos with nothing more than cheap soap and the occasional tube of cherry ChapStick.

But something shifted over the years. Maybe it was age. Maybe it was grief. Maybe it was just the realization that the skin I’d spent so long ignoring was the same skin that had weathered all my storms. And it deserved more than suds from a bar meant for armpits.

These days, I still don’t have a 10-step routine or a cabinet full of luxury jars. But I do have a little ritual. A few minutes in the morning. A few more at night. A quiet kind of care that reminds me - I'm worth the gentleness.

Now, I’m not saying I’ve become some overnight skincare guru. I still forget sunscreen more than I should, and sometimes I fall asleep with mascara smudged under my eyes like a raccoon with regrets. But here’s what I do most days:

Morning Routine:

1. Cleanser: I start with La Roche-Posay Gentle Foaming Cleansing Oil. It’s gentle, hydrating, and doesn’t smell like chemicals or false promises.

2. Toner: CeraVe Hydrating Toner - because maintaining my skin barrier feels like one of the more grown-up things I’ve ever done.

3. Serums: I layer a few (because my skin, like me, thrives on variety):

• The Ordinary GF 15% Solution Age Support Serum

• Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum

• Medicube AGE-R Glutathione Glow Serum

4. Moisturizer: I seal it in with Dr. Jart Hydro Plump Water Cream. Lightweight but mighty - kind of like how I hope to be on a good day.

Evening Routine:

1. Cleanse:

• Palmer’s Skin Therapy Cleansing Oil (Step 1 - if I’ve worn makeup)

• Followed by Lucas + Zoe Antibacterial Soap (Step 2)

2. Exfoliate: Medicube Zero Pore Pads - just enough tingle to say, “I’m doing something,” without the drama.

3. Treatment (alternating nights):

• CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum

• OR Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair

4. Serums (again, because options):

• Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum

• Medicube Triple Collagen Serum

5. Eyes: Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Eye Cream

6. Moisturizer: I mix La Roche-Posay Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream with a few drops of castor oil - a combo that feels like a blanket and a prayer.

I used to think skincare was about vanity. Now, I know it’s about reverence.

It’s not just about keeping wrinkles at bay or chasing some impossible standard of beauty. It’s about showing up for myself - gently, deliberately, and with grace. It’s about creating a space in my day where I am the one who gets tended to, no fixing required.

This skin of mine has carried babies and burdens. It’s flushed with joy, flared with rage, and freckled under a hundred Appalachian suns. It’s stretched and scarred and stronger than I ever gave it credit for.

And maybe it’s not perfect. Maybe it never was. But now? I treat it like it matters - because I finally understand that I do too.

So, no - I’m not trying to turn back time. I’m just trying to meet this version of me where she is, balm in hand and heart wide open.