this summer (up until about two weeks ago), i had the luxury of having almost two months off from work.  it was totally rejuvenating to be able to spend time resting, working out, blogging, traveling and just being.  there is something so peaceful about waking up once i feel rested versus waking up to the sound of a blaring alarm clock.

 

many of my workouts this summer were spent outside.  while i typically gravitate towards cycling or a barre class, this summer, i swam every week.  i have always loved the water and it is the perfect workout for a plus sized girl like me because it is low impact while also getting in some activity that uses all parts of the body.  i have a confession to make: i was often doing these workouts with no sunscreen.

 

admittedly, i am one of those women that was fortunate enough to have a pretty low maintenance skincare routine.  i had pretty bad acne as an adolescent and my dad made it his mission to get that shit under control with facials multiple times a month and every dermologica product under the sun.  by the time i was an adult, i was able to just maintain my skin versus having to put in major work to get it to where i wanted.  with that being said, i am turning 30 and have become aware that i can’t have a low maintenance (or nonexistent) routine forever.  i have noticed shifts in my skin in the last year that never happened before, including being more susceptible to sunburn and some dry patches on my face.

 

so here is where my summer skincare essentials came in to save the day (and my face/neck):

 

 

ironically, both of these products were gifted to me by friends from high school.  perhaps, we are all becoming more aware of the importance of skincare now that we are all turning 30.

 

the gratitude face serum by zatik was in my love goodly box that i posted about a few months back.  little did i know that it would change my entire skin care routine.  it not only softens my skin and helps with lines/wrinkles, it hydrates my skin.  that is exactly what i need and it doesn’t require a trillion steps.  i am not a morning person so whatever my skincare routine includes cannot take 30 minutes – i am looking for something quick, easy and effective.  i have noticed how much more even my complexion looks after adding this to my daily routine.  over the last few days, i have also started using it at night before bed.  it is light, smells good and i appreciate that it is cruelty free.  special shout out to nicole for improving my life quality with this amazing serum.

 

now, carolynn is my friend that spends the most time in the sun.  so naturally, she is the person that gets on my case the most about not wearing sunscreen.  i explained all of the reasons why i hate it – from it leaving a weird residue on my skin, to making me look chalky, to having a weird scent, to not layering well with my makeup.  she made it her mission to not only find a sunscreen for me but research several that would work well for black women.  the next time i went to her house, i had my own bottle of sunscreen waiting for me.  let me introduce you to supergoop!

 

it is light, colorless, odorless and actually has the exact same consistency of the smashbox primer that i use on any day i have makeup on.  while i have not done this yet, many reviewers said they have gotten rid of their primers all together and use this instead.  all i know is that i have never looked forward to putting on sunscreen and i have never forgotten that i had it on.  it is clearly called the unseen sunscreen for a reason.

 

while i may have a bit of an advantage with skincare thanks to my black ancestors, i know that as i get older, neglecting my skin just isn’t an option.  i could not recommend these two products more.

 

what are some of your favorite skincare products?

 

xoxo,

k. tap