What’s On Your Face?: A babe staff writer opens up about her addiction to Drunk Elephant serums

'What’s On Your Face?' is babe’s weekly skincare email, where we tell you all about what the girls at the office are using, so you can try it at home.

Name: Katie Way

Age: 23

Occupation: Staff writer at babe

Skin type: Combination

Favorite brands: CosRX, CeraVe, Drunk Elephant

Full disclosure: I'm pretty fucking obsessive when it comes to my skin. I had a lot of acne in high school that I didn't consider a huge deal at the time, but now when I look back at old photos of myself I'm like why did I think I was hot?

I got more and more invested in the way my skin looks as I moved through college and got into — yikes this is embarrassing — Reddit! Now I browse r/SkincareAddiction and r/AsianBeauty on the regular and check in on that viral skincare Google Doc article if I'm feeling extra stuck.

I also don't wear (or own) foundation and rarely wear concealer because I've never been able to find either in the actual color of my skin — real biracial hours, who TF up!? So whatever I wake up with on my face is what I'm working with. It's a dangerous game.

The true secret to my success

Not to brag or anything, but I have a really big birthmark on my stomach that I get checked out with a dermatologist on a semi-regular basis, which led me to this sweet prescription face wash. This sodium sulfacetamide and sulfur wash was the first thing that actually cleared up my whole forehead, and I will defend it to the grave: $20, with insurance. If you don't go to a dermo, try this, it's a lot of the same ingredients.

Then I spritz this shit on

That classic Mario Badescu rosewater spray we all know and love! I use this in lieu of toner. Is it doing anything? I'm not sure, but it's not hurting my face, so why the fuck not: $7.

Next, I exfoliate

I don't always exfoliate in the morning, but if I'm extra dull I'll use these NeoGen Bio-Peel pads — they've got Vitamin C and they're textured, so they make me extra glowy. I cut them in half because I'm broke as fuck, but they've got enough product in 'em that it works: $27.

At night, I use the CosRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid to chemically exfoliate. I do this step like, every other night, because you've gotta let it dry for half an hour before you can put anything else on your face and I don't always have time for that shit: $17.

In the morning, I add a serum

I got this sample-sized Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum from my cool aunt, and even though the full container costs more than my groceries for a week I'm really thinking about taking the plunge: $80.

Then I pat on this goop

This CosRX Snail Mucin Power Essence is a K-Beauty staple and I'm honestly a devotee at this point. I use it every night, and sometimes in the morning if I wake up feeling dry: $19.

I top it all off with a moisturizer

In the morning, I put on this CeraVe moisturizer with SPF. This is the one part of my routine I don't feel like I've nailed — it works okay but smells a little sunscreeny for me: $14.

At night, I use a CeraVe night cream that I like way more. It's super thicc and helps me wake up feeling dewy: $18.

And at night, I finish with a retinoid

I'd been prescribed Differin in the past and my teenage skin reacted poorly, but now that I'm older and a little more hormonally balanced this little tube has done a lot for me. It used to be prescription only, but now you can snag it in-store: $12.

Now y'all know why I'm literally late to work every day… besides the fact that I stay in bed until 10 minutes before I'm supposed to leave my apartment.

@k80way