Finding my own skin

Trying to figure out my perfect skincare routine step by step

[findingmyownskin]

r/skincareaddiction

I was just reading some threads on this sub reddit and let me tell you, some of these people have a problem.

The sun won't kill you, you need to catch some sun for your physical and metal health. An average amount of sun protection is just fine.

Planning your schedule so you don't have to go put at any moment during sunlight is obsessive and unhealthy.

You don't need to think about wrinkles or aging for a really long time and starting when you're 12 is not healthy.

Going out dressed like a doctor during the bubonic plague is not healthy.

Having a couple of drinks with friends won't make you look like a raisin five seconds later. Planning your social live, and avoiding socializing, for the sake of a perfect skin is not healthy.

There is such a thing as being too preoccupied with inconsequential. In this case is called Cosmeticorexia, and it can be as damaging as any other -exia.

It's just skin, don't let it make you unhappy.

[writers-thoughts09]

Okay...what are some genuinely effective acne products you use BESIDES neutrogena (it burns my face)? I’d love to know cuz my face is buuuurning. Why? I used neutrogena when I don’t like those products😝😖. I know dumb move but I’m getting desperate 😗

[findingmyownskin]

Oh so glad I'm not the only one who got that reaction from Neutrogena! I'm not crazy!

I bought the Elf Squalane moisturizer (it's a violet jar) for my boyfriend and I was using it for a while. It was really good. Aside from Squalane, which is a good hydrating ingredient, it's also formulated with Niacinamide, which is a great ingredient for acne prone skins.

The texture is a bit weird in the fragrance and colorant free version, it's a bit like jelly, and that might be a bit uncomfortable to use, but it doesn't leave the skin feeling greasy or runny.

The price point is also amazing. In Dublin where I live is around 6-7€ at Boots. For that price you can give it a try and not lose too much is you end up not liking it.

[itszhya]

How to protect your skin when wearing a mask.

I know I’m a little late to the party, but here’s my take on how to keep your skin healthy and glowing while staying safe and following regulations. 

Remove ALL your makeup in the evening. Leftover makeup trapped by the mask with sweat and oil has a higher likelihood of causing breakouts and clogged pores. 

Make sure to use a clean, new mask when you go out if possible. Wash your fabric mask. Make sure to sterilize both your disposable and fabric masks, bacteria buildup on the mask can cause breakouts and irritation. 

Avoid using irritating ingredients like retinol, acids, and vitamin C when wearing a mask. It’s not like you should be using them during the day anyways, these ingredients are better used in the PM. 

Use products that include Cica (aka centella) as it calms irritation and promotes healing in the skin. Use medicated products as directed by your dermatologist if the irritation is serious. 

Exfoliate well. Dead skin build-up can heighten the likelihood of an acne flare-up. 

Moisturize!!! Hydrated skin is more resistant to friction caused by the mask and is better at healing itself. 

[lapermstyle]

Favori cilt bakım ürünlerimiz🧡

[findingmyownskin]

This arrived today after ordering it last Friday.

Meanwhile, three weeks later, my Yesstyle order is still somewhere, no closer to me today than it was yesterday.

[itszhya]

lol anyone who says you NEED anything more than a cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen and MAYBE something given to you by your dermatologist is probably just trying to sell you something. 

You don’t NEED toners, essences, serums, 20 treatments, $10 sheet masks, and uh chanel eye patches (???) and all 3290897482394 of innisfree’s masks. 

doesn’t mean i’m going to stop buying them BUT! don’t let anyone try to tell you that a $60 bottle of essence is necessary at all 

ps. if you’re younger than your mid 20s and someone without a medical degree is telling you you need anti-aging products… n o . 

[findingmyownskin]

Agree. They are a lot of fun, but not at all necessary

[itszhya]

"ew it has like chemicals in it. "

What? Chemicals... Like water? Literally everything is chemicals ...? Sweetie did you mean something you can't pronounce? <3

[findingmyownskin]

Pretty:Skin Vitamin C Ampoule

I've been looking all over the internet and I cannot find the INCI list for this serum *anywhere*. Not even in their official website.

Does anyone have the ingredient list for this or any kind of experience with it? I'm looking for good Vitamin C serum that won't break my pocket and will be somewhat effective (I say "somewhat" because I'm being realistic here)

Help appreciated!

[womanlife]

Okay friends. I am going on a journey.

I have terrible acne and just all around terrible complexion on my face. My whole face is scarred and I look ridiculous. This has been a huge cause of self esteem issues for me, among other reasons. I am someone who is dealing with severe depression and I am beginning to suspect I have anxiety as well. My perception of my own beauty has a lot to do with this.

I have pretty much just resigned myself to having terrible, ugly skin forever and never being able to do anything about it. But, I wandered into the skincare section of TikTok and I learned a few things and so I have decided to try them. Something I really struggle with is washing my face. I can’t really explain it but it just always seems like so much work for no results at all, so I basically do it at random, even when I am wearing makeup. Yes, I have gone to bed many a night with my makeup on.

So, first things first: I have to wash my face every morning and every night.

Second, makeup removing wipes are the devil (apparently) and I should never use them again. Which absolutely sucks, but okay.

Third, I have started with a basic skincare product revamp. I threw out my St. Ives scrubs (yes, I owned more than one) because according to skincare TikTok, they are in cahoots with makeup removing wipes and basically destroy your face. So I bought CeraVe Foaming Face Cleanser, their AM moisturizing cream, their eye repair cream, and that really deep, blood red chemical mask from The Ordinary. The eye repair cream isn’t here yet, but I have all the rest.

Fourth, if you’re going to use that chemical mask from The Ordinary, you need to use sunscreen. The mask makes your skin super sensitive to UV light and can end up causing you more harm than good if you don’t use sunscreen. USE SUNSCREEN.

Day 1:

I washed my face this evening and let it dry completely. In reading the instructions for The Ordinary chemical mask, it says not to use on damaged skin, which my skin is not healed from my acne so I just tested a dot of it on my skin. It burned a bit, so I washed it off immediately and I am going to try again in a few days. Hopefully my skin will have cleared up a bunch by then. Then after that, I put on the AM moisturizer from CeraVe. Yes, I know it was at night but I don’t have enough money to buy both moisturizers so I figured the one with the sunscreen in it was better than the one that had none, especially since I am working on using chemical mask regularly. I hope to buy the nighttime moisturizer soon. But, that was it. I don’t have the eye repair cream yet because it is still being shipped. I expect it tomorrow. I want to buy some other products, particularly from The Ordinary, but I have to wait until I have more money. So for now, this is my only skincare routine.

[findingmyownskin]

Best of luck to you!

You seem to really know what you are doing so I am very interested to see your experience with The Ordinary's mask. I suspect you are talking about the AHA 30% BHA 2% peeling solution and I'm dying to use it but I'm scared it can be too much for my skin as I haven't used a chemical exfoliation in almost a year.

I wish you the best skin and that you find joy and calm in the ritual of skincare.

[hellabifurious]

does anyone have recommendations for skincare products that won't fuck with my sensory issues so badly? a lot of face washes/exfoliator is rough and gritty, which i hate the feeling of and keeps me from washing my face period. i'm looking for something that's more of a gel/foaming wash.

[findingmyownskin]

I use Beauty Bay's jelly cleanser. It's milky and smooth and the gentler cleanser I've tried. I use it in place of my water cleanser and it doesn't foam, but it doesn't dry my skin.

If you've never tried chemical exfoliation I highly recommend it. Their are so much gentler with skin than scrubs. If you've never used it I recommend glycolic acid in small concentrations (start with maybe 1-2% concentration and build your tolerance from there). There are really good toners that include glycolic acid in their formulations.

It's very important that use sunscreen after chemical exfoliation. I cannot stress this enough. Use sunscreen. Regardless of the season and the weather, use sunscreen.

[itszhya]

Let’s talk actives: Glycolic acid

Glycolic acid is one of the most well heard of alpha hydroxy acids next to lactic acid. It’s derived from sugar cane and what makes it special is that compared to most other AHAs, it has the lowest molecular weight and is the smallest. That trait makes it a more effective acid as it penetrates your skin more easily. 

Due to its small size, it can seep deeper into the skin than other acids and stimulate more collagen production

Glycolic acid comes in a limited amount of products, such as a toner or a serum, making it harder to incorporate into your routine. 

Using it every day is also not recommended due to how strong it is.  

[anja444]

[findingmyownskin]

I hate Amazon reviews

A girl complaining that Glycolic acid (5%) pads caused her burns after only one week of using them every day as cleansing pads to remove makeup.

A mother saying that her daughter got serious burns after using The Ordinary's aha 30% bha 2% as a leave-on mask overnight (!!!)

These products are no joke! These are potent exfoliators that need to be treated with care and respect.

Maybe these people's bad experiences with the products have less to do with the products and is all about their ignorance in dealing with them.

What I'm most bothered about is the condescending and pretentious tone they used to bash these products while unknowingly admiting that they don't have the faintest clue of how to use them.

[findingmyownskin]

Today, in my case against average consumer reviews...

This is a review for a clay mask. A CLAY MASK.

It's... A clay mask. You need to go with your serums and moisturizer after this. A clay mask will definitely leave your skin drier than it found it, that's what clay masks do!

It's like complaining that a moisturizer is moisturizing your skin 🤦🏻‍♀️.

[itszhya]

How to fade post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is essentially just acne scars. It’s the dark spot left over after the inflammatory from acne. It disproportionately effects some people more due to genetics and other environmental factors. 

Prevention is key.  Picking at acne can darken future scars and can even cause scars when where wouldn’t have been any. If you feel the impulse to pick at your skin, putting a hydrocolloid patch/pimple patch over it can help reduce the inflammation and also remind you not to pick. 

Exfoliation  Using acids is better for those who scar because acids stimulate collagen production unlike physical scrubs. Mandelic acid and glycolic acid are both great choices because they’re both AHAs that help stimulate collagen production. They’re very different in their strengths and having both in your repertoire can over a wide base of needs. 

Recommended active ingredients

Niacinamide: Vitamin B3, it is yet another ingredient that helps fuel collagen production and is available is serums and moisturizers 

Glycolic Acid

Mandelic Acid 

Retinoids: COLLAGEN PRODUCTION

Other treatments: 

Microdermabrasion 

Laser 

Microneedling 

[itszhya]

Let’s talk actives: Mandelic Acid

Mandelic acid is one of the gentler AHAs. Molecules of mandelic acid are larger than many other AHAs, meaning that it is absorbed by the skin at a slower rate. It’s a common choice for people who don’t like the stinging sensation that glycolic or lactic acid may cause. It’s not as strong, but it is much more comfortable. 

It’s available in the form of toners and serums and many brands make it, though it’s not the “buzz” product of many brands like products like hyaluronic acid is. 

Mandelic acid is mostly touted for its anti-aging effects, being able to stimulate collagen production and make the skin seem more supple. 

Hyperpigmentation is another issue that can be addressed with mandelic acid, which reduces the melasma in the skin. It has been shown to reduce hyperpigmentation and discoloration by 50% within four weeks. 

[spookymissy]

dRiNk WaTeR fOr ClEaR sKiN

One of the most useless skincare tip I ever heard…

(Everyone needs to drink to survive. If we saw a difference after drinking a lot water, we wouldn’t be buying the shit we’re using now for our skin

[findingmyownskin]

My skin journey so far

I created this blog to learn more about how treat my skin. When I did so, I was still living in Madrid, a much drier city, full of contamination and higher temperatures. Of course, my skin was reacting to all this by creating a protective layer of sebum, making me think that my skin was oily and somewhat resilient.

After I moved to Dublin, I kept treating my skin like it was oily, I was using a moisturizer with salycilic acid in the low ingredients, I used salycilic acid as my chemical exfoliator, I finished my routine with jojoba oil... All the things that had worked so well in Madrid, in Dublin were creating dry patches around my eyes. Dry, itchy, flacky patches that had me completely confused.

On top of that, the stress of moving from one city to another, moving houses three times (renting in Dublin is like the Hunger Games) and overall just changing my entire live completely, made my period lose regularity. Cue hormonal acne around my jawline and and mouth.

It was a mess.

I stopped using any kind of products for months. In like 6-7 months I used nothing except the hormonal contraception prescribed by the gynecologist, which by the way, works well.

Now I've discovered that my skin is actually combination, being very oily in the T zone and extremely dry around the cheeks and specially the eyes. Around my eyes I can use the most comedigenic products and the skin there will absorb it like it was the last glass of water in the desert and then ask for more.

I've also discovered that my skin is super sensitive and the faintest whiff of parfum will irritate it.

The take away from all of this is that throughout your life your skin will change, possibly many times. Changes in environment, age, lifestyle... can cause your skin to bahave differently. Listen to your skin, learn what it's trying to tell you.

PS: my skin looks like crap at the moment, still not having recovered from all the irritation and that one month I couldn't get my contraceptive because of the quarantine. Also, I started using the Neutrogena hydro boost water gel for normal to combination skin and that one is going in the bin right about now. The dryness and irritation due to the parfum is unreal.