How to glow up

Hi! Im a Cherry! 🍒 I made this blog to track my glow up progress, as a vision board and to have a place where to go when I find myself lost. Spanish is my first language, but I speak English too. [ ESP - ENG ] Everybody welcome to my glow up! Hope it works for you also, as an inspiration, distraction or motivation. 🏳️‍🌈 [ she/her - safe space ]

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My skin and treatments

My skin has always been dry but never flaky or wrinkled, until now. I’m on my 20′s and my skin is begging me some care. I used to wash my face with Avène face wash, hydrating it with Avène hydrating cream for sensitive skin ( because my skin is really sensitive ), and cleaning makeup with Garnier micellar water.

At some moments of my life I used Bella Aurora soap, and Avène +50 spf fluid. I have chapped lips, and used Baby lips, but winter is killing them, and Baby lips it’s not enough, so I tried Lancôme lip balm with color, and honestly, in my opinion it’s not worth the price.

I started reading about GOOD skincare this year ( 2021 ), and I began using Cerave nourishing lotion. As soon as I started seeing some results, I wanted to explore more and pamper my skin. 

I watched a lot of videos and read a lot of posts to discover what my skin needed. 

Although my skin has always been pretty decent, I never had it glowing, fresh, clear. I have dark spots, dark circles, skin texture and some marks. 

That’s why I will center my skincare on new products in a religious routine.

M🌞RNING:

- Cleanser + moisturizer + Vit C (3xW~daily) + SPF

NI🌘HT:

- Cleanser + moisturizer + Retinol (1/2xW~3xW) + BHA/AHA (3xW~daily)

✨Either:

- Niacinamide (2x day)

- HA

*Jojoba oil *Hydroquinone

I will use Cerave hydrating cleanser as my basic cleanser.

I will keep using Cerave nourishing lotion as my basic moisturizer. To help my skin adapt to the serums I will use it right after the cleanser.

Vit C - should be used from 10% to 20% concentration. As I have very sensitive skin, I will use a lower concentration. It’s an antioxidant, helps to lighten hyperpigmentation and brown spots, even out skin tone, and enhances skin radiance. I will use La Roche Posay Pure Vitamin C10 serum. 

SPF - I will use either Avène or La Roche Posay, but fluid. Helps preventing skin aging, marks...

Retinol and retinol esters - are not the same; retinol is stronger and proven to have effects, and retinol esters are softer but don't cause irritation on skin. I still don't know which one will I choose, but definitely one from The Ordinary. It reduces fine lines and wrinkles by increasing the production of collagen, stimulates the production of new blood vessels in the skin (which improves skin color), fades age spots and helps with skin texture.

AHA - ( lactic acid ) for me it’s a good exfoliating agent. I will use the one from The Ordinary, who also has HA. It exfoliates your skin, makes it bright, boosts collagen, reduces wrinkles and fine lines, helps reducing hyperpigmentation, acne, minimizes sun damage...

Short story: Once my legs got burned on laser, I had a lot of spots that I would never thought of them to disappear, but lactic acid worked wonders, that’s why I trust it. BHA - ( glycolic acid ) I will use it only on my body as a cream. I will use the one from Face Theory ( Glycomide Body Cream B1 ) or Cerave’s Smoothing Cream ( salycilic acid ) to help smooth the rough bumps and lumps caused by keratosis pilaris, but most of all, to exfoliate skin and get rid of dead skin cells to get a smooth, refined texture. Niacinamide - Helps build keratin , a type of protein that keeps skin firm and healthy, minimizes redness and pore appearance, protects against sun damage, treats hyperpigmentation. I will use the one from The Ordinary. Lips - I will use Aquaphor lip treatment. * I won't use HA because the Cerave and some of The Ordinary products I'm going to use, already contain HA and an excess will cause my skin to breakout. * Jojoba Oil ( eliminates excess sebum on skin ) and Hydroquinone ( used to prevent skin - I will use it on my elbows and knees - from creating excess melanin; are some products that I will only use in summer.

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Time to see results on skin

AHAs (glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, mandelic acid) and BHAs (salicylic acid): You can start seeing results within minutes of the first application, but peak results — such as anti-aging effects — don’t appear until 12 weeks. ( 3 months )

Hyaluronic acid: Results are immediate, as you’ll see increased skin hydration, improved skin volume and a youthful appearance — you should experience them within a few minutes.

Niacinamide: Niacinamide is a great ingredient for treating inflammation and pigmentation, and preventing skin aging as well as its tolerability. Time: 8-12 weeks. ( 2/3 months ).

Retinols: Retinols can work wonders on your skin, reversing sun damage and signs of aging, decreasing fine lines, and improving skin tone and texture. Retinols also take some time to get used to, so depending on the sensitivity of your skin, you may need to use sparingly to begin with, and then work your way up to regular usage. In three to six months, you should see results.

Prescription Retinoic Acid: Same rules as above, as these are prescription-strength versions of retinoids. Because they’re stronger, you can expect to see results in six to eight weeks.

Vitamin C: This powerful vitamin is effective in protecting against photoaging of the skin. You can expect to see results after at least three weeks.

Kojic acid, hydroquinone, mulberry extract, arbutin: These lightening agents improve the overall appearance of your skin tone. The potency, tolerability and effectiveness of these ingredients can differ greatly. Results are often noticed within 8-12 weeks of use.