4 skincare lessons I’ve learned lately 🧐
As an avid beauty explorer, I’ve tried a plethora of skincare products over the years. While I try to avoid buying everything and anything that’s hot on trend, I do like to experiment with new and interesting ingredients. Because of this and my battle with hormonal acne, I’ve learned a few difficult lessons along the way that I think could be beneficial for you to know about. Let’s take a look at them!
1. Choose a basic, reliable cleanser
The more boring a cleanser, the less chance there is of it irritating and inflaming your skin - read that again. No matter your skin type or concerns, make sure to use a gentle, soap-free cleanser that is ideally free of strong active ingredients. It’s better to rely on serums for targeted results as you have better control over how often you use them, whereas a cleanser is a daily step that can lead to unhappy skin in the long run if it’s too aggressive.
2. Aim for anti-inflammatory ingredients
When you get persistent breakouts, it’s really tempting to throw the kitchen sink at your face as a means of getting rid of them. But this, my friends, is a catalyst for even more trouble. Some popular acne-fighting ingredients like tea tree oil are just too strong for lots of people, especially when used in daily products like cleansers. Stick to anti-inflammatory, soothing ingredients like aloe vera, niacinamide and green tea to gently reduce and heal your breakouts without causing the rest of your face to freak out.
3. Say goodbye to salicylic acid
Salicylic is seen as the holy grail hero for battling breakouts, but unfortunately every time I try to dip my toes into its divine waters my skin is left red, irritated and with more spots than I had in the first place. It’s normal for ingredients like this to cause a skin purge, but instead I get a faint rash across my cheeks and ultra inflamed spots that take forever to heal. If this ingredient works for you then stick with it, but for me it’s time to say adiós and move onto to kinder skincare friends.
4. Less is more when you’re on your period
Just like with point 2, it’s super tempting to use all sorts of pore-unclogging, face-resurfacing formulas when you’re on your period as a way to kick breakouts to the curb. But actually, your skin is far more sensitive when it’s that time of the month compared to other parts of your cycle, so anything too hardcore will make spots worse and your skin ultimately sad. Avoid exfoliation and face masks while sticking with hydrating and soothing products, and before you know it your skin will be back to its happy self in no time!