I was recently reflecting on how often “journey” is used in relation to acne and skincare in general. Is it a cliche, or is it truly the best word to use? The definition of “journey” refers to a physical change of being, but leaves out the act of learning along the way. Maybe it’s implied, but it doesn’t seem to capture the full breadth of what’s been going on with my skin over the last year. So I’m settling on evolution.
Our skin changes day-to-day, by the seasons, and (of course) over the years. Not only has the appearance of my skin changed, but also my mindset and how I treat it. I’ve learned to cut out the unnecessary, find a routine I can be consistent with, and stop trying every new hyped product because, let’s be real, very few are actually usable for clog and acne-prone skin.
This routine is my skincare magnum opus. It’s fully non-comedogenic, while keeping my dehydrated skin plump and glowy.
Morning
Step 1: Cleanse
I don’t understand how people can 100% commit to being a morning shower person or a nighttime shower-er. This is a decision I make fresh every day that the start of my skincare routine relies on. Thankfully, it ends up balancing out.
If I don’t shower in the morning, I’ll just use a damp washcloth. No cleanser, micellar water, or otherwise product. People can talk about how gentle we need to be with our skin and how it doesn’t need physical exfoliation all they want, but I will go feral before you pry a washcloth out of my hands. My facial skin is like a man’s—thick with pores that hold an unbelievable amount of waxy sebum. It needs a good scrub every now and then.
If I do take a shower in the morning, I’ll use a cleanser containing acids since you shouldn’t use them in the same routine you use retinols in (coming up in my nighttime routine!). I’ve been using the Kinship Naked Apple Deep Pore Gel Cleanser that has lactic acid, but it’s not in production anymore, so I’ll likely sub out for the Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser when my Kinship runs out. I rub this around for a full 60 seconds to really take advantage of those acids.
Step 2: Treatment
Here, I use another discontinued product (sigh) on dry skin. The Versed Just Breathe Clarifying Serum contains zinc, which is anti-inflammatory, and niacinamide to help balance. This has been perfect at providing acne support while not drying out my skin in the cooler months. For a non-discontinued option, see Byoma’s Clarifying Serum.
Step 3: Wait
Yup…wait. I like to give my skin 5+ (usually around 15) minutes to fully absorb what I just applied so I’m not mushing tons of ingredients on top of one another. I don’t know if there’s any science to this, but it works for me. During this, I’ll have my enrichment time (memes).
Step 4: Toner
Now I go into the hydrating steps. I don’t like to do toner before the treatment step because damp skin allows for deep penetration, and I don’t necessarily want that from actives due to the risk of irritation. My skin really enjoyed the Artemisia Capillaris Extract Toner from One Thing and EqualRxn’s Mushroom B5 Toning Cocktail, as they both calmed redness. Something that packs in layers of hyaluronic acid also does the trick, like the Isntree Ultra-Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Toner.
Step 5: Serum
This is usually something simple, like Isntree’s Ultra-Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum. Really, no frills at all unless my skin is extra dry (like during the winter)—then, I’ll layer on the EqualRxn Cactus Ceramide Fortifying Milk for some barrier-building protection. It’s one of the only products I can find that boosts your barrier while not clogging pores.
Step 6: Eye Cream
Should eye cream be a part of an acne-prone skincare routine? For me, yes. If I don’t use eye cream in the morning, there’s no chance my concealer will lie right. I also wanted to include this because if you’re acne-prone, there’s also a chance you’re milia-prone. I’ve been loving the Mixsoon Bean Eye Cream recently because it’s the perfect weight (not too thin or thick) and it doesn’t contain any pore-clogging ingredients. Truly the perfect eye cream imo.
Step 7: Moisturizer
This is also season-dependent. When my skin is extra dry, I’ll use something thicker, like the Dynasty Cream from Beauty of Joseon. For now, I’m using a gel from Nolahour. It’s nothing too special, but works fine. I’ll be switching to the Fenty Skin Instant Reset Moisturizer next because it’s a bit thicker (but still light!), which is my preference.
Step 8: Sunscreen
And of course, we end with sunscreen. My skin agrees best with mineral-based since they typically use anti-inflammatory zinc. Lately, I’ve been using the Tatcha Silk Sunscreen, which is so nice, but at 10% zinc oxide, I’m wondering how the hell this could hold up to a super sunny day. For those, I’ll bring out a Korean sunscreen, like Beauty of Joseon’s or Numbuzin’s Clear Filter Sun Essence, because they layer like a dream for reapplication.
Night
Step 1: Cleanse
If I’m wearing makeup (maybe twice per week), I’ll start with an oil cleanser. They’re basically all the same to me unless it has a plastic-y texture (like the Banila Co’s cult favorite…which I hate). Then I Met You makes my personal holy grail. I cleanse for 60 seconds, rinse, and go in with a water-based cleanser. Here, I’ll use something standard like Torriden's Dive-In Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam. Vanicream’s Gentle Facial Cleanser works too. I cleanse for 60 more seconds, then rinse.
Step 2: Treatment
Once my face is fully dry, I’ll apply my tretinoin, who is the star of this routine. Over-the-counter retinols work fine, but something about 0.05% tretinoin just gets (and keeps) my skin right. In the winter, my skin started flaking from daily tret, so I switched to Altreno. It’s regular tretinoin, but with added hyaluronic acid, collagen, and glycerin. The clinicals about how much it lessens irritation when compared to normal tret are insane. I almost made a comment about how I really don’t understand why more people don’t talk about this…but it’s definitely price. It’s $125 per tube compared with the OG tret I can get with insurance for $2.13 per tube. I think I’ll switch back to the cheaper option during Oily Girl Summer™ and reserve Altreno for the dry seasons.
Step 3: Wait
Now we wait…again. Usually, I do my skincare while I watch TV, so it’s easy to apply my tretinoin, watch a fifteen-minute YouTube video, then keep going with my routine.
Step 4: Toner
And we’re back to the hydrating steps. The toner, serum, eye cream, and moisturizer are the exact same as the morning routine.
Step 5: Serum
Step 6: Eye Cream
Step 7: Moisturizer
This is my daily routine, but supplemental pimple patches, face masks (depending on my current concern), and exfoliation come in as needed. My skin may be a bit high maintenance, but I’ve been doing this routine for a little under a year, and the results speak for themselves. I can’t wait to see next year’s ~evolution~.
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