One staple in my self-care routine is a good skincare regimen. My skin is my thing. For some people it is their hair or nails, but for me it is my skin. I know that having a frilly, time-consuming skin care regimen isn’t going to be for everyone, but I do think it is essential for self-care. Even if it is just taking a few minutes for yourself once or twice a week to show yourself that you care enough to give your skin, the largest organ on your body by the way, a little bit of attention that it needs, it shows you that you are working on you. That you are taking care of you.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. I am not an aesthetician. But, I do have problematic skin. I have eczema, rosacea and I am acne prone. I used to see an aesthetician once every six weeks and the dermatologist once every three months. I have done extensive research on the topic of clear skin because, as you will read in my book, is one of my OCD tics. It takes a lot to keep this skin clear and well-maintained. A LOT. Therefore, what you are reading is some regurgitated information from skin care experts as well as some trial and error on my part.

Most important part first:

Cleansing and Makeup Removal

There are people out here saying that you should occasionally let your skin have a break or “detox” from skin care products, even cleansers. They say you can just use water. These people are full of bull shit. You have to wash your face. If you want to just use water in the morning and are otherwise practicing good hygiene, fine. But WASH. YOUR. FACE. AT. NIGHT! (Or before bed if you are on a different schedule.) I cannot stress this enough. Good hygiene, makeup removal and cleansing cannot be duplicated or replicated in skin care. You are probably touching your face more than you realize and your hands are probably dirty when you do. Not to mention free radicals coming at you from literally everywhere. Plus, if you don’t wash your face, your other products aren’t going to adhere to your skin, they are going to adhere to all the filth on top.

The first thing you want to do is remove your makeup. If you trust your cleanser to do this, then just wash your face. Typically, I do not. I do however like the cleanser from The Ordinary. https://theordinary.com/product/rdn-squalane-cleanser-150ml

It works like a fancy oil cleanser but it is made with squalene instead so it isn’t as acidic or basic as other oil cleansers. Its pH is 5.5, is safe for around the eyes and squalene doesn’t tend to clog pores as much. More on that in a bit. There are also several makeup removing pads on the market that are good for removing makeup, then you can wash your face as normal. I received these SolarMatrix reusable pads for Christmas and they have worked really well. Oil based cleansers are more suitable for double cleansing in my opinion because they do often leave a residue.

The order for double cleansing is oil-based cleanser then water-based cleanser. You want to find cleansers where the pH is between 5 and 6.

You actually don’t want to cleanse your skin until it is squeaky. Save that for your hair. Yes, you need to take the day (or the night) off, but if it is too “squeaky clean” it is going to dry your face out. Y’all, I like a good double cleanse too, but we don’t need to do it all day every day. Save double cleanses for heavy makeup, heavy sweat, particularly gross conditions or just once a week if you aren’t in any of those other situations. The rest of the time, go with a gentle cleanser and wash it off with cold or tepid water NOT HOT WATER! Hot water will only make it dry and flaky. This is your face we are talking about, not a grimy pot in the sink. You can’t just strip your whole face.

This brings me to my next point:

Exfoliation Situation

Americans are exfoliating too much! There, I said it! No one needs to exfoliate every day, especially the skin on the face. In fact, for those with sensitive or acne-prone skin, you don’t really need to more than once a week. And… DON’T USE SCRUBS! It will only make it worse. How?  Too much or too harsh exfoliation can cause tiny abrasions on the skin leaving it more susceptible to bacteria. Then the bacteria causes infections and/or clogged pores.  So how should you exfoliate? There are two ways. The preferred and premiere way is chemical exfoliation. Using AHA and BHA to chemically dissolve the top layer of skin. Glycolic acid is the gold standard right now. https://theordinary.com/product/rdn-glycolic-acid-7pct-toning-solution-240ml?redir=1The second way is manual exfoliation. With manual exfoliation, you use a brush, washcloth or granules to remove that dead skin. If you want to use a manual exfoliant in granule form, make sure the granule is small and fine, about the consistency of silt. https://www.tatcha.com/product/DP-POWDER-V3.html#q=rice%2Bpolish&lang=default&page=2&start=1

My dermatologist described my skin as being a “real reactionary.” I often have marked trouble using acids to exfoliate, so I do tend to backpedal into manual exfoliation territory. I use a Clarisonic brush or Foreo Luna brush once or twice a week to manually exfoliate and maybe once a month, I use Tatcha Rice Powder or Kora Organics Turmeric Brightening and Exfoliating mask. That’s it. Any more than that and I will break right out. Most importantly, DO NOT USE SCRUBS ON YOUR FACE!

Throw out that St. Ives walnut and apricot scrub right now. Seriously. Second most important, if you exfoliate, you MUST moisturize! But more on that in a moment.

Toning

Toning or the use of toner is one of the most controversial topics in skin care. I am absolutely serious. It is quite a polarizing topic. My dermatologist actually told me not to waste my money on toners. They don’t really do anything that they claim and they claim to balance your skin’s pH, but if you are using the right cleanser, you wouldn’t need toner in the first place. The other side of the argument is this: toners can contain the right ingredients that you need to clear, hydrate or fill-in-the-blank-skin-need-here. With so many to choose from, you can use them to simply balance the pH (which why isn’t your cleanser doing that?), to hydrate or energize or boost your other skin care.

I don’t use a toner much. [gasp] [clutch pearls] I own toner. I used to make my own toner. I made toner out of witch hazel, tea tree oil and lavender. I made my own rosewater one time. I do think that by-and-large, you may not need it; however, there are, as always, exceptions to the rule. If you do need an extra boost in moisturization because your skin is particularly dry, then I think it is ok to use a hydrating toner. Also, if the toner contains an active ingredient such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, etc., then use it as needed. Still probably not every day though. You should still be focusing on cleaning, moisturizing and active ingredients than liquid that just sits on your face periodically to “aid in other absorption” or that smells nice or looks pretty or whatever. What I am saying is, don’t invest too much money in a toner. Just have one or two that you use as needed. It is at the bottom on my list of importance.

Actives and Serums

There needs to be some kind of active ingredient in your skin care. Retinol is the gold standard for acne and aging. I use retinol. I use retinol because I am too chicken shit and cheap to get Botox. It is also good for my acne. Despite the misconception to the contrary, retinol DOES NOT EXFOLIATE! It does, however, promote cellular turnover in upper echelon levels. If you have good cellular turnover, then it somewhat negates the need for exfoliation. I use a prescription version. My skin is so reactive that even at the lowest dose, I can only use it twice a week. You have to be careful on retinol. The formula loses structural integrity in sunlight so you only want to wear it at night, for example. I could go on and on about the trials and tribulations of retinol, but there are other actives to be had. Retinol isn’t right for everyone, but you need to be using some sort of active to reap the benefits of your skin care ritual. Don’t go too crazy with actives though. Not every single product has to contain it. In fact, it shouldn’t. Start slowly and work your way up in strength and in number. You don’t have to use an active every single day to get results, but take your time and be consistent. Playing around with actives too much can make your skin worse.

The same AHAs and BHAs that you use to exfoliate with are also actives that can improve overall look of skin, improve acne, even out discoloration, etc. AHAs are glycolic and lactic acids and BHAs are salicylic and citric acids. I am rather sensitive to AHAs since my skin is so reactive, but I can tolerate BHAs fairly well because they are better for oily, combination and acne prone skin; however, since I mainly use retinol as my active, I am SUPER careful about AHAs and BHAs. In fact, AHAs are an eczema trigger for me unless it is in a super small dosage or low on the ingredient list.

Other actives you can try in your skin care routine that aren’t quite as potent or pharmaceutical are antioxidants such as vitamins C, B and A, niacinamide and ferulic acid. Most experts don’t recommend using Vitamin C and niacinamide at the same time as each other and to use caution mixing vitamin C and retinol.

I love playing around with serums. Before I switched to prescription retinol, I used a retinol serum. I also have loved using vitamin C serums. I am going to invest in a copper serum. Serums are a great way to add actives or antioxidants to your routine, just don’t rely on them as your sole source of moisturization, because unless it contains one of the other moisturizing ingredients listed below, it isn’t a moisturizing agent. Even then, it doesn’t hurt to layer on the moisture.

Moisturization Situation

YOU. NEED. TO. BE. MOISTURIZING!

Ok, I am taking the caps lock off. But I am still serious. There are three different types of moisturizers, which I will outline below, but, it has to be said that they won’t do anything on dry, dehydrated skin. I recommend applying any and all moisturizers on damp skin.

Three types of moisturizers:

Humectant- draws humidity to the skin from lower layers and blood stream
Emollient- seals in skin’s natural moisture or humectant
Occlusive- DOES NOT moisturize, but prevents moisture from evaporating from the skin

Humectants include hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, glycerin and AHAs.
Emollients include squalene, shea butter, cocoa butter.
Occlusives include petroleum (which I would not recommended for daily use), dimethecone, oils and waxes  

Everyone has unique skin. One of these may work for you, but chances are, you may need at least 2 of the three for optimal moisturization, especially in colder months or if you live in a drier climate. If you decide that you need or want to layer them or you need all of them, you can find a cream that contains all the ingredients (I like Tatcha Water and Dewy Skin Cream or Honest Beauty Hydrogel Cream) or you can layer them starting with humectant, (The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid) then emollient, (The Ordinary 100% Squalane) and then an occlusive (Kora Organics Noni Glow Face Oil). The Water Cream is one of my holy grail products. It is definitely on the expensive side for me, but I save up and buy it anyway because it is amazing and worth it! It does what it says it will and it is so luxurious! This isn’t a sponsored post ,by the way. https://www.tatcha.com/product/WATER-CREAM.html

Word of caution: if you have acne prone or oily skin, USE CAUTION with facial oils. This really hurt my feelings, y’all. I just got a sample of Kora Organics Noni Bright oil but I can only use it in dire situations (like in the dead of winter or if my skin is dry and flaky). Most occlusive ingredients are comedogenic, which means they clog pores. I swore by rosehip oil, and still do, because during my pregnancies, I used rosehip oil on my body and didn’t get stretch marks! (True story.) But, I can only use it on my body. I still definitely recommend it, especially all you mamas-to-be. The Ordinary sells 100% rosehip oil and Kora Organics sells Noni Glow Body Oil which contains rosehip oil.  

I am going to include eye cream in with moisturization, because essentially, that is what it is. Honestly, I have an eye oil (Kora Organics Noni Glow Eye Oil) and I like it, and I have The Ordinary Caffeine Solution which is a serum/treatment/eye treatment, but you can really use it anywhere on your face. I do use those two around my eyes, but honestly, I use my other moisturizers and retinol around my eyes as well.

I mean, I am not a millionaire and unless it specifically says “do not use around eye area” then it should be fine to do so. Yet, I know MANY women swear by eye cream. If you like it and want it, get it. If not, just make sure you are using a safe moisturizer around your eye area.

Moisturization is key to skin health. I don’t care what anyone tells you.

Sun Protection

WEAR YOUR DAMN SUNSCREEN, DAMN IT!!!

I don’t care what your race or ethnicity is. If you have skin, it can burn. Even if you aren’t prone to sunburn, which is caused by UVB rays, you can be prone to UVA rays, which are the ones that cause cancer, wrinkles, freckles and other discoloration. I don’t burn much, but I do freckle and wrinkle which is obviously not what I want. You can fake freckles if you want. At least put the damn sunscreen on your damn face, neck, décolletage and hands, damn it!

You want to get a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of AT LEAST 30 and you want to wear it all day every day. Confession time: I am bad about wearing it on cloudy or rainy days. I feel semi-guilty about this and the reason why is that there may not be UVB rays present on those days, but there still can be UVA rays lingering around and there are always free radicals. BUT the sunscreen I like for my face and neck (Elta MD clear 46 SPF) is a little pricey for me so I don’t like to waste it if the sun isn’t going to be out. But you should do as I say and not as I do and wear it all day every day. Reapply it if you get wet, sweaty or take a shower. The peak sun hours are between 10am and 2pm, but unless it is daylight savings time, the sun is still out for several hours after that.

The sun is still out in the winter too, ya’ll, so prepare accordingly.

And also, a day cream or makeup product with SPF isn’t actually enough. If you want to use them fine, but wear the damn sunscreen under it. You can also find setting sprays with SPF that you can use on top. And, don’t dilute the sunscreen with water or cut with moisturizer. It won’t spread on as evenly or completely so don’t do it!

Order of Importance

I have written out this post in order of how you apply your products, but that said, you aren’t going to want or have time to do all these steps every night and day. So, what is the bare minimum you should be doing?

At least, at the minimum, you should be cleansing your face at least once a day, moisturizing at least twice a day and wearing sunscreen all day every day.

Inside Out

You can have the best skin care regimen ever, but to truly have great skin, you have to feed it from the inside out.

Foods skin like: papaya, avocado, berries, fatty fish, nuts, sunflower seeds, sweet potatoes
Supplements skin like: collagen, collagen, collagen (your hair and nails like it too!) vitamins B, C, D and E, magnesium
Beverages skin like: green tea, water, and colloquially, spearmint tea*

*I have to say, while I love the taste and smell of spearmint tea, I have noticed no real, qualitative results in my skin with a week or so of just spearmint tea as my supplement.

On the other hand, collagen has been amazing! I almost fully credit my hair regrowth to collagen. I lost a substantial portion of hair while breastfeeding my daughter and I go through bouts of anemia, so I know that it works because my hair has grown back very quickly compared to other women and my hairdresser says it is better than ever! Get some collagen. I use Vital Proteins Unflavored Marine Collagen.https://www.vitalproteins.com/collections/collagen/products/marine-collagen-peptides

I put that shit in everything! 

Magnesium is good too because it helps promote sleep which, it ain’t called beauty sleep for no reason.

Some other ways to practice good skin tips:

Change out pillowcase often and invest in good quality ones
Sleep on your back as much as possible, this not only keeps your face from touching the pillowcase so much, but then your skin isn’t being tugged as much.
Use towels and washrags that only touch your face, not yours or someone else’s butt, body or hands. Ew.
Wash your hands regularly and sanitize your cell phone or any apparatus that touches your face.
Don’t wear heavy fragrances around your face. You would be surprised at how many people are sensitive to fragrance. I also use a free and clear detergent as well and only use fabric softener sheets in the colder months or if the weather is particularly dry. 
Wash your face after you work out or get sweaty.  
If you wash your face in the shower (which isn’t recommended, but let’s keep it real, it happens), make sure you condition your hair, wash it out and wash your hands before touching/washing your face again.
Be careful with oils, even essential oils. They still contain fragrance, which is a major irritant. If you want to use them, start slowly.
Hydrate! (Which includes consuming less caffeine.)
Eat well!
Relax!
Get as much sleep as you can!
AND
WEAR YOUR DAMN SUNSCREEN, DAMN IT!

Stay Beautiful,

Megan