Skincare - let's sperg about routines and products

[Snack Cracker]

My favorite facial cleanser right now is Pacifica, the kale cleansing one for combo/oily skin. Typically don’t ask much of my facial cleansers, but it does have a very light scent, cleanses without stripping the skin, doesn’t really have any super actives in it so there’s no worry of product interactions, and takes off eye makeup because I’m lazy and don’t use a micellar water first some of the time.

The rest of Pacifica’s stuff….not a fan except for bath and body.
With the exception of their fragrances because I honestly hate them.
They’re so simple and almost juvenile smelling, there’s no complexity of layering notes there, if someone wants a VERY basic fragrance (like citrus) Pacifica is fine.

As far as “all natural fragrances”, my personal favorites are Mix Bar and Good Chemistry.
Both brand smell like well crafted fragrances and not like something from the Body Shop.
Plus the price point isn’t bad either.

 

[Polexia Aphrodisia]

My favorite facial cleanser right now is Pacifica, the kale cleansing one for combo/oily skin. Typically don’t ask much of my facial cleansers, but it does have a very light scent, cleanses without stripping the skin, doesn’t really have any super actives in it so there’s no worry of product interactions, and takes off eye makeup because I’m lazy and don’t use a micellar water first some of the time.

I remember liking that one. But my skin and hair develop resistance to products in record time, so I don't think I ended up buying a second tube of that. The smell was really earthy and nice.

 

[Doctor Ivo Robotnik Sr.]

I get mistaken for a teenager all the time despite nearing thirty. It can be pretty annoying. On the other hand, I guess that's a good sign I'm doing something right?

I'm thinking about stealing a routine, are you a pale person?

 

[toilet_rainbow]

I'm thinking about stealing a routine, are you a pale person?

Yes, I am, actually, lol

If you want my current routine, it's:

AM
Cleanser: Burt's Bees Sensitive Face Cleanser
Serum/Moisturizer: Neutrogena Hydroboost Serum with Hyaluronic Acid (This is doubling as a moisturizer because I find it very moisturizing on its own)
Sunscreen: some random "hydrating" Walgreens brand sunscreen I picked up for a couple bucks

PM
Cleanser: Garnier Micellar water (if I wore sunscreen and/or makeup)
Cleanser: Burt's Bees Sensitive Face Cleanser
Acid: The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% HA every other day; every day makes my skin hurt
Serum: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% serum
Serum: Neutrogena Hydroboost Serum with Hyaluronic Acid (I'm about to run out of this and want to go back to Stratia Liquid Gold moisturizer, which I find is a very good moisturizer for oily/combo skin)

If I'm really tired at night (I usually work closing shift), I just do cleanser and the Neutrogena serum. I also sometimes use TonyMoly sheet masks and Dickinson witch hazel when I'm feeling overly oily or sweaty. My hand care routine is the same.

 

[Fialovy]

I am so glad I don't have to wear a mask anymore at work or a lot of places now, my face has almost fully recovered from it. No matter how often I washed my masks, I would still break out and it was annoying. Hopefully I won't have to wear them again regularly for the most part.

 

[Diet Cake]

I started giving myself premature smoker's lines from a not-smoking nervous habit (think McKayla Maroney meme) and after months I think I'm finally making progress. I've also considered temporarily getting Botox in that area to help unlearn the habit but this cake is not made out money.

 

[Gravityqueen4life]

every few years, the skin on my left arm bicep tendonitis starts to darken and the skin starts to peal off. putting lotion and baby oil helps smoothen the skin but some of it still starts to peal off and it begins to hurt moving it around. stuff is genetic since my mother also has awful skin.

 

[Character from a movie]

every few years, the skin on my left arm bicep tendonitis starts to darken and the skin starts to peal off. putting lotion and baby oil helps smoothen the skin but some of it still starts to peal off and it begins to hurt moving it around. stuff is genetic since my mother also has awful skin.

Have you tried coconut or olive oil? Some edible oils have restorative properties. You may end up smelling like a salad tho

 

[HIVidaBoheme]

I was using hyaluronic acid daily, but my skin was getting red, now I use it once a week

Are you sure this wasn't retinoic acid instead of hyaluronic? I've never seen anyone turn red at using hyaluronic acid serums or enriched creams.

But with retinoic acid this is a common side effect, alongside photosensitive skin. so anyone using it take note of avoiding intense sunlight.

every few years, the skin on my left arm bicep tendonitis starts to darken and the skin starts to peal off. putting lotion and baby oil helps smoothen the skin but some of it still starts to peal off and it begins to hurt moving it around. stuff is genetic since my mother also has awful skin.

Have you considered trying cold cream or other products containing mineral oil or mineral oil by itself? It helps a lot with moisturizing and helping with skin peeling off for long term.

 

[Gravityqueen4life]

Have you tried coconut or olive oil? Some edible oils have restorative properties. You may end up smelling like a salad tho

never tried it. keep it in mind

Have you considered trying cold cream or other products containing mineral oil or mineral oil by itself? It helps a lot with moisturizing and helping with skin peeling off for long term.

i first tried coconut skin cream but it was not effective enough so i switch to eucerin cream and it seems to do the work. the pain has lessen and my skin has started to return to its more natural cooler. have been applying it three times a day.

 

[fat bunny]

I have had no skincare routine for a while (thanks depression) other than just whatever cleanser I grab in the shower. I've now started using tretinoin 1-2x a week to do.. things. I guess it's meant to combat aging and improve skin texture? I'm only using 0.025% so that a few times a week plus a sunscreen seems a good start. Anyone have any experience using it?

 

[one_time_user]

This stuff is magic for itchy or irritated skin https://www.aveeno.com/products/eczema-therapy-itch-relief-balm

 

[Cake Farts]

m still in my early 20s and the biggest problem i have is finding a hydrating face product that's cheap and won't clog my pores, the only ones that work for me are french pharmacy creams and they are mostly tested on animals and very expensive in my country.

I found out that Hyaluronic acid is an awesome hydrator. Provence beauty online has em for relatively cheap, and they’re vegan and cruelty free.

 

[HIVidaBoheme]

eucerin cream

Good job, Eucerin is good stuff but sadly it can cost a pretty penny. Keep it up 3 times, and consider using their sunscreen products.

I've now started using tretinoin 1-2x a week to do.. things. I guess it's meant to combat aging and improve skin texture? I'm only using 0.025% so that a few times a week plus a sunscreen seems a good start. Anyone have any experience using it?

Tretinoin is a retinoic acid adjacent product, it promotes new skin growth by stimulating cell replication at the cost of resistance to sunlight. I recommend you use it a night.

Sunscreen is good to filter ultraviolet light and hamper any damage it may to do your skin but tretinoin makes your skin more sensitive to sunlight. Make sure you're applying your sunscreen more often than usual and that the SPF is 30 or 50. Apply on your face, neck, neckline, arms and any other exposed area.

Plus don't go out in the sun between 10am and 3pm unless absolutely necessary.

 

[Odio a Botero]

I started giving myself premature smoker's lines from a not-smoking nervous habit (think McKayla Maroney meme) and after months I think I'm finally making progress. I've also considered temporarily getting Botox in that area to help unlearn the habit but this cake is not made out money.

Hey, look up on Youtube for buccal massage and try it once or twice a week, You can also find massages for that area but be delicate. I find it to be helpful and not very expensive.

 

[Odio a Botero]

I found out that Hyaluronic acid is an awesome hydrator. Provence beauty online has em for relatively cheap, and they’re vegan and cruelty free.

Sadly i pay in pesos lol. But you are right about hyaluronic acid, i think i can buy a local version online.

 

[Yaoi Zowie]

Are you sure this wasn't retinoic acid instead of hyaluronic? I've never seen anyone turn red at using hyaluronic acid serums or enriched creams.

But with retinoic acid this is a common side effect, alongside photosensitive skin. so anyone using it take note of avoiding intense sunlight.

FWIW I have heard of hyaluronic acid causing irritation. HA is good for making your skin look really nice temporarily, but I’ve always been advised to use it sparingly, not as a regular thing in your routine.


Topical HA can be a little sketchy as a humectant moisturizer imo, even though it seems really hyped nowadays. As I understand it: HA is naturally occurring in our bodies, but only deep in the dermis. It’s a big molecule, and even the topical HA advertised as “low weight” is too large to pass through the upper layers of your skin to the dermis.

HA in the epidermis pulls water from the deeper layers of your skin to create a "plumping" effect. Over time, the water evaporates, as it’s now close to the surface of your skin. In the end this leaves your skin more dehydrated than when you started.

So if you use HA, it’s good practice to put a strong occlusive moisturizer over the top of it.

Note that none of this applies to HA injections, which actually put the acid down in the dermis where it wants to be, away from the surface.

 

[HIVidaBoheme]

Topical HA can be a little sketchy as a humectant moisturizer imo, even though it seems really hyped nowadays. As I understand it: HA is naturally occurring in our bodies, but only deep in the dermis. It’s a big molecule, and even the topical HA advertised as “low weight” is too large to pass through the upper layers of your skin to the dermis.

While on the topic about HA, if topical HA irritates your skin an alternative is topical N-glucosamine either in serum formulations or ointments. N-glucosamine is a precursor molecule to HA and can stimulate your own body to produce HA where you need it in case you're put off by injections or the aforementioned sensitivity.

You can also find it as OTC treatment for arthritis as capsules but it's slower to act than the topical formulations.

I haven't tried it myself though but FWIW I learned about it at the same time I heard of HA.

 

[Beluga]

Hello ladies, I need your expertise. It seems I developed a couple of cysts along my jaw (I think due to hormones and stress). It's never happened to me before so I have no idea what I'm supposed to do, especially because I have very sensitive and very pale skin so it gets irritated extremely easily. Do I just leave them be and wait until they're gone? Is there any product that can help them get reabsorbed?

 

[Diet Cake]

Hello ladies, I need your expertise. It seems I developed a couple of cysts along my jaw (I think due to hormones and stress). It's never happened to me before so I have no idea what I'm supposed to do, especially because I have very sensitive and very pale skin so it gets irritated extremely easily. Do I just leave them be and wait until they're gone? Is there any product that can help them get reabsorbed?

Has it come to a head yet? I've found cysts that never come to a head take forever to go away, so I try to help it along.

What personally worked for me:
1. Warm compress throughout the day
2. At night, short contact therapy with 10% benzoyl peroxide (leave on for 3-5 minutes, wash off)
3. Spot treatment (diluted tea tree oil, 2% benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, Mario badescu, etc.) under some sort of pimple patch before bed.

Some people have success with applying evening primrose oil or drinking spearmint tea for hormonal acne, but I've never tried them.

Good luck, hope your skin calms down.