at the very least you should cleanse, moisturize, and use sunscreen. anything else is just to address specific concerns you may have with your skin (like acne!) and not completely necessary.
I don't think I've ever moisturized in my life. What does that mean again? That's just when you put lotion on right?
yes, moisturizing is using a lotion, cream, etc. to impart and/or seal moisture into your skin. every time you cleanse your face/body, some of the moisture from within your skin evaporates along with the water once it dries. to prevent some of that water loss, you use a moisturizer afterwards. you can also use a water-based moisturizer to add some hydration to your skin as needed.
Speaking of skincare budget, years ago I used to spend a shitton of money on Lush's products because they were the only thing that worked for me. I have very fair, very sensitive and very dry skin, an absolute nightmare to deal with (on the plus side I rarely get pimples or break out). In winter my skin was so dry that I could peel layer after layer of skin on my nose. I'd tried every single moisturizer and cleanser from brands like Nivea, Garnier etc. and they all made my skin terrible, it'd get oily and dry/dehydrated at the same time and I'd get breakouts regularly. Finally, a friend told me to try Lush's Angels on bare skin and Imperialis and they worked like a charm.
i started with a retinol serum, then transitioned to differin gel bi-weekly, now i use it every night. i have pretty sensitive skin and don't recall having much beyond "oh this is new" tingling for the first couple of uses. granted, i don't use a salicylic acid wash at night (i just spot treat with a benzoyl peroxide wash in the AM), but i think you should be okay! retinols typically are less irritating/drying than retinoids, and as long as your skin is dry (as in not wet, but moisturized) you can minimize irritation.
It's really painful the first time on your scalp/top of forehead. I use 1.5mm needles there. it was slightly less painful the second time. I have a rigorous maintenance routine that is considered by many to contain painful things and am fine with all of them. giving blood or getting shots isn't even noticed by me. dermarolling HURTS.
I wouldn't use it if you're completely new to acids.
Ouch, I think I'll just stick to my weekly Freeman clay facial scrub.
I love chemical exfoliation and absolutely swear by it, it's my favourite step in my routine and the one that really changed my skin. But yeah, you have to be a little careful, and going from nothing to the strongest acid on the market could cause problems.
Be careful with retinol and start with a low percentage first. Also check to make sure it doesn't adversely react with anything you are currently using. Some products will combine retinol with vitamin c, which may be ok for some people but I found that it caused irritation and redness on my normally not-very-sensitive skin. Vitamin c and other common skincare ingredients have some opposing effects with retinol and so should be alternated (retinol at night and your other products during the day).
