The Long Skincare Journey
The Products That Finally Helped
As you can see from my photo, I have some hyperpigmentation. Dry skin around my mouth and oily around my nose. My forehead? Oh the skin there is perfect. I should also let you know by way of introductions that the hyperpigmentation is mixed with acne scars, because, in spite of my good intentions, I touch my face. A LOT. I'm 43 with acne. Acne so bad that I could wash my face and put on makeup at 9am, and by noon be completely broken out. I'm also allergic to a ton of things and so finding a skincare routine that works to simply keep my skin quiet is no small task.
Today, I am going to share a small tidbit of my skin journey and hopefully you all can find something in here that you love as much as I love my new normal. I want to clarify that this journey has taken me quite some time to refine. I've only had this current routine for about 60 days, but its effective. The 1st couple of weeks with this routine were ugly as my skin purged, but I stuck with it and now my skin, as you can see, is doing alright.
Cleanser
Okay, I promise I am not a product junkie. I do have 3 cleansers that I use. Two, regularly and daily and the third is added when I wear makeup. I will tell you why I chose the cleansers that I did.
I mentioned my allergies before. My issue had to do with both fragrance and ingredients. I often have the issue of breaking out in hives when I use a new cleanser. I have to do patch testing before I can just wash my face. The good thing about a good cleanser is that it rinses clean. But, if there is any residue left on my skin then I am probably going to break out. That leads me to my criteria. A good cleanser needs to rinse clean, be either light fragrance or completely unscented, and have a workable pricepoint. A workable pricepoint means that I am able to attain it, even if its a little more expensive.
I use Fenty Skin's Remove-it-all Cleanser ($25) and Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant ($59). Now before you get all huffy on me, I told you it needed to have a workable pricepoint. Both Dermalogica and Fenty use Afterpay, which means that you can break the payments up so that you can afford it.
When I wear makeup, I use an additional precleanse, also from Dermalogica ( $45). The precleanse lasts me quite a long time as I only wear makeup for really important zoom appearances. Other than that, its my bare face.
Toner
Toner is really simple for me. I want to share with you that for a long time I used unscented witch hazel, and I didn't hate it. I just got reviews for the toner I chose and a sample and once I switched to try it, I was pretty hooked. The toner I use is Fenty's Fat-Water Pore-Refining Toner Serum ($28).
Listen, it wasn't a hard sell. It's a part of the overall fenty skin line and I am a firm believer that some products really work best when they are used together. I like the toner because it doesn't make my skin feel dry after using it. My skin simply glows without feeling stripped when I use this hydrating toner. The short answer to why I will keep it in my routine is that it does what it says it will do.
Moisturizer
This is always the toughest part for me. I've used a ton of moisturizers, any one with oil is kind of a no-go for me. So I actually use Neutrogena's Oil-Free Face Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin ($11.99). I have also been known to ditch moisturizer and use sunscreen only and in that instance my go-to is back with Fenty Skin, in the person of their Hydra-Vizer Invisible Moisturizer with SPF 30 ($35). I use the slightest amount of moisturizer possible because, like I stated before, my skin is very sensitive.
If my skin is too dry, or too hydrated, or I smile too much my skin breaks out. That makes me especially particular about what I do with my skin.
I love what my skin has looked like since going to this regimen. After my battle with several brands I have finally found a safe place for my skin to breathe and coexist with the rest of my body.
Aside from my skincare routine, if you are wondering what kind of makeup a girl with skin as sensitive as mine uses, I use Fenty beauty for my base. So from primer to setting spray, I use Fenty. This is because I can wear the makeup for more than 3 hours. I have been able to wear a full face of Fenty for an entire 10 hour day without a new pimple in sight. So it's safe to say I am a Fenty queen.
Other in my purse go-to's include Eos lip balms, cuticle oils of various brands and a ring light in case my flawless beat is overshadowed by not-so-flattering ambiance. I hope you can find something from my medicine cabinet that helps. And remember that afterpay is your friend during this pandemic.
Stay well.
About the Creator
Jaylynn Smith
I just want to be heard
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