I would like to know what your routine is in general, but I'm also specifically curious about what products you use, if you use them, and what the rationale is behind each product.
My routine:
Morning
- Rinse face with warm water.
- Scrub face and neck with warm, wet washcloth.
- Apply facial moisturizer with SPF (I use CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30) to face, neck, and hands.
Evening
- Shower.
- While in shower, scrub entire body with an exfoliating mitt (ie this one).
- Apply a retinol (I use Retin-A (tretinoin 0.05%)) to face, neck, and hands.
- Apply facial moisturizer (I use CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion) to face, neck, and hands
- Apply body lotion (I use CeraVe Moisturizing Cream) to whole body, excluding hands and face.
I have used, and considered continuing using a BHA (also AHA?) liquid exfoliant (I have read that it shouldn't be used at the same time as retinol due to PH requirements, ie use it in the morning and retinol in the evening) (I previously used Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, but I no longer because I have lost trust in Paula's Choice overall due to their borderline false advertising regarding their retinol product [1]), but I am unsure of what a good product would be, and the rationale behind it. I have also heard about Vitamin E, though I've never used it.
References
- "[Research] Study: The Ordinary and Paula's Choice retinols are unstable". toa20. r/SkincareAddiction. Reddit. Published: 2023-01-26T17:49:01.223Z. Accessed: 2024-10-29T05:16Z. https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/comments/10lxshy/research_study_the_ordinary_and_paulas_choice/.
I’m going to get reamed on here for too many products and spending way too much money but I’m an aging female in a very superficial location, so please forgive me! And marketing clearly works on me…
Morning: Cetaphil cleanser, with just hands. I wouldn’t scrub your face with a wash cloth, sounds too harsh. Skinceuticals Phloretin (it’s a high end vitamin C serum)- this one has really evened out my skin tone and apparently protects from further sun damage. Before upcoming lotions I mist with water or Caudalie grape water spray-helps lock in moisture with the lotions Alastin Restorative Skin Complex serum-my dermatologist recommended this one, he also sells it..no idea how much it has individually helped or not Kiehls avocado eye cream Dieux instant angel gel cream Little bit of La Roche Posay cicaplast under eyes Supergoop mineral matte spf 40 sunscreen
Evening: Double cleanse-start with Neutrogena sesame seed oil on dry face-I’ve only been doing this about a month and it’s my favorite (and cheapest) thing now-removes makeup and oil or dirt from the day really well and it’s really hydrating. Then lightly wash with cetaphil cleanser. Alastin Restorative Skin Complex Dr Dennis Grossman retinol eye cream Skinceuticals a.g.e Interruptor lotion Aklief- this is a prescription tretinoin derivative and I don’t use it every day Skinceuticals Triple Lipid Repair La Roche Posay cicaplast lightly under eye
On my chest I use Timeless vitamin c (a good dupe for the Skinceuticals Phloretin) in the morning and then the Dieux InstantAngel cream. Also been using some leftover skinceuticals HA Immerse there that didn’t work well on my face.
Body I do a messy mixture of Gold Bond Retinol body lotion mixed with a vitamin E oil and water nightly
I’m still sort of figuring it out and would love to eliminate stuff but I’m not sure what. It’s ever-evolving. Admittedly I spend WAY too much money on this, but fuck it, I can and it makes me feel good. Also this stuff (at least some of it) has totally transformed my skin for the better. So maybe some of it is a waste but some of it definitely works
Yo it's good to take care of your skin, and it's good to do things that make you feel good. I used to do an intense Korean skincare routine but since COVID I don't really leave home so I've cut it down to almost three steps. Easy peasy if you never see the sun and don't wear makeup nor have a medical condition.
I am gonna have to check some of these out though. I can't out-hermit age lol
Oh yeah, age will catch up on you quick! And I’m in a very sunny/outdoor activity area so I really have to be vigilant about taking care of my skin. The Korean skincare sounds interesting but I have no idea where to start