Salutations, junebugs!
My skin is:
- combination oily/dry
- sensitive
- acneic
- annoying
Morning
Whenever I actually manage to wake up, I keep it as simple as possible. My principle is to get all the night time's nasty oil-accumulate off my face, and put enough moisture back in so that my foundation goes on smoothly, but doesn't slip off.
Cleanser
Nubian Heritage Black Soap Bar // This stuff has been a delight. It cleanses my skin thoroughly, but doesn't dry it out too severely. It's more moisturizing even than my night cleanser, which I will get to.
Toner
I don't tone anymore. It dried out exactly the places that I wanted to moisturize. As it turns out, my cleansers are antibacterial enough for any acne I have. Can I get a mighty and raucous hell yeah!
Moisturizer
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Moisturizer // In a word, this moisturizer is angelic. It smells vaguely of marshmallows, but that isn't exactly why I like it (though it helps). It is lightweight and gel-based, yet somehow gives me a softness incomparable to any gel moisturizer I've tried previously. Most of the time gel moisturizers give you two seconds of illusory softness, and then you dry up as if you never put it on in the first place. I have to wait about ten minutes before I can put foundation on, which is fine. Eyeliner alone takes about that time anyway.
Evening
The evening's goal is to get rid of all the makeup, dirt, oil, and pollutants that have taken residence on my face. The battle plan is to wipe them out before they can colonize into a pimple. No mercy for acne.
Makeup Removal
Olive oil // Plain and simple. Fun fact of the day, I am greek, so olive oil has been a part of my skincare, haircare, and diet since I was a wee babe. I massage about a teaspoon into a dry face, covered in makeup. This is the most bizarre sensation ever if you've never cleansed with oil before. I felt like a deviant and a rule breaker the first time I ever did it. (Dry face? Oil? WHY?!) But trust me, it melts it right off. After I've rubbed it in thoroughly enough, I saturate a wash cloth with warm water and rub all the makeup off in circular motions. This is as far as I go to exfoliate. I don't need any bullshit crystalline lacerations.
Cleanser
Nubian Heritage Raw Shea Butter with Frankincense and Myrrh Soap Bar // Despite the shea butter, this soap is pretty deeply astringent. It leaves my pores emptied of that day's remaining grossness, and just a specter of dryness remains afterwards.
Moisturizer
Rose Hip Seed Oil. //At night, immediately following cleansing, I moisturize with this delightful stuff. Simple, noncomedogenic, and it doesn't make me greasy. Ten points to Slytherin. (Surprise, internet. Now you know my house.)
Treatments
About five minutes after moisturizing, I apply my Seborrheic Dermatitis treatment, which is a Fluocinonide topical fluid, to the folds of my nose and my hairline. This takes about twenty minutes to dry, so I will usually read a little bit or plan in my bullet journal (post coming soon!). After that twenty minutes, I will apply my acne treatment of choice. I alternate every other day between Clearasil Daily Clear Acne Treatment Cream, which is a 10% benzoyl peroxide cream, and my prescribed Retin-A, which is a .025% concentration topical solution of Tretinoin, the same chemical in Acutane pills. Benzoyl peroxide treats my acne very well. Salicylic acid, a much more popular treatment, manages to somehow make my skin worse. Great. I can't use the Retin-A every day, because it dries me out to all the circles of hell.
Allow me to insert a foundation-less selfie. I am on top of the moon, dudes. Tell me what you do! Tweet at me following the link below with what's saved your skin, or what you're trying.
love, lex
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