I recently was looking over old pictures of my skin when I was in my mid to late teens, and honestly I was shocked. My skin was so textured and oily. Of course, teenage hormones and the makeup I would wear nearly every single day were definitely contributing factors, but I look back and wish I had taken better care of my skin and used the right products for my skincare concerns. Looking back has made me grateful for the state of my skin now.
Over the past year, I have really been able to decipher what works best and was able to create a routine I enjoy and one that keeps my skin in check, for the most part. Although it is nowhere near perfect (a girl can dream) my skin has certainly come a long way and I'd like to share the products that have helped me do that.
THE ORDINARY GLYCOLIC ACID 7% TONING SOLUTION
This product pretty much took care of all the texture on my skin, of which was most noticeable on my forehead. From memory, I don't really have a recollection of having too bad of texture but looking back at actual photos it was way worse than I remembered. And in retrospect, I likely know what caused it. When I was younger I would often slick my hair back into my (now-retired) signature top knot and wouldn't wash my hair for days, leaving all the hair product I used to marinate with the natural oils of my hair. That would then cause all that product to migrate to my forehead when sleeping, causing little bumps under the surface of the skin--- what I now know to be pomade acne.
But thanks to this product in particular, I was able to see a major difference and now have little to no texture or bumps on my forehead nor the rest of my face.
THE ORDINARY NIACINAMIDE 10% + ZINC 1%
I feel like Niacinamide has been somewhat of a hero ingredient in the skincare space at the moment, and it is for an absolute reason. When I first purchased the Ordinary's Niacinamide serum, it was a little before it had really become popular in the skincare community.
The reason I had purchased it was in attempts to improve the amount of sebum my skin was producing. My skin is already quite oily but would just get progressively more oily throughout the day, especially if I was wearing makeup. This would cause me to have to touch up or blot semi-frequently to keep me from looking incredibly shiny. After using Niacinamide for over a year, although my skin still does get fairly oily, I truly feel that my sebum production is way more under control and my complexion is way more even.
THE ORDINARY RETINOL 1% IN SQUALENE
I get the impression that people are hesitant when it comes to introducing a retinol serum into their skincare routine. As to why, I'm not sure considering this is probably the number one product in my lineup that has made the most difference in my skin. For those with more sensitive and delicate skin types, I would recommend starting at a lower percentage of retinol as your skin will have to build up a tolerance. I personally started at with the highest percentage of retinol, because I have very resilient and non-sensitive skin.
Not only is retinol preventative, as it has anti-aging properties, but I personally found that it greatly impacted the smoothness of my skin and has helped fade acne scarring, leaving me with an overall clearer and brighter complexion.
DERMALOGICA DAILY MICROFOLIANT EXFOLIATOR
When I hit my 20's, I began to experience dryness and flaky skin, most noticeably on my nose, around my eyes, chin and between my eyebrows. So much so that enough friction between my skin and fingers would leave me with pellets of dead skin on my hands. Although I was already using chemical exfoliation, I needed something that would physically remove the dead skin that was clearly there yet was gentle enough and wouldn't cause long-term damage either. I found a solution with the Dermalogica Daily Mircrofoliant, which is a rice-based powder that becomes a paste-like consistency when dampened with water.
It is unique in that the powder is so incredibly fine, and provide the right amount of light physical exfoliation without causing mircotears in your skin which can lead to irritation and potential long term damage. You only need the smallest dash of product, but I've really noticed how smooth and bright my skin feels and looks after using it a few times per week.
These products were vital to getting my skin in the best state it has ever been. I've never been someone blessed with naturally clear and good skin, so these few products have really worked wonders. I hope my recommendations will do the same for you, and help you get your best skin right in time for summer.
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