The Last Skincare Edit
Willing to say what no one else will!
If you have been here since 2011 or so, you may know I have been on a deep skincare journey. I don’t really know when I started getting consistent hormonal acne, but I think a lot of the time I remember it being worse than it actually was. I have always had a fear that my insides were rotting and I’d just find out one day that everything inside of me looked like those smokers lungs they show you in health class (I don’t smoke, but still), so I kind of avoided considering that this was a problem that started internally. I didn’t want to see the lungs!!
I was able to take care of my hormonal acne through literal years of trial and error. I used to use 12 products at a time, cut out dairy, cut out caffeine, stopped eating meat, face mask, face scrub, mask again, acid peel, etc. etc. and nothing worked. I think also having access to absolutely every product under the sun, especially during my time at Allure, made it even more frustrating that nothing worked. It was debilitating and I truly can’t say enough how crippling it was to feel like everyone was always looking at my skin. I realized no matter what products I used, it was never going to go away unless I took a look at The Lungs. The first thing I did was go on birth control: Not going to discuss if you should do this, I’m just telling you it has changed my life in many ways once I was on the right dose.
Next–and again, even this next step took many years to do–I finally took the recommendation of my former Allure co-worker Jessica Chia during COVID and saw her dermatologist. Jess swore he changed her skin completely and by the time my second visit rolled around, I could say the same. The straw that broke the camels back was all-over acne. Usually, like I said, my areas of congestion were my chin and jawline. I started having breakouts all over my cheeks and forehead, which I never had before. I went to my first appointment not willing to leave without an Accutane prescription. Instead, I left with Spironolactone and Benzaclin. And it worked! But then I got lazy and forgot to go for my bloodwork, so the refills stopped coming. On birth control alone, I saw relief of physical and visual symptoms. On all three? I saw The Light. I got back on my routine this year and my skin has done a complete and consistent 180. I also started using Tretinoin: Game changer.
Now, I consider everything I do as a helping hand to the clinical parts of my routine. I am simply here to say that…less is more. Did we all know that? Maybe! Do I wish someone convinced me of it 10 years ago so I wouldn’t have to consider some type of laser treatment or chemical peel because of micro-tears in my skin from physical exfoliants? Yeah! Anyway. Find a recommended dermatologist that takes your insurance. I want to name mine but also don’t want to fight even more people to get an appointment. The waiting room is filled to the brim every time I go for a visit. Maybe I’ll ask next visit if I can do a name reveal. Stay tuned!
This is everything I use and would recommend for anyone trying to make their routine more gentle and effective. I have a few rules:
I don’t like problem-solving cleansers, save for PanOxyl, and prefer to keep that for my toner and topicals.
Double cleanse always.
Have a few things on hand for emergencies.
Don’t pick.
Accessories
Starface Hydro-Star Pimple Patches, $14.99
No patches are better than these! I wear them everywhere, all the time. No shame. I only like the classic yellow ones–the blue ones move around too much for me. You have to apply these to dry skin! I like to do my cleanser, toner, apply, then continue my routine for optimal wear time.
I love doing an ice roller every once in a while! It’s important to me than any devices going on my face are non-porous and easy to sanitize. There’s not more to say about this…cold helps with de-puffing, it’s that simple!
Sacheu Gua Sha, $32
I really love doing a gua sha treatment to my jaw. I hold a lot of tension there so I like to do this and drain my lymph nodes while I watch tv. Follow this up with a lot of water! Again, this one is stainless steel which is a preference to avoid harboring bacteria.
Cleansing
CeraVe Cleansing Oil, $11
This is a no-frills, all-performance cleansing oil. It removes makeup and honestly is enough on its own. I just like to double cleanse! I use this in the morning, too, to take off skincare from the night before.
Purito From Green Cleansing Oil, $18
My skincare and makeup guru Meghan, who you may remember from other expert recommendation newsletters, told me about this oil cleanser and I absolutely love it. I alternate between this and the Cerave one. Meghan is known for her backstage facials: I’ve witnessed masks, cleanses, Aqua Peel gels, and more in the makeup chair–all cleansed off with a Clean Skin Club Towel, which we are both fans of.
Rhode Pinapple Enzyme Cleanser, $28
This definitely has a specific clinical smell, but I am so impressed by how little you need to both get remains of makeup off and truly cleanse your skin. It doesn’t leave your skin tight or irritated like a lot of gel cleansers do. If you aren’t willing to take the risk on Rhode–mistake but yours to make!–I recommend the CosRx Low pH Morning Gel Cleanser.
PanOxyl Antimicrobial 4% Benzyol Peroxide Cleanser, $9
I think I started using this because my friend Rio said to and she had very specific instructions on how to make it effective: Apply to clean skin like a mask, go about the rest of your shower, then rinse. The benzoyl peroxide needs time to work before you rinse it off. I like to use this, especially on my chin, when I am on my placebo birth control week. Two alternative uses: under your arms once a week if you wear natural deodorant and on your chest/shoulders in the summer !! Trust me.