It Puts The Lotion

Wow! It’s been a while since my last update and I have made a LOT of changes and I’ve seen some progress. Let’s start with my current routine. I will then mention some things that worked, some things that didn’t, and some things that have yet to be determined. I will show some new favorite products, and mention some internal changes I have made as well in an attempt to control my hormone balance.

My goal was to introduce a new product every two weeks as recommended in the skin care addicts subreddit. Unfortunately, I was a bit too impatient for that, but I did wait at least a week between introducing each new product.

AM

- splash with water

- tarte tingle treatment

- secret key starting treatment

- hado labo goku jun (moist), as many skins as I need. Usually 3-5

- DE vit C serum

- a'pieu madecassoside cream

- tarte sea berry oil

- Clinique prep start SPF 50

PM

*every 3 days I use a tretonin/glycolic treatment after cleansing, and about once a week a so TO AHA/BHA peel. I wait 20 min for my face to fully dry, apply the treatment and wait another 20 min for the product to work. Obviously I rinse the peel off and continue my routine from there.

* if I’m feeling dry I will skip the acid toner and the secret key

- hado labo oil cleanser (or Clinique take the day off oil cleanser)

- Jordan Samuel plié cleanser

- tarte tingle

- secret key

- hado labo goku jun hyaluronic acid (moist) 3-7 skins

- a'pieu madecassoside cream

- TO Argan oil

- ceraVe healing ointment in super dry or acne prone areas. (Sometimes I use the cosrx honey mask or glow watermelon mask instead all over)

(AB haul. From left to right, secret key starting treatment, hado labo goku jun in moist, hado labo oil cleanser, a'pieu madecassoside cream, cosRx overnight honey mask)

Whats working:

- properly moisturizing my face. The HL hyaluronic acid has been amazing. I’ve almost finished the bottle and reordered two more as well as the premium which I’ve read is thicker. Can’t wait to try it. The a'pieu madecassoside cream has been really nice too. The DE protini wasn’t quite enough for me. I have two bottles of it now which blows because it was expensive. I got excited because it was so much better than my khiels, but it still stings. It has some alcohol in it which I’m not fond of. Oils over my treatments and a mask has also been super helpful in retaining moisture. I have also started keeping track of my water intake. I drink a min of 2 liters a day, up to a gallon. Being properly hydrated has allowed me to use my tretonin more often! Meaning less acne!

-vit c. Continuing to see a decrease in PIH (post inflammatory erythema) overtime.

- acids. I think the tarte tingle treatment is my favorite. Doesn’t dry me out as much as the pixi so I can use it more often. There’s also glycolic in my tret so why do I need that much glycolic silly girl!

- hydrocolloid bandages!! Keeps me from picking. Oh my gosh so helpful. Heals my acne in DAYS instead of WEEKS.

Prodcuts ive tried that didn’t make the cut:

- DE protini. Not moisturizing enough, stings.

- DE SPF 30. White cast. Greasy. Only 30?? Boo.

- pyunkang yul toner mist. I will eventually try this one again, but I think I had an allergic reaction. My face was very itchy after using. However, I was traveling and a lot of things were different, so I may give it another go.

Pictured: me with TO AHA/BHA peel and a matcha soy latte which is a good segway into my next topic. Internal changes.

I have done a number of things to my diet in an attempt to fix my hormonal balance which is ultimately the cause of my acne. I can treat the symptoms all day, but if I don’t get to the bottom of the real issue, things won’t really change.

I mentioned tracking my water intake. In addition to that I have also cut dairy, started drinking spearmint tea, matcha, and taking vitamin D and evening primrose.

Now I understand some of these things have more scientific backing than others. I also understand I started a lot of these at the same time so if I do see a difference (and I feel I have), I won’t really know what’s helping. However, I can always cut one and if I see regression that will also indicate cause. I feel confident about the vitamin D. I have been shown to have low levels of D and there is a scientific link between that and acne. I also feel good about the spearmint and the matcha. I feel less confident about the dairy and the evening primrose. I see SO many people swear by cutting dairy for their acne I just gotta try it. What’s the worst that can happen? Clear skin? Eating way less sugar because no Ben and Jerry’s which ALSO will probably help? If you have any studies one way or another on any of these topics I would love to read more.

Pictured: spearmint tea, D3 supplements, evening primrose supplements, cute cat mug

Pictured: matcha latte I had in Amsterdam

Pictured: best friend

And finally, an honest picture of where my skin is at. I do see a lot of progress but I don’t think it photographs particularly well. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

A couple days ago, I was watching some Gothamista videos on you tube and came across her seven skin method video. Seven skins is a Korean method of applying a hydrating toner (not your acid toner! Yikes!). It involves putting your toner on in 7 layers or, “skins”. The idea is to help your skin stay moisturized and it works for all skin types as long as the toner you use works for your type. You can even use more than one toner or *gasp* SEVEN toners.

But let’s not go that crazy right now. I don’t even have more than one toner that I have tested for my skin yet! The past couple days I have been trying this method out and I really like it! I have dry skin, and it’s condition isn’t great but it’s getting better as I have been repairing it over the last week or so by switching out my cleanser to a non stripping one, and by only double cleansing at night to get off sunscreen and/or makeup. In the morning, I only rinse my face with water and then proceed to the next steps of my routine.  After applying 7 layers of toner my face feels plump and hydrated. I’ve also noticed all my flaking is gone (but I haven’t used retinol in 4 days lol)

Here’s how to do the seven skin method:

Cleanse as normal

Apply a dime sized amount of your favorite hydrating toner to your palm.

Rub your hands together to spread out the product.

Tap into your cheeks first, then chin, then forehead, then nose, then neck! The cheek and mouth area are usually the driest so we start hydrating there with the most product.

Repeat 6 more times! Or until you feel nice and plump

Continue the rest of your routine as normal.

This should help your skin stay hydrated, and prep it to take in the rest of the products in your routine.

Over the past week I have had many realizations about my skincare routine after joining Reddit and reading over the Skincare Addict subreddit as well as the Asian Beauty subreddit. I also stumbled upon Stephanie Nicole on you tube and watched her videos multiple times as well as a few of Gothamista’s. Needless to say, I’ve learned a lot and realized a lot of the things I’m doing for my skin are more harmful than helpful.

I have dry skin and have hormonal acne. Up until a few years ago, I never had any skin issues. I had beautiful, clear skin. I would get the occasional blemish, and pick the shit out of it with no consequences. Alas, time comes for us all and this is not the case anymore. I can no longer pick at my blemishes without creating PIE (post inflammatory erythema). That means it leaves behind red/pink spots as well as some scarring. It really only sunk in a week ago that this was happening and I had to cut it out. I am officially one week pick-free and fortunately my neurosis seem to be ok directed toward research instead of compulsive picking.

I also learned that half my products are not doing me any favors. I seem to have destroyed my moisture barrier by using an incredibly stripping moisturizer. Khiels ultra cleanser to be exact. After I use it, my skin feels tight and dry. It’s uncomfortable. So this means my skins PH balance is off and it’s unable to retain moisture like it should, even with a moisturizer and oil on top. My khiels moisturizer needs to be replaced as well. It stings on my skin if I have been using my retinol. For the time being, I am stopping my glycolic, and cutting my tretonin down to every 3 days. I WISH I could confidently take the tretonin out until my barrier is repaired, but I fear my acne with EXPLODE

I am switching out my cleanser first, to Jordan Samuel after show cleanser. Then I will switch my moisturizer to drunk elephant protini and b-hydra.

I ordered a bunch of products, mostly at the recommendation of Stephanie Nicole’s AM and PM videos.

I also realized I was being very inconsistent and didn’t know what order to put my products in. I’m well versed in that now.

So here is my routine as of today 5-8-18

AM

Rinse with water, no cleanser

Kiehls ultra toner

The ordinary vitamin c

Kiehls plumping retexturing serum

Kiehls ultra moisturizer

The ordinary argan oil

Clinique tinted SPF 50

PM

Clinique Take the day off oil cleanser

Kiehls ultra cleanser

If tretonin night, wait 20 min, add tretonin, wait 20 more then

Kiehls toner

Kiehls serum

Kiehls moisturizer

The ordinary argan oil

My Jordan Samuel package JUST got here! cant wait to try it tonight!

So heres my skin last wednesday

And heres my skin today, 6 days later

I can already see a reduction in redness from the consistency of the Vit C and NOT PICKING MY SKIN. Still getting new acne, which isnt surprising at all. Still dry as a bone, if not dryer than a week ago from the cleanser.