Skincare Routine Help! Sunday Riley/Tatcha/Drunk Elephant

[MissMarkie]

Hello!

I was hoping to get some advice on my current skincare routine, the products I own, and whether or not I am using them correctly. 

For reference: I have dry skin with hormonal acne that I haven't been able to clear up 100% completely since getting it 2 years ago after quitting the pill. The majority of my skin is in great condition, the only area I get breakouts are on my chin, which can get rather red and congested looking when really flared up. I take natural supplements and have an extensive skincare routine that I follow religiously. I drink my water, I don't touch my face, I wash my pillowcases, I always take my makeup off before bed, I am pretty good at 90% of the time avoiding & substituting dairy and processed junk food. I know it doesn't help that I wear a full-face of makeup every night at work under bright/hot theater stage lights. I'm just at a loss! And have spent probably thousands of dollars on skincare over the years trying to find a solution. I don't know if I'm using the right products for my skin type... am I over-doing things... am I doing my steps in the right order.. are there things I don't even need to be using.. should I be using only one of these brands for a complete skincare routine? I'd love for someone to take a look at my routine and give me any advice or suggestions! 

Morning:

-Philosophy Purity Cleanser

-Tatcha The Essence

-Sunday Riley Good Genes (not daily, I sometimes use at night after Luna instead)

-Drunk Elephant LaLa Retro Moisturizer

-Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue

Evening:

-Remove makeup with Neutrogena wipes

-Philosophy Purity Cleanser

-Tatcha The Essence

-Sunday Riley Luna

-Sunday Riley Good Genes (only if I didn't already use during the daytime)

-Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue

------or, my alternating nights--------

Remove makeup with Neutrogena wipes

Philosophy Purity Cleanser

Tatcha The Essence

Tatcha Violet C Serum

Drunk Elephant LaLa Retro Moisturizer

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue

I exfoliate 2x a week with the Ole Henrickson Walnut Scrub and will use Glam Glow Supermud or Sunday Riley Saturn masks if acne is really flared up.

I also am currently taking Hum Nutrition The Daily Cleanse supplements which supposedly helps with hormonal acne.

[tme459]

You have some really good products but you might be over using some things. Purity is a really good all around cleanser that worked when I had terrible pre accutane skin/oily/acne( about 12 years ago) and now post accutane/sensitive/dry skin. Also it worked well pre and post pill for me too. So keep Purity as a staple. I would recommend a gentle exfoliating product for your skin type.. not the walnut scrub, as it tears the surface of your skin. I was a victim to the same type of scrubs in the past. I fell in love with amorepacific enzyme peel years ago. It’s a game changer and it lasts forever. You don’t need to use it everyday especially if your using acids like Good Genes or other treatments that exfoliate. Good Genes is the absolute best product I have ever come across and if I had to use one product and throw out all the rest,it would be Good Genes. So basically you just need to cleanse with Purity, occasionally exfoliate with a gentle enzyme product like AMOREPACIFIC, and maybe try adding Caudalie Grape water afterwards to soothe skin after this process. (I love it!) If you are liking the essence, use it next and once it soaks, apply your serum (Good Genes). I swear by this serum but remember it is lactic acid so it is an exfoliating treatment as well as an overall skin perfecting powerhouse. So you don’t need to over exfoliate with other products. A little goes along way and you can mess up your skin if you over do it with exfoliating washes and serums so start slow and pay attention to how your skin reacts. If it’s irritated, you’re using too much. Next at night, use a good moisturizer and/or oil. Drunk Elephant is an excellent choice. I love the Protini and the Marula oil but both are pricey. Fresh is another brand you can’t go wrong with, regardless of skin type also. As far as day time, cleanse, and use your vitamin c serum (another excellent product), or you can use good genes, then follow with a moisturizer with spf. **If you don’t use an spf while using all of these other products to resurface and exfoliate your skin, you’re going to do a lot more harm then good. Your new skin will be raw and exposed to the elements and the sun will destroy it, undoing all the progress you’ve made. So you have to use an spf. It’s really difficult to find a moisturizer with spf that you’ll actually want to wear but it’s important. *I actually found one that I love! It’s hydrating without being greasy like the majority of spf creams and it leaves a pretty glowing/dewy look to my skin. Sometimes I don’t even wear makeup because it just makes my skin look pretty somehow, especially with the vitamin c serum. Anyway it’s the Josie Maran Daily Moisturizer SPF 47. Try it!! It’s one of my HG moisturizers with or without SpF.. but def gotta use it during the day! I hope I somewhat helped.

[TrysBeautyItems]

@MissMarkie Looks like you're missing standalone spf, acids can make the skin sun sensitive.

I would skip the wipes, basically more exfoliation, roughs up the skin. Oil cleanser to remove makeup the purity. Purity now has an oil.Oil breaks up makeup and will add hydration to the skin.

Tatcha C and good Gene's both are acids, plus the walnut scrub all exfoliate. Luna is a retinoid. Probably can get away with less exfoliating.

In terms of acne, less is more. Exfoliating a lot wouldn't help. If you haven't yet, see a dermatologist. There are other options for hormonal acne besides BCP.

[MissMarkie]

Thanks for taking the time to read my post and for your advice!

Should I not be doing Violet C, Luna, and GG all at the same time? Should I drop any of those if that is too many exfoliating acids? Im curious about switching to all Tatcha products since they're "green" and I hear gentle for the skin. They have a Camilla Cleansing Oil for removing makeup I was looking at trying...

I saw a Derm a year and a half ago and he basically told me my only options for tackling hormonal acne was getting back on BC or a taking a prescription pill & topical gel, which I gave a try, and it gave me crazy dry scalp and didn't budge my acne. So quit that haha, and started focusing on natural daily supplements and changes in my diet. I do get it decently under control, its by no means "severe", its just not as 100% clean, even, and smooth as I'd like my complexion to be. I model for a living, so taking care of my skin and appearance are a big part of my job maintenance lol.