Any Suggestions?

[KatDM08]

Hi! I'm Kat and I am a teen still trying to figure out some sort of skincare routine. I have normal skin, and while I don't have acne, I do get a moderate amount of pimples. As of now, I use the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, (suggested by mom) the Cetaphil Moisturizer for dry skin (suggested by mom too),and  a prescription cream. I also use a Freeman Body Scrub and random face masks. I really want to up my skincare game and take better care of my skin because I haven't been for most of my life. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[greeneyedgirl107]

@KatDM08 If you are concerned about pimples, you may wish to look into Differin.  It now comes OTC, but I think the Rx is superior.  

For a routine, a gentle, liquid cleanser is best.  Integrating BHA is also really helpful.  Spot treating with benzoyl peroxide is good, too.

If you are still struggling, ask your derm if you are a candidate for Retin-A.

let me know if you'd like specific product recs.  Also, look up the products you are using on beautypedia and see how they stack up.  Good luck!  🙂

[LilaMJ]

Hi @KatDM08 ! I’m also a teenager 💕 I do have acne though. But here are some products I’d recommend. The Cetaphil cleanser is great, but if it’s not working for your u, I would suggest Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser 5.41 oz/ 160 mL , but if this is too expensive, try SEPHORA COLLECTION ClearSkinDays Clarifying Cleanser . But if you like the Cetaphil cleanser, I would definitely recommend continuing to use it! I love SEPHORA COLLECTION All Day Hydrator - Hydrate & Glow 1.69oz/ 50mL . It is 96% natural ingredients, non comedogenic (won’t clog your pores), and has Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronic Acid is amazing, because it draws moisture from the air to your skin, making it super nice, soothing, and hydrating 💧 I hope this helps! And @WinglessOne air totally right, you should be wearing sunscreen every day! I think it would be okay to use just a normal sunscreen, but a popular Hooke is Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Invisible Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA +++ 1.7 oz/ 50 mL , which also protects against blue light. Please let me know if you have any questions, I feel like I will be able to really relate! Have a great day 😊

[WinglessOne]

Hi @KatDM08 ! Are there any specific issues you want to address, aside from acne? (Does the prescription cream address acne?) That should be your starting point when deciding what skincare items to change or add to your routine. If your cleanser, moisturizer, Rx cream, and various masks are working well for your skin, then you might not need anything else. 🙂 There's nothing wrong with sticking to a basic routine. In fact, most dermatologists would probably recommend that over a 10+ step routine. 

Do you use a sunscreen with minimum SPF of 30, each day your skin's exposed to sunlight, all year long, regardless of how overcast the weather is? That's the only thing I see missing from your current routine. If you already use one: hooray! If not: sunscreen is the best preventative anti-aging skincare product on the market. Many "signs of aging" are caused by exposure to UVA/UVB rays from the sun. 

[KatDM08]

hello! To be honest I don’t usually use SPF except for in the summer...oops. Can I just use sunscreen or is there something particular I should use? P.S. yea it’s a acne prescription cream 

[WinglessOne]

@KatDM08  Since you're already using an Rx cream for acne, I won't suggest more acne products. 🙂 Instead I'll recommend following up with your dermatologist (or whichever doctor prescribed the cream) if you feel your Rx isn't doing the job, and get personalized recommendations that way. 

For sunscreen: just make sure the SPF is at least 30 and is "broad spectrum." 

Spoiler

A broad spectrum sunscreen should protect your skin from both UVB and UVA rays. Sunscreens that aren't broad spectrum only address UVB. The sun doesn't stop shooting UV rays at Earth in the winter (the sun doesn't know or care what season we're in down here 😉) so yep, definitely wear sunscreen all year long. 

If you see a sunscreen with an SPF rating that has plus signs after it, the plus signs are supposed to represent the strength of UVA protection. (The SPF number only applies to UVB protection strength. Kinda confusing, yeah, I know.) 4 plus signs is the highest UVA protection rating. But if you see a sunscreen labeled "broad spectrum" with no plus signs, it should still have some UVA protection. 

There's also "full spectrum," which means that sunscreen will protect against UVA/UVB rays and blue light—the stuff emitted from computer/phone/tablet screens. Blue light can also damage skin. Some folks are especially sensitive to blue light. Whether or not you really need a full spectrum sunscreen is up to you... if you spend many hours a day facing devices that emit blue light, then you might wanna consider wearing a full spectrum sunscreen indoors, even if you never go outside during daylight hours or sit by an open window during the day. 

If you plan to be outside for many hours on a hot day when you'll sweat a lot, or when you'll be in water, you'll want a water-resistant sunscreen that won't quickly melt off your face when you sweat or enter a pool/lake/ocean/rain/whatever. 

No matter what kind of sunscreen you use, please reapply it every 2-3 hours. Sunscreen's not a one-and-done application: it does eventually disappear from your skin, so you have to reapply, no matter how high the SPF is. 

And be sure to apply sunscreen to ALL exposed skin: eyelids, ears, behind the ears, back of neck (if exposed), hands, arms, ankles, feet, etc. Skin cancer doesn't discriminate against certain body locations, after all. 🙂 

[LilaMJ]

@KatDM08 a sunscreen is totally fine!

[KatDM08]

Thank you so much!!! You were a big help! 

[iloveSuns]

Hi Kat! Two of my favorite products are LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask Intense Hydration with Vitamin C Original and Glow Recipe Watermelon + AHA Glow Sleeping Mask 2.7 oz/ 80 mL