Easy Skin care

[z1989]

So I am a inherently a very lazy person, I want to get an easy skin care routine. Things I can do and use? My skin is mixed - dry and oily. Also I feel like some areas are getting pigmentation and I notice pores around my nose. 
All recommendations and suggestions would be highly appreciated. 

please and thank you, 

your lazy sister 

[WinglessOne]

@z1989  Heh, there's nothing wrong with wanting the fewest skincare steps possible. In fact, the only necessary steps for everyone are cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Some folks do need additional treatment steps based on their particular skin issues/goals, but those 3 basic steps are the common denominator. 

Sounds like you have combo skin. So do I. If you have pores that are always visible, that's okay: pores are a normal feature of skin. You can't close or "erase" visible pores. But if they look larger than usual lately, you can remove some of the gunk (dead skin cells, for instance) that may be clogging them and stretching them wider. All my visible pores are in my oily zone, which is on and around my nose. They'll always be visible, so I just keep them clear of gunk on a regular basis. 

Here's a quick and easy skincare routine to consider. 

Night: 

Spoiler

1. Gentle cleanser (nightly) - Consider CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser or the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser Bar. Both get combo skin clean without stripping and drying skin. I use the cleanser bar on my face and body in the shower each night. (I'm a PM shower person.) 
   
   Once or twice a week, swap that cleanser with CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser. It contains 2% salicylic acid (BHA) which can get down into your pores to degunk 'em. Lather it on your face, let it sit for a couple minutes (to let BHA do its job), and then rinse it off. 
   
   If you wear makeup and a cleanser alone doesn't remove it all, try using a makeup remover, cleansing balm, or micellar water before your cleanser. 
   
   
2. Moisturizer (nightly) - To treat hyperpigmentation, look for a moisturizer that contains niacinamide, vitamin C, licorice root, green tea, or retinol. Those are the skin brightening ingredients you'll most likely find in moisturizers. Consider Paula's Choice RESIST Barrier Repair Moisturizer with Retinol 1.7 oz/ 50 mL : it has a low strength amount (0.01%) of retinol plus licorice root and green tea. If you'd rather not use retinol, you can grab a bottle of CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion to get a nightly dose of niacinamide. 

Morning: 

Spoiler

1. Gentle cleanser (optional) - Some folks, like me, don't need to wash their face with cleanser each morning. Most of my combo skin is dry. I find the fewer times I wash my face each day, the better my skin behaves. I usually gently wipe my face down with a wet plush microfiber cloth (like a Makeup Eraser). Sometimes I only wipe around my eyes. If I do need an AM wash, I use a cleansing balm (my favorites are The INKEY List Oat Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm 5 oz/ 150 mL and Paula's Choice Omega + Complex Cleansing Balm 3.5 oz/ 104 mL , but there are plenty of other good ones out there lately) or an extra gentle cream cleanser (Paula's Choice RESIST Optimal Results Hydrating Cleanser; also consider CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser). 
   
   
2. Broad Spectrum Sunscreen, at least SPF 30 (daily) - Choose one that contains at least one good moisturizing ingredient—dimethicone, shea butter, squalane, argan oil, etc.—and it can pull double duty as moisturizer and sunscreen, letting you skip the AM moisturizer step. 😉 It can be a chemical, mineral, or hybrid sunscreen; they all work largely the same way, and one type's not safer or necessarily better than the others. Be sure to apply it generously to ALL exposed skin (eyelids, ears, behind ears, nape of neck if exposed, hairline, etc.) and reapply every couple hours, all year long, regardless of weather or season. 
   
   My current favorite moisturizing sunscreens are Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Invisible Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA +++ (chemical) and Native Unscented Mineral Face Sunscreen SPF 30 (mineral). In warm weather, I can wear either of those without moisturizer underneath and my skin stays hydrated and moisturized all day. But in cold weather, I need a separate moisturizer underneath any sunscreen. That's when I use Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer in the morning. Vanicream Moisturizing Lotion, Vanicream Moisturizing Cream, and CeraVe Moisturizing Cream are other good effective options to apply under your sunscreen. 

That's the shortest effective skincare routine I can come up with. If you're willing to expand the PM routine, you could add a standalone treatment after cleansing to target hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation (both PIH and larger dark patches/areas) is one of my skincare issues; I use products containing alpha arbutin, kojic acid, azelaic acid, and retinaldehyde to target it. 

[z1989]

Thank you so much! I will try these things..