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Post in Skincare Aware

Perfect skincare routine

Hello I need some skin care help advise
Right now I’m currently using the fresh skin care box and it’s not really working for me at all it’s making my skin very dry and red/having acne problems.

I have oily skin on my forehead and chin area and sometimes acne /normal skin on the rest of my face. So I normally use the fresh cleanser & belief aqua bomb. So what i need know what else am I missing in my skin care routine that I could use for sensitive combination skin and can u give me any recommendations? Help

Re: Perfect skincare routine

I’m not sure if your using the fresh soy cleanser or something else but if you’re using it and the aqua bomb moisturizer and that’s it, meaning your whole routine for day and night your missing more hydrating products as well as an exfoliant. A lot of the time when your skin becomes oily it’s actually because your skin is dry and lacking moisture. Your body’s response to lacking hydration on your skin is to produce more sebum or oil on your face which in turn creates oily skin, pore congestion and breakouts. I would recommend using a creamier cleanser one that doesn’t produce a lot of foam and contains a small amount of salicylic acid. One of my favs is Murads Clarifying Cream cleanser has 0.5% salicylic acid. And you also need to incorporate more products into your routine that have hydration doesn’t have to be expensive 

Re: Perfect skincare routine

I would recommend using a cleanser with some BHA in it to keep your pores clean with the least amount of hassle.  Good ones that are gentle but pore-clearing are Youth To The People Superfood Gentle Antioxidant Refillable Cleanser or Caudalie Vinopure Pore Purifying Gel Cleanser 5 oz/ 150 mL .  These contain salicylic acid that will penetrate and clear your pores with every use, reducing chances of acne forming in clogged pores.  A product I recommend all the time for oily/combo skin is the moisturizing toner Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin™ Liquid 5.07 oz/ 150 mL .  This was a total game changer in normalizing my oil production because it is a very lightweight liquid that is full of healthy fats your skin needs to be healthy and moist.  It prevents your skin from having to crank out oil to counteract dryness.  In warm weather, a couple of layers of this may be all you need under your SPF to keep skin happy and healthy all day long, but when cold weather and dry indoor heating come around, you will probably need an extra layer of moisture, and if you like Aqua Bomb, it's actually a great option.  One of the many great things about Ceramidin Liquid is that you can wear multiple layers of it depending on how your skin feels that day.  If your skin is extra thirsty and really sucks up that first layer until it disappears, do another layer and keep going until your skin feels flexible and comfortable and has some glow to it.  As your skin gets healthier, you will need less.  The bottle actually holds a lot of moisturizing magic, it's a great investment.  The Ceramidin Cream is pretty thick and fatty for oily skin, I recommend sticking with a lightweight gel-like moisturizer.

Re: Perfect skincare routine

I have combination skin as well and really enjoyed the Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser. I was so impressed I ordered a kit during Black Friday to try out their other products too.

I would look for a good toner for balancing your skin, a serum, and then a moisturizer. 

I recently tried the Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask as well and it’s been incredible for balancing my skin but it’s pricey.


I would recommend 3 things. 1) Download a skincare app that identifies comedogenic ingredients in products for you and go from there. There are multiple in the App Store so just try a few and see what works well for you. 

2) Try out different products either via beauty boxes or advent calendars. Trial sizes from Sephora won’t be enough to let you see how well something works for skincare, you need at least a week or two’s worth. Now is a good time to get some value products from multi-brand advent calendars that are not yet sold out. 

3) Depending on how severe your acne is, sometimes seeing a dermatologist is the best option. If it’s only mild, remember it’s normal to have a few acne here and there. 

Good luck!

Re: Perfect skincare routine

My skin is also combo (oily t-zone, dry cheeks) so I have to be careful not to strip my face of all moisture while also getting rid of pesky blackheads and occasional breakouts. 

I have tried a lot of cleansers, including several from Fresh, but keep coming back to Murad’s clarifying cleanser. 

I also recommend using an exfoliator to gently slough off the dry skin and clear out the pores in the oily areas. I really like Lancer, but Philosophy makes a great one that is less expensive and comparable. 

For redness/dryness, Peter Thomas Roth makes a great cucumber cooling mask that helps minimize redness and is super hydrating. 

Re: Perfect skincare routine

I used to love Fresh’s masks, but the cleanser never really worked for me. Actually, both of them (separately) gave me some decent-sized breakouts. 

I started using Farmacy’s Green gel moisturizer (don’t remember the actual name) and it helped me a lot. As for cleanser, I’ve been loving the newest on from Biossance. It’s their squalene cleanser. It’s been super gentle and non-drying. These have really helped calm my skin when I get the occasional hormonal acne breakout. They’ve really helped lessen the severity. I also use Differin gel (0.1%) from Target for acne. It’s the generic for adapalene. You’d apply it first after cleansing (like you would apply a serum), and then moisturizer after that. It may cause some dryness and peeling after first using it, but with consistent use it has kept a lot of my normal acne at bay and the initial dryness has completely gone away, too.


The biggest suggestion I have is a piece of advice from my esthetician friend: before applying products (whether to your body or face), make sure your face is damp. It’ll help the product absorb better and will ultimately help the product be more effective. 

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