Sensitive Beginners Skincare: Healing after Cystic and Hormonal Acne from a Kyleena IUD

[chantalbell]

Hi! ✨ I'm really new to skincare, like " only started periodically using moisturisers for the first time last year" kind of brand new. ✨

My mum has only ever worn a little bit of on-sale drug store makeup and never taught me anything about makeup or skincare, so I'm starting fresh and just beginning to learn about it on my own as a newly 25 year old. In October, my best friend helped me pick out a few beginner products, and since then I'm slowly learning what works for my skin and budget. I appreciate how easy The Ordinary products are to understand even with limited beginners skin care knowledge, we I started with a few of those.

My main concerns are clearing acne, improving texture, and being proactive agains signs of aging, while keeping in mind how ridiculously sensitive my skin has become in the last year and a half since I got a Kyleena IUD, and I'm working on clearing up the resulting bad hormonal and cystic acne on my jaw/neck/chin from it. (I've since removed my IUD, and it's helped my skin so much). My apologies for the longish intro, but here goes my beginners skincare:

The only product I've found that actually helps clear my horrible IUD acne AT ALL is the The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser. I highly recommend it, it has been an absolute life saver!  I use it first thing in the morning, and as the first step in my pm routine.

Morning

1. The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser
2. The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Hydrating Serum
3. The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane 1 oz/ 30 mL
4. The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA
5. And a little bit of Aveeno Eczema Care Moisturizing Cream during the day for my sensitive eyes 

Night

1. The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser 
2. Every other day The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner 8 oz/ 240 mL 
3. The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Hydrating Serum 
4. The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane 1 oz/ 30 mL 
5. On the days I don't use toner, I alternate between The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream 0.5 oz/ 15 mL and Peace Out Retinol Eye Stick 
6. The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA 

🌞 I haven't found an SPF for the last step, but I want to try

• The Inkey List SPF 30 Daily Sunscreen
• The Ordinary Invisible UV Filters SPF 35 with Antioxidants (coming soon)
• Juice Beauty SPF 30 Sport Sunscreen 3 oz/ 89 mL 
•  Drunk Elephant Umbra Sheer™ Physical Daily Defense SPF 30 

I also plan on trying

• The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum 
• The INKEY List Succinic Acid Treatment 0.5 oz/ 15 mL 
• Hylamide SubQ Eyes Serum
• Hylamide SubQ Skin Serum 
• Skinfix Barrier+ Lip Repair Balm 0.42 oz/ 12 g 
• Skinfix Redness Recovery+ Antioxidant Eye Treatment 

💜 I'd appreciate any feedback, tips, and suggestions you may have. Please keep in mind that my skin is very fair and extremely sensitive, and I am on a very limited budget. My routine needs to be as condensed, easy, and low-energy/effort as possible because I have limited energy due to chronic illness & disability.

Thanks for reading! 😊