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Post in Skincare Aware
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Skin care help?

Im 31 and I think I have combination skin. I’m dry in a few spots and oily on my forehead, nose and chin. I rarely breakout with acne, but my biggest issue is black/whiteheads and large pores. I have no idea where to start with if I need a toner, a serum, etc. I currently use a Biore cleanser and a garnier gel moisturizer. Any tips for toners, serums, etc? I have no idea where to start!

Re: Skin care help?

Hi @stephcoll89 ! Does your Biore cleanser contain BHA (beta hydroxy acid, aka salicylic acid)? Have you ever tried a BHA product? Salicylic acid is an exfoliant that gets down into your pores to attack acne-causing bacteria and clear out crud that makes your pores look bigger than usual. No AHA (alpha hydroxy acid: glycolic acid, lactic acid, etc.) can do that. 

 

Try using something like The INKEY List Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) Blemish + Blackhead Serum after your cleanser, just 1-3 times a week. Follow with your moisturizer. 

If your skin still has dry patches after you apply moisturizer, you might need to swap the Garnier product for something more occlusive—a moisturizer that’ll actually prevent moisture loss. I also have combo skin and am currently searching for a new moisturizer: my old favorite, Youth To The People Superfood Air-Whip Lightweight Face Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid 2 oz / 59 m... , was reformulated a bit this year and now it contains some ingredients that irritate my skin. ☹️ But you might be able to use it. You could also try good ol’ CeraVe Moisturizing Cream. My face is kinda liking Vanicream Daily Facial Mousturizer right now. 

Oh, and make sure your skin is damp (but not soaking/dripping wet) before you apply moisturizer. You’ll want to give that product some hydration to seal into your skin. 

Re: Skin care help?

It sounds like using something with an acid could help you. Personally I love The Ordinary. Two of my favorite products from them are the glycolic toner and the lactic acid serum. But if you're new to acid you might want to start out with something a little bit weaker. These Sephora Peel pads for instance. 

 

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner 8 oz/ 240 mL The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2% Exfoliating Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL SEPHORA COLLECTION Clarifying Peel Pads 60 Pads 

Re: Skin care help?

Hello there!I kind of have a similar skin and a situation which I struggle with. A few tips which have helped me come a long way: cleansing and toning has become a big part of my routine: I wash my face throughly twice a day. In the morning I clean with a oil cleanser and a mild face wash. Innisfree or the bare minerals cleansing oil is something I swear on. For toning I usually use a rose toner- you can get a drugstore one or from the fresh collection. After I dab the toner with the cotton swab, one thing I have recently added is I use a face roller which gives me a quick 1 min massage and gets the toner in. I picked one from Ecotools at Walgreens. Then I use a face oil to massage - I am in love with the one from Iyura - Kesaradi (an Ayurvedic brand). I let the oil get into my skin for about 20’mins before I do any makeup. But one thing to note before applying any makeup is use a primer. It helps with those pores and make up not touching the skin directly. Primer works as a shield. I use one from maybelline on regular days and for a special thing I use the tatcha one- the silk canvas (makes the combo cost effective). At night I follow the same cleansing routine but I usually add a blam based cleanser to get all the make up out- the farmacy green or the papaya from glow recipe are my two all time favorites. I then use the fresh facial kombucha essence to tone . I also use a night serum from origins, an under eye cream (I use one from India from a brand called Forrest essentials and a face moisturizer to lock all the moisture before I sleep. Pls try and let me know if you see any effect.

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