Skincare and foundation

[everythanggone]

I have severely dry/ dehydrated skin, no matter what I do I feel like my skin is always going to be flakey and Rough to the touch.. also, I know nothing about skincare or how to set up a routine.. What products would you suggest that doesn’t have harsh chemicals and what products do I need for full skincare routine?? Also, my pores are huge and I do sometimes get oily on my forehead but it still is flakey even when oily. Foundation doesn’t look good on my skin but I love it. I need to get my skin in good condition. Thanks Sephora family 🥰

[itsfi]

@everythanggone, my skin is dehydrated-combo (oily T zone and dry elsewhere) most of the year, but dehydrated-dry in the winter months. I find that the later we get into the winter, the more prone to dryness and flaking it can get if I don't tend to my skin diligently.

Everyone's skin reacts differently to products so some of it will be trial and error on your part, but following routines are the ones my skin likes when I keep to them consistently. When you're starting a new routine, definitely go slowly, introducing one product at a time and using it for a couple of weeks to see how your skin responds / reacts to it. I sometimes want to just jump right in with everything, but have learned that taking it slow is better in the long run. If you are near a Sephora, I recommend looking into getting a sample of products you're interested in first, to see how you like the consistency, scent, etc. and how it works for your skin.

Evening Routine

1. I double cleanse in the evening, starting with Tatcha The Camellia Oil 2-in-1 Makeup Remover & Cleanser 5.1 oz/ 150 mL to break down my SPF and sunscreen. If you prefer a cleansing balm instead of an oil, Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm 3.4 oz/ 100 mL is a great balm.

2. For my second cleanse, I like to use either belif Aqua Bomb Hydrating Jelly Cleanser 5.41 oz/ 160 mL or IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cleanser Hydrating Facial Cleanser Serum 5 oz/ 148 mL If your skin is very dry and you need something more creamy, you might like KORRES - Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser . 

3. Depending on how my skin is feeling, I will use a chemical exfoliant 1-2 times per week. If you've never used a chemical exfoliant before FIRST AID BEAUTY - Facial Radiance Padsare gentle but effective. I rotate several chemical exfoliant with these FAB pads being the gentlest and the Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial™ AHA + BHA Mask 1.69 oz/ 50 mL being the strongest - I only use this one 1x per week. 

If physical exfoliants are more your thing, I'm a fan of AMOREPACIFIC - Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder or TATCHA - The Rice Polish Foaming Enzyme Powder.

4. My skincare routine is modeled after the multi-step Korean beauty skincare routine and I tend to reach for a hydrating toner and/or a hydrating essence at this point. It's not necessary and if you are just starting out, you might want to skip this step for now until you find a basic routine that works for your skin. I'm fond of Blithe Vital Treatment 8 Nourishing Bean Essence or Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner. You can find through ohlolly dot com. If you're looking for something accessible through Sephora, you might want to look at INNISFREE - Green Tea Seed Intensive Hydrating Toner or fresh Rose & Hyaluronic Acid Deep Hydration Toner 8.4 oz/ 250 mL.

5. Hydrating serum - when I first started focusing on my skin care, this was one of the best steps in helping with the dryness I was experience. There area  lot of hydrating serums out there, at various price points. Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 serum is a great one, though pricey. Consonant HydraExtreme is another good one but can be a challenge to get a hold of. Ulta now carries Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Serum, which is one I reach for when my skin is particularly chapped or windburned; it can leave a bit of a tacky finish so just keep that in mind. If you're looking for products you can pick up at Sephora, I've had good results from Drunk Elephant B-Hydra™ Intensive Hydration Serum with Hyaluronic Acid 1.69 oz/ 50 mL or The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid (HA) Hydrating Face Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL. 

6. For eye cream, I've found BELIF - Moisturizing Eye Bomb to be lightweight but very hydrating and moisturizing for the under eye. If you are looking for something thicker, creamier in texture, you might like KIEHL'S SINCE 1851 - Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado.

7. There are so many good moisturizers to choose from for dehydrated-dry skin. BELIF - The True Cream Moisturizing Bombis typically my go-to, but if the weather is particularly cold and blistering or my skin is really really dry and flaky, I'll reach for DR. JART+ - Ceramidin™ Cream or Drunk Elephant Lala Retro™ Nourishing Whipped Refillable Moisturizer 1.69 oz/ 50 mL.

8. Face oils are amazing for moisturizing and nourishing dry, flaky skin. You can either apply the oils over your moisturizer after giving it some time to absorb into your skin or what I do is take a bit of moisturizer into the palm of my hands and add a drop or two of my face oil of choice. The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil 1 oz/ 30 mL is a staple face oil for me. Other ones I've tried and have liked include tarte Mini Maracuja Oil 0.5 oz/ 15 mL, Farmacy Honey Grail Ultra-Hydrating Face Oil 1 oz/ 30 mL, or Drunk Elephant Mini Virgin Marula Luxury Face Oil 0.5 oz/ 15 mL. When I first started incorporating a face oil into my routine, I thought it might be too much, but they really have done wonders for my skin. 

9. If I'm not too tired going through these steps or, if my skin is really needing some more TLC, I'll layer a sleeping or overnight mask after my moisturizer and/or oil have had a chance to sink into my skin. Sleeping / overnight masks have come on strong in the last year or so and there are a plethora to choose from depending on what you're looking for. Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Night Cream + Mask with Vitamin C 2 oz / 59 ml is a popular choice on BIC. Drunk Elephant F-Balm™ Electrolyte Waterfacial Mask 1.69 oz/ 50 mLis a new mask that I find works very well as an overnight mask. LANEIGE - Water Sleeping Mask is a classic, but can be hit or miss; it has a lighter formula than the other two. 

Morning routine

1. I don't tend to use a cleanser in the morning but to wash off skincare products from the evening, I'll either splash water on my face and pat it dry with a microfiber towel or will run the towel through warm water and then wash my face with it.

2. Vitamin C product - I'm currently trying to find a Vitamin C product I like - there are so many good ones to choose from. Farmacy Very Cherry Bright 15% Clean Vitamin C Serum with Acerola Cherry 1.0 oz/ 30 mL is one I'm enjoying the moment.

3. Hydrating Serum - any of the ones mentioned above are great.

4. Moisturizer or moisturizer + oil, depending on how dry my skin is feeling that morning.

5. SPF - my go to sunscreen is the Etude House Sunprise Mild Airy Finish Sun Milk, it's a Korean sunscreen. Other SPFs that I'm fond of are Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Invisible Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA +++ 1.7 oz/ 50 mL, Shiseido Urban Environment Oil-Free UV Protector Broad Spectrum Face Sunscreen SPF 42 1 oz/ 30 mL or TATCHA - Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 35 PA+++.