Suggestions for skincare routine??

[OnyxRikki]

So, I’ve never had a skincare routine, ever(I know, I know). My idea of skincare used to just be getting in the shower, rinsing my face and that’s about it. I want to establish a skincare routine and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for me. If this info helps, my skin is a combination of oily and dry(& sometimes it heavily depends if my eczema is acting up, I had eczema ever since I was little) & I have acne (mixture of blackheads & pimples). Thank you!!

[mganeshaly]

@OnyxRikki

It's never too late to start! Below are my two cents but remember to always follow what works for you. The products I mention work for me but they may not work for you and it's all fine. You just need to listen to your skin and find out what works for you. If you can get samples of different products it would be great so you don't spend a lot of money on products that may not work for you.

You didn't mention whether you wear makeup, so if you don't then no need for a makeup remover but that would be a first step if you do wear makeup. I also have combo skin with blackheads and I like Boscia's cleansing oils as my makeup remover. Next, a gentle cleanser is the way to go for our skin type. Fresh Soy Face Cleanser is a very popular one. You can also get good ones like Cerave Foaming Cleanser at the drugstore. You could use a balancing toner after cleansing but some people skip this step depending on their routine. As long as you cleanse your skin well with a cleanser that doesn't disrupt the ph level of your skin that much, you should be okay.

If you don't have any major skin concerns like wrinkles, dark spots, etc. a good way to keep pores clean is to add a serum or treatment with AHA's. Serums can be pricey (since they are meant to be very concentrated) so it really depends on your budget. Drunk Elephant has good ones such as the TLC night serum. Paula's Choice has really good options that are more affordable. You can have a day serum and a night serum if it isn't too much. If you want to choose only one, I would go with one you can use at night because that's when products have more time to work into your skin. Serums are where I spend most of the money because I know they make the most impact on my skin.

Next step would be a moisturizer. You would have to see if you like a more gel-like or cream-like moisturizer texture. I really like Belif aqua bomb (gel-like) as my day time moisturizer because it's very lightweight. At nights I do use a heavier moisturizer if I need it like the Belif moisture bomb (cream-like) but you can use the same one day and night to keep it simple.

Sunscreen during the day is a must. I really like Coola's Sun Silk drops to mix in with my moisturizer but there are many other good sunscreens. Again, just find one that works for you.

You could add more products and masks to your routine little by little. Purifying/enzyme masks are very useful to keep those blackheads under control. You could include masks 2 or 3 times a week if you have the time. I really like Origins clear improvement active charcoal mask, Boscia Matcha magic super-antioxidant mask and Peter Thomas Roth pumpkin enzyme mask (Sephora has a set with all Peter Thomas Roth masks in travel size for $25 that you could get to try them out before committing to a $50+ mask). Also, I would stay away from face scrubs with grains as they can spread bacteria from the pimples to other areas of your face and could also damage your skin.

Hope this was helpful!

[OnyxRikki]

Hello @mganeshaly, I don't really wear makeup that often due to not really having a lot on hand, but I probably will get a makeup remover considering I know I will be wearing makeup in the future! Also, I'll definitely keep track of what skincare items work best for me & I'll try to find some samples! 

Now, when you talk about the Boscia's cleansing oils as a makeup remover, do you mean the MakeUp-BreakUp cooling cleansing oil (I'm guessing that is probably it but I just like to clarify!)? Also, I might try out the Soy Face Cleanser, that sounds like a good option & I've heard a lot of great reviews about it. As far as toners go, I'll probably try a few out to see which ones work best for me. 

I do have a couple skin concerns such as dark circles & acne scars, could I still use the serums or treatments with AHA's, or would that be a bad thing? I don't mind pricey if it works well! Ooh, Drunk Elephant! I actually really wanna try out Drunk Elephant's stuff. I will most likely have a full out day & night time routines so I'll probably add a serum for both! 

With moisturizers I will probably do the same, a lightweight gel-type one for the day and a heavy cream based one for the night (my skin needs a LOT of work, especially for not having a good skincare routine for the longest haha). And with sunscreens I'll probably look around, I found that a lot of sunscreens are really greasy in texture and I really do not enjoy that feeling, do you find that Coola's Sun Silk drops are greasy or no?

Ooh, yeah I've heard a couple good things about enzyme masks! I'll probably try a variety of them (especially the charcoal ones, I'm super curious about those). I'll look into all of the mask suggestions you gave me! I'm open to trying whatever no matter the price if it means getting my crazy skin under control! I had no idea about the grainy face scrubs, goodness. I don't think I would do those type of face scrubs though anyway due to the fact I have slightly sensitive skin that probably wouldn't take well to the scratchy texture of those!

Thank you so much by the way, this was super helpful! Gonna add some of the stuff that you suggested to my "loves"/wishlist!