is this a good teenage skincare routine?

[skicycle]

my teen skincare routine

hi everyone, i wanted to come on here and share my skincare routine, while asking for any advice or comments. i am 17f, and have struggled with moderate acne for the past 2-3 years as a result of teenage hormones and stress/lack of sleep (specifically around my nose, cheeks and chin). however, my skin has recently started to clear up with these listed products.

i have tried countless acne treatments, including retin-a, differin, benzyl peroxide, salicylic acid, etc, and never really found that anything was helping (anyone know why?)

for reference, i have normal to dry skin which is mildly sensitive. i suffer from moderate acne and have lots of acne scars around my cheeks and chin.

am:

1. wash my face with peter thomas roth anti-aging cleansing gel. this has salicylic acid in it, and it's been life changing in clearing up many of my acne scars and suppressing new breakouts. it's a little drying at first, but i use oils and moisturizers to help reverse this.

2. apply 3-4 drops of a vitamin c serum. i used sunday riley's c.e.o vitamin c serum for a while and really liked it, but it's expensive and doesn't last more than a couple months. i am currently using a vitamin c serum by sephora (sample) and find it gives similar effects of brightness.

3. apply 2-3 drops of the ordinary's rose hip seed oil. this oil is great for clearing acne scars and improving skin texture. it's also very reasonably priced, and has lasted me for a few months.

4. apply ole henrikson's banana bright eye cream. eye cream isn't a necessity for me but i like that it softens my under eyes and makes makeup application seamless.

5. apply ole henrikson's c-rush gel moisturizer. i am enjoying this moisturizer, as it is definitely brightening my skin and also smells good. however, it's expensive.

6. apply neutrogena spf55 sunscreen generously on my face and neck. i really want to help to prevent sun damage, so this is an important step for me.

7. spray mario badescu rose water on my face. this is refreshing in the morning and smells good, but not a necessity.

pm:

1. take off my makeup with simple micellar water and a cotton round. i like the simple micellar water as it's a good price and very basic (i.e. no fragrance)

2. wash my face with purity made simple cleanser. this is amazing for taking off makeup and cleaning the skin. i have tried other methods of makeup removal, including balm cleansers, oil cleansers, makeup wipes, etc, and nothing compares. if my skin is particularly acne-ridden, i will replace this step with peter thomas roth anti-aging cleansing gel--though this is drying and prob not the best for every day.

3. more ole henrikson banana bright eye cream!!

4. 2-3 drops of the ordinary rose hip seed oil again, for scars. if necessary, i will follow with 3-4 drops of the ordinary's niacin amide serum, especially if my acne is bad.

5. apply clinique's dramatically different moisturizing lotion. on the pricier side, and is pretty basic, but i will finish the bottle. i also like to use neutrogena's extra dry (fragrance-free) hydro boost moisturizer.

favorite face masks for acne:

herbivore's blue tansy clarity mask. i apply this every other day for 2-3 rounds on heavy acne weeks and it makes a huge difference with acne and scarring.

ole henrikson's cold plunge pore mask. this is a fun blue color and i find it helps to minimize pores and tighten my skin. kinda reminds me of toothpaste for your skin!

favorite treatments:

though differin ended up not working for me, i found it to be useful in the first few weeks as it helped to cleanse my pores and clear any pre-existing pimples.

things that didn't work for me:

neutrogena's spot treatments: any of their benzyl peroxide treatments

clean and clear's salicylic acid treatment

anyways, that's my routine. if you have any product recommendations, please feel free to comment! i'm always looking for tips and advice, as i'm obviously a teen and pretty new to skincare 🙂

[AlexisApplejack]

Hi there! Awesome job taking the first steps into taking an active role in your skincare journey! I had acne for a long time so I understand how frustrating it.

First, your overall routine sounds great, not too much and not too little!

Second, I would suggest finding a cleanser that doesn't dry you out so much. It sounds like you're sensitive to salicylic acid (I am as well) so I would suggest something creamier like Origins Checks & Balances. Maybe save the PTR cleanser for when you're really breaking out.

Another suggestion I have is to use your niacinamide more consistently. Not only will it help with any current breakouts but it will also help with any scarring. I would suggest using it everyday at least once, twice if you think you skin would be comfortable with that.

Also try sulfur products like the Sunday Riley Saturn mask! You can use it all over or as an overnight spot treatment.

Good luck!