(Part 2) Top products from r/SkincareAddicts

I am very certain that you have dehydrated skin. Not the same as dry skin, though you may have that, too. Tight feeling skin, getting very oily very quickly, redness. Oily and dry at the same time. Your moisture barrier has been compromised. This will take time and patience to repair, but believe me, it is worth it. I once had very similar skin.

Fair warning, I myself use a mostly AB routine, and my product suggestions will reflect that.

Find a simple low pH cleanser. I like this one because it's cheap, easy to find, and lasts forever. Cleanse twice daily, with tepid water.

(I am a fan of the double cleansing method when wearing foundation and/or sunscreen. You can learn more about that here.)

Then I would work on finding light hydration that doesn't break you out. I have found that my skin absolutely loves multiple layers of light hydration. And that was key to restoring my barrier. Just putting one thick heavy layer didn't work because my skin couldn't/wouldn't do anything with it. But multiple light layers was something my skin could work with.

This, this, this, this, and this are all super suggestions. Pretty simple, basic, and gentle choices. No, you don't need to go buy all of them. Try one. See how your skin likes it after several weeks. Maybe add another. Or, some people like adding multiple layers of the same product.

Then find a humectant to layer on top, to seal moisture in. This is a very popular one. This, this, this, and this are all good choices.

Once you find a routine that your skin seems to like, stick with it for a few months. Like...3 to 6 months. It won't be an immediate fix. But over time you'll start to notice less of the tight feeling, less of the dry thin skin with an oil slick on top, less redness. Only then will you be able to see what your real skin type is. Maybe you start to see more dryness or flakiness, and the oil slick goes away. Then maybe you have drier skin. Or maybe the tight and dry feeling goes away but the oiliness stays. Then maybe you have oily skin. But until you heal your moisture barrier, nothing you throw at your skin will do any good.

1. How many times should one cleanse each day? twice
   
   
2. After washing your face and putting on moisturizer, is it normal for your skin to still feel slightly tight and dry? no
   
   
3. When moisturizing my face, if I use something more watery it just feels like it dries up and takes all the moisture from my skin leaving it dry. Is this supposed to be normal? no
   
   
4. If I put on more moisturizer afterwards, the oiliness gets too much and my face turns red. When that happens should I cleanse again and put more moisturizer on? Or should I use a cloth or something similar to wipe my face instead? keep blotting sheets on hand and blot at the oiliness (no rubbing)
   
   
5. What should I be doing if my skin turns red and irritated? this is a sign that your skin is damaged - find gentle products that restore balance
   
   
6. If I put on sunscreen my face gets oilier but still remains dry. What should I do during times like that? again, this should get better as your skin gets stronger
   
   
7. How many times should one be using 8~10% AHA per week? if I were you, I would stop using this, at least for several months
   
   
8. Would you agree that dry skin is generally darker and tougher and oily skin is reddish and blotchy? no, I think those are unrelated

Hey! I have super sensitive, dry, breakout prone skin with some intense hair growth on my chin. Before I got to this routine people were asking me what was wrong and someone told me it looked like I must wear a chin strap (charming!), and now I have little to no breakouts or irritation.

I've found shaving to be the least irritating method (I'm prone to ingrowns so plucking, waxing and threading made for even bigger problems). I use a 5 blade razor that is ONLY for my face and gets switched out to be my pits/legs razor as soon as it starts getting dull at all. I'll also rinse it with alcohol after every couple of shaves, every time if I've been having skin problems (note: let it dry completely, the drying process is what kills everything).

My best tip is to shave with a super mild face wash. I really like the hada labo hydrating face wash, it's extremely mild and really thick and foamy so it makes a nice cushion for the razer (like a men's shaving soap does).

After shaving I pat my face dry and slap on some BHA - huge game changer right there. BHAs exfoliate and reduce redness and inflammation and I find them to be waaaaaay more effective and less irritating than any manual exfoliation. I really like The Ordinary's salicylic acid but it's pretty heavy duty, they recommend using it as a spot treatment (I slather my whole face with it, but my skin loves acids). If my skin has been feeling dry I'll do Cosrx's BHA power liquid, it's a milder form of BHA combined with niacinamide, a holy grail ingredient for many, it brightens skin and reduces acne (and I think it's anti-aging? I lurk on /r/asianbeauty but I don't have it all down!), though it can interact badly with some forms of vitamin c (causes flushing)

Next steps are all about hydrating and soothing. My skin breaks out from being sad and dry, and it makes any irritation or ingrowns a million times worse. I've found I get my best results from layering my products. I really like cosrx's snail serum, and right now I'm topping it with 2 moisturizers (again, very dry skin, plus it's a very dry winter where I am). First moisturizer is The Ordinary's Natural Moisturizing Factors, then Cerave in the tub.

I then top it with sunscreen, either clinique super city block, biore water essence, or cotz sensitive depending on how my skin is feeling.

Sometimes I'll wear makeup too, I've found bareminerals hydrating gel and any of dermablend's products go over my freshly shaved skin just fine (as long as I use a good makeup remover in the evening!)

Hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions :)

OH MY GOD PLEASE NO

DO NOT USE SUGAR

DO NOT USE SALT

DO NOT USE COFFEE GRAINS

NEVER USE LIME (I mean, really? What year is this? Why are we recommending this to people?)

​

These things will make microtears in your skin and leave you with scars and pigmentation, and even carry bacteria all around your face (they don't kill bacteria, but if you have some causing acne in one spot they're great at getting into a pore when they tear your skin and carrying that bacteria over to a new spot on your face to break you out more).

​

If you find that you have flaky skin and need to exfoliate, you can use a physical method that is gentle such as a cotton wash cloth, a clean brush or silicon thingy (like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071H3T2WC/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ). Or you can use a very, very gentle exfoliating product like this one that uses cellulose and cotton in the actual wash and not something hard and granular that will have sharp edges like sugar ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DN85WQ2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ).

​

Better yet, if you don't really have that thick, dry, flaky, crackly skin, use a cleanser, toner, or cream with an AHA or BHA like 2% SA: https://www.amazon.com/CeraVe-Renewing-Cleanser-Salicylic-Normal/dp/B00U1YCRD8/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3LS2UD8S2VUVG&keywords=salicylic+acid+face+cleanser&qid=1554488530&s=beauty&sprefix=salicy%2Cbeauty%2C197&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Glycolic-Toning-Solution-240ml/dp/B071914GGL/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=the+ordinary+glycolic+acid&qid=1554488568&s=beauty&sr=1-3

Start off using these once every third day, and if they don't irritate your skin, you can try every other day, or every day, or twice a day. But don't overdo it right away because it will essentially burn off a layer of your skin if you are overexposed to an acid. These are strong, which is why they are effective, but you have to be careful.

An excellent moisturizer with excellent ingredients that won't break the bank is [Cerave PM] (https://www.amazon.com/CeraVe-Moisturizing-Facial-Lotion-Ounce/dp/B00365DABC/ref=sr_tnr_p_1_beauty_1_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1478021646&sr=1-1&keywords=create+pm)

Heres a good routine to start in the AM:

• Cleanse with a gentle cleanser, doesn't need to be fancy– I use one from Trader Joes.
  
• Apply BHA or AHA exfoliator – do a little research on this to figure out which will address your specific skin best. (You could also wait to incorporate this step into your routine until you have found a good cleansing and moisturizing rhythm)
  
• Apply Anti-Oxidant serum (optional - but good for anti-aging)
  
• Apply Moisturizer
  
• Apply SPF 30 or higher (some people will get a moisturizer with SPF already in it to combine steps, personally I keep them separate because it creates a better barrier for your skin and I have had milia form from using a combination sunscreen moisturizer.)
  
  PM:
  
  
• Get all the makeup off your face! Use wipes, makeup remover on cotton pads, etc. – whatever works for you, just get it all off.
  
• Cleanse with same gentle AM cleanser.
  
• Apply exfoliator.
  
• Apply optional serum.
  
• Apply moisturizer.
  
  Happy to answer any specific questions :) Good luck!

Haha yeah, it doesn't have a lot of slip, so it's hard to spread it out.

What moisturizer do you use? Try to find Vanicream. It comes in a large, inexpensive pump bottle and they sell it at most drug stores. That's what I use most of the time.

I wouldn't apply the oil yet, but that would be the first thing I would add on to your routine when it's time. The fewer things you apply at first the better.

You should always wear sunscreen. The sun damages and ages everyone's skin. The most effective thing you can do to improve your skin as you age is to wear sunscreen regularly.

Sunscreens in the USA are pretty terrible due to a classification issue that makes it difficult for new sunscreen ingredients to be approved by the FDA. I use Japanese sunscreens. They sell them on Amazon, but they ship from Japan. They are non-greasy and better at protecting skin from the sun. Many of them, even the inexpensive ones, include things like hyaluronic acid. They're awesome. Some examples: here, here, here.

Some things that might help:

Anything that goes near your chin (hands, chinstraps, jacket collars, pillows, etc) needs to be washed regularly and thoroughly. Try to touch your face as little as possible!

A good cleanser and chemical exfoliant can help you out. Some commonly recommended products here on SCA are CeraVe's foaming cleanser and Stridex pads (the red box, not green box). Both will help keep your skin clean and remove any bacteria that are causing you problems. It is important when using an exfoliant that you use a lotion afterwards so your skin doesn't get too dry, moisturized skin feels and looks better! Another common product here is CeraVe's lotion (there's a pump kind that's thinner, and a jar kind that's thicker and creamier).

Hydrocolloid bandages are a godsend if you have any active acne! If the blemish is 'open', cut off a small portion of the bandage and put that on the offending zit after you wash and moisturize your face for the night. By the time you wake up, most (if not all) of the fluid from the acne will be absorbed into the bandage, leaving the blemish flat and less red.

I hope this information is helpful to you! Acne can be so painful and embarrassing, but it can be managed and fixed. Best of luck! :)

I'm not a professional so just know that this worked for me but might not work for you and might make things worse depending on what is really going on. The best thing you can do is talk to a dermatologist and try to get an actual diagnosis.

If you do try the cerave, hopefully it helps you like it has helped me. I use the cerave moisturising cream (different than the cerave moisturising lotion). I believe the cream is better suited for faces. It's also better to use it with the pump as opposed to scooping the lotion with a finger because you might be spreading any fungus or bacteria into the tub.

I'd recommend using it every morning and night and within two weeks, you'll know if it's making a difference or not. Hopefully everything works out!

Here's two good drugstore options:

• Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream
  
• Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream with Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Moisturizer
  
  I've not personally used either of these, I found them on Beautypedia's list of Best Products.
  
  ​
  
  The best thing you can do for anti-ageing is to wear sunscreen during the day. Retinol is a great ingredient to look for in anti-ageing lotions/creams.

That is odd! Having been on tretinoin so long, did you ever pick acne while using tretinoin? Could these be picking scars that showed up very late? Tissue damage from picking? I don’t think the shaving with moisturizer on would do it, you would definitely notice more cuts if that were the case. Regardless, I would try adding in hydrating serums. Hyalauronic acid, look to the ordinary for a good hyalauronic acid serum. Try a hyalauronic acid toner if you’re more comfortable with that. After you wash with warm water, use the toner, then serum (if you opt for both, either way always use before moisturizer), then moisturizer/spf. Maybe even try a hydrating cleanser. The brand simple has a micellar gel cleanser great for dry/sensitive skin. Also, look into barrier repair from the brand bioelements. I’ve had clients see great results on their scars with the barrier repair moisturizer. Just focus on rehydrating and rebuilding your protective barrier, helping your skins tissue rebuild itself is most likely the best way to get rid of and prevent the scarring. They seem more like tissue damage scars, especially since they’re more pronounced around the cheeks where you have more adipose tissue.

EDIT to add a link to the barrier repair. They changed the name to barrier fix! Bioelements Barrier Fix Daily Hydrator, 1.7 Oz. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NN3W2JH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cUhQDbMG63RCJ

I use the Boom! toothy tabs from Lush (containing charcoal) and have definitely noticed a difference to tooth brightness and my overall oral health :D I started using them because the enamel on one of my teeth is destroyed and was very prone to plaque formation/slight yellowing and I read that bicarb based tooth cleansers can help, so I started using toothy tabs. Here is the link if you're interested: https://uk.lush.com/products/boom

My parents from India also have many anecdotes about their parents using a charcoal based tooth powder and that by using this they were able to maintain sparkling, white teeth until their old age. I have never tried it myself but have many family members who swear by it (and have blindingly white teeth to boot). Here is a link to it: https://www.amazon.com/Monkey-Brand-Black-Powder-Ayurvedic/dp/B000BP0NAQ

Good luck!!

Agreeing with the other comment, salicylic acid, and/or glycolic acid.

I would try BHA (salicylic) first - it works like a charm for me. But I have to be diligent with it - 2x/day, every single day. Stridex Pads in the red container or Clearasil Rapid Action Pads are great, inexpensive options that I currently have and use.

https://www.amazon.com/Stridex-Med-Pads-Size-90ct/dp/B000NUN8BK

https://www.amazon.com/Clearasil-Rescue-Treatment-Cleansing-Packaging/dp/B0012MXUEI

If after several weeks you notice no changes, try switching over to an AHA (like The Ordinary’s Glycolic Acid, mentioned here already). Hope this helps-Good luck!

Check out Asian and European sunscreens that arent sold in the US because they are lighter weight(cosmetically elegant as they call it) and they have better filters. My favorite is Sun Aqua Moisture Gel SPF 50 PA++++ its a lightweight gel that is like there is nothing on the skin. It's my HG. Def not greasy at all! It even sinks in when I apply over my whole routine. And it works well under makeup

Even with tret and 8-9 hour days outside with no reapplying I dont burn. I've burned after 2 hours with other supposed SPF 50 high ppd sunscreens(looking at you Australian Gold)

So what products or types of products do you recommend?

Okay. So I have tried Harry's Face wash with peppermint for almost 2 weeks and not had much luck. I have tried using just my hands and also using a wash cloth. I have also tried CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser as well. And I have also tried some cheap Clean & Clear product as well.

Definitely a cleansing oil, less tugging at the skin. I love The Face Shop Facial Rice Water Light Cleansing Oil :)

Another esthetician here! I've noticed a huge improvement in my skin through double cleansing. I use Innisfree's Apple Juicy Cleansing Oil and Cosrx Low PH Good Morning Gel Cleanser.
The best part is while oil cleansing, you will actually feel all the nasty little gritty pieces of skin and dirt coming up, and after rinsing and your second cleanse, your skin just feels so nice. I wish I'd started this sooner, but better late than never!

yes, it will help clean out your pores. Try the stridex pads in the redbox, here, but also probably at your local drugstore

I really like Cerave Moisturizer PM It was around $8 on Amazon.

Oh I hear you. I'm on the same front, no birth control, try to make it bearable to deal with my monthly acne.

I'm not as familiar with oily skin. I damaged my skin by being too rough with it so it needs a lot of external support and is incredibly dry.

Have you considered any of these? I've used them all and did find they were effective over time and weren't too harsh.


Olay AHA moisturiser

nip/fab glycolic acid

Stridex BHA 2%

Crave 3% BHA

I also have chronically dry hands and it gets painful and itchy in the winter. O'Keefe's hand salve is amazing - I've gone through several of them already.

I use Alba Botanicals. This is the lavender version because I couldn't find the vanilla version that I use online. I feel like the lavender would mask the chemical smell. I am very sensitive to smells and nothing scented that Alba makes has bothered me.

This company makes about 500 different sunscreens in sprays, sticks, and pretty much any other formulation. They have sports, kids, and face sunscreens too and everything I've tried from Alba I really like! Some of the Amazon reviews are horrible though so I would take them with a grain of salt (complaining about getting shipped an expired product, complaining about "chemicals" in the sunscreen, etc).

Make a dermatologist appointment, but in the meantime try these: https://www.amazon.com/Nexcare-Cover-Drug-Free-Gentle-Breathable/dp/B00BRGUNV2

Cotz Spf 40 UVB/UVA Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin

Cotz Spf 40 UVB/UVA Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin, 3.5 Ounce (Packaging may vary) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008U2Y5ME/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wDNgDb4Y0YE24

I use this product :

http://www.amazon.com/The-Face-Shop-Bright-Cleansing/dp/B00809ERAM

Buy an electric shaver and learn how to use it properly! My life has changed after buying this :
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0018A32XS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?qid=1462310111&sr=8-1&keywords=female+electric+shaver&pi=SY200_QL40

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B0009VNI40/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1504019523&sr=8-14&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=aloe

When I bought it, I literally just typed 100% aloe gel. You should be able to find a european brand.

Sorry, meant to include the link

https://www.amazon.com/Vanicream-Skin-Cream-Pump-Dispenser/dp/B000NWGCZ2

My little sister has terrible exzema and would ALWAYS cry that everything burned and would beg to wipe it off. We tried this lotion and it was so awesome, would calm her flare ups down too.
Genes Vitamin E Creme Swiss Collagen Complex Moisturizing Creme for Dry and Sensitive Skin 16 oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013QOIGC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Rl6RAbAQZXGHG