The quarantine was a big eye-opener for me and my poor skin. Soon after quarantine started, my face started to break out bad. And I tried everything I had been using, and the results were not good. In fact, it only got worse. The cause of the breakout was unclear, and honestly, I was lost. I was one of those lucky people who had relatively clear skin throughout middle school and high school. Suddenly, my face was covered with acne and scars, and I could not even recognize myself. I was not prepared to handle this. After hopelessly trying, I decided it’s time for a change. So, I put my hair in a bun and got researching.
Luckily like every other soul on TikTok, I too discovered the infamous Hyram. To those who do not know about Hyram, he is a skincare enthusiast who explains skincare in detail and reviews skincare products on Youtube and TikTok. And when I say I BINGED, believe me, I binged. Soon I learned about the glowing and hydrated world of Niacinamide and Salicylic Acid. And I completely reorganized my skin routine.
So, without further ado, here are the top products I live by right now.
- Youth to the People: Superfood Cleanser
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I have very dry skin. More often than not, the cleansers I have tried strip out every inch of moisture left in my skin. This miracle of a cleanser left my skin feeling clean, supple, and without stripping all moisture off my skin. It is a very subtle cleanser, and I highly recommend it, especially if you have dry skin.
- The Ordinary: Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
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Niacinamide was a great addition to my skincare routine. Niacinamide is a form of Vitamin B-3 that can benefit your skin in many ways. It helps tighten the skin, reduce wrinkles, and strengthen the lipid barrier, which helps retain more moisture in your skin. The best part of this product is that it minimizes redness, inflammation, and hyperpigmentation, all of which are extremely helpful for my acne-prone skin. Within weeks of using the product, my skin improved drastically. The change was slow but consistent, which is wonderful. I used to use it twice a day AM and PM, but now I use it only once a day, and its more than enough.
- The Ordinary: Hyaluronic Acid + B5
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Hyaluronic Acid is, as I see it, is a necessary supplement for the skin. Hyaluronic Acid has the magical ability to retain moisture from the environment and lock it in your skin. I did not necessarily see much change in the quality of my skin. But considering the nature of my skin, I personally feel like this product deserves a chance as it’s only a hydrating supplement.
- Estee Lauder: Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II
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I am going to keep it real with you. This product is pricey. The only reason I even bothered to try it is because Sephora offers trial size products. This is a high-end product, and its results were impressive. I honestly do not know why it works or how it works. But after using it, my skin was supple, glowing, and clear, and it is a good product for anti-ageing. So, if you have the money for it, it is definitely a great product to use.
- Nizoral: Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
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Yeah, you read it right. It does say anti-dandruff shampoo, and no, I do not use it for my hair. Anti-dandruff shampoo can help control dandruff, but it can also help control fungal acne. Fungal acne is different from regular acne; these often appear as small bumps that cause texture on the skin. And I had a lot of that. I apply a thin layer of the product on my face and leave it on for 10 to 30 mins every day. It is a lot longer than most articles suggested, but it didn’t irritate my skin, so I continued to use it that way. Within a month, I saw great results. It ultimately got rid of the small bumps and texture on my skin.
- The Ordinary: “Buffet” and The Ordinary: Lactic Acid 10% + HA
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Both the serums are a great addition to the skin routine, but are extra and not necessities. They help with the texture and brightening of the skin. “Buffet” is an excellent option if you are trying to reduce texture on your face. Lactic Acid is a good supplement for healthy skin. However, it can be too strong for sensitive skin, so beware.
Well, these are the products I love using right now. I hope to keep my skincare routine as simple as possible but also test out different products that work best for my skin. The goal is to get that flawless, glowing, healthy skin all the Korean celebrities are flaunting. But whose isn’t? honestly. I hope these products I listed gave some ideas and check out Her Campus Carleton contributor Rawan’s article for more tips on how to build your own routine to best suit your skin. Happy Skincare!