I used to start my mornings by reaching up to touch my face and feeling disappointed each time that my skin still wasn’t smooth. Like many other people, I was struggling to find a solution to my skin problems that would finally leave me with the beautiful skin I felt like everyone else had. When quarantine rolled around, I finally caved and downloaded Tik Tok. As you can imagine, the app’s algorithm immediately directed me to the skincare by Hyram side of the Tik Tok. Here are some of the things I learned, and some great products to try that have been working for me!
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Be more gentle with your skin than you think you need to be: Your skin only needs to be exfoliated once every few days at most, but for most people, once a week is plenty. Find a more gentle daily cleanser to use instead of something harsh! Some great options are the Cerave or Cetaphil gentle daily cleansers. Those tend to be very easy on your skin and will keep you moisturized without stripping your skin.
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Sunscreen: The best anti-aging cream is sunscreen. Even when it’s the middle of the winter or you don’t anticipate going outside all day, put some on! Harmful UV rays are still present in the winter and can even get through your windows. If you don’t want to add an extra step to your morning routine, try finding a moisturizer with SPF in it. Your future self will thank you!
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Moisturize: Even if you have oily, acne-prone skin, you can still benefit from a lightweight morning moisturizer. It seems counterintuitive but one of the reasons skin can become more oily is if it’s trying to overcompensate for dryness caused by other products. Try to find one with SPF to cut down on your morning prep time if you can! Cerave and Cetaphil both make great lightweight options with SPF 15 or SPF 30.
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Try some small and easy changes to other aspects of your life: One thing that can contribute to problems with skin that many people forget to consider is hair. Even if your hair is freshly cleaned, products that you’re using could be contributing to skin irritation or breakouts. Try a satin hair cover while you sleep to prevent your hair from rubbing against your skin!
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Take off ALL of your makeup: It’s often tempting when it’s 2am to just go to sleep without taking off your makeup or washing your face, but this is very harmful to your skin and can contribute to blocked pores and dryness. Additionally, makeup wipes often aren’t enough to get everything. The best way to cleanse your skin at night is a double wash – do a first pass over your skin with a makeup wipe or remover and then wash your face with a cleanser and water. This should help remove all remaining makeup from your pores and leave your skin fresh in the morning.
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Over the counter products: You can always find a billion over the counter treatments for acne when you go to the pharmacy, so which one is the right choice? Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are well known acne fighting ingredients that are good choices for spot treatments. Be wary of using those ingredients all over your face though because they can cause dryness. Another good option is to look into an over-the-counter retinol such as Differin, which contains .1% adapalene gel. Retinoids help speed up the rate at which your skin cells turn over, which decreases the length of breakouts, and can help combat scarring.
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Don’t be afraid to contact a dermatologist: For me, and for many others, simple over the counter solutions may help but won’t be enough to solve every skin problem you’re experiencing. Remember that getting a professional’s opinion can never hurt! A dermatologist can give you more targeted feedback about your skin specifically and you can also ask about the products you use and if they have any suggestions for better products for you. Your dermatologist may recommend an oral antibiotic and/or prescription strength topical creams to help you achieve the skin you’ve been hoping for.
It’s often difficult to look in a mirror and feel beautiful when you’re struggling with your skin. Hopefully some of these tips can help you regain some confidence. Remember that most people have struggled with their skin at some point too and even if it feels like you’re alone, you’re not! Try introducing some of these small changes into your routine, and hopefully you’ll be on the road to your skin goals.