To the girl who has spent 200+ dollars on new skincare products and then spent 2 days crying when none of the products seemed to work, this article goes out to you. I too know the pain of skincare failures and the helplessness felt when just nothing seems to work. I’ve bought, used, hated, and returned, many youtube recommended products in my day, but it wasn’t until I conducted deeper research that I realized clear skin goes beyond brand names and active ingredients. If you’re not seeing any progress with your current skincare routine, the following five reasons may be why.
- Too many actives
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If you have acne-prone skin, the last thing you need to do is overdo the use of active ingredients. For example, using a 10% benzoyl peroxide cleanser, following with a salicylic acid exfoliant, and finishing with a sulfur spot treatment is overkill. Using too many actives in conjunction with one another will only dehydrate the skin and damage the moisture barrier, and acne will actually get worse as a result of this. Pick a method of how you will incorporate your active ingredients; if you want to use a mask, use a gentle cleanser and skip the spot treatment. If using a spot treatment, make sure you use a gentle cleanser and a good method of hydration.
- You don’t moisturize
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Oily skin does not mean that you are exempt from using a moisturizer! A common mistake made by those of us with oily skin is going heavy handed on products meant to treat acne, without properly moisturizing the skin. If you have oily skin and skip moisturizing, your skin is only overproducing oil and subsequently suffering from more breakouts. When you moisturize the skin properly, it leads to a decrease in sebum, which is a large contributor to acne. As an oily skin girl, I enjoy using oil free moisturizers with a gel-like consistency; lighter formulas tend to dry down quickly instead of sitting on the skin and feeling greasy.
- You don’t use SPF
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Yes, even the most melanated skin needs SPF. Incorporating SPF in your routine is essential, especially for those struggling with hyperpigmentation. The sun is our worst enemy when it comes to skincare; it darkens dark spots and only speeds up the aging process. I’ve heard the excuses; it breaks me out, the whitecast is ugly, it’s too heavy, and the rest of the spiel. There are both chemical and physical SPFs to choose from, and even tinted formulas that can help you beat the whitecast. My personal favorite SPF is the Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid by Paula’s Choice; this liquid has an incredibly thin, waterlike formula and is SPF 50, making it a perfect contender for any acne-prone girls with oily skin and a deeper skin tone.
- Lack of protection
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Use protection, always! Incorporating an occlusive at the end of my nighttime skincare routine has been a game changer for me. I know, the idea of petroleum on your face may seem scary, even for those with skin on the dry side, but hear me out; putting an ointment on your face such as the Vaseline healing jelly or CeraVe’s Healing Ointment will really help to seal in all of your serums, treatments, and moisturizers, so that the products and penetrate the skin and not wipe off in the middle of the night. Protecting your skin with an occlusive is also essential in healing a damaged moisture barrier, and retaining moisture all around; your supple, soft skin dreams begin with an occlusive!
- Your pillowcases are dirty
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You may be tired of skincare enthusiast shoving this tip down your throat, but it’s all for good reason. Applying a highly expensive, and well thought out skincare routine means nothing if you proceed to suffocate your face with soiled linens at the end of the night. If you’re suffering from chronic breakouts and have not changed your linens in over a month, try to start with doing your laundry before selecting add to cart on whatever product TikTokers are raving about at the time. Changing your pillowcases is an easy, inexpensive way to investigate the causation of your skin issues.
I’m no stranger to acne: fungal, hormonal, comedonal, cystic, face, body etc.; you name it and I’ve probably dealt with it. However, while the recommended tips above will be ways to jumpstart the effectiveness of your skincare routines, it is imperative that as young women in college, we remember that acne is normal if nothing else. It doesn’t make you less beautiful, and it will get better. I hope these tips will be the beginning of your skincare routines delivering the results you desire, and the end of weary souls, tear stained eyes, and damaged moisture barriers.