If there is anything that I’ve done a lot of personal research on, it’s skincare. I’ve struggled with acne since middle school and, between then and now, my skin has been through a gradient of phases. I’ve had my skin completely broken out, scarred, inflamed, you name it. It prompted me to get my hands on over the counter medicine and trying a myriad of different remedies to clear my skin. But in the last few years, my skin has calmed down quite a bit. In fact, with a little bit of concealer, it can look pretty darn clear. That’s not to say that my skin doesn’t completely turn on me some months, whether it be from my period, stress, or just from eating junk. But in my experience, I’ve come to realize there is a lot of misconceptions about the right way to do skincare.
At one point in time, I completely convinced myself that skincare must derive from the most organic, natural chemicals and ingredients. (Also, can I just say… EVERYTHING is made of chemicals, even natural substances! So, beauty gurus who tell you to stay away from chemicals…are making no sense!) You’ve probably seen this natural wave of skincare promoted by beauty bloggers across social media with coconut oil, African black soap, rosewater, etc. These things may work wonders for many people, especially those who are acne prone with sensitive skin. But keep in mind, skincare with lab chemicals is NOT the devil. Many dermatologist-recommended skincare is made with lab chemicals for a reason, because they have been proven with numerous tests and evidence that the chemicals can repair cellular damage in the skin, regulate the skin’s moisture, along with many other properties. So, if you’re trying to see what skincare regimen works best for you, test and try out different products, and you may find a mix of natural and lab made products that suit your skin.
I love using a combination of natural and lab made skincare. When it comes to natural skincare, I love using a tea tree oil to combat redness and ease any new, inflamed acne. I like using witch hazel as a toner, to bring my skin to its normal pH after all that cleansing. I often use coconut oil to remove my makeup, but never as a moisturizer (read more below to find out why). For my cleanser and moisturizer, I like to use products from CeraVe.
In conjunction with my routine, here are a few beauty myths and tips on skincare that I’ve picked up along the way:
1. Coconut oil is NOT your face moisturizer
It’s okay for use on the body, and in fact, I highly recommend using it on your legs, total dewy goddess vibes. However, coconut oil should not be used as a face moisturizer because it’s a comedogenic oil, meaning it blocks your pores. It may feel hydrating, but that’s because it traps moisture in your skin. Subsequently, it traps your pores. There are many oils that are much safer to moisturize your skin with and are similar to the natural oil your skin produces, such as jojoba oil.
2. You may think your skin is oily, but it could just be dehydrated
Often, when our skin is dehydrated, it compensates for the lack of hydration by producing more oil than we need, and we end up looking like a greasy mess. Try to use a moisturizer that is water based opposed to oil based to compensate for your skin’s lack of hydration. Oil may provide the moisture, but not the hydration. Oils are great moisturizers for dry skin/spots, since dry skin is characterized by producing not enough oil.
3. Physical exfoliators aren’t all that
Often, the particles in commercial exfoliators can cause microtears in the skin. Plus, microbeads, which are little plastic sphere particles, are in a lot of these exfoliators and are really damaging to the environment! Using physical exfoliators occasionally is okay and can be beneficial for dry, flaky skin, but don’t overdo it. Chemical exfoliators are a more subtle option, because they gradually exfoliate away dead skin cells. I use a 10% Lactic acid formula from a brand called The Ordinary to improve my skin texture.
4. No, drinking 2 gallons of water a day like many Twitter threads claim may not be the key to clear skin, but drinking more water can maintain your skin’s hydration
Find out about how much water you should be drinking per day for your body type and see how it impacts your skin!
I hope I could pass on some of my wisdom to any readers out there who are desperate for their skin to bounce back from the breakouts, scarring, texture issues, well—all of it.
Operation Semester Skin Glow-up, am I right?