Hi all,
This was my routine before I had acne problems: any soap, any cream (I had been using one from Lidl for years) and sunscreen in the mornings.
As I mentioned in a previous post, after 3 months of using the foreo, I developed a horrible cystic acne and within a week I had the part under my cheeks and chin with a lot of pimples.
The dermatologist told me to do this routine:
- Dercutane or rancutan 5mg once a day.
- One vitamin complex every twelve hours.
- AM&PM: acne soap.
- PM: scrub 2 times a week.
- AM&PM: salicylic acid pads.
- PM: ampoules for hyperpigmentation.
- AM&PM: moisturizer
- AM: SPF
- Peeling with genesis once a month.
Everything is from his brand called dermmia. I spent almost 400 euros on all the products he prescribed me and not counting the vitamin complex that I did not take. I didn’t buy the sunscreen either because at that time I had an Anthelios that was almost new.
I have to say that the products seemed good, and I spent the whole day with a perfect non greasy face.
I went to a genesis peel session and felt ripped off. It was 165 euros per session to be there for 10 minutes. In addition, I have almost no blackheads, meaning that the peeling did little or nothing.
I stopped taking the dercutane on the third month because I had a bad reaction: fever, fatigue, headache, weakness and an upset stomach. As soon as I stopped taking it, all the symptoms disappeared, so I said goodbye to the dercutane.
I started researching what products to use for my now oily, acne-prone skin. I learned a lot on Tik Tok by watching videos of dermatologist accounts.
I discovered The Ordinary which is an accessible dermatological brand without cruelty.
I also learned that the products take at least a month to start working, so you don’t have to expect results overnight.
After a lot of research, my routines turned out like this:
AM:
- Soap.
At the beginning I bought the one from CeraVe which is very good, but it is not vegan. As soon as I ran out, I bought the one from ISDIN (Acniben).
- Salicylic acid mask from The Ordinary.
It’s a bit annoying because you have to remove it after 5 minutes. In that sense, I like the pads more, but they are 40 euros a month against 5 euros and The Ordinary mask lasts more than a month. Still, I didn’t buy it anymore. I stuck with The Ordinary Glycolic Acid which is in a tonic format.
- Eye contour from The Ordinary.
I never had dark circles or bags, but I bought The Ordinary Caffeinated eye serum because everyone was raving about that product. I also use Bio Oil and alternate both products.
- Niacinamide from The Ordinary.
It did wonders on my face, and it is a serum that I cannot miss. Then I changed it to Vit C because you can’t use both together, but then I went back to Niacinamide. I didn’t like the Vit C creams because they made little balls on my face (they didn’t adhere well).
- Hyaluronic Acid from The Ordinary.
They don’t recommend it much for acne-prone skin, but it doesn’t make my skin greasy.
- Moisturizer from The Ordinary.
The one I use is Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA. It is a simple and cheap cream. Dermatologists say that if you’re going to spend money, better on serums than in a moisturizer. Of course, you always must put it on after the serums.
- Sunscreen.
One important thing that many people do not understand is that you must apply sunscreen even if you do not leave your house.
Sun protection is the first thing to prevent skin aging and even more important if you have spots on your face or hyperpigmentation. For my face, I always tried to buy a good brand and always with SPF 50. The last one I used was from Anthelios which I had before the acne episode, but it is super greasy.
Then I bought the one from ISDIN which I think is wonderful because it is cruelty free, it does not pollute the oceans, it does not sting the eyes and it is special for acne-prone skin. In addition, I also bought sunscreen for my lips. Another important thing is that the sunscreen must be applied every 4 hours.
PM
- Soap.
- Eye contour
- Retinol or Retinoid.
I started with 1% retinol from The Ordinary and had very good results. When it was available, I bought the 5% granactive retinoid from the same brand.
They recommend that you be very careful with retinol because it can irritate the skin and do not forget the sunscreen because it makes the skin sensitive. At first my eye contour got burned a bit because I put it very close; also, got an irritation on my neck.
With retinoid you do not have this problem since it does not cause any irritation, yes, it is a more expensive formulation.
- Hyaluronic acid.
- Moisturizer
In the beginning with acne, I used niacinamide in the morning and retinol in the evening. Once my acne cleared up, I switched from niacinamide to Vit C. Many dermatologists say that this is the ideal anti-aging routine: Vit C in the morning and retinoids or retinol in the evening.
Also, for acne-prone skin, salicylic acid is essential, which is a gentle peeling that deeply cleanses your pores. On the other hand, for people with normal skin, glycolic acid is better.
The Bio Oil was recommended by my surgeon for scars, and I think it is a wonderful product because it hydrates a lot. Even for the little spots on the face it works miracles. Of course, stretch marks are not removed basically because stretch marks can’t be removed with anything. I then swapped the Bio-Oil for The Ordinary’s Retin-Oil.
In addition to the Bio Oil, I have a Lidl soap as a complementary product, and I use it to exfoliate my body. I use the moisturizing lipstick also from Lidl and I love it.
As for the laser, I did not do that laser that the dermatologist told me anymore because 165 euros for a 10-minute session is an atrocity.
After these routines I have been incorporating / changing some things. Niacinamide is a must for me because it is magical. I did not buy the Vit C creams anymore because they were very pasty and if I must choose, I stay with Niacinamide.
As for sunscreen, then I tried the Anti Age and the Anti Stain. Both wonderful.
I also tried Glycolic Acid in the mornings. Although is recommended to use it at night, I used it in the mornings as at night I was using retinoid and peptides which are incompatible with AHAs. I love Buffet serum because it is a super powerful peptide blend for wrinkles.
I tried ISDIN’s glycolic acid, and I didn’t like it because my face felt so itchy. The one from The Ordinary is better because it is light and dries faster.
Finally, as “after I’m old” I was also getting a little acne on my back, I bought this ISDIN spray that has Glycolic and Salicylic Acid, and it is pure magic.
My last routine:
AM: Buffet + Alpha Arbutin + Niacinamida or Alpha Arbutin + Niacinamida + EUK > +Moisturizer + SPF
PM: Alpha Arbutin + Retinoide + Pycnogenol or Alpha Arbutin + Niacinamida + Retinoide > + moisturizer
My learning after all this process:
- You are never too old to have acne.
- You always must go to the dermatologist before you start putting things on your face.
- None of those home remedies work.
- You must dry your face with a different towel than the one you use for your body and change it every 3 days. Also, you must pat yourself dry, do not scratch your face with the towel.
- The pillowcases must also be changed every 3 days
- Every skin is different. When trying new products, use them for 3 or 4 days on a small part of the face to check that it will not produce any reaction.
- In Skincare it will always be better less than more. You don’t need a 20-step skincare routine.
- Patience and perseverance are the key. You must wait at least a month for the products to take effect.
- There are no miracles. With a good skincare routine your skin will be healthy and younger, but it must be clear that at some point, you will need Botox and a hyaluronic acid filler.