Skin Routine for Problematic Skin
I struggled with having good / clear skin basically my entire life, and over time, I finally have it figured out. During my journey, I’ve come up with a methodology that is fundamental no matter what your skin type is, which I’m sharing here in hope that someone can learn from my journey and find these tips helpful.
To give you a background, here is a list of my main issues:
- Acne prone – Large cystic acne during teenage years and based on hormone cycles, plus regular blackheads & whiteheads which could appear everywhere.
- Sensitive – Skin feels “off” each time I switch to a new product or even just due to season changes. Also, easily break-out if I use products unsuitable for my skin. If I use the wrong product, or if the weather changes, it can be flaky and red/raw/irritated.
- Combination Oily – Generally oily skin, particularly around t-zones; however, I do get dry patches, especially in dry winter or when I’m in air-conditioned room a lot. There is nothing more annoying than oily skin that is also dry & flaky.
These days, cystic acne are days of the past, and even blackheads / whiteheads are under control. I go out without makeup on and don’t feel like people would think I have “bad skin”. And get this – 90% of the time, I only use hydrating serum after washing my face! That’s it! No tens of different bottles lining up my counter and secretly hating my friend who only spend money on facewash and cream. Also, my skin just in general, feel more comfortable, less bothersome.
I won’t be telling you what products you should use, because at the end of the day, everyone’s skin is different. So, what works for your friend with porcelain, naturally picture-perfect skin, may not necessarily work for you. Instead, I’ll be giving pointers on the process of how I overcame my skin problem, a methodology that I think may work on most skin types.
1. Identify patterns in your existing routine
Chances are, you have already noticed from over the years what works and what don’t. The next step is to try to understand why. For example, I’m sensitive to Vitamin C and Vitamin A – Every time I use them, I break-out! I didn’t believe it at first, thinking it was just a coincidence, since come on, everyone knows Vitamin A & C are good for your skin! Then after lots and lots of trial/error over the years, and extensive research, I finally realize that yes, Vitamin A / C sensitivity is real. So, trust your intuition and start identifying patterns based on your history.
2. Drink enough water
Let me emphasize: Water. Not coffee, not tea, not soda, but water. We all know how water is essential to survival. About 70% of the human body is made up of water, and more than 70% of planet earth is covered in water. We’re made of mostly water! If you’re not drinking enough water, your skin will suffer as the body will redirect the H2O to other, more important needs, so it’s easier to figure out what else your skin needs by eliminating the internal hydration issues first. Try drinking 1 glass of water the first thing you wake up. This really helps. When my skin is bad and I need it to “reset”, I make sure I do this. Just pour yourself a glass of water the night before and put in on your nightstand or on your bathroom counter so you see it when you brush your teeth in the morning.
3. Start with water-base / light products
Yes, water again. Why should something that we put on top of our skin to be absorbed any different from what we need internally? Remember back in your chemistry class. Whenever you spill a dangerous solution on yourself, what do you do? Run it under running water. If you burn yourself on acid, you don’t pour basic solution on it, even though you think that would counteract the acid. No matter what, it’s basically, water. Yes, sometimes, you need a other nutrition as well, and that’s why all those cosmetic brands exist, but to begin with, but when you’re trying to figure out what works for you, start with a basic light & water-base products with as many natural ingredient as possible. Then, you can more easily tell what else is needed and start adding other products that contains your missing needs and go full out with toner + serum + hydrator + treatment if you want, or switch up to a heavier cream once you’ve confirmed that a water-based hydrator is too light.
If you have oily skin, don’t assume you don’t need hydration – Think about it this way - Just because you’re eating oily food, does it mean you won’t feel thirsty? And sometimes, it might be the opposite -- Your body produces extra oil to try to stay hydrated, so proper hydration is key for all skin types.
One type of hydration that I’ve found consistently works better for me, is a water based hydrating serum in lieu of lotion / cream. These products are lighter and works well for my sensitive skin, and at the same time, more easily absorbed into the deeper layers of my skin, so they’re actually more hydrating for me than heavier creams. So, don’t just limit your search to regular facial creams.
4. Add other products carefully
Once you go through steps 1 – 3, and have given it a few weeks, you should have a pretty good feel for what else you need – Maybe this is enough. Other times, it’s extra hydration. Maybe you want to add treatment to lighten your dark pigmentation, or fine lines / wrinkles, or all of the above! Maybe it changes depending on the season also. Just add products 1 at a time, based on what is the most important to you, and give it a few weeks’ try to see how it reacts to your skin, before you layer on others. That way, you can quickly identify which product is giving you the issue and can adjust accordingly. Also, it lets you gain familiarity of what the new product is doing to your skin. This is important because our skin condition is fluid and always changing. So, if you can get a feel for what a specific product is doing, you can more easily change it up depending on your needs / season. For example, I like to use skin brightener serum to lighten my dark spots, but I know the brighter does tend to dry my skin out, so I only use it when my skin condition is good and well hydrated. Also, most of us need an extra heavier hydrator in the winter vs. summer. So, stick with your basic, and change it up one at a time.
5. Clean well
Any products can clog your skin if not cleansed properly. By properly, I mean really work your cleanser into your skin and don’t do a quick (i.e. lazy) 10 second pass. Don’t rub it too hard and work out a wrinkle either, but I think most of us busy people tend to try to wash our face as quickly as possible. Nope, gently work it, leather it, pamper it. Also, the key is to be able to wash of all the make-up, oil, and residue off your face, without stripping your face completely of its natural oil. I find 2 step washing works best for me – 1) Use an oil based make-up remover (because water can’t properly dissolve oil and oil-based products, and you should not skip this step if you use sunscreen either, as sunscreen tend to clog skin very easily), and then 2) use a gentle cleanser to make sure you cleanse off the oil-based make-up remover. Your skin should feel comfortable - Clean but not too tight, after cleansing.
Now, there is a difference between washing well, and washing often. Washing too often can strip your face of the necessary oils and boost your body's natural oil production, making your face more oily instead (if you have oily skin), or just flat out flaky / irritated (if you have dry or sensitive skin). You shouldn't need to wash your face more than 2x / day. Honestly, my skin has never been better after I switched to washing well only once at night. All my oil problems seem to have disappeared and sebum production balanced itself out!
6. Stop touching your face
I know, this is more easily said than done, but seriously, the more you touch your face, the more you transfer bacteria onto your face. I find that when my skin feels good, I naturally touch less, so hopefully you will too!
Hopefully these steps can help you figure out a skin routine that works for you, and remember, our skin condition is always changing, so with these tips, hopefully you understand your skin better also and can adjust accordingly. Then maybe, you won’t have to skin all that $$$ at cosmetic counters!