Update Skincare Routine (STORY!)

If you've been following me for a while, you may remember last year I wrote a post about my morning and night skincare routine. 

My skin has changed quite a bit since I wrote that post. For the past 8 months or so, I've been working on keeping my fungal and cystic acne at bay. 

*STORY TIME*

Beginning around May or June last year, I noticed areas on my cheeks and forehead had tiny bumps which didn't seem to go away. They didn't hurt, were at times itchy, and almost always dry. All my efforts failed in trying to rid my skin of this strange, stubborn texture. I tried DIY face masks, store bought face masks, acne washes and exfoliators. Nothing seemed to work. As a result, I thought that my skin was becoming bumpier and more textured because I was getting older (I was 25 at the time, currently 26 writing this post). I began to accept the "fact" that my skin was bumpy and there was nothing I could do about it. If I didn't have good skin as a middle-schooler, throughout high school and college, why would I ever have good skin? Every time I looked at my face in the bathroom, my bedroom mirror, store mirrors – the list goes on, I felt quite upset and frustrated. I honestly thought there was no chance in having smooth skin. 

Obviously, I got really fed up with seeing how bumpy my skin looked. So, I did some research. With the help of the internet, specifically Simple Skincare Science and Reddit, I discovered that I had fungal acne. Great! The annoying thing about fungal acne is that it's very difficult to get rid of if you don't know what it is. Traditional acne treatments (specifically the ones you don't rinse off) can actually worsen the condition. That, and you can't really prevent it entirely. A video that I found really helpful when learning about fungal acne was this one by Dr. Dray. 

WHAT I DO NOW

The biggest thing I'm doing for my fungal acne is using Head & Shoulders Classic Anti-Dandruff Shampoo as a face mask. Anti-dandruff shampoos contain an active ingredient called Pyrithione Zinc. This is highly effective in treating yeast-invaded hair follicles, which is what causes fungal acne.

I apply the shampoo to damp skin on the affected areas, mainly my cheeks and sometimes my forehead. I leave it on my face for about 5 minutes before rinsing it off with cool water. I used this method twice a day (morning and night) for about a month or two until my fungal acne had cleared up. I recently had another fungal acne spell and have been doing this method once a day. For a while I used aloe gel on my face. 

Facial oils are out of the question for me, unfortunately. Yeast loves oil! This is a bummer because there are so many intriguing facial oils on the market. The shampoo treatment can leave my skin feeling tight and dry, so it's really important that I keep my skin moisturized. 

So, there's that little story on my fungal acne and how I take care of it. My skin texture has improved so much! It's still something I need to keep an eye on, though. Anyway, keep reading for the rest of my stupid simple skincare regime. 

MORNING

- MOISTURIZE: CERAVE MOISTURIZING CREAM 

I'm pretty oily around my nose in the morning, so I rinse my face with lukewarm water. While my face is still damp, I moisturize my face and neck with the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream. It's safe for fungal acne and a little goes a long way!

- MASSAGE: HERBIVORE JADE FACIAL ROLLER

Between this step and the first one, I put on the kettle for my morning tea. While I wait for the water to boil, I work my moisturizer into my skin a couple minutes with my Jade roller. I recently wrote a review of it. 

EVENING

- CLEANSE: CERAVE FOAMING FACIAL CLEANSER 

Before bed, I use a cleanser to get rid of all my makeup. I like this one by CeraVe (no, this is not sponsored) because like the moisturizer, it's fragrance-free. I think it also does a good job of removing stubborn makeup, like mascara. I haven't tried this on waterproof mascara, so I don't know how well it would work for that. 

- MOISTURIZE: CERAVE MOISTURIZING CREAM  

Same thing as in the morning, I apply a little of this to my face and neck and work it in with my jade roller. So simple! 

1-2 TIMES A WEEK

- EXFOLIATE: NEUTROGENA ACNE PROOFING DAILY FACIAL SCRUB

I know this scrub is gentle enough to be used daily as the name suggests, but I don't recommend exfoliating your face every day. I use this twice, maybe three times a week. It doesn't irritate my sensitive skin. If I'm suffering from cystic acne, I try to be extra gentle on those areas. 

As you can see, I use less products in my skincare than I had been using even a year ago! I've been reading ingredient labels a lot more since learning about how finicky fungal acne is. 

What are your favorite skincare products at the moment? I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

Tiya 

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DISCLAIMER: This is not a sponsored post. I bought the reviewed product with my own money. As I am also not a dermatologist, this post is not meant to be used for medical advice. If you are struggling with your skin, please pay a visit to your dermatologist. 

REVIEW | RocksBox Jewelry Subscription

Hi everyone! Today, I'll be sharing my first experience with RocksBox. I found out about this service from my friend (also a blogger! check her out), and decided to try it out. :) 

WHAT IT IS

RocksBox is a subscription service where you are mailed designer jewelry chosen by either you (you have a "Wishlist" for this) or a stylist. You can keep them as long you want, provided you are still paying for membership. The jewelry you receive can be swapped out or bought at any time.

MEMBERSHIP FEE + CREDIT SYSTEM

RocksBox has a $21 per month membership fee, which is added as credit to your account. The $21 credit can be used towards buying jewelry you receive. This however excludes jewelry on clearance and new items. Your credit must be used within the month you receive it, or it expires. 

HOW IT WORKS

Upon signing up for membership, you will be prompted to create a Style Profile. This takes form as a short quiz, which asks questions regarding your jewelry preferences. You can update this at any time; it's actually encouraged so stylists can have a better idea of what you like. 

After completing your Style Profile, you will be asked to add 30 items to your "Wishlist". If you wishlist 30 items within 24 hours of signing up, you get $5 credit for free. This amount is added to your $21 credit. Once you've added at least 30 items to your wishlist, you can pick 10 of those items and add them to your "Top Requested" list. This will help stylists know which styles you really want and what your tastes are. Your top requested list can also be modified any time. 

With a completed wishlist and top requested list, a stylist will start putting your box together! Before sending it out, you'll be notified of the three items your stylist has curated for you. If you don't like an item (or any of them), you can swap them out for something else. When that's done, your box will be on your way to you.

You can keep the jewelry sent to you for as long as you want. If you need a break, you can choose to put your membership on hold for either 3 or 6 months. If you do this, you will have to send any jewelry you have no purchased back to RocksBox. You can also cancel your membership at any time.

WHAT I GOT IN MY BOX

I wasn't sure if I'd wear the pieces my stylist put in my box, so I swapped them out for a couple other things. There was a necklace I wanted to try out but wasn't available, so my stylist put another one from my wishlist in for me. I don't wear jewelry often, so I was pretty excited to try something new!

From left to right in the picture below: Rudiment Twin Peaks Huggies, Kate Spade Bright Ideas Drop Earrings, and Ava Rose Raleigh Necklace.

FINAL VERDICT

What really sold me about this subscription is that I'll always know which items I'll get in my box. If I end up not liking something, I can swap or return it. I've hesitated to use subscription services because sometimes you don't always get what you like. I truly loved everything I got in my first box. It arrived within two days of being shipped out, which is always a plus. 

My favorite item was the pair of Rudiment earrings. They're elegant but have a touch of glam because of the gemstones. I wore these out to a casual dinner with my husband the other night and they worked well with a nice sweater, a pair of jeans and some loafers. 

The Kate Spade earrings are gorgeous – just what I've been looking for, for a long time. They are a little bigger than I thought they'd be, but that's okay. I love jewelry that I can pair with an understated outfit and for special occasions

The Ava Rose necklace is pretty; good for everyday wear. I love the lighter shade of gold that the chain is, and the peachy stone is different from what I usually go for. I do think that this style is very common, though. Considering the price, I could find a necklace like this elsewhere for less money. 

I'm already excited for my next box! If you're interested, you can try out your first box for free here. 

Until next time,

Tiya

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DISCLAIMER: This post is not sponsored and does not contain affiliate links. I pay for my RockBox subscription with my own money. All opinions are my own.