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. 

MORNING + NIGHT SKINCARE ROUTINE

The last time I had great skin was when I was 13. Not long before that, I remember hearing the word "acne" and not even knowing what it was. It's pretty strange to think about, seeing that acne has been a constant struggle for me for over a decade. If anything good can come out of having far-from-perfect skin, it's knowing that I need to take care of it!

I have oily/combination skin which is prone to cystic acne (those really painful zits that sit under your skin for forever). I also have a lot of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. If I have anything going for my skin, it's that it's relatively smooth. My main concerns are acne and skin discoloration. 

I try to keep my skincare routine simple because skincare is expensive; it involves a lot of trial and error to find something that works for each person. Below is a list of products I currently have and how I use them:

MORNING ROUTINE

I don't actually wash my face in the morning. Until a few months ago, never in my life did I consider foregoing exfoliators and cleansers upon waking up. I'm so glad I did, though! I've found that stripping my face of its natural oils, especially when I wake up, can cause inflammation and irritation – this can also make my breakouts worse when I am dealing with an acne flare up.

What I do instead is spritz my face with rose water from Pearlessence (I got mine at TJ Maxx) and let my skin drink it up. If I wake up oilier than usual, I use a cotton makeup round with Garnier's Micellar Cleansing Water and gently blot my face to get rid of some of the oil. 

I follow up with CeraVe's Daily Moisturizing Lotion and wait at least 10-15 minutes before applying makeup. This moisturizer is one that I think would work well for a variety of skin types. My husband, who has incredibly dry skin, uses it as well and really likes it. 

NIGHTLY ROUTINE

Going to bed with makeup on is one of the worst things you can do to your skin. I wear makeup pretty much every day, so it's a must for me to make sure 100% of that stuff is removed before heading to bed. 

To remove my makeup, I use the Garnier micellar water, mentioned in my morning routine. Once I've done that, I go in with my Foaming Facial Cleanser from CeraVe and massage it into my skin for a few seconds before rinsing it off. I then let my face air dry and moisturize with CeraVe's Daily Moisturizing Lotion, and spritz my face with rose water. 

#WHENEVERIWANT

For a long time, I used to think that face masks were an occasional treat for my skin. So, I just didn't use them all that often. One day when I was binge watching Lisa Eldridge videos, she revealed when she uses face masks  – whenever she wants. If Lisa can do that, I can do that as well, right? Done. The bottom line is, if your skin is in dire need of a face mask, use one. I've regularly been alternating face masks about 3 times a week, give or take a day or two. 

I have a number of face masks, but the ones I keep coming back to are Pearlessence's Turmeric & Honey Reviving Mask and their Aloe & Charcoal Detoxifying Mask (both available at TJ Maxx). I also love the Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox Ultra Cleansing Mud Mask. 

WHAT I'M TRYING TO INCORPORATE

SUNSCREEN

I'm not one to spend much time in the sun, but SPF is definitely a worthwhile product to include in my regime. My skin is naturally tan, which gives me more protection from sun damage than someone with fair skin, but no one has complete immunity from the sun's rays.

SERUMS

Specifically Burt's Bee's Brightening Skin Perfecting Serum. I'm currently going through an acne flare up, and I know that once my skin has cleared, I'll be left with some really nice discoloration :(. I'm hoping that using this will speed up the fading process.

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DISCLAIMER: Skincare is something that is going to change for me over time. I don't use the same products I used a few years ago. Everyone's skin has different needs, and what may work for me, may not work for you! The list above is just what I do with my skin, which seems to be helping reduce problems for the majority of the time. This is not a sponsored post; I bought all products mentioned in this post with my own money.