My Skincare Routine
I have been pretty open about my skin on social media. Mostly because It was a way for me to shed the insecurity of having imperfections. Skincare is a multi-million dollar business that is built on selling you “perfect skin in a bottle” or the “solution” to your “problem”. Like most of everyone that deals with skin issues, I ate that up and would buy everything I could afford. I finally had to learn that there is no “cure” but there are ways to improve your skin over night. Clearing up your skin is a process that takes lots of tie and patience.
MY SKIN
This was taken a few weeks ago. I posted this on Instagram. This is unedited picture of my imperfect skin.
I personally started improving my skin was by paying attention to what's going on with my body. Also, accepting that I am probably never going to have “glass skin”. I will always have to combat hyperpigmentation and sensitive skin. Accepting that perfection is a lie, but improvement is the best goal; is the best thing you can do for yourself hands down. I also hate taking advice from people who have always had clear skin and telling me what works and doesn’t. That ust doesn’t make any sense and can easily get you to feel even worse about your skin. don’t fall for it. I’m hoping to break that cycle., by being as genuine and honest as possible.
Now the 4 things I recommend to pay attention to after acceptance are
What are you eating
Stress levels
Period cycle
Hygiene
What you are eating can be the biggest thing causing your skin to have a reaction. I have a lot of allergies and learned that I have to really take into account what I’m eating. In 2015 I realized that dairy was not only causing me a lot of stomach problems but a source of a lot of my breakouts. I was always bloated which was very uncomfortable. I also became very nauseous after drinking and eating anything with milk in it. Not sure why but it actually took me a long time to realize that it was milk. For me cutting out dairy was important and wasn’t too difficult. I didn’t go hard core as far as no longer having things like butter but I did avoid having cheese, yogurt, ice cream etc. I was no longer bloated and realized I was seeing less breakouts. I was stunned. Since the pandemic I have actually become a bit lazy with this but meh, it’s okay. I know the risk that I’m taking now and I think that’s half the battle.
The second thing that I didn’t realize was causing breakouts was my stress levels. As someone who has anxiety it made it very difficult to figure that out because anxiety is literally the physical manifestation of your stress. With my triggers changing I honestly didn’t realize this was a huge trigger for breakouts till the pandemic hit. I had a lot going on (as I'm sure just about every single person in the world did) and my face chose violence. It was the first time being under that much stress and having my skin show an immediate response to it.
Hormones can be a pain in the ass and there’s nothing you can do about it. They are what they are unless you want to do tons of tests that cost a whole lot of money and possibly not really tell you anything. Yeah, no thank you. So paying attention to your cycle can let you know if your acne is hormonal or not. I personally get a pimple when my cycle comes around. It’s usually on the side of my face near my jaw line. It usually appears the week before my cycle and at this point I’m surprised when I don’t get one.
Last but absolutely not least is hygiene. Now I don’t mean remembering to take a shower, but what you’re using while in the shower. Hygiene looks different for everybody due to what their skin needs. Some people can exfoliate every single day and never have an adverse reaction, while some people can only exfoliate once a week. For me personally I can exfoliate my body & face every other day. That’s the sweet spot for me. For my face I use chemical exfoliants while my body loves physical exfoliation as well as chemicals. My shoulders, arms and buttocks are my problem areas when it comes to body acne. I can never really feel when they are there but they do indeed leave a mark. I can always tell when I haven't exfoliated enough during my week. This past year I wasn’t using exfoliants like I was using before, and I can tell. I have a lot more dark marks than before and I am starting to actually notice the pimples on my shoulders as they appear. I think I was assuming I was out of the clear and okay to not exfoliate because everything had cleared up so well; ha I was very wrong. So now I will share with you a list of my favorite non physical and physical exfoliants.
Mario Badescu Glycolic foaming cleanser (Face)
Paula's Choice skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant (Face)
The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA (Face + Body)
First Aid beauty KP Bump eraser Body scrub Exfoliant for Keratosis Pilaris with 10% AHA (Body)
*all links to these products are listed at the bottom of this post
Skincare products are not one size fits all like socks. There are so many different components that go into your skin that you need to find what works best for you. Skincare products aren't some magical overnight solution. It can take up to 6 weeks to really see any difference in your skin. Your skin is a living organ and like everything else, it has to regenerate. Give products at the very least 4 weeks to see if they’re working for you or not. Always remember that you need to pay attention to your skin while using a new product. I have very sensitive skin and just about everything causes my skin to itch accompanied by little tiny irritation bumps. When that happens, that’s a sign that you are allergic to it or that you have used too many exfoliating products and or your skin barrier has been damaged. Stop the use of that product and only use non exfoliating produts till it’s clear.
Out of all the advice and product recommendations I could possibly give, having patience is the biggest thing you can have with yourself and the products themselves. Be kind to yourself & embrace your imperfections. Accept the things that we can not change, but work on the things that we can improve. We can improve our skin and we can work on better skincare routines. We may never achieve perfection but nobody can and that’s the reality. Nobody's skin is perfect. We are all beautifully imperfect people.
I hope you enjoyed this post. if you can relate I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. if you have any product recommendations please leave them below. I have shared the my skin care routine as well as the links to where you can get them for yourself.
I can’t wait to hear from you
-Airika Nicole
My Skincare Routine ( Face & Body)
Best Face Forward Daily Cleanser - Daily Use
This is a non exfoliating cleanser that helps remove makeup and great for daily use. It is non irritating to my skin and I have been using this for years. I use this when I’m not using an exfoliating face wash.
Mario Badescu Glycolic Cleanser - 3x a week
This is a chemical exfoliant. I only use this 3x a week and only at night. I do not recommend using this product more than 3x a day. If it is your first time using it please be sure to wash your face using only your hands.
Differin Gel (Adapalene Gel) - 2x a week
This is adapalene gel that helps treat acne. This is not a product that you can use once and see results. You need to use this product on a regular basis (pea size amount only) after moisturizing your face. I suggest using it after moisturizing when you first start to dilute the product a bit. I have been using this for a year now and no longer need to use it after moisturizer.
Paula's Choice skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant - 3x a week
This is almost like a toner. I use about 4 drops on a cotton round after washing my face. I never use this after using an exfoliating face wash. I use this when I use “The Best Face Forward Cleanser”. This can be used morning and night, but I usually only use it at night. If it is your first time using an exfoliating product please be sure to pay attention to how your skin reacts. Only use it on a small spot of your skin first. I recommend getting the travel size fist before committing the price of the big bottle.
The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA (Face + Body) - 3x a week
This is probably this most underrated product that I will never live without. I use this product in multiple places but the most important place is my under arms. I will go into more detail in another post all about this. Just know, it works miracles. I also use it on shoulders, chest and face. I use this product 3x a week and NEVER after exfoliating or shaving.