Skincare Edit: Updating My Skincare Regime

FORMULA 10.0.6, SUKIN, YESTO & MORE

Last August I did a post on my skincare regime as it had been the first time in years that I had a proper skincare process. I had, at that time, focused on what was cheap, vegan and cruelty-free, with the assumption that if the product was marked for sensitive skin, then it was fine, I didn't need to worry about anything else. So wrong of me. I since then added a few more things to my routine, including rosehip seed oil, to help with the dry areas and a couple of masks.

My skin has been acting up a lot since, a pimple breaking out every other day, and dry areas cropping up in areas where there was also an abundance of oil, and some days my skin was either really dry or really oily. There were also clusters of large blackheads on either side of my chin. It got to the point where I was getting really sick of how my skin was acting, so short of going to see a dermatologist, I did my research.

I found out that my skin was oily (this I already knew) and dehydrated. What happens is, the more I use harsh scrubs and cleansing products, the drier my skin gets and the more oil is produced to protect it. So, once I get down to hydrating my skin, the better the overall condition will be. As for the pimples, I needed to get stuff that had pimple-fighting ingredients such as glycolic and salicylic acid. With that in mind, I waited until I ran out of some products and replaced them as I went. I needed products that helped my skin, could be bought from Priceline, cruelty-free and wasn't ridiculously expensive.

The first thing to go was the Australian Pure Sensitive Face Scrub, as it was too harsh on my skin with the rough walnut grains, and it dried my skin out after polishing off the dead skin cells, which made my face super greasy. I went for the Nip + Fab Glycolic Scrub Fix, because it had micro grains that gently polishes off skin cells, but not in a way where it feels like sandpaper. It is actually quite moisturising, as my skin feels soft, bright and smooth afterwards. It also has glycolic and salicylic acids, which means it helps to fight pimples and cleans the pores. It doesn't do much for blackheads, though. Nonetheless, it is the best exfoliating scrub I have ever tried.

I still use my Essano Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser, but I use it sparingly after discovering that it actually severely dehydrates my skin, and makes my face feel really tight to the point where even smiling put the fear of skin ripping apart in me and I would then go nuts with the moisturiser and oils in horror. Cat sent me YesTo Tomato Activated Charcoal Bar Soap, and I've been using it morning and night because it is really gentle on the skin, doesn't strip it of moisture, and the charcoal and salicylic acid really helps control the pimples. My skin feels and looks soft, bright and clean after I wash my face with this.

With my original skincare routine, I didn't use a toner, so I decided to add Sukin Hydrating Mist Toner to my routine sometime late last year. At first, I thought this was making my breakouts worse but it had turned out to be because of Tarte's Maracuja Oil that I got in a set of sample-sized products. This doesn't contain any harsh ingredients, oils or sulfates, so it really gives my skin a boost of hydration that feels quite refreshing.

I got rid of my Australian Pure Sensitive Daily Moisturiser, because it was way too greasy for my skin, and really did not do much for the dry areas. Vitamin E also makes me break out, so it definitely was not helping with my pimples. I ended up going for Formula 10.0.6's Picture Perfect Day Gel Moisturiser. This contains SPF 15, so it provides some protection on a day to day basis against the sun. This doesn't look or feel like a gel, but it is non-greasy, and really helps keep the oil at bay, especially with the assistance of a salicylic acid-based ingredient. This product has parabens, so it may not be good for some people.

On days when I'm not wearing makeup, I sometimes layer some Jojoba Seed Oil on top of the moisturiser in the areas where there are dehydrated patches. I know it sounds counter-productive because it's an oil, but this one is closest in chemical makeup to natural human skin oil, and applying this helps prevent your skin from going into excess oil production mode to protect the skin. It isn't greasy and sinks into the skin quickly.

During the nights I use a Rose Hip Seed Oil instead of Jojoba Seed Oil, as it's heavier and really helps heal the dry areas. The dry areas usually occur when the weather gets colder and I'm constantly in heated rooms, and whenever I've gotten lazy and didn't do my skincare routine a couple of times in a row. This adds some much-needed moisture into my skin and even though it is quite greasy, it doesn't bother me because I wash it off in the morning.

As for the masks, I try to put one on at least twice a week. I've got three different masks on rotation, and some of you might remember me adding 7th Heaven, nee Montagne Juenesse, masks to my routine earlier this year, namely the Green-Tea Peel Off Mask, and the Deep Sea Mud Pac Mask. The Peel-Off mask freaks me out because I loathe/fear peeling skin, and this looks much like it when I start peeling it off. I use it because the benefits far outweigh the nausea that I get when I look at it, as it makes my face softer and more hydrated, and does help clean my pores. The Deep Sea mask lightens my pores and makes my skin feel smooth and plump, and it looks brighter.

I added Formula 10.0.6's No Time To Shine Oil-Absorbing Mud Mask to my routine just before my spending ban, because the ingredients seemed promising and I could only foresee good things coming from this. However, the first time I used it, I washed it off a couple of minutes after application. This shit BURNS! It gave me a really strong stinging feeling and I couldn't handle it. I looked at the ingredients list again to see if it had any caustic/irritating ingredients, but nothing jumped out at me. It couldn't have been an allergic reaction because my skin looked and felt perfectly fine after I rinsed it off. I looked at the reviews and it turns out that Bentonite Clay is what causes the stinging feeling, but it doesn't cause harm to the skin. In fact, many people reported varying grades of burning, and it turns out that those with dry/dehydrated skin experience it more than people with normal skin.

I tried it again, this time on top of damp skin. I used a thinner layer as opposed to how much I normally use, and while the stinging still happened, it doesn't hurt as much and subsides after a few minutes. When I washed it off after it had dried, I was astonished by the results. I got seriously smoooooth skin, smoother than any exfoliating scrub has given me, and on top of that my skin was clear, bright, soft, hydrated and matte. It is, in a nutshell, magic in a tube. This contains salicylic acid which is a bonus.

Lastly, when it comes to makeup removal, I use the bottle of Botanics Micellar Cleansing Solution that Cat sent me in her care package. It is much gentler than the Australian Pure Eye Makeup Remover, but still causes a little bit of tingling when I go over dry areas. I always wash this off afterwards because it tends to make me break out, especially in the eye area by way of milia, which is really annoying. I find that being stingy with this product doesn't quite work, so I have to use more to get rid of my mascara. I've also got a travel-sized packet of Essenzza's Cleanse and Moisturise Face Wipes, but they feel quite silicony after use and brings on the pimples overnight. I use the wipes on days where I cannot be arsed taking a bottle of Micellar water for an overnight stay at mum's house, but I know that I will follow up with my regular skincare routine.

I'm waiting for Priceline's next 40% off skincare sale, because I'm planning on picking up a spot treatment and a night cream. My pimply issues aren't going away entirely and I think it has to do with my diet. While I work on that, I'll need some help bringing the pimples down before I pop them, so that's where the spot treatment comes in handy.

What kind of products do you guys use? Is there anything that you would recommend for those with my kind of skin concerns?