Skincare

[Bracken_Joy]

Okay, that’s what I was thinking just based on how my skin felt, but I wanted to make sure it wouldn’t inactivate the fancy magic serum

[letired]

CosRX acids are the first ones I tried, and they do the thing so I’ve never tried any others! +1 recommendation, is what I’m saying!

[letired]

I’m also ““allergic”” (or something, it makes my eyes sting terribly after a few hours) to avobenzone, aka what helps make most American sunscreens broad spectrum.

I’ve had good luck with Biore-from-Japan Aqua Rich sunscreens (there are two formulations, both are fine), though I think the alcohol content that makes them dry quickly isn’t great for me either.

[galliver]

Thanks for your response! Re:scrub, I’m not terribly attached to that one, it’s just what has mostly worked for years now (worked = prevented breakouts in this case). I’ll try switching to a gentler one, although maybe not extra-gentle. CeraVe hasn’t thrilled me (borrowed my sister’s).

@noitsbecky

If you’re outside a lot,

See, problem is, I’m really not… And if I am it’s early or late (oblique sun, not just cloud cover). It makes it hard to build a sunscreen habit.

Questions directed to all knowledgeable parties:

• Do I understand correctly that a serum is all the stuff they add to lotions/moisturizers (vitamins, antioxidants, etc) without the moisturizing part?
• What is the verdict on clay?
• What makes a face/body product “harsh”?

[anomalily]

@galliver

• What makes a face/body product “harsh”?

There’s a bunch of different answers to this but, in general:

• high alcohol content (this makes things evaporate faster)
• Physical exfoliants, particularly natural ones (like “bark” or “seagrass” or “cocoa”) that have jagged edges
• anything that you react to, could be any ingredient, could be chamomile - if you have a reaction, it’s harsh for you - this is usually things like fragrances and colorants

@galliver

• Do I understand correctly that a serum is all the stuff they add to lotions/moisturizers (vitamins, antioxidants, etc) without the moisturizing part?

Serums can really be anything, sometimes they might be JUST moisturizing (like Hyaluronic acid) but they’re usually single ingredients, or very few ingredients that you add to your skincare routine BEFORE your moisturizer (or sometimes cut into your moisturizer) in order to achieve a specific goal (reduce red spots, calm irration, provide extra moisture, fight acne, etc)

@galliver

• What is the verdict on clay?

There’s a lot of kinds of clay, so you need to be specific

Usually clay is used as a mask for the purpose of removing blackheads and drying sebum. They are drying and need to be used with a full moisterizing routine or you can damage the moisture barrier.

This is the one I use, but I use it no more than once a week: Pore clearing exfoliating clay mask 2X | innisfree

[Meowmalade]

I used to have a blackhead routine, when I was younger and got blackheads. If I squeezed them they’d get inflamed, but I could avoid this by first using a Kiss My Face clay mask on my nose (pulled any remaining oil out of my nose pores after squeezing) and then a Kiss My Face tea tree acne antibacterial that stopped them from turning into zits. I don’t know if these products are still even made but this process worked for me for many years.

[Meowkins]

I’ve given up all hope and just made peace with my blackheads. Maybe I will give them names. I dunno.

[Meowmalade]

My friend’s ex got them vacuumed out, maybe during a facial?? There is a special blackhead vacuum device!

[noitsbecky]

I wrote this above:

@noitsbecky

my skin became more sensitive and I had to switch to all-mineral sunscreens instead of chemical ones because the chemical ones sting now. My son has always been sensitive to sunscreens and the chemical ones give him a rash so he prepared me for that a little. On him, I use Alba sunscreens because they don’t bother him. For me, my favorite is this one by Australian Gold I like it because it doesn’t sting(!), it’s cheap, it’s tinted so I just skip foundation now, it doesn’t have a fragrance, it has a high SPF, and it’s not greasy.

Also, when my kids were babies I used Badger sunscreen on them.

[noitsbecky]

The other solution is just to wait until you get those middle-aged eyes and you just don’t see them anymore. Stay away from magnifying mirrors, and suddenly they are gone!

[diapasoun]

@turtlegirl

TL,DR: eye cream always and forever. LOL

Recommendations for eye creams, by the way? with the note that I react to all sorts of random shit (can’t do scented detergents or a wide array of deodorants and can’t do certain chemical sunscreens on my face, yet my face seems to love retinols)

Routine is wash face with gentle soap in morning and apply sensitive skin moisturizer with SPF, and then at night apply a gentle retinol (sometimes I skip this bit).

[turtlegirl]

I have used this one for many years, unfortunately it’s been discontinued and it’s even getting hard to find on eBay. I’m going to have to find something new myself, so probably won’t be much help with a recommendation, sorry. I did read somewhere that it’s most important to just use ~something~ around the eyes because that skin is so thin and ages very easily. If your face likes the moisturizer you have, maybe just make sure you use a good amount around your eyes AM and PM. I haven’t tried the newer product from Philosophy yet, but I think that will be my next step once I cannot find this one.

[diapasoun]

I think I want something a little heavier than my usual moisturizer for around the eyes – but yeah, I’m glad I started with moisturizer years ago! I’m pretty sure it’s helped a lot.

[turtlegirl]

Does your moisturizer brand make an eye cream? I used Philosophy for many years because it was easy to stick with a single brand.

[diapasoun]

I mean, I just use Olay from the drugstore, so probably

[katscratch]

For my face the biggest things I can do for nicer feeling and better looking skin is get enough sleep and avoid drinking alcohol.

I have moderate success at both of those

I’m a huge fan of japanese/korean sunscreen after learning about them from Lily.

[noitsbecky]

Olay is “just from the drugstore” but they have some pretty damn expensive little jars. The Regenerist line, which is so smooth and formulated so nice and rubs right in and is moisturizing but not heavy and creamy but not greasy and is full of lots of good ingredients, well, they are expensive! I’m looking for a new overnight cream because even though the CeraVe one has the ingredients I want, I just don’t like it much. It’s kind of greasy and heavy and blah. Olay Regenerist I love and it has the ingredients I want but I think it’s too expensive! I love fancy skincare but I’m also still a cheapskate at heart, sigh.

[anomalily]

@noitsbecky

I love fancy skincare but I’m also still a cheapskate at heart, sigh.

This is why I still don’t have several eye creams I want.

[turtlegirl]

I’m too vain to be cheap with skincare.

[diapasoun]

Ohhhh now you’re having me wondering about that line, because I’m also always low key looking for an overnight cream too but when I’ve tried e.g. Neutrogena overnight cream it was so greasy and it gave me acne. D: Which of the Regenerist line have you tried?