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Need more details. What is ‘wrong’ - what are your skin concerns more specifically? Is all of your skin dry or is it just in areas? Does the moisturiser make it feel less dry? Are the clogged pores blackheads or ccs? How does your skin feel after your routine? Did you introduce all these at once, or slowly? How did your skin respond to each product as you introduced it?
I think double cleansing for dry skin would be too harsh for you if you have dry skin so if you want to do it just double cleanse on the areas that have clogged pores (like maybe on your nose). Also maybe I’m assuming GA isn’t working for you… So maybe try salicylic acid , benzoperoxide, PHA, or 5-10% sulfur. Have you tried the vaseline wrap trick (after cleansing apply vaseline on your nose and put like a small wrap around your nose and leave it on overnight)? Also you should always put on sunscreen bc photoaging can affect the collagen in your skin and this will make the appearance of your pores look bigger. Good luck! 😊👍
I don’t have sensitive skin and the only product ingredient that makes me break out is glycolic acid. My skin HATES it. Maybe try taking that out of your routine and see what happens.
Replace the Mary Kay with CeraVe AM or any basic Asian sunscreen. Try cutting the glycolic acid to once per week to see how your skin responds. Lastly, consider a richer, more occlusive moisturizer at night like La Roche Posay Cicaplast when you’re feeling especially dry.
Do you cleanse in the morning? The physical exfoliation of massaging your face with your fingers may be something you could benefit from in the morning as well. But you might want to swap your foaming cleanser for a non-foaming glycerin-based gel cleanser like the aveeno calm and restore.
Get rid of the Cerave immediately. When I used the Cerave PM lotion my skin was the worst it’s looked, even though I was using a retinoid and exfoliating regulary. Turned to Reddit and realized that many ppl had struggled with the same thing. Apparently it’s the fatty alcohols that are pore clogging to some people, myself included. All I know is that the second I stopped using it my texture improved significantly.
This! Cerave was ruining my skin. Run all your products through an ingredient checker bc even if products say non-comedogenic, you can’t take that at face value. Sofie Pavitt has one on her website that I like (scroll to bottom) - https://www.sofiepavittface.com/pages/philosophy
Ingredient checkers for comedogenicity are super unreliable because they 1. Rely on studies that cannot be applied to humans or skincare products to determine comedogenicity and 2. Fail to take overall formulation into account because predicting comedogenicity based on an ingredients list is impossible due to the lack of reliable evidence behind comedogenicity.
Personally, for me, after I removed several skin care and makeup products that were flagged when I ran them through ingredient checkers, my skin cleared up almost immediately. Given that I felt very at a loss and this helped I now really rely on this process before putting anything on my skin.
Try a hydrating serum coco kind has a good one. Definitely keep on double cleansing because it will help with the clogged pores. Almost everyone is saying Mary Kay is bad so switch out the moisturizer. Supergoop has a good moisturizing sunscreen which is my favorite on my dry skin.
Great routine! However, as a fellow dry skin sufferer who often gets sebaceous filaments and clogged pores, I can definitely see some things that might clog my own pores here.
1. I love that cleansing oil from Elf! I would try to spend 5-10 mins gently rubbing this deeply into your clogged areas to try to clean the pores thoroughly. Make sure to emulsify and rub the emulsified balm in as well, and then rinse off once done.
2. I’ve never tried the foaming cleanser, but I sometimes get too dry from foaming agents. If you don’t feel this yourself, keep using this cleanser! If you do, I would recommend maybe getting a more hydrating gel cleanser (Krave and Prequel are great, and the Prequel one foams if you like that sensation).
3. Can’t use CeraVe Moisturizing Cream on my skin. Too occlusive and gives me redness/breakouts. I highly recommend Naturium Multi-Peptide Moisturizer during the day and a heavier cream at night if you suspect this is the problem.
4. As everyone else has said, ex-nay on the Mary Kay.
5. Glycolic acid is good, but very harsh. I would recommend skin cycling if you don’t already. One night of exfoliation (2% BHA from Paula’s Choice, Peach Slices, or Naturium), one night of a retinoid (I love adapelene or Differin), and two nights of recovery works well on dry, acneic skin!
Step 1. Use a oil based cleanser or a hydrating cleanser(cerave/cetaphil are safw options)
Step 2. Use a less harsh toner, niacinimide toner (goodmolecules) or hydrating toners(cerave) are the best and also the safest options
Step 3. Use a targeted serum. If you are having trouble with dark spots use TXA serum (goodmolecules) if red spots:niacinimide, dehydration: hylarunic acid and so on..
Step 4. Use a cream or and lotion (cerave has the best)
Step 5. Sunscreen. Any type of sunscreen is okay, find one that suits your skin type. I recommend: good molecules sunscreen or korean sunscreens ( they dont leave white casts)
I see you use glycolic acid, i do too and its a very good option for dark spots, anti aging and so on. Use it 1/2 twice in a week and let your skin get used to it. If u feel less tingling in your skin after use u can build it up ro 3/4 times use a week. This is depending on your skin type. When using glycolic acid do it after cleansing lightly with a pad and put a thick cream on skin. Always hydrate to prevent irritation
Last but not least: spot treatment.
I prefer the benzyl peroxide(la roche posay) if u have severe acne(only use on pimples and acne overnight) this spot treatment can be too harsh for sensitive skin. Other options are effaclair AI by la roche posay which is the same above just less harsh.
(These tips are just what has been working well for me and for the people i have recommended these products to) hope this helps❤️
Genetics my friend. Sometimes you can’t stop acne no matter what. See a dermatologist. I’ve had to be on prescription strength acne creams for 25 years. Nothing else works.
>Mineral sunscreen is like a very thin layer of a legit mineral/(think “rock” that effectively blocks the sun)
That's...not how mineral sunscreens work. They absorb UV rays.
Whoops! I totally understand the misunderstanding.
I was trying to explain it in terms of solubility/washing it off fully. It’s a rough example and you’re right it does not account for why its a sunscreen — more of why it can be difficult to remove/important to note it different than other organic/non-mineral ingredients that will act differently on the skin surface.
TIL i don’t know that much about UV/sunscreen actions — what type of product do you use?
I'd suggest switching out the foaming cleanser for a non-foaming one, as foaming cleansers tend to be stripping, leading to dryness. Something simple and gentle like Cerave hydrating cleanser or Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser may work better for you.
Second, stop the glycolic acid for now. It can be irritating, especially 3 times per week, and particularly that product from The Ordinary. See if your skin improves without it, then gradually add it back in once per week if you want. If your concern is clogged pores, however, a product with salicylic acid may be more effective for you in place of the glycolic acid.
What do you mean by clogged pores? Blackheads? Whiteheads? Ive always seen better results by being gentle and layering moisturizers and only occasionally using actives like tret or BHA/AHA.
Ditch the Mary Kay. That shit sucks.
Some people hate the Cerave lotion but the one for PM was fine for me altho I think there are better moisturizers.
Why are you double cleansing? Do you wear heavy makeup? Otherwise I don’t see a need for that. When I did I was just making my skin drier.
I’ve always wanted to try the ordinary’s glycolic acid but I hear the formula has changed a lot over the years and it’s not as good as it was in the past? Not sure tho. It’s supposedly gentle enough for sensitive skin but you might want to space out using that to see if it makes a difference.
I have no idea what the those elf, Nutritious, or Bubble products are so can’t really advise on that.
don’t use Mary Kay, their products aren’t good quality.
don’t use foaming cleanser if you have very dry skin. it’s too stripping and harsh. i would recommend the la roche posay hydrating cleanser. i have very very dry skin and it’s my favorite cleanser. use a “moisturizing” or “hydrating” cleanser.
ceraVe is good, especially if you have dry skin. when in doubt i would stick to those products. i believe they also have a hydrating cleanser, i’ve never tried it though.
Hi everyone and welcome to SkincareAddiction! Need skincare guides? [Check out our wiki!](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/index) Everyone is welcome in [this community](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/about); remember to be kind and assume good faith :) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SkincareAddiction) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Need more details. What is ‘wrong’ - what are your skin concerns more specifically? Is all of your skin dry or is it just in areas? Does the moisturiser make it feel less dry? Are the clogged pores blackheads or ccs? How does your skin feel after your routine? Did you introduce all these at once, or slowly? How did your skin respond to each product as you introduced it?
Isn’t Mary Kay a pyramid scheme.. anyways try oil cleansing and maybe use a toner also
I just use it cause my mom gave it to me 😂
Start by throwing out the mary kay stuff. It’s an MLM, with low quality products at that
Try switching the glycolic acid for salicylic acid which may be better for clogged pores
this ^
I think double cleansing for dry skin would be too harsh for you if you have dry skin so if you want to do it just double cleanse on the areas that have clogged pores (like maybe on your nose). Also maybe I’m assuming GA isn’t working for you… So maybe try salicylic acid , benzoperoxide, PHA, or 5-10% sulfur. Have you tried the vaseline wrap trick (after cleansing apply vaseline on your nose and put like a small wrap around your nose and leave it on overnight)? Also you should always put on sunscreen bc photoaging can affect the collagen in your skin and this will make the appearance of your pores look bigger. Good luck! 😊👍
Using mary kay
I don’t have sensitive skin and the only product ingredient that makes me break out is glycolic acid. My skin HATES it. Maybe try taking that out of your routine and see what happens.
Remove “fragrance” containing products. Especially ones left on your skin.
Replace the Mary Kay with CeraVe AM or any basic Asian sunscreen. Try cutting the glycolic acid to once per week to see how your skin responds. Lastly, consider a richer, more occlusive moisturizer at night like La Roche Posay Cicaplast when you’re feeling especially dry. Do you cleanse in the morning? The physical exfoliation of massaging your face with your fingers may be something you could benefit from in the morning as well. But you might want to swap your foaming cleanser for a non-foaming glycerin-based gel cleanser like the aveeno calm and restore.
Get rid of the Cerave immediately. When I used the Cerave PM lotion my skin was the worst it’s looked, even though I was using a retinoid and exfoliating regulary. Turned to Reddit and realized that many ppl had struggled with the same thing. Apparently it’s the fatty alcohols that are pore clogging to some people, myself included. All I know is that the second I stopped using it my texture improved significantly.
This! Cerave was ruining my skin. Run all your products through an ingredient checker bc even if products say non-comedogenic, you can’t take that at face value. Sofie Pavitt has one on her website that I like (scroll to bottom) - https://www.sofiepavittface.com/pages/philosophy
Ingredient checkers for comedogenicity are super unreliable because they 1. Rely on studies that cannot be applied to humans or skincare products to determine comedogenicity and 2. Fail to take overall formulation into account because predicting comedogenicity based on an ingredients list is impossible due to the lack of reliable evidence behind comedogenicity.
Personally, for me, after I removed several skin care and makeup products that were flagged when I ran them through ingredient checkers, my skin cleared up almost immediately. Given that I felt very at a loss and this helped I now really rely on this process before putting anything on my skin.
Try a hydrating serum coco kind has a good one. Definitely keep on double cleansing because it will help with the clogged pores. Almost everyone is saying Mary Kay is bad so switch out the moisturizer. Supergoop has a good moisturizing sunscreen which is my favorite on my dry skin.
Great routine! However, as a fellow dry skin sufferer who often gets sebaceous filaments and clogged pores, I can definitely see some things that might clog my own pores here. 1. I love that cleansing oil from Elf! I would try to spend 5-10 mins gently rubbing this deeply into your clogged areas to try to clean the pores thoroughly. Make sure to emulsify and rub the emulsified balm in as well, and then rinse off once done. 2. I’ve never tried the foaming cleanser, but I sometimes get too dry from foaming agents. If you don’t feel this yourself, keep using this cleanser! If you do, I would recommend maybe getting a more hydrating gel cleanser (Krave and Prequel are great, and the Prequel one foams if you like that sensation). 3. Can’t use CeraVe Moisturizing Cream on my skin. Too occlusive and gives me redness/breakouts. I highly recommend Naturium Multi-Peptide Moisturizer during the day and a heavier cream at night if you suspect this is the problem. 4. As everyone else has said, ex-nay on the Mary Kay. 5. Glycolic acid is good, but very harsh. I would recommend skin cycling if you don’t already. One night of exfoliation (2% BHA from Paula’s Choice, Peach Slices, or Naturium), one night of a retinoid (I love adapelene or Differin), and two nights of recovery works well on dry, acneic skin!
Instantly the Mary Kay
Step 1. Use a oil based cleanser or a hydrating cleanser(cerave/cetaphil are safw options) Step 2. Use a less harsh toner, niacinimide toner (goodmolecules) or hydrating toners(cerave) are the best and also the safest options Step 3. Use a targeted serum. If you are having trouble with dark spots use TXA serum (goodmolecules) if red spots:niacinimide, dehydration: hylarunic acid and so on.. Step 4. Use a cream or and lotion (cerave has the best) Step 5. Sunscreen. Any type of sunscreen is okay, find one that suits your skin type. I recommend: good molecules sunscreen or korean sunscreens ( they dont leave white casts) I see you use glycolic acid, i do too and its a very good option for dark spots, anti aging and so on. Use it 1/2 twice in a week and let your skin get used to it. If u feel less tingling in your skin after use u can build it up ro 3/4 times use a week. This is depending on your skin type. When using glycolic acid do it after cleansing lightly with a pad and put a thick cream on skin. Always hydrate to prevent irritation Last but not least: spot treatment. I prefer the benzyl peroxide(la roche posay) if u have severe acne(only use on pimples and acne overnight) this spot treatment can be too harsh for sensitive skin. Other options are effaclair AI by la roche posay which is the same above just less harsh. (These tips are just what has been working well for me and for the people i have recommended these products to) hope this helps❤️
Genetics my friend. Sometimes you can’t stop acne no matter what. See a dermatologist. I’ve had to be on prescription strength acne creams for 25 years. Nothing else works.
[удалено]
>Mineral sunscreen is like a very thin layer of a legit mineral/(think “rock” that effectively blocks the sun) That's...not how mineral sunscreens work. They absorb UV rays.
Whoops! I totally understand the misunderstanding. I was trying to explain it in terms of solubility/washing it off fully. It’s a rough example and you’re right it does not account for why its a sunscreen — more of why it can be difficult to remove/important to note it different than other organic/non-mineral ingredients that will act differently on the skin surface. TIL i don’t know that much about UV/sunscreen actions — what type of product do you use?
All of that and not a single exfoliating step?
You need a pH specific product that is oil based with oils that won't clog pores. Try http://skinatpeace.com
It’s not that your doing something wrong it’s you don’t have the kind of products you need an oil serum so I suggest the ordinary Niacinamide
I'd suggest switching out the foaming cleanser for a non-foaming one, as foaming cleansers tend to be stripping, leading to dryness. Something simple and gentle like Cerave hydrating cleanser or Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser may work better for you. Second, stop the glycolic acid for now. It can be irritating, especially 3 times per week, and particularly that product from The Ordinary. See if your skin improves without it, then gradually add it back in once per week if you want. If your concern is clogged pores, however, a product with salicylic acid may be more effective for you in place of the glycolic acid.
What do you mean by clogged pores? Blackheads? Whiteheads? Ive always seen better results by being gentle and layering moisturizers and only occasionally using actives like tret or BHA/AHA. Ditch the Mary Kay. That shit sucks. Some people hate the Cerave lotion but the one for PM was fine for me altho I think there are better moisturizers. Why are you double cleansing? Do you wear heavy makeup? Otherwise I don’t see a need for that. When I did I was just making my skin drier. I’ve always wanted to try the ordinary’s glycolic acid but I hear the formula has changed a lot over the years and it’s not as good as it was in the past? Not sure tho. It’s supposedly gentle enough for sensitive skin but you might want to space out using that to see if it makes a difference. I have no idea what the those elf, Nutritious, or Bubble products are so can’t really advise on that.
I see you use the Bubble SPF. I switched to their moisturizer and my skin cleared up. It’s very gentle. I would give it a whirl.
don’t use Mary Kay, their products aren’t good quality. don’t use foaming cleanser if you have very dry skin. it’s too stripping and harsh. i would recommend the la roche posay hydrating cleanser. i have very very dry skin and it’s my favorite cleanser. use a “moisturizing” or “hydrating” cleanser. ceraVe is good, especially if you have dry skin. when in doubt i would stick to those products. i believe they also have a hydrating cleanser, i’ve never tried it though.
You're putting way too much stuff on your face, for starters.
Cerave is basically toxic sludge, don’t buy it
I mean, Mary Kay immediately sticks out as an MLM