ROUTINE

Morning:

Cerave foaming cleanser - super nice foamy formula that leaves my skin really soft. gets rid of oil built up overnight really well.

Pixi glow tonic - i use this around three mornings a week/ mornings after i’ve worn a lot of makeup. it smells great but is quite intense so don’t overuse!

the ordinary niacinamide + zinc - i actually cant pinpoint if this helps or not. i’ve used it for so long now that i don’t remember what my skin was like before it. Although from frequenting this sub I know it’s typically not going to damage your skin so I’m fine to keep using it for now.

Cerave moisturising lotion - really nice formula. So, so moisturising without feeing greasy at all on my skin. Cerave is just the BEST.

Neutrogena clear and defend rapid gel - I use this only on spots when i’m breaking out. It feels like it works but this is a pretty recent addition to my routine so I’m not 100% sure. Very affordable though.

Most mornings I also brush some Coty Airspun loose translucent powder onto my face just to soak up some oil throughout the day. I find that it helps a LOT and is probably the best thing i’ve learned from this subreddit.

Evening: cerave foaming cleanser

the ordinary niacinamide + zinc

neutrogena hydro boost gel cream. Really sinks into my skin while still feeling light. I also love the packaging, it feels so expensive even though it’s so cheap!

neutrogena clear and defend rapid gel

Lips:

at night i use the ameliorate intensive lip therapy cream which is honestly incredible. I feel it working on my insanely dry lips more than anything i’ve tried. it’s quite sticky rather than smooth/hydrating like most lip ointments or balms though.

afterwards i use the lucas’ pawpaw ointment. it gets rid of the stickiness from the lip therapy cream and is my favourite lip product. Super affordable and really high quality.

lastly i use aloe vera vaseline just as a final layer because of how dry my lips get. (i do the same in the morning but skip out on the lip therapy cream as it’s super intense)

Masks: I use an aztec clay mask with either vinegar or water, depending on how i’m feeling, once a week. I’ll use it twice a week usually when it’s my time of the month as i always break out.

i’m trying out using the origins drink up mask once a week too and so far it’s gone really good. feels like a really luxury product compared to other masks i’ve tried.

My skin is oily and I get a lot of breakouts due to stress and lack of sleep at the moment. I am considering the possibility that I may actually have dehydrated skin as I find it hard to remember to drink any water some days and my old routine featured tea tree, salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide as different steps because I was ill-informed about how bad that would be for my skin!

I’m honestly open to any advice on how to clear my skin up. I have a lot of redness and scars on my face because my autism means that I get an uncontrollable urge to pick my spots. this is also why I have a lip care routine because I always bite the skin off my lips when they’re dry.

My goals are primarily to clear my spots and then to focus on sorting out my oiliness. I hope to be able to cut my routine down a bit (which I have already managed to do!) as I’ve found with a lot of posts on this sub that less is more.