i've been trying to build a skincare regiment but i just have no idea what sources to trust or what products to use, there are so many names! how did you figure out your skincare regiment?

another anon message: pLEASE tell me how to build a skincare regiment! ;o; my face is a mess most of the time, but i still don’t want to put fucking walnuts on it

Hello!! Forgive my late response, friends!! I hope you are still around and following my blog to see this. Skincare is intensely personal and because it’s your skin and you do not want to harm it, you have to proceed cautiously. I’m no dermatologist! But I do think there are a few things I can share. First, I figured out my skincare regiment by breaking down my major concerns: I had an oily t-zone (meaning: my forehead, my nose, and my chin) and extremely dry cheeks. After I began using makeup, I would sometimes have pimples and texture. I also knew my skin was sensitive. Knowing your needs is an intrinsic part of knowing what you want to address. I will say that I have no experience with acne or with major skin problems- if what you’re hoping to address is a bit more difficult than issues like: dryness, oiliness, breakouts, fine lines, etc than you should really speak to a professional, I think! After I boiled down my issues, I did research. There’s a great app called Think Dirty that runs through the a broad range of skincare, hair, and beauty products and tells you which ingredients raise any red flags and why. Generally speaking, you should avoid skincare that contain needless fragrances as much as possible, as this can often irritate the skin and sneak in some Not So Rad ingredient into even an otherwise wonderful skincare regimen. Speaking from my experience, I find that those who have sensitive skin may esp. feel irritation from added fragrances. I personally wouldn’t suggest abrasive face washes and exfoliates, like Kylie’s Infamous Walnut Scrub, because you don’t want to cause damage to your skin through small micro-lesions, scrapes, and cuts that are caused by rubbing these materials against your skin aggressively. This is especially damaging to dry areas of the skin, pimples, etc. While exfoliation is, imo, a great way to get rid of dead skin cells, brighten up the skin, etc, I personally prefer a chemical exfoliate and find these more effective at cleaning out my skin and showing long-term results. Still, if you opt for physical exfoliate, it should be as gentle as possible- nothing involving shells, hard salts, sharp or shard-like materials of any kind! Also, make sure to read the ingredients in products like skin-peels: if you have sensitive skin, retinols especially can feel very irritating. Another quick tip: if you have oily skin, guess what? Moisturizing your skin is not your enemy. Moisturizers don’t have to be greasy. Look for a moisturizer that’s labeled non-comedogenic, which means it won’t clog pores, and steer clear of mineral oil, cocoa butter, lanolin, and petrolatum. Alternatively, reach for moisturizers that contain ingredients such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, aloe, and squalane, which won’t trap oils in your pores.Again, I can only speak for myself. My regimen looks like this: Every morning and night I wash my face with a Lush charcoal soap (charcoal can be tricky and also abrasive, so proceed with caution- I find that Lush’s formulation is both soft and non-drying, so that’s just what works for me). I then apply The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% to address oiliness and outbreaks, Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 to address dryness, and Argireline Solution 10% for fine lines. After that, I slap on some face cream and sunscreen! I have found that this routine has absolutely changed my skin. On top of that, as a makeup user, I make sure to really clean my face after makeup use: never sleeping in makeup, using both a makeup removing soap, washing my face, and then using micellar cleansing water. I know this can be a lot, but my reasoning is this: If I can spend X amount of time applying makeup, I need to be willing to spend more than a minute removing it. Makeup is nice, but healthy skin is important. 

I’ve recommended The Ordinary to a few people before and so far, I’ve only ever heard good things from my friend- the beautiful, wonderful @crucifythenburn included! The Ordinary is cost-effective, but instead of selling one product with multiple uses, they essentially sell the building blocks. You have to develop your skincare regimen yourself, so you’ll often end up using several different items to target your concerns- or not! My friend simply uses The Buffet and she’s been swearing by that product alone for three years now! If you’re interested in checking them out, here are some recommended articles: (A) (B) (C).

From what I understand, you can reach out to The Ordinary for guidance. As a quick heads up, be mindful of what products should not be mixed- article B has a section on it, but I always remind people that products containing Retinol (Vitamin A) shouldn’t be mixed products with Vitamin C. Also, all skincare products should be tested first! Do a little patch test. See if you feel irritation. The idea that “if it stings, that means it’s working!” is not my mantra. There is a difference between a product giving you a tingling sensation and burning. A skincare product should never cause pain. Frankly, I don’t even play with that whole tingling shit. At the end of the day, your skincare is super individual. If you want my recommendations for skincare products from The Ordinary specifically, hit me up and I’ll try my best- but don’t forget to look up reviews on reddit, look up youtubers who might provide honest reviews (I personally adore Gothamista and I’d stay away from folks who receive a lot of PR), and just exhaust your avenues. You do wanna be careful about what you introduce to your skin, but the resources are out there- I know it might seem daunting, but you can do this! Hit me up if you need anymore help!!