The Knit No. 4 | The Skin You’re In
In which I ramble about skincare (there's a TL;DR at the bottom)
Ready to talk about skincare? I always am! (N.B. I am not a doctor, dermatologist, facialist, etc. I’m just a woman who has spent decades trying to have better skin - not perfect, just better. None of the links are affiliate.)
First off, I have sensitive (dare I say it, reactive) skin, so I rely on Cerave (dermatologist approved) and The Ordinary (mostly single-ingredient skincare that allows me to try different actives while avoiding propylene glycol, which is in so. many. things. and to which I am very allergic). This is not an ad for either company. I’ve never gotten so much as a gift with purchase from TO, and I happily pay for all my skincare (mostly happily, not everything works, YMMV). I’ve found dermatology more helpful in the figuring-out-your-allergy than in “building a skincare routine that makes you happy” zone.
So, sensitive skin. It’s not just for babies, anybody can have sensitive skin, and it can react in different ways. To wit, I break out easily (or used to - more on the wonders of being perimenopausal another day). I’ve been oily for most of my adult life, so I don’t have dry skin problems (texture, flakes), but I’ve been acne prone. And I’m allergic to propylene glycol (a.k.a. PPG or dipropylene glycol), which is in every. thing. everything EVERYTHING (some to lots of the following: lotions, potions, hand soap, sanitizer, it’s even added to flaked coconut to keep it from drying out - for most people it’s not a problem, but for me it’s an itchy rash waiting to happen). I read a lot of ingredient lists.
Ok, so what to do?
The number one thing to do for your skin is be gentle. You don’t need to degrease your skin, whatever your age or skin condition. If washing leaves you “squeaky clean” or dry/tight/shiny, you’re being way too harsh. Be gentle.
I use the most basic Cerave cleanser (the moisturizing one with the green cap) at night to wash the day off. Ignore the label and apply a pump to dry skin. Can’t remember where I got this from (Into the Gloss, Makeup Alley, the Skincare Addiction Reddit, Beautypedia - those are all good places to research products, conditions, and regimens), but it makes all the difference. Undiluted it starts breaking down dirt and makeup, kind of like cold cream. Then I use a warm, wet-but-wrung-out washcloth to wipe everything away. This also gently exfoliates, something my skin can use some help with. It’s my understanding that the French don’t use water, like at all, on their skin. No rinsing or washing or any of that. Being American (and on the oily side) I’m not quite there, but I don’t rinse or splash my face with water anymore, just wipe with the wet cloth. In the morning I just use the warm, wet-but-wrung-out washcloth to wipe away any residue from my lotions and potions from the night before. Being sensitive (and penny-pinching), I don’t feel the need for full-bore A.M. cleansing.
Sidenote: Stay away from physical exfoliators. The ones with microbeads and such are bad for our water supply and fauna - they’re not filtered out, being micro - and the ones with, like, ground walnut shells are too rough and will tear your skin up. Just because something is natural, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s great for your skin. So-called chemical exfoliants are a better bet, though some can be quite strong.
Find yourself a gentle, modestly-priced cleanser, and you’re off to a great start. I say “modestly-priced” because it’s only ever going to sit on your face for a minute (at most), and then it’s going down the drain. Save your pennies for stuff that will stay on longer and can do more for your skin.
Now that you’re clean, what do you want to do? Here’s where your “actives” go.
Up until recently I’ve been focused on keeping pores clean (salicylic acid, also known as BHA, is good for that, especially if you’re on the oilier side - Paula’s Choice 2% liquid was my go-to for years). Occasional use of a low-percentage benzoyl peroxide to kill anything that gets into pores was also once a thing for me (higher percentage is really hard on skin when it comes to BP, so start low).
Dry skin that needs help with keeping clear can go the AHA route (glycolic is the acid for that, amongst others, and it helps exfoliate by breaking down the “glue” between skin cells). Being oily and sensitive, this isn’t my category. One of the internet acne regimens is big on AHA, so it’s worth exploring if acne is your bête noir.
Retinoids and various other vitamin A derivatives help increase cell turnover, which is good - some of these are prescription-only (Retin-A) as they can be pretty strong. I like TO Granactive Retinoid in Squalane (“granactive” is some kind of proprietary thing - being sensitive I need something less robust than classic Retin-A, so this works for me)
Want to brighten up your skin and give it some bounce? Vitamin C is the way to go, and I always have at least one spare jar (jar packaging is bad for things with active ingredients and generally requires extra preservatives; luckily this stuff isn’t active until you add water) of TO 100% L-Ascorbic Acid powder on hand (TO has a lot of vitC options, if you’re not up for mixing things together). The problem with vitC is that it is volatile in water, so it’s finicky to formulate. The powder is shelf-stable and can be mixed into something that you’re going to put on your face that has water in it, and you’re off to the races. I mix with some TO Marine Hyaluronics (moisturizing molecules we all can use) or an aloe vera gel (this stuff is great for everyday skincare and for soothing sunburns).
Adding an antioxidant boosts the vitC effects (TO Reservatrol + Ferulic for me), and there are very spendy combo treatments that amount to the same thing ($166 for 1oz that has PPG in it vs. $5.80 + 7.90 for the vitC powder + anti-ox). If you like fancy packaging, don’t have to worry about allergies, and are happy to pay for cosmetic elegance, give them a whirl. I’ll put up with a slight stickiness after patting on vitC and my anti-ox to avoid a rash and have more pennies.
That’s it for actives for me. I do vitC + anti-ox in the morning (excess vitC can tint your fabrics orange, though it washes out, plus I like to think it’s doing some free-radical grabbing when I’m out and about) and granactive retinoid every other night.
Bear in mind that you don’t want to throw everything in the cupboard at your poor face, certainly not all at once. After you find a cleanser and a basic moisturizer, give one active at a time a go for a week or two, doing some patch testing on your inner arm before you go wild. Focus on finding one that does something for you in the morning and a second that will make a difference overnight.
There are things that are moisturizing (adding moisture), and then there are moisturizers (holding in moisture). I recently added some snail mucin (not nearly as gross as it sounds - the COS-RX one is as much of the amazing Korean multistep regimens as I can handle right now) for some additional moisture - it’s gel-like and helps keep water attached to your skin cells or some such. I also use the aforementioned soothing aloe vera gel, plus the marine hyaluronics, to add more moisture.
On top of those moisturizing things, I use a moisturizer with stuff like ceramides (Cerave blue cap lotion - not just for body skin - it’s very gentle and economical). Now that I’m getting older (ahem), I top everything off with TO Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA, which is, like, the most benign, gentle moisturizer. Never stings, even when I’ve managed to sensitize the bejesus out of my skin. It’s got some plant waxes or some such in there, so it’s occlusive and helps hold all those moisturizing things against my skin.
Sidenote: You can’t “open up” pores or close them, nor can you use products to get down into your dermis. Skin is an amazing organ designed to keep your insides IN and the outside OUT. You can’t iron out deep wrinkles - all you can do is puff them up with fillers and injectables. I like my smile crinkles (crows feet), and they’re not going anywhere. Whatever else inevitably appears will be part of my character.
I’ve also got some chemical exfoliator mask type things (TO AHA/BHA Peeling Solution, known affectionately on the interwebs as the blood mask for its bright red color - no blood involved; the second is a discontinued powder from One Love Organics called Brand New Day that I hope they bring back) and some soothing, moisturizing sheet masks (that link is for the honey one; I also use the aloe, green tea, and calendula ones - some other flavors have PPG, sigh, but these are all free of that demon) that I use once or twice a week, more because they’re fun to use than that they make a significant difference. The daily routine is where you can really make progress.
Whew. Seems like a lot, doesn’t it. In fact it doesn’t take very long (even if it took me years to figure out), and it has definitely made a difference.
TL;DR Gentle cleansing, an active treatment or two if needed, then moisturizing with something to seal it all in. Figure out your allergies. Say no to jars. Only make one change at a time. Nothing works miracles. Vitamin C works wonders, though.
Still here? You’re the best! Share your skincare secrets in the comments. Or ask questions. I’ll be back on May 1st with a pattern (or three).
xxoo, Kathleen