I am obsessed with skin care. Though I am not a pro, I have learned some tips along the way. I struggled for a long time with taking care of my skin and how to do that. I've tried out different products until I found the right ones and hopefully these tips can help you find the right ones, too.
i. don't wear makeup
i know there's many of you still going through puberty and this was the tip I used while going through that. wearing makeup clogs your pores and can cause you to breakout. if not cleaned off properly, your skin can breakout. many who don't even wear makeup can get acne, especially through puberty. I know quite a few people who have bad acne and use makeup to cover it up even though it can get worse. I personally did not wear makeup at all until last year and I have not had any acne. many girls while getting their period will get pimples so especially while first going through all the hormones, no makeup is a good idea but not a necessary one.
ii. if you wear makeup, wash your face.
before you go to bed, take off makeup with a makeup remover (I recommend Neutrogena's makeup remover wipes, they are very nice on the skin and have been the best wipes I've tried tbh) and then wash your face to remove any excess makeup (also some makeup removers have caused people to break out so you can wash off any residue from the wipe or if you use a liquid, any excess).
iii. wash your face thoroughly
if you don't wash off any excess cleanser, it could also cause breakouts (I learned the hard way) so make sure to rinse off all the wash.
iv. find the face wash perfect for your skin type
there are specific face washes for you if you have dry, sensitive, oily or combination skin. for dry skin, I do not recommend foam cleansers because they can be very dry and many toners as well dry out your skin. if you have sensitive skin, make sure you get a gentle cleanser that isn't too harsh especially if it's your daily cleanser. for oily skin, there's specific products that I've tried that dry it out more and really stop you from getting oily.
v. cleanse daily
so so so important that you clean your pores out on a daily basis.
vi. exfoliate
make sure to exfoliate every week or two to remove all the dead skin (you can do that with a facial wash or the exfoliator glove).
vii. moisturize
keep your skin soft and smooth. for dry skin, gel cleansers have been known to work better than cream.
viii. invest in skincare
they say to invest in skincare, which I have yet to do, because there are high end products that are supposed to work very well. although, I find the drug store has some very good brands. make sure to find a product in you budget range.
ix. pore strips
pore strips are amazing when it comes to clearing blackheads.
x. products I use:
daily cleanser: biore's baking soda deep clean cleanser. I swear by this stuff. Not only does it clean my pores but it is so gentle on my skin and makes my skin feel so so so clean (also Shay Mitchell uses this stuff).
moisturizer: clean and clear's dual action moisturizer. not only does this moisturize my skin so well but it also clears your skin and take away any pimples I have.
exfoliant: I use the glove. You can get it at the drug store. You can use this on your whole body, just don't rub too much because you can scrape your skin a little goes a long way. I use this once a week- two weeks because my daily cleaner gently exfoliates as well.
breakout routine: clean and clear's three step products including the acne cleanser, toner and moisturizer. this really does work for my skin when I breakout but it can be a little harsh so I wouldn't use it everyday. for breakouts, I would use it for a couple days until you clear up.
pore strips: biore pore strips are amazing.
brands I've used that you could try for anything from acne prone skin to combination skin: BIORE, clean and clear, garnier, Clinique, neutrogena, olay.
