I'm always wanting to try a new cleanser, a new toner, a serum, moisturizer. I can easily fuck my skin up and not know what caused it.

I'm always wanting to try a new cleanser, a new toner, a serum, moisturizer. I can easily fuck my skin up and not know what caused it. Here's some things that I do to prevent breakouts, barrier damage, and focus on skin health! I discuss Tretinoin, my exfoliation routine, moisturizers, and more. I keep my skin moisturized constantly. And ultimately just focus on my skin. My tret journey in 2020, I was breaking out constantly. I always had extremely oily skin. Worst part was that those breakouts always left me with extreme scars that didn't fade for months or even years. I went from 0.025 to 0.05, to 0.1 for 2 years (unfortunately) back to 0.05% (perfect). It is the most helpful in making sure that my skin does not clog up as easily. I still get breakouts here and there, and I will still get scars, but this accelerates the rate at which those scars fade. Also maintains my overall skin balance. Which leads me to my next topic. 2. Cleansing thoroughly, yet gently. I almost always focus on cleansing thoroughly, yet gently. I do not use anything that is extremely strong, no fragrances, and if they do have fragrances, they are extremely minimal. That keeps my skin from being agitated or irritated or damaged even if I don't use my tretinoin. I used to wash my face with cleansers that made my skin feel like rubber afterwards. I thought, oh, I'm getting rid of all the oil, I'm getting rid of all the debris. Obviously over time that consistently caused problems. My skin broke out more, my tretinoin I had to work harder, I had to up in percentages. Changed routines all together. It was extremely complicated and I like to minimize that issue as much as possible. On a daily basis, I do prefer the cleansers that have a very low to no lather or cream based formulas or formulas like this that do lather, but have an extremely gentle and nourishing formula. Recommendation: SkinCeuticals LHA Cleansing Gel. Strictly for exfoliation days. Multiple acids can compromise skin if used incorrectly or too often with Tretinoin. I just recently did one. I will use this cleanser twice a day on the two days where I don't use my tretinoin. And that's to get rid of the dead skin that the tretinoin is pushing to the surface. That leads us into exfoliation. 3. Sticking to an Exfoliation Schedule* (*depending on how my skin feels!) I maintain a one to two day a week exfoliation schedule. Make sure that my skin gets adequate rest because nothing in my routine is as strong as my tret. Even though the exfoliants that I use are extremely helpful and potent, they are nowhere near as strong and I usually never overdo it when I use them on those two days. Outside of the LHA cleansing gel, I really like the Eadem Cashmere Peel Exfoliating Toner. Key ingredients: PHA for gentle exfoliation + hydration, Tranexamic Acid to fade hyperpigmentation, Azelaic Acid for gentle exfoliation, Fights inflammation. And typically I don't use an exfoliant toner, but this one is extremely helpful. I actually really enjoyed this formula. Some milky exfoliant emulsions that they do lather or cream based formulas. Recommendation: Bioderma Atoderm Intensive Balm. I've been following me for a while, you know I've talked about the Bioderma Atoderm Intensive Balm from Bioderma very often. These are lovely, rich, emollient formulas that help your skin get less sensitive with consistent use. These were specifically made for people with atopic skin conditions, severe eczema, dermatitis. They are known to make your skin less sensitive to irritation over time. But with consistent use, this is the perfect moisturizer in my opinion. Some other moisturizers that I've been loving for nighttime. Recommendation: Naturium Multi-Peptide Cream. It is extremely rich. I'm actually going to show it to y'all. It melts into a beautiful finish. Feels so luxurious on the skin. My favorite moisturizer that they've ever released. Recommendation: Sweet Chemistry Elasticity Reinforcing Lipid Cream. Another moisturizer that I really love is going to be the Sweet Chemistry Elasticity Reinforcing Lipid Cream. They have their patented formulation of 3% Matrikine Peptides, which are essentially synthesized from upcycled bone marrow and used for organ repair. It is expensive, but it is totally worth it in my opinion because this is true innovation. No disappointments here. Another part of my routine that I have found extremely helpful and honestly much more helpful than any face mask that I've ever tried. Using Effective Spot Treatments. My face never breaks out in every quadrant. So I don't really ever feel the need to use a face mask that often. Being able to specifically target the issue at hand, especially if it's like one to two issues, much more helpful for me and I find it makes my routine much simpler and I can easily do it. Recommendation: Sofie Pavitt Reset Benzoyl Peroxide Treatment! Recommendation: The Mark by Eadem for hyperpigmentation. And I really enjoyed the sulfur spot treatment from Banu. I recently had a fungal acne breakout, I think was from my hair products. And when I put this on overnight, I woke up to no spots. Using this when my skin is a little too sensitive to use the benzoyl peroxide treatment. And I use this when a spot just formed or when I know one is going to form. 5. NEVER SKIP SUNSCREEN. As a Tretinoin user, if you do not wear sunscreen, you are literally setting yourself up for failure. Your skin is going to be damaged even if you don't feel it. You don't have to feel the sting of a sunburn to know that your skin was damaged. Like my moisturizers, I use a variety of sunscreens to make sure that my skin gets the exact amount of protection that it needs and it does not break out in the process of application. I have sunscreens that are incredibly lightweight and can be used in place of moisturizer. And I have sunscreens that are incredibly nourishing and also can be used on top of moisturizer or by themselves. I have a variety of sunscreen sticks for reapplication purposes. My philosophy is that your tretinoin should be doing most of the work in your skincare routine. And all of these products are just what I use to make sure that that can do its job. And those are all the tips and tricks alongside some of the products that I use to keep my skin healthy, breakout free, and in good condition. I am not someone who's driven to have perfect skin and not someone who's concerned about anti-aging and not concerned about not getting breakouts ever again. I want to make sure that I am prepared for it. Your skin is an organ. It is porous. Things are going to come into it, things are going to leave it. Changes happen depending on what you put in your body and what you put on it. Take care of it as good as you can. And don't be so rough with your skin. I think it'll reward a lot of you. So yeah, I hope this was helpful. Let me know if you have any questions and I will talk to y'all soon. Bye.