I try my best to keep this page updated! I feel that most skincare item reviews aren't very useful if you don't know what my routine is. I don't claim to be a skincare expert, nor do I promise that this routine will work for you- this is just what I use!
First off, in the interest of full disclosure, I do take medications to keep my acne under control. I've had severe cystic acne since I was 10 or 11, and I have yet to find any product that controls it. Without the medication, I get giant blemishes all over my face and it's insanely painful.
Other than the fact that I am extremely acne-prone, I just have really bizarre and sensitive skin. My cheeks and chin are dry to the point of flakiness most days, while my t-zone is always literally glistening with oil by the time lunch rolls around. I gave up on using blotting papers about five years ago because I could easily go through a pack a week. On top of that, my sensitivity is so high that I typically consider a product a hit if it just doesn't break me out. I'm pretty desperate to try anything that might have half a chance of resolving my issues.
I recently ran out of my previous products (Clinique's 3-Step System, I was using the #3 products for oily/combo skin), so as of February 9, 2015, I've switched over to a low-PH cleanser and toner. I will try pretty much anything (case in point: my acne meds cause my stomach condition to flare up but I have faithfully taken them for a year straight), and thus far this seems to be helping. My oily areas are markedly less oily, while my dry patches feel nice and... almost plump? It's hard to describe but my skin was visibly better after just a day or two. My current routine consists of a hodgepodge of products across a few brands right now. Sorting out the order in which to use all the products took a bit of trial and error but, in general, I try to go from light products, like toners, to heavier products, like lotions.
Step One- Julep Bare Face Cleansing Oil (night only)
This is a makeup-removing oil. I really like this product- if my skin is feeling extra dry, I can just skip the cleanser and wash with this! It not only removes my makeup but acts as a great initial cleanse. I used to use it as my only cleanser, but I found it left a slight film on my skin that I didn't care for if I didn't spend 2-3 minutes washing it off. I don't double-cleanse in the morning, so I only use this at night to remove my makeup and sunscreen.
Step Two- CeraVe Foaming Cleanser
Just a standard drugstore cleanser that's pretty fantastic. I honestly bought it because it was the cheapest low-PH cleanser I could find, and it's panned out very well for me. It generates a surprising amount of foam and cleanses extremely well- without stripping my skin or leaving my dry areas feeling tight. This is probably the first cleanser I've used that gave me a squeaky-clean feeling without forcing me to immediately reach for my moisturizer.
Step Three- Thayer's Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner
I know it's not necessary right after I wash my face, but I've been using an astringent toner since I was about ten- and it's a hard habit to kick! This is basically rosewater and aloe, with a little bit of witch hazel. I primarily use a toner out of habit, and because I love the soothing effect this aloe-heavy toner has on my sad, dry skin. Objectively, I don't think this does much in my routine, but because it's just water and aloe, it doesn't hurt, either, and it makes my face feel cleaner.
Step Four- Hada Labo Gokujyun Super Hyaluronic Acid Lotion
Because I am clearly insane, I use a second moisturizing toner in my routine. Most of my skin issues stem from the fact that my skin is obscenely dry, so I find it very helpful! This is more of a light lotion than anything else, so it fills a slightly different role than the previous watery toner- but you could pretty easily skip the previous step and you'd probably get the same effect if you weren't so tied to a standard toner.
Step Five- Prescription Cream
I use a prescription cream for my acne in addition to medication. It's basically a mid-weight moisturizer. Because this is a required step in my routine, I do tend to stick with extremely lightweight moisturizers to avoid clogging my pores after this.
Step Five- Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream
This is honestly just a gel, but it's a stellar product. It locks in the moisture of my previous steps without clogging my pores or making my T-zone look like an oil slick. I've also noticed a marked decrease in the amount of time it takes blemishes to heal since I started using this!
Step Six- Neutrogena Clear Face Liquid-Lotion Sunscreen (morning only)
I really struggle to find a sunscreen. I would love to wear a physical sunblock, but titanium dioxide gives me a rash and zinc leaves a disgusting white cast on my darker skin. So that leaves me with chemical sunblocks, which can be kind of a pain since the health risks are still unproven (read more about the two types of sunblocks here). Unfortunately, skin cancer runs in my family, so going without is not an option- so after doing way too much research, I settled on this one. It has a minimum of harmful ingredients and it's formulated to not clog up pores (which was another issue I ran into with physical blocks). I'll probably stick with this for a while, since Asian sunblocks tend to be physical blocks and therefore pretty much unusable on my skin.
Step Six- TonyMoly Magic Food Banana Sleeping Pack (night only)
I'm currently testing this sleeping pack! It's just meant to provide general moisturizing, I think? I couldn't find a whole lot about the benefits of it. I largely bought it because it looks cute, and while the smell kind of annoys me (it's got the scent of banana runts), I think my skin has been appreciating the extra moisture! I like it and I'll probably kill the bottle, but I'm going to switch to a different product after it's done. It's one of those products that does its job but doesn't really wow me.
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