Skincare Secrets For a Clear Complexion

Ever since I was a young girl (seventh grade to be exact), I’ve wanted to pursue a career in dermatology. I distinctly remember my biology teacher giving us a lesson on skin cancer, and boy was I hooked. I spent the rest of my adolescent years doing way too much research on things like salicylic acid and ceramides. That’s where I fell in love with the world of skincare.

Throughout my years of scouring the web and watching dermatologists on YouTube such as Dr. Dray (shout out to her), I’ve found a pretty solid routine that works for me.

*Before you read my skincare tips and tricks, I’m going to make it very clear that I am NOT a dermatologist or medical professional! I am a nineteen year old girl with internet access! This is all just general advice! As always, PLEASE seek out a licensed professional for personalized advice for your skin concerns!*

Great! Now that we got that out of the way, here are my skincare secrets for a clear complexion.

First things first: SkinTok…

If you have internet access you most likely also have a TikTok account. If you have a TikTok account and an interest in skincare, you have probably heard of the term ‘SkinTok’. If you don’t know what SkinTok is, let me enlighten you. SkinTok is a subsection of TikTok for all things skincare related. Here, users can find millions of videos that give advice on what products you should be buying, what foods to eat for clear skin, and so on.

The problem with SkinTok is that most of these videos tend to overcomplicate skincare routines showcasing fancy, expensive products with the sole purpose to try to sell you those products. It can be easy to fall into the trap of a 10 step skincare routine because this is what all the creators with glass skin seem to be pushing. I promise you though that most of those steps are completely unnecessary and a waste of money. For some, adding more products into the mix can actually do more harm than good, especially if your skin is sensitive like mine is.

Additionally, almost all big creators are not telling you the full story. So many of these videos fail to mention the medical procedures that they have undergone to enhance their skin. Not only that, but so many of these videos are made with beauty filters that smooth skin texture which distorts your perception of what ‘normal’ skin looks like. Another huge thing to keep in mind when it comes to skin is that a HUGE part of what your skin looks like is solely based off of genetics. With all this in mind, do not beat yourself up over a pimple or two. You are human, not a computer generated beauty filter.

An Overview of My Routine

I’m a firm believer that simpler = better. A solid skincare routine has three major aspects to it:

1.) Cleanse

2.) Moisturize

3.) Protect

After you solidify those three steps and find products that really work for you, then you can add one or two extra products to enhance your routine. For the purpose of this post, I will first talk about the three basic steps. At the end, I will add the steps I use to enhance my routine.

1.) Cleanser

A good cleanser is very important, especially if you wear makeup, sweat a lot, or spend time outside. Look for a gentle cleanser with no added fragrances and ESPECIALLY no abrasive shards in the texture. In other words, stay away from products that are marketed as ‘scrubs’. These are physical exfoliants that are way too harsh for your skin. They can actually cause micro-tears in your skin overtime! OUCH!

The cleanser I’m currently using is the CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin. If your skin is on the dryer side, they also offer a formula that is better suited for that skin type.

On average I like to cleanse my face twice a day: A.M and P.M. If I wake up and my skin feels a bit dry, I’ll skip on the morning cleanse and go straight to moisturizer.

2.) Moisturize

After cleansing, it’s important to add moister back into your skin barrier to keep it nice and balanced. Similar to the cleanser, I recommend using a moisturizer with no fragrance. Fragrance is a filler ingredient that has no benefit to your skin. In fact, many people are actually allergic to fragrances or can develop and allergy to fragrance after exposure. This can lead to skin irritation.

Moisturizers come in varying thicknesses depending on your skin’s needs. If your skin is oily, I recommend using a lightweight moisturizer. If you skin is dry, a thicker moisturizer would suit you best.

I am currently using two moisturizers (though this is completely unnecessary). The first one is the CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion for Normal to Dry Skin. The second one is the Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer .

I always moisturize my skin twice a day: A.M and P.M. Moisturized skin helps keep it radiant and healthy, so definitely don’t skimp on this.

3.) Protect

Arguably the MOST IMPORTANT part of a skincare routine is skin protection (a.k.a SUNSCREEN)! Please, please, PLEASE do not skip on the sunscreen! It is so important to wear sunscreen everyday to help prevent skin damage and skin cancer.

Common misconceptions about sunscreen is that you do not have to wear it if you are staying inside or if it’s winter or if it’s a cloudy day. All these things are very wrong! Ultraviolet radiation from the sun still exists during the winter and cloudy days. Also, it can penetrate through windows so wearing it daily is super important.

UV exposure can cause so many adverse effects to your skin. It can damage the DNA that makes up your healthy skin, it can lead to skin sensitivity, skin irritation, and so much more.

Things you should look for in a sunscreen go as follows. Firstly, make sure the sunscreen is broad spectrum. This ensures that it protects against both types of UV rays: UVA and UVB rays. Secondly, I recommend looking for a mineral sunscreen. Mineral sunscreens use ingredients such as zinc to create a physical barrier agains UV rays. They also tend to be less irritating. Thirdly, I recommend looking for a sunscreen that has an SPF factor at around 50. The higher the SPF factor, the more it protects your skin.

The sunscreen I am currently using is the La Roche-Posay Anthelios Mineral Tinted Sunscreen for Face SPF 50. I like to mix that with the untinted version which you can find here. The reason I like to mix a tinted and untinted sunscreen is because it removes the white cast effect that sunscreens usually leave.

Enhance Your Routine

You could totally stop at those three steps and you would have a pretty solid skincare routine. However, I like to add in a few extra products that help my skin stay extra radiant. They go as follows:

a.) a retinol

b.) petroleum jelly to ‘slug’

c.) a hyaluronic acid serum

A Retinol

Retinols are typically used to maintain youthful looking skin and to prevent premature skin aging. They slow down the development of fine lines, wrinkles, and so on. Some retinoid derivatives can also help with improving skin texture and acne as well. In most cases, you do need a prescription to get more potent retinoids, however there are some milder formulations that have been approved to be purchased over the counter. I use a topical retinoid treatment that you can get over the counter without a prescription. It’s from the brand La Roche-Posay and it’s called the Effaclar Adapalene Gel 0.1% Topical Retinoid Acne Treatment. All my life I have struggled with skin texture on my forehead and stubborn pimples on my chin area. Since using this retinoid, I have seen a difference in my skin! Not only do I use it to minimize skin breakouts, but I also use it to prevent early skin aging as well.

This is a great beginner retinoid because it is not too harsh on your skin. I have sensitive skin and I have not had any adverse effects. Retinoids can cause your skin to become a little dry, so it is very important to use a super hydrating moisturizer with this.

I like to follow a ‘skin cycling‘ technique where I only use this retinoid every other day. This also ensures that my skin does not become too sensitive to the retinoid over time.

I apply this gel every other night on dry skin after I wash my face but before I apply my moisturizer. You only need about a pea sized amount for you face and another for the neck area. The formulation is very concentrated. Using too much can cause skin irritation so a little goes a long way.

Slugging

As I mentioned before, I like to follow a skin cycling approach to skincare. Skin cycling was adopted by Whitney Bowe, MD, F.A.A.D to prevent the overuse of active ingredients on the skin barrier. This approach to skin care has helped me reduce skin irritation, especially since I have sensitive skin. So, on ‘off’ days when I do not use the adapalene gel, I like to slug my skin with petroleum jelly.

Petroleum jelly sounds scary, but it’s just the stuff they use in Vaseline so don’t be worried.

For the past few years I have been using the CeraVe Healing Ointment to slug! I purchased the 12 ounce tub and it has lasted me such a long time. A little goes a long way with this product so you only need a thin layer on your face. I apply it as the last step of my nighttime skincare routine (after moisturizer).

Hyaluronic Acid Serum

The last major step of my skincare routine is using a hyaluronic acid serum. Hyaluronic acid helps give the skin more moisture (and who doesn’t love moisturized skin!). I use a few drops of hyaluronic acid serum after I cleanse my face and before I apply moisturizer, A.M and P.M. On nights when I am applying my retinol, I do not use the serum.

I’m still trying to find my favorite hyaluronic acid serum to use, so stay tuned on skincare updates from me in the future. However, currently I am using the Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum. So far I really enjoy it and it is a very affordable product as well!!

There You Have It

Well… now I have laid out all my not-so-secret skincare tips. I hope this blog post helped you realize that you do not need to spend hundreds of dollars to maintain healthy, radiant, skin. If you end up using any of these products or if you have used any of these products in the past, let me know! I always love hearing other’s thoughts on my favorite products.

Until next time!

-Diana