skincare

[JurseyRider734]

i originally posted this in TGB but considering theres probably a bunch of pimply gamer nerds here i figured id share my knowledge and services with u all

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do any of u care about having nice skin
do you have nice skin
what do you do to have nice skin



heres my story:
as a teenager i had pimply skin which i guess is pretty typical or whatever. then around 17/18 i started to have really nice skin. im not sure if this was genetics or skincare or just the result of being on birth control (which i have been since i was 16). i didnt really care that much about it or think that other people cared that much

then a couple years later when i started working retail at this one place, ppl kept talking about my skin to me. i would get complimented by random ppl on how nice my skin was, and my co-workers would talk about it all the time, and say things like "i didnt think that airbrushed looking skin like in magazines existed in real life til i saw your face" and obviously this made me feel good, or whatever, but honestly i was moreso taken back by how INTO skin people were. it wasnt something i had really ever experienced or heard people talking about before

i enjoyed the perks of having nice skin for several years and i did some things to keep my skin nice but really didnt care that much (like about getting really expensive makeup or skincare products). then last year, for some reason, my skin started to break out a lot more. i even started developing bacne this year, which i never used to deal with. i always had a really smooth nice back. i dont know if this was a change in diet, hormones, change in age, or different medications. i have an IUD now, which is different than taking pills by mouth or using a nuvaring or whatever. but the bad skin stuff started happening before then

when you have really nice skin, one pimple or a breakout feels really devastating. people used to compliment me on my skin all the time and i used to feel good about it, but if i had any kind of blemish it made me get super self conscious because i felt like i was letting other people down. so, with this change in my skin, i felt pretty shitty.

i started to spend a lot of money & effort in trying new skin products and doing basically whatever i could to get my old skin back. i tried a lot of things, from different washes and exfoliators and masks and wipes and vitamins and treatments or whatever. i think i've finally found what it takes to get my good skin back, and it seems to be going well. ive gotten really good results over the past few weeks and i feel like my skin is going back to what it used to be (maybe even better than it used to be).

what i invested in:

Cleaning
clarisonic aria - i use this whenever i shower. it's totally waterproof. the reason i got the aria model over the popular mia 2 system was because you can set it to a 2 minute timer instead of 1 minute. also it came in a kit with these "deluxe" sample sizes (2 of which were things i already used and liked, so it was a nice bonus). this is an expensive item but i really think it started making a nice change in my skin. it's basically a handheld device with a brush and it oscillates. on my 2 minute timer, you use it for 40 seconds on your forehead, 40 seconds on your nose/mouth area, and 20 seconds on each cheek. you use a facial cleanser with this. you can either put it on your face beforehand or put it on the brush head. i put it on my face beforehand. what i use is:

Fresh soy face wash - i dont really like the smell very much but its a good HQ face wash thats very gentle but still cleans very well

burt's bees face cleansing wipes for sensitive skin - i use these before i go to sleep (unless i just recently showered & applied exfoliator/moisturizer) and during the day as needed

Exfoliating
paula's choice 2% BHA liquid - i put this on freshly cleaned skin (whether it was washed w/ the clarisonic or with the face wipes). put it on a cotton ball or cotton pad and wipe on your face

kate somerville's exfolikate - not using this as often any more but if i plan to not use the clarisonic or the BHA i will wash my face (by hand) with the fresh soy face wash and then use this aftewards

Moisturizing
josie maran's argan oil light - its a beauty oil. it's supposed to help with acne. it's not greasy (as long as you dont use way too much of it). i use this to moisturize after cleaning my skin or i use it as a moisturizer before i put on makeup. i prefer the light version to the regular argan oil

i have samples of maracuja oil and an oil by the brand called nude that i occasionally use, but i like the argan oil the most

paula's choice resist 2% bha body lotion - i use this on my shoulders/upper arms and back. this has started to clear up my bacne. its pretty much gone now. i use a loofah & body wash (exfoliating type) in the shower and put this on afterwards.

final notes:
a basic skincare routine should consist of a cleanser, an exfoliator, and a moisturizer. you can do more than this, but those are the basics. well, if any one has any questions or wants to talk about this, im here to talk about it. or any other beauty related concern, really. i have a lot to say about hair, makeup, skincare if anyone's interested. or u can PM me. i will be continuing to try more skin products in the future but that's more along the lines of makeup so i doubt most people want to hear about that. idk why i wrote this up, but i guess i was bored.

also drink a lot of water. and stay out of the sun. use spf.

ok bye