Can you ladies check over my routine?
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free skin care · Sat Sep 26, 2009 4:40 pm

Hi there, longtime lurker and first post. I would really appreciate it if you all could give me your opinions on my skincare routine.

I am 22 with normal skin (but gets oily or dry depending on the weather/seasons) and I am looking at mostly preventative measures but also a little bit of corrective. I started wearing sunscreen fairly regularly about a year and a half ago even though I almost never burn. However, due to my recent job as a rock climbing instructor at a summer camp, continuing my normal skincare routine was really impractical. I ended up getting a lot of sun exposure and can tell some early signs of wrinkles have been accelerated just from that!

Since camp has ended I have returned to my regular routine of washing my face with a salicylic cleanser, and using Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle treatment (does contain retinal) at night (I'm hoping that's enough to turn back the clock on the faint forehead lines I'm starting to see). In the morning I use some Alpha Hydrox souffle (an AHA) and of course, sunscreen.

I feel like the one thing I am missing is an antioxidant. I am thinking of using vitamin E capsules, but where in my routine should I put them? They are too oily for daytime use for me, but I'm not sure if they are compatible with the retinal cream at night. Can I use both at the same time, and if so which one should I put on first?

Some additional questions:
Do you guys think starting out with the Neutrogena is a good idea considering I am young, have never used a retinal before, and my lines are very faint? Or should I just dive straight into prescription for real results?

Also, I am looking for a more cosmetic sunscreen...I am currently switching between Badger SPF 30 and the Neutrogena Dry-Touch but they both give my face an oily look. Any good recs for that?

Please feel free to add any other suggestions. Thanks so much!

free skin care · Sun Sep 27, 2009 11:49 am

Welcome to the forum, Lemon.
It's good that you start to take care of your skin and use sunscreen every day. What strikes me, is that I think you overdo exfoliation. You may end up with a rough skin texture and over-sensitized skin if you exfoliate too much when you are so young. I do believe that you can benefit from the Neutrogena retinol cream PM, but I would skip the AHA product AM, and substitute it with a good antioxidant serum, which is the best anti-aging preventative available. Look for a good and stable vitamin C serum. I would suggest CellularSkinRX C+ (the cheapest), SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic or SkinMedica C Complex.

Smile

free skin care · Sun Sep 27, 2009 2:45 pm

Thanks for the advice Septembergirl. Do you think I should use AHAs say, once a week or just scrap it all together?

I am very inspired by some of the vitamin C serum recipes I see here and would like to try them out!

free skin care · Sun Sep 27, 2009 3:32 pm

DIY vitamin C serum is a great and much more affordable alternative than the ones I mentioned.

If you don't want to stop using your AHA product, you can alternate between Alpha Hydrox Souffle and Neutrogena Healthy Skin PM. They are both sun sensitizing exfoliants and should preferably be used at night.

A vitamin C serum and sunscreen AM and AHA/retinol PM would make a great skin care routine.

free skin care · Sun Sep 27, 2009 6:22 pm

Hi, Lemon,with all the heat that you are getting, I think you are better off to use your AHA products at night time. Maybe keep your face with enough moisture and re-apply sunscreen at work to block the UV damage. You may want to use a hydrating mask during the weekend.

free skin care · Mon Sep 28, 2009 5:00 am

I totally agree that adding a Vit C serum in the AM is in order and DIY is the best. I would also try Devita's moisturizing sunscreen (not the proper name) especially if you wear any mineral based makeup.

free skin care · Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:18 pm

Thanks everyone! For those of you familiar with the DIY vitamin C recipes on the board, are there any in particular that you think might be best for my skin (youngish, normal, living in the sunny south, would like to avoid anything making my face look oily)?

free skin care · Mon Sep 28, 2009 5:33 pm

Sometimes when you're exposed to that much sun, just 1 layer of sunscreen isnt enough.
Hence you need a stronger sunscreen.
During summer here, the sun is remarkably strong, so when i have to stay out a lot, i apply my SPF50 face sunscreen and another product called 'Smart Protection Cream' from Oya's Methode Suisse. It's absorbs UV rays as well and best of all, it stays on your skin for 24 hours upon application, unlike a normal sunscreen which you have to apply every 3 hours.
Only thing, if you use that, you have to double cleanse your face when you wash your face.

free skin care · Tue Sep 29, 2009 7:00 am

Lemon wrote:

Thanks everyone! For those of you familiar with the DIY vitamin C recipes on the board, are there any in particular that you think might be best for my skin (youngish, normal, living in the sunny south, would like to avoid anything making my face look oily)?

Here's one for 1oz @ 15% concentration that is simple - if you find it too oily you could substitute glycerin with SKB (Sea Kelp Bioferment)

1 tsp LAA
3 tsp distilled water
2 tsp glycerin

free skin care · Thu Oct 01, 2009 11:21 am

Ok so I have ordered supplies needed to make a basic C-serum (yay so excited!).

Additionally, I have cut back on using my salicylic cleanser and switched instead to a castor/jojoba mix at the suggestion that I might be too stripping and harsh on my skin (which by the way it's only been two days but I can really see the gross plugs coming out when I wash!).

Afterward I apply a homemade ACV/green tea mixture (toner?) on my face, and then continue to my nightly Neutrogena retinol.

Keeping in mind that soon I will be adding a C-serum, does this sound better?

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