Toner / Serum / Moisturizer / Azelaic Acid / Sunscreen / Micellar Water / Face Wash / Adapalene
I wanted to go into a little bit of background behind my skin and skin type before I get into my current skincare routine. I have always had trouble with my skin. As a kid I had really sensitive skin, and I would get irritated skin much more easily than most of my friends. I distinctively remember going with one of my childhood friends to a spa/salon and getting facials for her birthday and when I returned home that afternoon my entire face was red and small little pink bumps were forming all over my cheeks. My dad closely examined my face and said, “I’m sorry sweetie, it looks like you have sensitive skin just like me.” No truer words have been spoken about my skin since.
“I’m sorry sweetie, it looks like you have sensitive skin just like me.”
My Dad, when i was age 8 and returned from a “gentle” facial with burning, bright red skin
I have sensitive, acne-prone, oily/combination skin and my main concern is hydration and acne prevention. I am currently on birth control pills, and I truly believe that is the only reason my skin is leaning more towards the combination side of skin types. In my teenage years, I definitely had oily skin, but I guess once I get off hormonal birth control I will have a better idea of my adult skin type. I have struggled with acne almost my entire adult life. I would say my acne journey started around 17 and I still struggle with breakouts. I do not tan anymore, however, I can tan quite easily. Since I can develop a tan, I get post-inflammatory acne marks and hyperpigmentation after a blemish. It has been difficult finding effective acne prevention products that also don’t irritate my skin too aggressively as well.
My skin and I have been through a lot of trials and tribulations thus far. I have tried treating my skin aggressively, and I’ve tried doing nothing at all. I have even tried wishing for someone else’s skin. But alas, to no avail, we are dealt the cards we are dealt and life goes on. I think it’s incredibly easy to think you’re the only person with terrible skin, or everyone is looking at your terrible skin, and wishing you just had unproblematic skin, but the problem with that is none of it is true. Once you accept your skin for what it is, you are on the road to getting the skin of your dreams.
Sensitive skin needs extra time and attention, and you cannot haphazardly throw treatments on it. I have learned that I cannot tolerate alcohol, most acids, or physical exfoliation, but everyone’s skin is different and reacts differently to things. Hydrating products do help my skin the most, but since I’m acne-prone most oils and thick moisturizers break me out. So it’s finding a solid balance and happy medium for my skin.
I have found some fantastic products that work for me and my skin type, and I think if you have similar skin they might work for you too, HOWEVER, I want to reiterate that everyone’s skin reacts differently. I hope that this post is helpful and people can see a pretty mid routine that isn’t causing any problems haha.
Now after all of that, here’s my current skincare routine:
AM
- Wash with warm water
- Thayer’s Witch Hazel Rose Petal Toner
- Avene Hyaluronic Acid Serum
- CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
- The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension
- Olay Sensitive Sunscreen
PM
- Micellar water (to remove makeup) – I’ve used all kinds, they’re all the same
- Differin Benzoyl Peroxide 5% Face Wash
- Thayer’s Witch Hazel Rose Petal Toner
- Avene Hyaluronic Acid Serum
- CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
- Differin Adapalene 0.1% Gel
Tips and Tricks
- I always put actives on AFTER my moisturizer. I don’t know the full science behind it, but it seriously prevents excessive dryness and irritation. I also try to give some time between each step if possible. For example, after the hyaluronic acid serum I fan my face for about a minute before the cream. Then I let that dry down a bit before I put on the azelaic acid or adapalene.
- I let the benzoyl peroxide face wash sit on my face in the shower for 2-5 minutes before I wash it off. This is called short contact therapy, and back when I was in high school my dermatologist said that is the best method for treating acne when you have sensitive skin.
- Sunscreen every single day, even with breakouts. I lived in Hawaii in my early twenties and wasn’t great about sunscreen, and I now have 5 additional face freckles to show for it!
- If you have sensitive skin, be really gentle with introducing actives. I have worked up to using adapalene every night, however, I spent approximately 12 weeks slowly gearing up for that. I increased by 1 night a week every 2 weeks. So, I spent 2 weeks only using it on Sunday, then 2 weeks only using it Sunday and Wednesday, and then 2 weeks only using it Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and so on and so on until I reach every single night. It can be frustrating especially when you want your acne to clear, however, rushing it will only hurt your skin worse and may make you have to quit using adapalene totally if you damage your skin barrier.
Disclaimer: I am not a board-certified doctor, nor do I have any medical training. All the thoughts expressed in this blog post are my own and are not medical advice. This is my personal knowledge and is for informational purposes only.
I wanted to include some NIH studies on acne that I have reviewed to help me educate myself on acne-prone skin and acne treatments. It’s helpful to read the science behind it, but it can be confusing to read scientific literature so I’ll also link some dermatologists on YouTube that have helped me navigate my skincare concerns.
- Short Contact Therapy: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8922035/
- Acne Treatments in Women: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6360964/
- Dermatologists on YouTube: @DrDrayzday and @pillowtalkderm
Okay, I hope this helps anyone who has sensitive or acne-prone skin like me. Links to the products mentioned in this blog post are under the first photo in the captions. Thanks for reading! 🙂