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Kalcifer @sh.itjust.works

What is your skincare routine?

I would like to know what your routine is in general, but I'm also specifically curious about what products you use, if you use them, and what the rationale is behind each product.

My routine:

Morning

  1. Rinse face with warm water.
  2. Scrub face and neck with warm, wet washcloth.
  3. Apply facial moisturizer with SPF (I use CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30) to face, neck, and hands.

Evening

  1. Shower.
    • While in shower, scrub entire body with an exfoliating mitt (ie this one).
  2. Apply a retinol (I use Retin-A (tretinoin 0.05%)) to face, neck, and hands.
  3. Apply facial moisturizer (I use CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion) to face, neck, and hands
  4. Apply body lotion (I use CeraVe Moisturizing Cream) to whole body, excluding hands and face.

I have used, and considered continuing using a BHA (also AHA?) liquid exfoliant (I have read that it shouldn't be used at the same time as retinol due to PH requirements, ie use it in the morning and retinol in the evening) (I previously used Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, but I no longer because I have lost trust in Paula's Choice overall due to their borderline false advertising regarding their retinol product [1]), but I am unsure of what a good product would be, and the rationale behind it. I have also heard about Vitamin E, though I've never used it.

93 comments

  • MORNING

    • wake up
    • cry for 10 minutes (the salt has healing effects, for open wounds from the fights at school)
    • go to school
    • get punched (this is important to remove possible blood clots)

    EVENING

    • shower
    • smoke weed
    • if face hurts, put Vaseline on.

    my skin is very healthy (not kidding) and I don't do anything to it. (I'm a conspiracy practicalist and I believe skin care products are scams)

    Thanks for reading.

  • You use too many products, no way that can be good for your skin. Even showering every day is imo unnecessary, once every other day or once a week is good enough if the only thing you did was sitting in an office all day. And if you do shower that often, most of the time you should only use water, not any other products.

    I really don't understand the current trend of using an extreme amount of products on your skin, to the poiint of calling it a "routine".

    • What? OP's routine is fairly minimal.

      I agree with you about showering every day but you really should use at bare minimum a cleanser, a moisturizer, and sunscreen.

      The first gets dirt and grime and the world off your face, the second replenishes the moisture in your skin, and the last protects your skin. Pretty simple.

      Adding in an active like an AHA or tretinoin is only if you have problems (acne would be an example but there are other issues) or if you care about anti-aging.

      Some people have like 20 step routines and more and I think THAT is excessive and sometimes can irritate skin more. I once when down the rabbit hole of too many products and had horrible rebound issues because of it.

      I used to have bad acne until I found a routine similar to OPs and the right combination of skincare can dramatically improve your skin. For health reasons mostly but healthy skin looks better too.

      I'm not trying to attack you, I just ask that you don't knock it just because you've never tried it. Maybe you were genetically blessed to not need anything except water and bar soap. Lucky you! I'm envious , truly.

      But some people need extra help or just like to pamper their skin. Taking special care of your hygiene isn't something to dig on someone about, or say it's not healthy when you're not well versed in the world of skincare.

      • I agree with the sunscreen, although I wouldn't use it if I wasn't planning to stay out in the sun for long, but that's about it for an average person. Your body is supposed to hydrate itself, and getting dirt and grime off is the function of a shower. I'm sure not everybody's skin hydrates itself enough so they would probably need to use a moisturizer, sure, but that doesn't mean everybody should do it all the time.

        Same for acne, that's a case where it makes sense to use some products because your skin is clearly failing to maintain itself, but again that doesn't mean you should do the same thing if you don't have such issues.

    • It's because people have been using these products since childhood and they don't think about it anymore.

      I agree with you personally. I don't use any products and my skin smells very good. And first thing people say when I say that is "people don't tell me I smell bad", because they can't imagine that someone can actually smell good without using any products.

    • You use too many products, no way that can be good for your skin. Even showering every day is imo unnecessary, once every other day or once a week is good enough if the only thing you did was sitting in an office all day. And if you do shower that often, most of the time you should only use water, not any other products.

      Are you only here to spread negativity, or do you have any proof behind your claims? I'm not interested in opinions.

      • I think this is one of those cases where the burden of proof is on the person using the products, not on the one not using them. Your post is basically an advertising campaign for several of these products.

        You do realize your body is supposed to maintain itself right? Of course some people will actually need some stuff because their body doesn't do it well enough, but if your body doesn't have actual problems there is no need to use any of these products.

      • Why don't you go and read scientific papers if you are not interested in opinions and claims?

        Humans beings like to exchange ideas and experiences with eachother without being forced to show scientific evidence. Maybe you don't, which is fine, but maybe not tell others what to discuss then?

        This is not a scientific journal, if you haven't noticed and picked the wrong url...

    • I think it's great that you have such good friends they're too polite to tell you how bad you smell 😊

      • Don't worry, they will tell me if I smell. I think it's interesting that you think you know me or my friends.

  • I've always been lucky and my skin is pretty bulletproof, I could probably just about wash my face with acetone and shave with a broken beer bottle and be none the worse for it.

    I shower, normally every day but occasionally skip a day or two due to weather, lack of motivation, and how much I've been sweating, with Dr Bronners Peppermint soap and a washcloth.

    I like Dr Bronners because it's the best I've found at stripping the wax out of my moustache. I also find the mint to be nice and refreshing, especially after a hot day. It's also nice that its organic, fair trade, etc. and since it can be used for pretty much everything I like it for backpacking (I tend to go unscented for that purpose, but if I intend to brush my teeth with it mint in the way to go, still a bit gross and soapy tasting, don't exactly recommend it but it does the trick in a pinch)

    If we want to count it as skincare, though it's more hair care I suppose, my moustache wax of choice is Firehouse Wacky Tacky

    I shave my head with a double edge safety razor, I like Feather blades. I lather up with whatever bar of soap smells good to me when I bought it and looks like it will fit in my shaving bowl, right now I think I'm using Dr Squatch Bay Rum because they sold it in the checkout line of ace hardware and the line was moving slow one day leaving me with nothing much to do to entertain myself but stiff some soaps.

    Sometimes, instead, I splash on some lectric shave and use a foil shaver on my head.

    Then I splash on some aftershave. I used to rotate through the usual drug store brands- Brut, Pinaud Clubman, Aqua Velva, and Old Spice, but then I met my wife and it turns out she really likes me in Old Spice, so I don't switch it up too often anymore. I do tend to get a bottle of cheap bay rum to use over the summer though.

    I use whatever beard oil or balm smells good to me when I run out and find myself needing more. I honestly couldn't even tell you what brand I have kicking around currently, I use it pretty infrequently, mostly when I'm dressing up and feel like my beard could use a little extra taming and shininess. I tend to like woodsy scents like cedar.

    When my hands feel a little dry and cracked, which isn't a very common issue for me, I use Duke Cannon Bloody Knuckles balm. Again, I'm pretty sure that was an impulse buy from the checkout line of a hardware store or something, but I think it works pretty well. My wife probably uses it more than I do and she has an actual skincare routine so I guess she agrees.

    And for deodorant, I again like old spice. It works for me, and I've used it pretty consistently since I was in about 4th or 5th grade when we had a basic sex-ed/some-of-you-stink-so-use-deodorant-please assembly where they handed out a small stick of it to all the guyse Again, apparently my wife likes old spice so that worked out well, and I can usually find a 2-pack of it at most grocery stores and such that is probably the best value in the deodorant aisle.

  • I have read that it shouldn’t be used at the same time as retinol due to PH requirements

    You can use a chemical exfoliant and a retinoid in the same routine. You don't have to worry about pH once the product is on your skin and absorbed. One concern is just that both can be pretty irritating, so using them together might be overly harsh on your skin. Maybe start slowly introducing them one at a time until you're ready, and always see how your skin is reacting. If you decide to exfoliate in the morning, keep in mind that AHAs make your skin more sensitive to the sun, so sunscreen becomes extra important.

    I have also heard about Vitamin E, though I’ve never used it.

    Your CeraVe Moisturizing Cream contains tocopherol, so you're already using it. I don't think you need to seek out a separate product.

    • You can use a chemical exfoliant and a retinoid in the same routine.

      I was more meaning like one after the other. The alternative that I was inferring was, say, BHA in the morning, and retinol at night.

    • Your CeraVe Moisturizing Cream contains tocopherol

      Which one? I looked at the ingredients of each and I couldn't find it. Though, it's quite possible that I am simply blind.

    • If you decide to exfoliate in the morning, keep in mind that AHAs make your skin more sensitive to the sun

      Interesting, I wasn't aware of this — I know that retinol does that, but I didn't know that AHAs did that as well.

  • I use Neutrogena soap on my face and occasionally a pore strip on my nose followed by one of those noxzema cleaning pads with salicylic acid to help shrink the pores. I also have some blotting paper in my backpack incase things get uncomfortable during the day.

    I'd do more but I honestly can't be bothered. Just the bare minimum to keep the acne and face oils at bay.

    Oh and a beard trimmer. I don't shave because I I don't like the burn. Plus when I do get acne it really sucks to shave over.

  • I shower every other day, use a regular unscented bar soap (actually labeled soap, not “wash” or “cleanser”) every time with a focus on pits and junk. Wet hair but only shampoo once or twice a week. Morning and evening just splash the face with mildly warm water and hit the towel to dry. About as often as shampoo I’ll use a face cleanser in the shower too, cetaphil daily whatever, it’s just to help tackle my greasy face from poor diet.

  • Up until my late 20's, I had very oily skin. I think I might need to change a few things because I am still oily but I do feel some skin dryness from time to time.

    In the AM...

    Wet my face with warm water.

    Clinique All About Clean Soap - face wash - I used this after trying a few others. I like this ok. I might revisit the CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser. I don't remember why I stopped using it.

    Rinse off with warm water. Blot face with towel.

    Thayer's Witch Hazel - toner - When I got the Clinique face wash, I got the three step set. It came with a toner that they called "Clarifying Lotion" and I hated it. I actually read it and it contains alcohol so I stopped using it. (Some "lotion"!) I saw that one of the ingredients in the toner was witch hazel, and it looks like it's good by itself, so I just roll with that now. Just put some on a cotton round and gently apply it to the whole face. I use it because it makes my skin feel nice. I occasionally skip this step.

    Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel - facial lotion - I've tried so many facial lotions and they usually cause acne for me. Including Cetaphil. I love this stuff. This is good by itself when I'm oily. When I'm a bit dryer, though...

    Clinique Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly - facial lotion - I put this on when my normal moisturizer isn't enough. I put it on after the other stuff sinks in.

    I use SPF after that. I either use Clinique City Block or the SPF included in my foundation if I'm wearing it. I want to get back into Korean sunscreen but I haven't looked into it. I use what's on hand for skin not on my face. The City Block is meh but it's by far the least unpleasant feeling on my face.

    If I am feeling extra lazy, I just cleanse my face with micellar water and moisturize. The micellar water I use is Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, pink cap.

    In the PM...

    If I'm wearing makeup, I remove it with micellar water or Clinique Take the Day Off makeup remover, depending on what I put on that day.

    I wash my face, use toner. Then...

    Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector + Interrupter - serum - I've tried this because I want to get rid of some of these dark spots on my face. I'm going to finish this bottle and not re-buy this though.

    I moisturize when I'm done.

    If I'm feeling lazy, I do the same micellar water and moisture deal like in the morning.

    For the rest of my body, I use Gold Bond Diabetic Body Lotion, and I use Mediheal hand cream for my hands. I also apply witch hazel to irritated skin. If I have an irritated spot that would take over a week to resolve itself, using witch hazel makes it heal in just a day or two.

    I used to use Stridex pads because I would get pimples often until my mid-20's or so. I stopped using them. They were good but I haven't found the need to use them any more.

    I used to use Ole Henriksen Truth Serum at night. I stopped during the pandemic due to... Well I wasn't feeling great at that time. I liked the serum, though.

    I was thinking of researching what I can do for my dark spots and pitting from acne from years ago. I was going to look at Paula's Choice, but now looking at your link I am reconsidering.

    How is the tretinion treating you? Is it worth getting a script for it? If you're American, was it difficult to get? I hear it is really good for many skin concerns and might help with the ones I'm looking to treat.

  • I don't use make-up, but I make an exception for the soap from the hardware store.

    My routine goes a bit like this:

    • get into shower
    • turn on water
    • get wet
    • turn off water
    • lather up
    • turn on water
    • rinse off
    • turn off water
    • rub dry with that same old towel

    I do this as necessary, but at least before Christmas and midsummer (even if not necessary).

93 comments