#you go to look for a facial moisturizer bc you have dry skin. everything promises retinol 'plumping and firming' anti-aging

[space-coupe]

I wish the anti-aging industry a very rot in hell

[bonesandthebees]

I would love some makeup and skincare tips if you're willing :)

-🌼

of course!! (these answers are very general/assuming you're starting from the very beginning. if you want more specific advice lmk just give me more specific questions)

so I've talked about skincare on here before so I'll put that at the bottom of this ask, and I'll start with make up instead this time

makeup takes a learning curve to figure out how to use. there's no getting around that. it took years for me to figure out makeup stuff and I started playing around with it when I was only 12-13ish. don't feel embarrassed if your makeup doesn't turn out how you want. depending on what you're doing, you're basically learning how to paint but, like, really specifically and only on your face. it takes practice and that's ok! if you're embarrassed about people seeing you with makeup on, just do it alone in your room. the only reason I got good at winged eyeliner was because I made myself do makeup every day during the first quarantine era of covid so that I'd have a daily routine established and wouldn't just sit in pajamas in bed all day. I wasn't going out at all, so I made myself do winged eyeliner every time bc I knew no one was gonna see it, and it didn't take long for me to get good at it. so practice when you're alone and wipe it off when you're done. you'll figure it out eventually.

now as far as what kind of makeup to do on your face. well, that depends on what you're trying to achieve with makeup. do you want to cover up acne? do you want to do fun eyeshadow and eyeliner? do you want to enhance your natural features? if you're completely new to makeup I'd recommend starting with the basics of just trying to enhance your natural features. that's usually very simple and easy makeup that'll help you learn the foundations of it all so you can build up from there.

'natural' makeup routines that you read about online are probably going to consist of some kind of tinted moisturizer, maybe some concealer, maybe mascara, and probably a bit of blush. it depends on how much you want to do. if you're going for something with more coverage to cover up acne, look for foundation instead of tinted moisturizer.

if you're just starting out you're probably going to want to go for drugstore makeup instead of the expensive stuff. maybelline anti-age rewind multi-use concealer has been my go to concealer for years now. elf as a whole is a really low-priced and generally well recommended makeup brand with a lot of variety to what they sell. for whichever product you're trying to get, tbh just google 'best drugstore brand [insert product here]' and you'll find a ton of magazine articles pop up with recommendations.

last tips for now. here's what you don't need when you're just starting out: primer (you are probably not going to be doing heavy daily makeup right off the bat it's not worth it in that case). look, I know everyone talks about primer being amazing. but I basically never use foundation or tinted moisturizer, I just use concealer. so it's very unnecessary for me. later on you might find you need it, but at the start I promise you don't

hope that helps with some makeup stuff! skincare info below!

okay so for skincare, I've found that it's easiest to build a routine one step at a time. don't feel like you have to rush into everything all at once. first get into the habit of washing your face every morning and night if you don't already. make sure you have a good facial cleanser that's suited to your skin type (please don't use body soap for your face). cetaphil and cerave are both very highly rated drugstore skincare brands that have a lot of options for face cleansers for all skin types (oily, dry, sensitive, etc). then you need a moisturizer. again, I recommend either cetaphil or cerave to start off with bc of their low price point and how highly rated their products are. I use cetaphil daily face cleanser and cetaphil's daily oil free moisturizer with spf 35. definitely try to get one with spf in it because sun protection is the other essential part of a bare bones skincare routine. when looking for a face moisturizer, try to go for ones that say they're non-comedogenic which means they won't clog your pores. oil-free is probably preferable too especially if you have acne.

after you have the basics you can get into other stuff! this stuff is going to depend on what skin issues you have. there are a whole lot of serums out there you can look into (niacinamide I think is one of the best serums for most skin types and you can get a bottle of it from both good molecules or the ordinary for like $6). different serums are formulated to target different things, so again try to google stuff to see what might be most helpful for you. skincare brands besides cetaphil and cerave that I think are good to start out with is the ordinary (high quality at a very low price) and good molecules. neutrogena also has some pretty good products, and I really love elf's eye cream. but if you're really unsure where to start, the ordinary has an online quiz you can take on your site which will recommend products to you based off what you say your skin issues are, so even if you don't end up buying anything from them that can give you an idea of what products to start looking at.

[penny-lovely]

Nine month progress (spironolactone, clindamycin, benzoyl peroxide, and tretinoin)

​

late January through late October, one pic per month (skipping June!)

Hi! I don't post on Reddit much, so I made an account to post this because before I went to the dermatologist in late January 2021 in the hope of fixing my back/shoulder acne, I was lurking threads like this for a LONG time, and progress photos were really encouraging (though I was always like "But that won't work on me, I'm hopeless!"). So in the hopes of helping out another lost soul, I figured I'd contribute my own progress pics now that I've been on this routine for a good chunk of time. This is every month from late January (right before I started my routine) to late October, skipping over June because oops I forgot to take a picture that month. I focused on my right shoulder because it was the worst spot I could easily take photos of, and my reason for going to the dermatologist was less about my face than it was my back/shoulders anyway.

Some context on my situation: I'm a woman in my mid 30s and have dealt with some really awful acne on my back, shoulders, and jawline, especially since going off BC in my 20s. I struggled with acne as a teen, but I never had an issue with back/shoulder/chest acne until my mid to late 20s. I tried everything — blah blah blah, you know the deal — so if you're at all like me, struggling with hormonal acne and always wearing short sleeves in the summer and avoiding all kinds of dresses and feeling insecure at the beach, let me tell you now: GO TO THE DERMATOLOGIST if you can afford it. I'm frustrated with how much time I wasted trying to find another solution, though there were some years I didn't have health insurance so I didn't have much of a choice. All to say, if you have the means to go to a dermatologist, just do it. If your acne is bad, it's going to take a lot of patience and discipline to get results, and the sooner you start the process, the sooner you'll be crying in front of the mirror because you can't believe your skin isn't covered with pimples anymore.

My meds/etc:

- Spironolactone: Started on 50mg per day then bumped to 100mg per day, always after a meal. The doc said it would take about three months to kick in, and if you look at the progress photos, the acne got worse in March before it boomeranged back to promising, and that's when things really started getting interesting. I know this isn't breaking news but yeah, this stuff RULES. As a bonus, it makes my period super light and I barely get cramps anymore, which I'm not complaining about.

- Benzoyl peroxide wash, 5%: After every shower, I stand in the tub and wash my back, shoulders, chest, and face with this for a solid minute or two before rinsing off. Every night.

- Clindamycin pads, 1%: After rinsing and drying from the shower, I use 2-3 of these and wipe them over every acne-covered area.

- Tretinoin cream, 0.025%: This stuff is no joke. I definitely overdid it the beginning and fried my face, oops. I apply it after the clindamycin is dry about two times a week. It dried me out in the beginning, so if that happened I'd hold off longer until the next application. But eventually my skin got used to it, and now it's no biggie. Right now I probably only apply it about once a week, MAYBE twice.

- The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution: Once the doc said my acne was no longer active (yay!), she recommended I start applying this once about once every ten days or so. She said it's a good alternative to a chemical peel for people who can't afford it to work on the discoloration/scars. On nights I do this, I skip the benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin/tretinoin.

- Ceravie foaming facial cleanser/facial moisturizing lotion: The best face wash and moisturizer.

- Garnier micellar water: I use this as a makeup remover.

- Jojoba oil: I also sometimes use this as a makeup remover — I massage my face with it before washing my face with the Ceravie wash.

- Other note: I shower at night, so the bulk of my routine takes place then. Generally I just splash my face with water in the morning and add moisturizer, though I sometimes wash with Ceravie if I feel particularly icky. But since this post is more focused on shoulders/back, it's effectively all a shower/post-shower night routine.

I'm still on this routine and due a checkup in about another month, and my skin is far from perfect, but the fact that my goal is now to get as close to perfect as possible, and not "I would like my shoulder to not be completely covered in pimples," is really mind-blowing to me. I still will get a pimple on my lower face now and then, probably period-related, but at this point my issue is mostly discoloration/scarring/etc, and none of it is to the point where I feel insecure. I mean, I wore some sleeveless shirts at the end of the summer — outside, in public, where people could see my shoulders! When I rub my hand against my lower back, it feels smooth instead of bumpy! I wouldn't even fathom these things as a possibility last summer. If I regret anything, it's that I didn't do this earlier in COVID so I could have gotten these results sooner.

Anyway, I posted this in the hopes that it helps/provides some encouragement to someone out there who might be lurking for posts like this one like I was a while back. I'm rooting for you!

submitted by /u/Sea-Cucumber-7496 [link] [comments]

from Acne https://ift.tt/3BIuGvB

[lanasbiggestfan]

Nine month progress (spironolactone, clindamycin, benzoyl peroxide, and tretinoin)

​

late January through late October, one pic per month (skipping June!)

Hi! I don't post on Reddit much, so I made an account to post this because before I went to the dermatologist in late January 2021 in the hope of fixing my back/shoulder acne, I was lurking threads like this for a LONG time, and progress photos were really encouraging (though I was always like "But that won't work on me, I'm hopeless!"). So in the hopes of helping out another lost soul, I figured I'd contribute my own progress pics now that I've been on this routine for a good chunk of time. This is every month from late January (right before I started my routine) to late October, skipping over June because oops I forgot to take a picture that month. I focused on my right shoulder because it was the worst spot I could easily take photos of, and my reason for going to the dermatologist was less about my face than it was my back/shoulders anyway.

Some context on my situation: I'm a woman in my mid 30s and have dealt with some really awful acne on my back, shoulders, and jawline, especially since going off BC in my 20s. I struggled with acne as a teen, but I never had an issue with back/shoulder/chest acne until my mid to late 20s. I tried everything — blah blah blah, you know the deal — so if you're at all like me, struggling with hormonal acne and always wearing short sleeves in the summer and avoiding all kinds of dresses and feeling insecure at the beach, let me tell you now: GO TO THE DERMATOLOGIST if you can afford it. I'm frustrated with how much time I wasted trying to find another solution, though there were some years I didn't have health insurance so I didn't have much of a choice. All to say, if you have the means to go to a dermatologist, just do it. If your acne is bad, it's going to take a lot of patience and discipline to get results, and the sooner you start the process, the sooner you'll be crying in front of the mirror because you can't believe your skin isn't covered with pimples anymore.

My meds/etc:

- Spironolactone: Started on 50mg per day then bumped to 100mg per day, always after a meal. The doc said it would take about three months to kick in, and if you look at the progress photos, the acne got worse in March before it boomeranged back to promising, and that's when things really started getting interesting. I know this isn't breaking news but yeah, this stuff RULES. As a bonus, it makes my period super light and I barely get cramps anymore, which I'm not complaining about.

- Benzoyl peroxide wash, 5%: After every shower, I stand in the tub and wash my back, shoulders, chest, and face with this for a solid minute or two before rinsing off. Every night.

- Clindamycin pads, 1%: After rinsing and drying from the shower, I use 2-3 of these and wipe them over every acne-covered area.

- Tretinoin cream, 0.025%: This stuff is no joke. I definitely overdid it the beginning and fried my face, oops. I apply it after the clindamycin is dry about two times a week. It dried me out in the beginning, so if that happened I'd hold off longer until the next application. But eventually my skin got used to it, and now it's no biggie. Right now I probably only apply it about once a week, MAYBE twice.

- The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution: Once the doc said my acne was no longer active (yay!), she recommended I start applying this once about once every ten days or so. She said it's a good alternative to a chemical peel for people who can't afford it to work on the discoloration/scars. On nights I do this, I skip the benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin/tretinoin.

- Ceravie foaming facial cleanser/facial moisturizing lotion: The best face wash and moisturizer.

- Garnier micellar water: I use this as a makeup remover.

- Jojoba oil: I also sometimes use this as a makeup remover — I massage my face with it before washing my face with the Ceravie wash.

- Other note: I shower at night, so the bulk of my routine takes place then. Generally I just splash my face with water in the morning and add moisturizer, though I sometimes wash with Ceravie if I feel particularly icky. But since this post is more focused on shoulders/back, it's effectively all a shower/post-shower night routine.

I'm still on this routine and due a checkup in about another month, and my skin is far from perfect, but the fact that my goal is now to get as close to perfect as possible, and not "I would like my shoulder to not be completely covered in pimples," is really mind-blowing to me. I still will get a pimple on my lower face now and then, probably period-related, but at this point my issue is mostly discoloration/scarring/etc, and none of it is to the point where I feel insecure. I mean, I wore some sleeveless shirts at the end of the summer — outside, in public, where people could see my shoulders! When I rub my hand against my lower back, it feels smooth instead of bumpy! I wouldn't even fathom these things as a possibility last summer. If I regret anything, it's that I didn't do this earlier in COVID so I could have gotten these results sooner.

Anyway, I posted this in the hopes that it helps/provides some encouragement to someone out there who might be lurking for posts like this one like I was a while back. I'm rooting for you!

submitted by /u/Sea-Cucumber-7496 [link] [comments]

from Acne https://ift.tt/3BIuGvB

[toliveisanart]

product empties

aka i’m a trash hoarder

dude, so i’ve always had in the back of my head that i was going to be a beauty-type youtuber someday. that seemed to be something for the distant future. i didn’t think that i would be really working on it right now, but here i am.

the reason why it’s now is because not only did i make a new years resolution to post at least one youtube vid a month for 2020 but the trash that i had been collecting in a drawer (to use for a future empties video) was now causing said drawer to close with difficulty. the time had come for my empties to be videod. 

truthfully i didn’t think i had that much. it was only when i was taking things out of the drawer did i realize that drawer’s capacity was a good ton! ... i’m not proud of my trash pile, but now at least it’s not taking up real estate in my dresser and all the months of hoarding won’t go to waste.

that’s my trash. so aesthetic. i love my clashing bedding too, just adds to my vibez.

i took some other (just as beautiful) pix to show off my brag-worthy trash collection.

hair body and mouth/dental care. some edibles (not the weed type :().

edibles continued. then some face cleansers and wipers.

beauty wipes and some makeups. a hand sanitizer spray that i completely forgot about. it dried before i could use it even half way.

face products: cleansers, moisturizers, some makeuts.

mas makeuts.

here’s my ish all over again so you can really take in the beauty. i wanted to show you all my trash before i talked about it.

i’m glad that i somewhat organized it when i laid the products down bc somehow i lost most of my more (actually) aesthetic product shots that i filmed. i am sad but there’s nothing i can do about that now. the universe wanted to keep that content for herself.

i guess i will go through all the products, that i didn’t get in the video, by the row that they’re in on my bed. top, middle, & bottom. then from left to right, like a book. here we go:

• avalon organics therapeutic hair care medicated anti-dandruff shampoo //  ★★★★★ // i think @nishabalsara on ig mentioned that bc of the salicylic acid content of this shampoo it works as an excellent acne wash. when i tell you this ish works, it works! it’s definitely effective and strong. my brother uses it w the intended purpose and finds it to be the most effective anti-dandruff shampoo. a1, a1. // have & will continue to repurchase!

• pacifica beauty salty waves texturizing shampoo // ★★★☆☆ // nothing special, dried my scalp out // won’t repurchase!

• burt's bees milk and honey body lotion // ★★★★☆ // really thick and hydrating, especially great for dry skin or during winter but not vegan // won’t repurchase!

• the honey pot sensitive foaming wash // ★★★★★ // great calming scent, made me feel clean without completely stripping my skin // have & will continue to repurchase!

• ag hair moisture fast food leave on conditioner // ★★★★★ // favorite leave in ever! smells like fruit punch, doesn’t weigh my thin hair, and allowed my hair to go longer between washes // will repurchase!

• tom’s of maine long lasting deodorant, unscented // ★★★★☆ // enjoyed the consistency and the fact that it’s a clear deodorant. didn’t clog my pores and served it’s purpose // might repurchase!

• kopari coconut deo, original // ★★★★★ // i would put 10 thousand stars if i could. i absolutely love this deodorant w a passion. it’s amazing. i even found myself to not sweat as much when i used it, and it doesn’t have any alluminum in it. i’m so happy they released new scents! i want to try the charcoal driftwood scent. // have & will continue to repurchase!

• alba botanica acnedote maximum strength face & body scrub // ★★★★★ // this scrub is heaven sent. it’s not too rough that i feel i could use it every day. it works amazing for body breakouts as well. i’ve been using it for years & have gotten other people hooked on it as well. // have & will continue to repurchase!

• lush snow fairy shower gel // ★★☆☆☆ // worked well as a body wash, the scent was just too much bubblegum for me. the glitter also sank to the bottom of the bottle. // won’t repurchase!

• lush santa’s christmas shower cream // ★★★☆☆ // didn’t care for the cola scent but i enjoyed the fact that it was almost like an in-shower body lotion, nice and hydrating on the skin // won’t repurchase!

• tom’s of maine toothpaste, cinnamint with propolis/myrrh // ★★☆☆☆ // good flavor but wouldn’t make my mouth feel fresh and i felt that my breath would taste bad relatively quickly after brushing my teeth // won’t repurchase!

• schmidt's wondermint tooth+mouth paste, activated charcoal // ★★★☆☆ // enjoyed the flavor, worked well. didn’t care for the packaging, i felt like it held on to a lot of the product. // might repurchase!

• dr. bronner’s pure-castile liquid soap, hemp citrus // ★★★☆☆ // didn’t care for as a body soap but worked great as a multipurpose household cleaner. peppermint scent helps to get rid of/keep bugs at bay in the home! especially spiders and ants. just soak a cotton ball or a rag in it and wipe across surfaces you know they go to. it’s great! // have & might repurchase again!

• lush toothy tabs, dirty // ★★★★☆ // so convenient for travel! love that lush changed the paper packaging to a plastic bottle, now my toothy tabs will survive if the container happens to get wet! didn’t care for this flavor but i do love the concept // have & will continue to repurchase!

• tom's of maine antiplaque and whitening peppermint natural toothpaste // ★★☆☆☆ // same issue as the cinnamon flavor, i didn’t feel that it really cleaned my mouth well. it also had a weird bitter flavor that i didn’t care for // won’t repurchase!

• eco-dent veganfloss premium dental floss cinnamon // ★★★☆☆ // served its purpose. didn’t care for the packaging. tore up quickly from frequent use and deteriorated if it happened to get wet // won’t repurchase!

• burt’s bees sensitive facial cleanser // ★★★☆☆ // didn’t care for the thickness of it. will probably work for ultra-dry skin but didn’t feel that it was cleaning my skin because it would leave a layer of hydration that felt like film to me // won’t repurchase!

• nivea smooth sensation body lotion // ★★★★☆ // very hydrating but lightweight. however, not cruelty free. // won’t repurchase!

• the packaging to a pacifica stellar gaze mascara that I am currently trying out

• bare escentuals mineral eyeshadows // ★★★★☆ // loved the bright colors and the flexibility of the product. didn’t care for the fact that all of the colors were joined together, would have liked the colors to come detached // might repurchase!

• boscia black charcoal blotting linens // ★★★★☆ // i love oil blotting sheets. this pack lasted me a long time but would have lasted me longer if the packaging wasn’t made of paper. it came apart easily from being moved in and out of bags all the time // won’t repurchase!

2nd row

• my homemade body butter that i will eventually release a video and blog post for.

• hum nutrition hair sweet hair supplement // ★★★☆☆ // didn’t use it for long enough to see any benefits but i did enjoy the benefits, ingredients and company // will repurchase!

• sugarbear hair vitamins // ★★★☆☆ // good flavor, tasted like candy. used for a decent amount of time but didn’t see any special results // won’t repurchase!

• four sigmatic mushroom sampler mix // ★★★★☆ // loved all of the flavors except the golden milk mix, only because i’m used to turmeric being savory so it will be something i want to get used to definitely excited to try more from this brand! // will repurchase!

• simply gum // ★★★☆☆ // when i tell you it was an interesting experience with this gum, i can start by saying that the gum is made with natural rubber. because of this, they look like little dog treats. the flavor and texture was good though. i did notice that the gum would get really tough if chewed for a longer period of time but that really wasn’t a problem for me since i’m the kind of person that prefers a mint so i chew my gum only for a few seconds before spitting it out. i definitely want to try their mints // have but won’t repurchase again.

• handful of products that were filmed in my video, watch that for those ratings

• little barn apothecary aloe + rosewater balance mist // ★★★★★ // i was in love with this toner, and the little spray bottle distributed the mist so perfectly. really enjoyed the scent, was calming on the skin and played well with my skincare routine. helped in balancing my complexion // will repurchase!

• osea malibu atmosphere protection cream // ★★★★★ // i’ve never enjoyed a face moisturizer more than i loved this one. it played along so nicely with all skincare that i used frequently and tried out. it sat nicely under makeup. it held well during the summer and hydrated my skin great during the winter. makes me want to get everything osea has to offer // will repurchase!

3rd row

• a random walmart grocery bag that i thought everything would fit in but didn’t

• eo products organic hand sanitizer spray, lavender // ★★★☆☆ // served its purpose but i forgot about it for a few months and completely dried out by the time i found it before i was able to even go half way through the bottle // might repurchase

• burt’s bees facial cleansing towlettes // ★★★★★ // i’ve used every one of the wipes that burt’s bees has to offer and i’m obsessed. i loved the eye makeup remover wipes. i found that they all worked as they promised, some working more for oily or dry skin. i loved the grapefruit and tea scents. so beautiful // have & will continue to repurchase!

• alba botanica hawaiian 3-in-1 clean towelletes // ★★★☆☆ // worked well to take off makeup but i felt that they were sometimes too rough on my skin and the cleanser would irritate or sting my skin // won’t repurchase!

• summer’s eve on-the-go cleansing cloths, coconut water // ★★★☆☆ // worked nicely but the packaging would easily tear and leak out contents // might repurchase!

• makeup products that I included in my video

i am working on curating a favorites video of things that i’ve found and have repurchased 10 million times or have recommended to people. i love beauty products and got into the game late but don’t worry world, i will discover more of this amazingness.

until next time ✌

to be honest, if you’ve made it to the bottom of this blog post, you’re the cooliest. you can quote me on that. i appreciate you so much. 

♡ ivy ♡