In June of this year, I decided I wanted to step up my skincare. I have always had relatively easy to manage skin, a zit here and there, some oiliness, but it was mostly smooth sailing. My only problem was that I am a pimple popper! It literally hurts my soul to see a pimple on my face and not pop it. It is clearly the worst habit and the fact that it scars and leads to hyperpigmentation isn’t great either. That being said, every pimple that has ever been on my face, I have most likely popped, it has scarred, and my forehead was looking a little questionable with all the hyperpigmentation.
I was initially quite overwhelmed by all the different serums, acids and retinols going into this whole journey but thank goodness I found The Inkey List! What made me settle on them outside of their affordability, was the convenience of being able to get a custom skincare recipe made for me, on the website (without me having to sign up for any e-mail newsletters!) I felt like for a newbie like me, who was going in with a specific skincare concern, a custom recipe streamlined everything and gave me a really great foundation to start from and further customise my skincare regimen as I went along.
So a bit more about my skincare concerns: I had hyperpigmentation in my forehead area that I wanted to deal with, as well as oiliness and blackheads that were a secondary concern. In addition to this, I have combination skin that is somewhat sensitive. The custom skincare ‘recipe’ that I got off of the website pretty much set up my entire skincare regimen from scratch… so a cleanser, hydrating serums, serums for the hyperpigmentation, treatments for oiliness, a moisturiser, an eye cream, the works!
Throughout the month of June and July, I used all the products diligently, twice a day and I drank my water, and slowly and surely my skin started to respond very well. Off the bat, I really enjoyed the Salicylic Acid Cleanser which in addition to cleansing is meant to reduce oiliness and reduce blackheads. I’d follow this up with the hyaluronic acid (a power serum apparently), which helps draw moisture into your skin and basically keep you hydrated. This is followed by an Alpha Arbutin Serum to target the hyper-pigmentation. In the evenings, I’d precede this with a Beta Hydroxy Acid which is an exfoliator that helps unclog pores, targets blackheads and reduces excess oil. I’d follow this step with Niacinamide for oil control, before going in with the eye cream and the moisturiser. I did get some oils too to seal everything in, and every other day, I’d go in with the powerful Tranexamic Acid Night treatment that targets hyperpigmentation and brightens the skin.
So two months in, I’ve definitely figured out what my skin loves and doesn’t love and what I can skip and get away with. My Core Four products that I always make sure to use, are the Salicylic Acid Cleanser, the Hyaluronic Acid, the Alpha Arbutin Serum and the Tranexamic Overnight Treatment. These four products are really what has faded my hyper-pigmentation and really brought about that healthy glow to my skin. I’ve definitely had less blackheads then normal, my skin isn’t as oily as usual which is a blessing in this NYC summer. I’ve pretty much ditched the Multi-Bionic moisturiser because I felt that the smell was disgusting and it wasn’t really doing too much for my skin. The eye cream also didn’t perform very well, my dark circles have remained the same. The Squalane and Rose Hip Oils I’ve put on the back burner for now, I believe I will get more use out of them in the Winter time.
I replaced my Inkey List moisturiser, with the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel moisturiser because its main ingredient was Hyaluronic acid, which my skin (and I) have clearly grown to love. And I have grown to love it as well. It literally feels like I am applying the softest, most soothing liquid on my face and it leaves my skin feeling so supple and hydrated, I can’t believe I didn’t jump onto this before!
This is the first time I’ve ever scrapped my entire skincare regimen and replaced it with something new, and I am glad that I did because my skin has never felt and looked better. I do still have to work on not popping my pimples, but I’ll get there!
