Please suggest a simple routine - 30.y.o. female

[novice]

Hi:

I just turned 30 and would like to start taking better care of my skin. I have been irregularly using various skin products, and would like to systemize my routine.

I have dry, dry/normal pale skin with a bit of rosecia (sp?) and enlarged pores.

I would like to keep my routine simple and cost-effective. All in all, I am a fan of simplicity:)

I would greatly appreciate any suggestions!

Thank you!

[novice]

I went by a local health food store today, and they had several lines of Burt's Bees, Aubrey Organics, 100% Pure, some other "organic" products - are any of these products good or I shouldn't waste my time and $ on them?

[orangehrzn]

You need cleanser, sunscreen, night moisturizer. Here are notes that may be of help to you:

1. Cleanser: the only cleanser that doesn't irritate yet removes waterproof silicones and sunscreen i've found is M.A.C. cleanse off oil. A twice cheaper substitute is Rejuvenating cleansing oil by Lumene (don't buy into the rejuvenating stuff). These are basically oils that mix with the product you have to remove by massaging them and emulsifiers that let the mixture mix with water when you splash your face, turning everything into white emulsion that rinses off. There are other cleansing oil cleansers on the market with similar price and properties. Most of the 'natural' cleansers are either not natural at all cause they contain the same detergents or if they dont, they can't remove a waterproof product.

2. Sunscreen: those are two cathegories, physical with ZnO and TiO and chemical. There are also hybrid. Any sunscreen has advantages and disadvantages. The physical ones are usually less irritable and provide more uniform protection across the UV spectrum BUT they tend to be chalky, whitish, greasy and with not very high UVA factor, but high enough. The chemical ones usually have better texture but may sting at application, definitely always sting the eyes and their long term safety in terms of unwanted effects on the skin are not really studied yet. The physical one I recommend trying is Solar Rx by Keys - it is supposedly all natural but may irritate some skins, you just have to try it. The all chemical I would recommend is Banana Boat Dry Blok in the plastic tube, not the metal spray, it is one of the few sunscreens that turns really matte. For the Solar Rx, I use mattifiying silicone gel (Monistat powder gel) on top, otherwise my skin is oily and the oil gets through the sunscreen sooner or later. Your skin may not need mattifier but you mentioned pores, the silicone gel covers pores really well and makes your skin look airbrushed but natural.

3. Night moisturizer: the 'all natural' tend to be better moisturizers (keeping the water from evaporation) unless they throw something irritable in the mix like fragrance, irritable pore clogging oil etc. The best moisturizers are actually Crisco (canola oil), Avocado oil, Evening primerose oil - all non irritable and non comedogenic. Good 'unnatural' moisturer is pure vaseline (mineral oil). You can look for those in your chosen moisturizer or apply the oils directly - it's kind of cheaper to buy oil from a bulk supplier and use it as night moisturer, a lot of it will end up on your pillow though if it's not in a cream to keep it on your skin.


Keep in mind that neither 'natural' nor conventional cosmetics are miracle workers in erasing wrinkles etc. Treat them as moisturizers, don't buy into extraordinary claims. Last but not least - nothing works for enlarged pores even the CO2 lasers do not produce consistent results (although I've read articles that topical estrogens do the trick but can't report on that yet). So I just cover mine with monistat powder gel, works beautifully every time.

[novice]

Thank you so much for your response, orangehrzn -- your suggestions made most sense as I browsed through this forum...

I do have a couple of follow up questions, which I hope you'd be kind to answer.

Should I use the cleanser daily (or even twice a day - a.m. and p.m. as they say) - even on days I don't wear any make up?

I wanted to check out Banana Boat Dry Blok, but I couldn't find it online - who carries it?

I also want to try Solar Rx by Keys, but do I really have to apply it every 2 hours as the instructions say? I'd like to try this physical sunblock (I tried Neutrogena SPF30 a couple of times, and it irritated my eyes badly!), but it would be a pain to have to reapply it so often.

I used to use unrefined sunflower seed oil as a moisturizer, but you are right - it was extremely messy and most of it ended up on my pillow. What creme alternatives would you recommend?

You didn't mention a toner or an eye cream - are those optional then? Since I am short-sighted, I squint my eyes a lot:)

Finally, would you also have any suggestions for a line of make up? I prefer a natural look/minimal make up. I've been using Aveda, but I am not 100% satisfied with their stuff.

Many many thanks![/quote]

[orangehrzn]

I use cleanser only at night to remove sunscreen. If you used only products that are not waterproof that day, you don't need cleanser, just use tepid water, preferably filtered. Less cleanser, less irritation. In the morning I just use water, even if I had greasy night moisturizer/oil on, and swipe with paper towel. I don't believe anyone needs cleanser in the morning.

Banana Boat Dry-blok is carried by Walgreens. Search walgreens.com for 'dry-blok' and it's gonna pop out. Again, I am talking about the lotion in plastic tube NOT the spray. Supposedly they are the same but I found the spray non-matte at all.

You reapply sunblock every two hours only when it was washed or swiped off from water at the beach, perspiration or friction with towel etc. Reapplying physical sunblock every two hours is just ridiculous. You will have to use cleanser to remove the old one and using cleanser 5 times/day is not a good idea. If you don't use cleanser your face will soon start looking like a white mask. In everyday wear that reapplication is not necessary. Moreover, all physical sunscreens do not decrease efficacy with time like the chemical ones so no I don't think you need to reapply unless the conditions are extreme like perspiration etc.

All chemical sunblocks sting the eyes so you need non-whitening physical around the eyes for sure, Solar Rx is a good candidate. Even if you don't like it for full face due to bumps or irritation, you can apply it only around the eyes, and the Banana boat on other parts of face. I use BB for throat, neck, ears and hands, Solar Rx for face.

For night moisturizer, just look for 'natural' ones that contain the oils that you like and don't contain irritable or comedogenic oils or fragrances. A cream has stuff in it that keeps it to your skin and you can still find it in the morning on your face, part of it will end up on the pillow too.

You don't need toner, they don't do anything. For eye cream just use a regular face cream you like. Cosmetics industry has the bad habit of selling eye creams identical to facial creams but way less in quantity and higher in price. If you can tolerate retinoids like high amount vit A or Retin-A those are the best against fine lines. They are too irritable for me so not an option for me.

I'm male so I don't wear makeup but a micronized Zinc sunscreen with Monistat powder gel on top for mattifier act like undetectable makeup - skin looks even in color, a little brighter/whiter (people interpret that as younger), red patches and small pimples are covered up, pores are minimized visually/covered up, skin surface looks smooth. I've tried once foundation but it looks horrific on me, the sunscreen+Monistat combo beats the hell out of it and nobody can tell you have something on.

[novice]

Thank you for the follow up, orangehrzn! I am so glad I've finally found someone who can give informed, knowledgeable advice without trying to push a bunch of expensive (and often useless) product on you.

Could you tell me a little bit more about Vit A or Retin A - I've heard a lot about them, but have no idea where to get or how to use them.

Also, would I benefit from wearing a night moisturizing creme during the day on days when I don't go outside and don't need protection against sun? My skin tends to be especially dry in the morning, but I don't think it's a good idea to use sun screens unless I'll be outside.

Now, if I could only find someone as good as you for make up and hair products, I would be all set :lol:

[orangehrzn]

double post

[orangehrzn]

Dr. T has good articles about all topicals including retinoids and retin A. Click 'home' then go to 'topical actives'. You can get retin A online without prescription - google it, I don't give sites since FDA intercepts it.

You can use moisturizer below to sunscreen, it may even help it settle better, but it should be not so shiny moisturizer, the night creams are usually heavier and shinier. I don't use cause my skin is oily and need to make it less shiny, a moisturizer will add to the problem.

[novice]

Thank you so much!

[smurfette]

Hi, Novice.

It’s so hard finding skin care that works. I have similar skin, in that it is normal/dry, flaky, with rosacea, sensitive, enlarged pores on nose, cheeks, center forehead areas. I have tried all sorts of brands over the years. I agree about sunscreen - I haven't found one yet that didn't irritate my eyes, make my skin itch, become red, break me out, etc., so I don't use it as a separate product. I rely on the titanium dioxide in my mineral foundation to help with some protection and the low SPF from my day/night moisturizer.

You don't need to spend a lot to have nice skin. It's just finding the products that work for you, that’s the challenge. At first, it can cost a bit, if you can't return them. If you are thinking of trying a particular brand, you may want to do a search online for reviews of the products. Reviews can help you to determine if you want to try a particular product. Vitacost.com sells Burt Bee's, Avalon Organics, and many "natural" and "organic" lines and there are lots of reviews there to help you make decisions. I know that site helps me to make decisions all the time.

As for a skin care regime, it can be as simple as a cleanser and moisturizer, to something maybe more extensive, like a cleanser, toner, scrub, and moisturizer. It depends on what you need and want to spend, obviously.

I recommend cleansing the face twice a day, if you can. The face is always secreting oils, sweat, collecting dirt and the environment during the day; then you have the products you use on it day and night. All that stuff should be removed to have good skin. I know if I don’t cleanse twice a day, my skin feels like sandpaper and I can develop blackheads and it’s super flaky.

A brand of skin care I found that does not aggravate my rosacea, cause blackheads or whiteheads, hydrates and moisturizes it well, is from a company called Crealle.com. I stumbled upon them some months ago in my search for better skin care. They also have a store on eBay (called Beauty Forever 11). That is where I found them. Good formulations and at a decent price, won’t break the bank. Their jars of moisturizers last you weeks, you don't need to use much. Their products have some of the better, basic formulations I have seen for "natural" and "organic" - they are sulfate free, paraben (preservative) free, no artificial colors, fragrances, etc. They are quite decent, considering. Just read the ingredients to see if they would be okay for you.

I use one of their moisturizers “Super Moisturizer”, with an SPF 10, that I use both day and night. Even though it has an SPF, it does not agravate my eyes or skin. I, too, have to watch the money. I see no problem using a night-time moisturizer day and night, or a day-time moisturizer day and night. If it works, it works, and it doesn’t matter what time of the day or night you use it. I also use a toner. You don't need to, but I like the cooling effect I get from it, and it moisturizes my skin a bit more.

Since you mentioned saving money, there is another company you can buy wholesale from. They are called EssentialWholesale.com. I buy my cleanser and toner from them in bulk. They sell all kinds of BASIC formulations in skin care: serums, toners, lotions, creams, cleansers, etc. Their products are “natural”, many “organic”, and no parabens and other un-needed junk in them, as far as I can see, compared to most of the stuff out there on the market. They list all the ingredients for all their products, so you can check them out as well and see what you think. Shipping is pricey, though. They sell 1 oz. samples ($3-5$ each), so you can buy what you are interested in before buying their larger sizes.

Anyway, good luck in your search!