So I'm a newbie really in the skincare industry, I started last year but it did not goes well, I stopped that routine less than a week of using it. I just returned in purchasing just the cleanser for now. I have concerns with regards of my skin for my nose area is rich in sebum makes it prone to white heads and block heads. This was just my skin concern at first because I have no routines before I was just using a bar soap for my face and that's it. Not that my nose area is usually clogged I tend to pick on it, because it hurts and feels rough so I remove my white heads myself. This what made me curious about skincare at first I was so against it but my cousin moved in to where I stay for school and she encourage me to use skincare products, I was taken a back at first cause like what skincare. My mom and sis was so into it but the effects on their face is not that good thus made skincare a bad impression to me. Yet my cousin actually convinced me, I bought products that was recommended in yt, but at first I tried the cleanser that my cousin have that she didn't use but it ends up stinging my face. Next was a set of skincare products, first application was fine but my nose that was just prone to white heads now was prone to acne or pimples, it was but not so often as I tried the set of skin care I first used. I immediately stopped the routine but I felt like my skin was way more prone that it was before and I started to have pimples on areas I don't usually have and it actually leave a scar or something you can compare like a blemish on my skin. Later on I felt like I was prone to pimple break outs but not that much only few probably one but left a scar type of break out. I decided to buy a pimple patch. It's effective to absorb oil and sebum that got stocked up yet the scar is still there, a little bet better type of scar without a patch though, but the fact the scar is still there, concerns me. Currently I decided to use a product but I only have the cleanser with me, I do agree it's nice but days of using it is not enough to say it's effectiveness.
Hello @Luna🌕 ! Welcome to the community! I am sorry you had such a confusing and not very good first experience with skincare! It can get complicated - well, because skin is a biological organ and a lot of different processes are going on there. If we want to change how our skin looks in any way (without makeup), we need to impact some of these processes... Long story short, skincare that works is always:
A full routine. One product, even if it's a good one, can't solve all the issues. So you always need a combo. Normally, you need 3 basic products: a broad spectrum sunscreen (it protects you from early aging and uneven skin tone) + a cleanser (to remove the sunscreen and daily pollutio at night) + a mosturizer (to support your skin barrier, especially because cleansing has a negative impact on the skin barrier, but we still need to cleanse for hygienic and pollution reasons). If you don't have other goals for your skin, you can be set just with these 3 basic products. If you'd like to address additional concerns - for example, reduce clogged pores or oiliness, you can consider adding active ingredients to your routine in addition to the 3 basic products. For reducing clogged pores and sebum production, you might want to look into retinoids, niacinamide, azelaic acid and salicylic acid (more on this here: https://whatsinmyjar.com/resources/acne-clogged-pores).
A gentle routine: cleansing and most active ingredients can irritate your skin. So the art of skincare is balancing the actives you are using with how much your skin can take in terms of irritation. Less is more: it's always better to use only 1 or 2 actives, keep the rest of your routine very gentle (for example, fragrance-free) than using 4-6 actives at the same time and get an irritant reaction. Some people have quite a sensitive skin, and even a single active can be too much (for example, many people can't tolerate retinoids). The good news is that there are often a less irritating alternative actives (for example, people who can't tolerate retinoids can often tolerate bakuchiol).
A consistent routine. Skin has its own "clock" and it can't change overnight. You need to stick to a consistent routine for 4-6 weeks to start seeing the first results. More significant results take even longer - 6 months or more. An important exception: consistency is key, but you shouldn't suffer through irritation. If you get an irritation from something in your routine, check for potential irritants, eliminate as much of them as possible. If you are getting an irritation from an active that is targeting your skin concern, if your irritation is not sever, the solution can be using this active less often.
Apologies for a long answer - unfortunately, there is no easy "one size fits all" solution with skincare... Hope this can help you get started 💙