CHS

last year

Help improving skincare routine please

Hi All,

My current morning routine is using the Cerave blemish control cleanser and the Cerave facial moisturising lotion SPF 25. I don’t have an evening routine.

I’m finding that it works alright but could be improved. I would like to stick with the blemish control cleanser as I think this is ok. But after applying the moisturiser my skin is a bit shiny but then also I do still get a little dryness and uneven bumpy/rough skin.

I am finding though that I am still getting some spots in the T zone, probably cased by stress more than anything else.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to improve on this?

CeraVe - AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 25

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CeraVe - Blemish Control Cleanser

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Jackie Tee

last year

Use the cleanser in the PM and add a nice moisturiser for the PM as well, maybe one with niacinamide to help with uneven skintone & blemishes - CeraVe has one, if you want to stick to one brand: the PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion. Don't wash your face with cleanser in the AM, just use water. If you're happy with this, you don't have to add anything else - maybe a higher SPF though. For winter I'm using the CeraVe one, but with spf 30 - in summer you can switch to the spf 50 version.

CHS

last year

Thanks for your advice, appreciate it!

Tessie

last year

I second all suggestions in the previous comment, but if you find that you still get dryness after moisturizing twice a day, you could look into adding a hydrating serum before your moisturizer (you can use it once or twice a day, doesn't matter if it's morning or night). A good, basic one that is readily available in most places is the 2% Hyaluronic Acid by The Ordinary. Also, the fact that your skin is a bit shiny after moisturizing is completely normal and expected, not necessarily a sign that you don't need moisturizer, are applying too much or that the moisturizer is too heavy. I have quite dry skin, and my skin too is shiny after I'm done with my skincare routine. If the shine bothers you, just use powder to combat it. If you're not sure whether your skin is showing signs of dryness or of dehydration, I'd recommend reading up on it online (google dry vs dehydrated skin) and that should help you forward.

In terms of uneven skin tone, it'd help to know what type you're referring to. Most commonly people and brands use "uneven skin tone" to mean hyperpigmentation (acne marks, dark spots and darker areas of skin), but I've also seen a lot of people who describe their localized redness as "uneven skin tone". Ingredients like vitamin C, niacinamide and arbutin are effective for hyperpigmentation, but don't help much with redness. If you deal with constant redness on specific spots, it's most likely rosacea/couperose skin (it's called different things in different parts of the world). In that case, soothing and calming ingredients as well as avoiding things that seem to irritate the skin or exacerbate the redness can help, but there isn't much you can do to completely eliminate the redness.

CHS

last year

Thank you so much for your suggestions.

Sorry I realise ‘uneven skin tone’ is quite unclear and maybe I meant something different.

It’s hard to describe, so have added a pic to the original post too if that helps. It’s more on my forehead and chin I have areas of skin that are slightly rough/uneven and bumpy, the redness is just more around spots or areas that are healing.

It’s like there are several layers of skin. I think it could be dry skin in combination with some dead skin cells that could be built up. I’m not too sure.

You guys have made some great suggestions to cleanse at night, to add some additional moisturiser at night time as well, see how that goes and maybe add the ordinary serum and a higher SPF.

Do you think it would be worth adding an exfoliant maybe a couple of evenings a week for the bumpy skin? I heard the Paula’s choice BHA exfoliant is quite gentle but don’t that much about it, not sure if that would make things worse.

Thanks very much for taking the time to respond and for your advice!

Jackie Tee

last year

There is already salicylic acid in your cleanser, so I'm not sure, it might be too much if you added the Paula's choice product. You don't want to stress your skin barrier too much!

Maybe a retinoid might be worth a try? I'm trying to add one to my routine very slowly, because my skin is sensitive. I'm currently using Geek & Gorgeous A-game 5 - but it's too soon for me to give a proper review.

CHS

last year

That is true, the exfoliator could be a bit too much.

Yes, a retinoid could be worth a try. I might start to build in the the extra moisture into the routine first and then give small amounts of retinol a go.

I have heard it can take a while to get used to, I hope it works out for you 🤞

Tessie

last year

I think the bumpiness you have would usually be described as "uneven texture". :) And generally exfoliation is thought to help with that.

I think the bumps you have might be closed comedones (but I'm not a derm or esthetician so I cannot say for sure!). You could certainly try the Paula's Choice BHA and see if it helps (you're actually already using BHA in your routine, since the Cerave cleanser contains salicylic acid, but a leave-on product like the Paula's Choice is usually going to be more effective).

I think the Paula's Choice exfoliant is unlikely to make things worse for you, though sometimes when starting to use an exfoliant people might get more breakouts in the first couple of weeks of using it (this is often called "skin purging" online if you want to google more info on it). "Purging" usually stops within about a month of starting the product, so if the breakouts still continue after that, then the product probably isn't for you.

One thing to keep in mind when making changes in your routine though is to not change everything at once! If you change a bunch of things or add several new products at one time, it's going to be hard for you to tell which products are actually working. Likewise, if you get a bad reaction, you won't be able to tell what product caused it. So when making changes, it's best to wait a week or two after adding or switching a product and see how your skin is reacting to the change before you change something else.

CHS

last year

Thank you, well I have a few different options to try now.

Yes, I’ll just make one change at a time, starting with some extra moisture, give it a while to settle and see how things go.

I googled the dry vs dehydrated and it was very helpful, Thank you

No37494059

last year

Have you tried double cleansing? It’s where you use a oil/balm based cleanser in the evening before your regular cleanser. Oil attracts oil so it’s great for removing excess oil, spf, makeup etc from the skin!

I’d recommending adding the Cerave cleansing balm (Absolute fav personally), and the Cerave toner before moisturizing in the morning/night! Both have been life savers for my skin.

Hope this helps! :)