@bufferingbetty
Clean up + Glow up
A friend asked for skin care advice focusing on the basics with extra attention paid to protection from sun exposure + and clearing blackheads.
The actual message I sent him on facebook with an apology because I don't think he knew what he was getting himself into when he asked for 'basic' skin care advice.
You: male, normal skin, late 20s, morning shower person, more likely to shop at the drugstore or stores like Target + Walmart
Job: outside most of the day
Concerns: clearing blackheads, sun protection
Skin care Knowledge:slim to none
Will not spend more than 2 minutes on skin care
Since his skin gets a lot of sun exposure, skin care is important for making sure he is comfortable with how his skin looks and feels.
Key Skin Care Steps:
Exfoliate
Cleanse
Hydrate
Protect
Lip balm
Brands to check out:
These brands are gentle and great for sensitive skin. Usually no harsh perfumes
-Aveeno (the positively radiant line is my favorite)
-Simple
Exfoliate:
It gets off all the dead skin and helps clear out blocked pores that have whiteheads and blackheads. Try to do it for 5-10 seconds on each part of your face: each cheek, forehead, nose + chin. Exfoliators with a sand like grit work best. Larger particles just sort of scratch your skin and will cause irritation after sun exposure. This should be done twice a week but never more than 3x a in a week. Over exfoliating your skin will cause breakouts.
Aveeno® Positively Radiant® Skin Brightening Daily Scrub
**don’t use it daily. Ignore the rules. 2x a wk! Or every 3-4 days.
Cleanse:
If there is one thing you do know, it's how to wash your face. If you feel like you have oily skin, use a gel cleanser. Dry skin, use a cream cleanser. If you're skin feels sort of tight + itchy after you’ve washed it, you have dry skin. Because you spend a lot of time in the sun, look for something gentle. Usually cleansing once a day is fine unless you are super sweaty or fell in the dirt.
Hydrate:
Even if you have a hydrating cleanser, still apply even a light moisturizer. It is your new BFF. We are not teenagers anymore. When you're rounding 30, it's time to start the 'preservation process.' If you've met people who are about your age but you could've sworn they had at least a decade on you, it's because they did not hydrate. Sure, there are hereditary factors to how we age, but we all have hereditary factors. Some of us just manage them a little better.
Aveeno® Smart Essentials™ Daily Nourishing Moisturizer Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30
* Tip with sunblock: SPF, while incredibly necessary, it can be drying for your skin over time. If you are using a sunblock and notice your skin is looking flaky, mix your sunblock with your moisturizer, about half and half, so you get the best of both worlds.
Protect:
Do. Not. Neglect. This. Step. You will age like milk in the sun. Even if you don’t see a burn, you are burning your skin. Don’t forget your ears, neck, and hands. .
Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Sensitive Lotion - SPF 50
I use baby stuff all the time, doesn't matter that you're grown
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid Daily Sunscreen Broad Spectrum 70
Mix with moisturizer
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum
(Mix with moisturizer)
Lip Balm:
Again, we ain't 22 no more. Your lips will age just as fast as the skin under our eyes. Use anything without petroleum. While it feels good and does work, it also stops your skin’s natural moisture production. Only use it to heal the skin, not for daily use.
Avoid:
2-in-1 products: I say this because tons of products marketed toward males have this ‘nifty’ little feature that is good for no one. If you wanted to get a cleanse + exfoliate type of product to just use daily, you would just be doing more harm than good for your skin. Since you get sun everyday + facial hair grooming (however often you do it), treat your skin as if it were sensitive even if you don't see any redness or inflammation. Separate products are better so you can balance how often you are doing each step.
Pore strips + peeling masks: products like the Biore strips or peeling masks that remove blackheads are good in a situation if you are going to an event and want to style on the crowd with a fresh face. But overuse (daily or even weekly) will just make the pores on your face larger over time. Which will just make blackheads and whiteheads more visible.
Foaming anything: products that foam have a lot of alcohol so it just dries out the skin overtime. I don't even understand why they're made.
It's OK to
Ignore some directions: I’m thinking about exfoliators again because people tend to over do it. Even if a product says it is ok for daily use, it is not. It’s too much! Very harsh on your skin especially after the sun.
You feeling fancy + want to add a night time routine?
Cleanse - if you cleanse at night, you don't have to cleanse in the morning unless you’re like feeling kinda sweaty.
Hydrate - same as day time
Eye cream- Again, we ain't 22 no more. You can also mix this with your SPF and wear it during the day.
Extra Extra fancy + want to take a product with you during the day in case you feel sweaty + gross?
Cleansing wipes:
Any micellar water cleansing wipes are great because you don't have to wash it off. Feels great to remove any sweat and dirt. Most of them are makeup removing wipes. But many people just use them after a work out.
Hydrate
Put some of your moisturizer in a little travel tube or jar.
Final Touches
Hydrate + Soothe
Exactly what your skin needs after sun exposure. You can use hydrating sheet masks multiple times a week. It gives your skin instant results. They aren't lasting results but they do help and don't cause damage over prolonged use.
Tony Moly I'm Real Aloe Sheet Mask
Put this in the refridgorator for 15 minutes before use for the ultimate experice.
Over night treatment
You got pimples that killing your vibe? These can help and are available at Ulta. If you overuse either of them, your skin will get dry and flaky.
Mario Badescu Plastic Bottle Drying Lotion
Dont shake it. Take a q-tip and dip it in the sediment and put in on the pimple over night. Dries out the gross stuff so it heals faster
End of Day Treatment:
Not every day. An end of day treatment can be something that preps the skin for the week ahead.
Origins Travel Size Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask
If you feel a pimple beneath the skin, this mask works to bring it out. It doesn't cause breakouts but it will bring the excess bacteria to the surface and form a pimple. It is good to use a few days before a special event to help make a pimple heal more quickly. It can be used over a specific pimple or all over the face. Use it about once a week on your nose and chin, or where ever you get blackheads and whiteheads, to clear your skin. Put a warm wet towel over your skin for a few minutes to open up the pores then apply the mask. Once it is dry, use a warm wet towel again to remove it.
Now GO + get shmexy
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