Skincare lessons I learned, from repurposing crappy products to streamlining routines and accepting myself (and my skin).
When 2019 started I was still clinging to the belief that more is more when it comes to skincare, because I wanted it all. I’m perennially insecure about my skin, which made me belief that my skin needs everything skincare nowadays has to offer: Vitamin C for brightening, BHA and retinol for anti-aging, AHA for clearer skin, Hyaluronic acid because why not, and Niacinamides because they’re there as well.
Skincare lessons I learned
I only slowly started to realise that this approach didn’t work: for me, with AHAs and BHAs the disadvantages vastly overshadow the benefits and Vitamin C did only do so much (not much, in fact). So I started to cut products out and tried to LISTEN to my skin – which was hard (I’m not really a ‘trust your fellings/gut/heart’ person). Which brings me to the first thing I learned:
Don’t stick to an old routine
Why carry on when it doesn’t work? Indeed, why?! Because your head tells you it should work, it works for others, it’s scientifically proven? All very nice, but: why, if it doesn’t work for YOU, your skin is not getting better, but in fact it’s getting worse? Maybe then it’s time to say: Hm, maybe… I should change stuff?
Don’t beat yourself up
I’m usually veryvery good in blaming myself for things that I can’t exactly change. From the state of the world to my parents’ near divorce in 1990: mayyyyyyybe I should’ve done something? What I’m saying is: when it comes to the state of your skin, it’s much more than skincare: Stress, food, hormones, weather and sleep are all important factors.
It’s ok to be human
While we may try to get enough sleep, eat well and care for our skin in hot summers and cold winters – we’re only human and although meaning well, might slip up. And that’s ok, and not the end of the world. If you’ve got an analytical mind, though, a skin analysing tool might be the thing for you: it takes out SOME guesswork out of your skincare dabbling (review).
A very streamlined routine might be great
I tested Augustinus Bader’s INSANELY expensive moisturiser not long ago (review), and while I came to the conclusion that it’s totally not worth the money (it doesn’t deliver all the promises it makes), I STILL find myself yearning for it. Because it was so nice using it: I absolutely loved the streamlined skincare routine I had while using it. Cleanser, toner, moisturiser, sunscreen: done.
Relax!
Because they advice not to use other active ingredients with it (I guess the super sekrit peptide complex doesn’t play well with others), I totally gave into the relaxing feeling of listening to the experts: they told me what exactly I should do, and I did that. And, even if The Cream didn’t deliver all its promises, I loved that it gave me the feeling that I wasn’t supposed to overanalyse and worry about my skincare routine, because a 230$ moisturiser that was some professor’s brainchild was all I needed.
There’re ways to make a product work
There were skincare products I absolutely hated: I bought into the hype and got Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Mask (review), and then found First Aid Beauty’s Facial Radiance Pads hidden in my stash. I think both products are utterly crap, and what incenses me even further is that both are incredibly hyped up in the skincare community.
Repurpose!
Nevertheless, I wanted to get SOME use out of them: first, for sustainability reasons – when I buy something, I hate to think I bought that needlessly: I have to use it, nowadays. Second, well, I bought it. I want to get some use out of the dollars I spend, you know?!
SO: I used Glow Recipe’s stinky and basic AF hydrating mask as a quick hydration boost some mornings and then washed it off, and FAB’s peeling pads all over the body.
And vowed never to buy single-use pads again in 2020. (In my defence, I bought them in 2016 before I had any kind of awareness about single-use cotton.)
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