WHY EXFOLIATE?

Exfoliating gives you a natural glow by scrubbing away dead skin cells and clogged pores. HOW OFTEN? If you have sensitive skin like mine, only once a week. If not, you may do it 1 to 2 times a week. DON’T OVER-EXFOLIATE! Over exfoliation can cause more damage. Learn from my mistake! My skin doesn’t like too much acids and it result into allergic reaction. WHAT DO YOU USE TO EXFOLIATE?

Choosing An Active

Most skincare ingredients have many purposes- here are my “top choices” for each skin goal! Always wear sunscreen, but be extra careful about sun exposure when incorporating exfoliants and/or retinoids, as they increase photosensitivity. Don’t exfoliate more than 1-3 times per week, y’all. + 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁/𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹: • 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶-𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴: Retinoids > Ascorbic Acid > CoQ10, Niacinamide, Resveratrol, Tocopherol. • 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀/𝗪𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗹𝗲𝘀: “Anti-Aging”, AHAs, PHAs. • 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗶𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Azelaic Acid, Kojic Acid, Hydroquinone, Retinoids > Ascorbic Acid, Alpha Arbutin, Tranexamic Acid, Niacinamide. (Many people have great results with glycolic acid, but I personally didn’t have any noticeable PIH improvement with AHA use.) • 𝗨𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗼𝗻𝗲: “Hyperpigmentation”, AHAs, PHAs, Salicylic Acid, Resveratrol. • 𝗘𝗻𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀/𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀: Salicylic Acid > Retinoids, AHAs, PHAs, Niacinamide. (I personally had minimal pore improvement with retinoids, but many folks get good results.) • *𝗔𝗰𝗻𝗲: Salicylic Acid, Benzoyl Peroxide, Retinoids, Azelaic Acid, AHAs, Azelaic Acid, Sulfur > PHAs, Niacinamide. + 𝗘𝘅𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲: • 𝗢𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗻: Salicylic acid (BHA), glycolic acid (AHA). • 𝗗𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗻: Lactic acid (AHA), mandelic acid (AHA), lactobionic acid and gluconolactone (PHAs). • 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗻: Mandelic Acid (AHA), lactobionic acid and gluconolactone (PHAs). - All skin types can try any ingredients, especially BHA and PHAs, but glycolic acid is very potent so be careful. * Acne is very personal and probably the most finicky of all skin goals. It’s affected by stress, hormones, genetics, and so many other things. It is well-worth the money to see a dermatologist if you have persistent and/or moderate to severe acne. My acne wasn’t “controlled” until I started using tretinoin, a prescription retinoid, but I had good results in the past by using salicylic acid, niacinamide, and azelaic acid. > Is this guide helpful? > I’d love any feedback on what ingredients did or didn’t help your skin goal/type!

𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟭𝟬𝟭: 𝗠𝗼𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗿𝘀

Unsure which lotion to try? Here’s what I look for: • Basics: Humectants, emollients, and occlusive ingredients are what I look for on a moisturizer INCI list. From bouncy gel-creams to lotions, I try to tick off the three boxes- balms too! CeraVe Healing Ointment ticks these three categories, my dry skin hero. • Diversity: “Peptides are great, and ceramides, antioxidants, fatty acids, colloidal oatmeal, allantoin, bisabolol, anddd…” I avoid exfoliants or retinol in my daily creams, but I love when a lotion goes beyond the basics to incorporate antioxidants and/or soothing ingredients! Opt for “active” creams if you like a short routine. • Texture: If you have oily skin or layer many products, you may prefer a silky lotion or bouncy gel-cream, which soak in a bit quicker. If you have drier skin or want a rich night moisturizer, opt for thick creams and/or creamy balms. Regardless of skin type: Experiment! Some lotions may have a thin texture but pack a hydrating punch and some creams soak in so much lighter than you’d expect. • Packaging: I prefer pump jars/tubes for their hygienic value and protecting included antioxidants from air. I’m not a huge fan of tubes with bottom pumps, as gravity can hinder the mechanism if I leave it upside down. Squeeze-tubes are reliable and enjoyable- you can cut them open to get the last bit of product out! I don’t like sticking my fingers into products, or leaving them open to the air if they contain antioxidants, but a lot of budget moisturizers are in plain jars so they can be more economical. • Price: You’re probably gonna be using the lotion 1-2x per day, so make sure the price to value ratio fits your budget! I don’t mind splurging on rich creams like Lala Retro and RegimenLab CREAM, as my skin loves the formulas, but The Inkey List Peptide Moisturizer is a great pick and Naturium’s Niacinamide Gel-Cream is amazingly lightweight. Larger sizes may present a better value, like the Ordinary 100mL NMF + HA moisturizer. Look at where you’re willing to pay more: actives, packaging, dispenser type, texture, cruelty-free, small business, brand ethos, etc.

𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟰 𝗕𝗛𝗔 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀

If you deal with acne-prone skin, blackheads, or enlarged pores, salicylic acid (BHA) is probably gonna be your bestfriend! An oil-soluble exfoliant, it penetrates more deeply into the pore than water-soluble AHAs, plus it has hydrating, antimicrobial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. • Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant: A cult classic, an international bestseller, a bottle of liquid gold. Water-thin, it contains a couple of humectants, an antioxidant, and 3 preservative/stabilizing ingredients. A super simple INCI list! This makes it an esp good try for sensitive-skinned folks, as the list of possible skin triggers is small. Some people say the finish feels oily, but I find it hydrating and it soaks in quickly. • PSA Skin*Liquid Clarity: A creamy, silky serum that is perfect for any skin type, esp dry and/or sensitive skin. It has a lengthier INCI list, loaded with soothing and nourishing ingredients, with emphasis on pore-clearing BHA, skin-restoring bakuchiol, and acne-fighting zinc pca. Zinc PCA normally makes my skin bumpy, but I’ve had no issue with this serum, making it one of my favourites. This is the gentlest and most calming of all the products in this post, so if you haven’t tried SA before, this is a solid try! • Nutrium Skin BHA Liquid Exfoliant 2%: Encapsulated salicylic acid and a variety of humectants make this a hydrating exfoliant “toner”, great for those with any skin type, with one exception- those with sensitive skin may have issue with the citrus extracts contained. I’d recommend this to anyone looking to stay on a budget without compromising on cosmetic elegance. • The Inkey List Beta Hydroxy Acid: This is the most acne-focused serum of the bunch, featuring a super simple INCI list made up of humectants, stabilizers, salicylic acid, and zinc PCA. Salicylic acid helps to keep pores clear while zinc pca helps to reduce sebum production. This product is one I recommend to friends, as it’s affordable and has huge potential for those that struggle with acne and oily skin.

𝗦𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗻: 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗶𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗼

As someone with medium-olive tone skin, I get PIH super easily, most blemishes leaving a purpley dark spot that typically takes a couple months to fade. I'm impressed with the Complexion Clarifying Accelerator by the immediate softening and smoothing of my skin together with their Triphala Pigmentation Corrector. 𝗧𝗣𝗖 is a lightweight lotion-serum that sinks in quickly and touts a variety of goodies, two of note being diglucosyl gallic acid and acetyl glycyl beta alanine, plus a slew of antioxidant-rich plant extracts. It's gentle enough to use 2x daily (I do!), alongside retinols, exfoliants, even tret. 𝗖𝗖𝗔 utilizes a variety of acids and enzymes to smooth textured skin and correct the complexion, the latter being primarily thanks to the hyperpigmentation-hero exfoliant, dioic acid. It also contains glycolic, salicylic, and mandelic acid to boost its acne-fighting capability, which I've enjoyed thoroughly. It's amazing for a variety of skin types, but especially for folks that struggle with texture, dark spots, and/or acne. I only use it 2x per week due to my skin's sensitivity to exfoliants, but I appreciate the included honey and panthenol for added sensitivity prevention. Using them together, I've seen fantastic results in reducing the look of my dark spots, but more than that I've noticed that my blemishes don't make such noticable PIH marks. They're less vibrant and small ones fade within days to my usual skin tone, which is more even overall. A combo that fades old dark spots and prevents new ones? I'll be repurchasing for the foreseeable future, esp TPC 🙌