Skincare Routine - Sept 2019 - Shandean Reid

You guys know I’ve been struggling with my skin for a little over a year now, when I shared my skin struggles in this post. I promised you guys a review of the products I have been using that has helped. Since I have been using them for several months now, I want to say I have a good grasp on how they have been working for me. Since sharing my skin struggles, and even identifying the source, I have gotten so many questions about the products I have been using, but equally as important is my skin care routine.

Changing Pillow Cases.

Before all this, I changed my pillow cases once a week with the rest of the bedding. Since ish hit the fan, I move on to twice a week. As the stress continued I felt that wasn’t enough either and wanted to escalate that to once every two days or so. Now, as the typical Jamaican without a dryer at home knows, that is a lot of freaking laundry, and that many pillowcase changes is bound to create a sheet set eye-sore! So, I compromised and after some deliberation, after the first day with the pillowcase, I sleep on a face towel. Perhaps this is helpful or not, I don’t really know, but in my mind, it is.

Water Intake

Something else that visibly improves the aesthetics of my skin is water. The golden quantity is somewhere between one and a half to two liters, and while the bathroom trips every twenty to thirty minutes are not at all fun, whenever I lapse, I can definitely see where my face is drier and attempts to break out within two days.

Hair Syles/Care

I wear my hair down a lot less. I suppose it helped that I got a hair cut, but I cring at the result now of my hair resting against my face in any way. If I do do it, as soon as I hget home, the hair goes up and the face gets washed. This goes for my shoulders.

Deriva Aqueous (ADAPALENE) Gel 0.1%

The Deriva gel was prescribed on my initial consultation with a dermatologist. It was part of a strict regimen to treat all my prevailing ailings. Although the regimen ended, I find that if I apply it overnight (as directed) once every 2-3 three nights or so when I notice a flare coming on, it helps.

WARNING!

Please not that this was PRESCRIBED to me by a licensed physician. It is not (to the best of my knowledge) an over the counter product. Please DO NOT go buy it without consulting your doctor and say Shandean said to. Do,mi a beg unu! It CAN and WILL (as is my experience sometimes) BURN!!

ROUTINE

Step One – Cleansers

I cleanse my face two to three times daily with one of two cleansers. I started by removing my makeup (if I’m wearing any) with baby wipes and coconut oil. If you don’t have coconut, olive and baby oil work just as well. Each wash is two rounds, I find that cleanses better and my skins responds accordingly. I massage the product around my face and sing the first verse of the FRIENDS theme song in my head. In the shower, I extend the regiment to my neck and shoulders, since they break out as well, particularly when my hair is down. Daily, I use Ole Hendrikson Find Your Balance Oil Control Cleanser and twice a week, exfoliate with Ole Hendrikson Transforming Walnut Scrub. Both products are amazing at controlling oil, reducing blemished and improving skin tome and texture. On their own though, I find they don’t keep the flare ups away, the just help to reduce and contain the damage.

Step Two – Astringent And/Or Toner

After I cleanse, I gently pat dry with a clean face towel or paper towel. During the daytime, I pour a bit of Benjamin’s Witch Hazel on a cotton pad and apply to my face generously. At night, the witch hazel is substituted with Ole Hendrikson Glow OH Dark Spot Toner.

Step 3- Tea Tree Oil

Now here’s where I might horrify you. When I first heard about and researched using witch hazel and tea tree oil, all the suggestions said the same thing, ” a few drops of tea tree oil in the witch hazel or a carrier oil” I knew straight off the bat walking around with a carrier oil applied to my face was not going to happen, unless I was trying to inflame my skin on purpose. So it tried the ‘drops’ in watch hazel. Nothing happened. I mean absolutely nothing at all, but, when I separated the application and simply added the Nature’s Bounty Tea Tree Oil while my skin was still wet the witch hazel or toner, success! It not only help to clear up and prevent more inflammation episodes, it helped keep them at bay. Before I found the cleansers, they were my only saving grace. Only, they did absolutely nothing to diminish scars and discoloration.

In this picture, the starting point was when I was using tea tree oil and witch hazel alone. The third is after using them along with the cleansers.

Step Four – Moisturize & Sunscreen

As of right now, the only moisturizing product I have been able to use that doesn’t irritate my skin is First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream. I apply it by squeezin the amount I want into my hands, rubbing them together and gently patting it into my skin. The I finish up by doing the same with a light weight sunscreen.