Thoughts on skincare

I’m not an expert on skincare, but here are my no bullshit allowed-thoughts…

Stop reading ingredients

I spent endless hours reading and studying on ingredients. Then spent endless hours worrying about the dangers of parabens, artificial colours, synthetic fragrances, Polyethylene Glycol, Phthalates, Diethanolamine, Triethanolamine, mineral oil, Silicone derived emollients, alcohol, sulfates, Propylene Glycol and so on and so on.

Then after all my hard work studying and finding products that contained none of the evils, I found my skin freaking out on me anyways because the natural, organic cold pressed extra virgin oils and ingredients added to it were quite harsh and irritating anyways.

Save yourself the worry and hard work that might be for nothing and only read ingredients to scan for things you know you’re allergic to.

Count the ingredients instead

You don’t need a bunch of fancy ingredients to get a working product. After all, you can make perfectly functioning skincare products just using some know-how and a handful of ingredients from your kitchen.

Even if your extra ingredients are “natural”, “organic” or what have you, any extra ingredients increase your risk of reacting to the product.

Read the label right

Avoid everything to do with anti aging. Period. Avoid everything to do with oily or acne prone skin. Period. Anti aging products will “plump up” the skin to conceal wrinkles which is done with more or less nasty ingredients and isn’t a nice process at all. You can almost tell it’s a bad thing from the “plumping up” description. Products for oily or acne prone skin will usually just be extremely drying for a quick fix. 

The simpler your products “promise”, the better. The less fancy adjectives added to the product, the more you should consider it.

The right number of products

• You need a simple cleanser in the form that appeals to you: Cream, foam, gel or what have you.
• A toner to remove the last traces of the cleanser and restore your skins pH.
• A moisturiser for the face.
• An eye cream since the facial moisturiser is almost always too heavy for the sensitive eye area and will irritate it.
• One or two moisturisers for your body. If you have drier areas on your body, it’s a good idea to have one lighter and one heavier moisturiser.
• A hand cream to keep in your purse.

Go kitchen witch

So what about facial masks and exfoliations and stuff?

This is where you go kitchen witch. There are a bunch of simple and good recipes found out there on the web using common ingredients you find in your kitchen cupboard. I’m partial to a simple raw honey mask myself. Kitchen witch treatments are perfectly functional and if you can eat it without any ill effects, chances are it will work for your skin too.  

OCM can be wonderful too. Although it mostly works for whiteheads and blackheads, it can still be nice for skin without those problems. I like using half argan and half hemp oil with a few drops of tea tree essential oil.

Test your products.

A moisturiser should be absorbed within a few minutes. If it takes longer, it’s too greasy and if your skin feels dry during the day, it’s too light. The feeling of skin being too greasy or dry is irritating and encourages unconscious picking or touching.

I once read a pretty weird tip and although I’ve never tried it myself, I will pass it on: Test your products on the sensitive skin on your… Errh... Butt… area. Yea, it does sound weird but it makes sense. That area is very sensitive and if you have any weird reaction to a product, you will know faster than if you use it on your face.

General tips

• If you have a bad habit of picking (Like me) keep your nails short and manicured so it’s harder for you to get a “grip” and you have less dirt under your nails.
• Exfoliate once a week, or less if your skin is sensitive. Yes, you do get a beautiful glow from exfoliating, but it's part of your skins natural and healthy defence to be protected by the dead skin.
• Disinfect or clean the surfaces you touch a lot such as phones and keyboards.
• I subscribe to the idea that night creams are bad. They’re heavy and built on the theory that skin can super-absorb during the night. What actually happens during your sleep is that your whole body rebuilds and cleanses itself. This is where you actually want your skin to breathe and not have your pores clogged up. Wash your skin before bed and swipe toner over, or simply swipe toner over to remove moisturiser traces and dirt from the day and sleep with a "naked" face.

Makeup

Of course I don’t mean that you need to smear a thick layer of makeup on, but used the right way, it can help you feel a lot better. Don’t go for “colour” such as lipstick and eye shadow; go for products that perfect your skin: Foundation, concealer, highlighter and blusher. You want to look natural, like you’re not wearing any makeup, but have your imperfections covered.

Don’t forget to tone out towards your ears and down your neck to spread the “good” skin area.

The stuff you’ve all heard a million times

Prioritise your sleep, get fresh air and exercise, drink water, change your pillow case often, avoid excessive sunlight, have a hobby or something that makes you happy and relaxed, eat healthy etc etc. I don’t think I need to go in details here.

My personal recommendations

• I like the classic blue Nivea in the tin for the dry and damaged skin on my shins. My skin won’t tolerate it anywhere else, but it’s wonderful for the dry area.
• I like Decubals original clinic cream for the rest of my body. I tried the facial line but can’t tolerate it. I doubt you can find it outside Scandinavia, but if you’re located here, take a look at your local pharmacy.
• Some times I keep a kitchen witch spray in my fridge: Half green or white tea, half toner, a bit of lemon juice and a drop of honey. It has a refreshing yet calming effect on my skin.