Skincare 101: 5 Skincare Tips I've Learned In My Twenties

*it’s a work in progress… 

With all the stress, as well as the "maskne" (which is starting to get under control), my skincare routine has constantly been changing. Not only that, but no matter what I did, my skin wasn’t getting any better. 

It was a very frustrating few months, but I learned a lot about my skin; like what my skin likes/needs (and what it doesn’t like). And while my skincare routine is still a work in progress, I’m finally starting to see an improvement in my skin. Although my skincare routine isn’t quite solid yet, it’s getting there. Slowly, but surely. So I thought it’d be nice to share the products and techniques that are working well for my skin. This was my situation for the whole second half of last year lol. Note: these are the products that have worked for me in the colder winter months. This being said, I may have to update certain aspects of my skincare routine once it starts getting warmer (ie. moisturizer). 

Storytime: After a year of wanting to try a ton of different skincare products (thanks, TikTok), and having the time to do so (thanks, COVID), I decided I wanted to start the new year out with a simpler skincare routine. And I thought what better way to have a simple skincare routine than using simple products. *Cue the beloved African black soap. I’d heard great things about African black soap; I also used to use Shea Moisture’s black soap (which I”m not sure if it was the real deal, but it worked for me. I just don’t really do well with bars of soap; they’re too much to deal with. But other than that, I recommend Shea Moisture’s black soap!). So I decided to try it out.

The first time I used it, I started noticing bumps popping up all over my face. But I wanted to give my African black soap the benefit of the doubt; so I assumed I was just “purging,” (meaning the soap was helping my skin to get rid of all the gunk and whatnot, and as a result pimples). But over a week later, my face was still covered in pimples. Plus, I was experiencing dry skin on my forehead, which I’ve never had to deal with. So I ditched the African black soap and moved back to my Cerave (thanks, TikTok and Hyram). I should also note that I was using this black soap every single night; but I later read somewhere that it could be really bad if you used it every night, idk.

The fact of the matter is: skincare is tricky. Probably more so now than ever before. With all the AHAs and Hyaluronic and dermaplaning and pimple patches, there’s more resources than ever to help you get your skin right. But that’s what makes it so confusing! My skincare routine isn’t a solid one yet, so I’m not gonna share my skincare routine just yet. But instead, I thought I’d share some of the basic things I’ve learned about skincare and the products that’ve helped me. 

I’ve heard so many people give this advice; and then after that, the advice was to stay away from those makeup removing wipes. I used to use micellar water paired with soap and water to remove makeup. And while this method works well and I’m still a loyal micellar water user, I recently started using this cleansing balm to remove makeup and it works REALLY well.

It’s important! If you have to invest in a Hydroflask; or buy one of those super cute water bottles with encouraging motivation along the side of the bottle, by all means, go for it. If that’s gonna help you drink water, then Nike (just do it, Fam). Of course, water isn’t the only thing. You should also make sure you’re regularly incorporating fruits and vegetables into your meals.

I’ve started to take delight in washing my masks. Fun fact: I knew we’d need to wear masks for a while; so towards the end of last year, I stocked up on tons of masks. But guess how many I wear regularly? The 4 black masks, and that’s all (they go with everything!). But anyway, wash the things that touch your face (ie. masks & pillowcases); and don’t let anything else touch your face. 

Please! I didn’t realize how important sunscreen is until probably last year; but it’s sooo important! Some people even say you should wear it even if you’re inside all day because “as long as you see the sun, the sun sees you.” You can find some effective and affordable SPF here, here, and here.

Yes, I’ll admit: those Instagrams dedicated to skincare are nice to look at. I drool over the skincare refrigerators and the bathroom shelves stocked with skincare product upon skincare product. But I’ve learned that while it looks super cute on pictures, that’s not the way to go. Pick a skincare routine that works best for your skin (check out this article for a basic routine for your skin type). Then watch reviews, do some research and pick 3-4 products that work with your skin type. Although it’s not 100% guaranteed that these products will work for you, at least you’re not stocking your cabinets high with tons of skincare that may not work. 

Welp, those are the skincare tips that have helped me in my journey to overcome the dreaded “maskne experience” that many of us have dealt with in the past year. I hope you found some helpful tips, let me know in the comments if there are any skincare hacks you use!

Photo by michela ampolo on Unsplash