Let’s get candid shall we? I didn’t start taking skincare seriously until a few months ago at the ripe age of 30.
I know! Embarrassing! I really thought skincare was too expensive too complicated and not that important. Wrong! Skincare isn’t too complicated or expensive and it sure as hell is important. Think about it.
Your skin is the largest organ in the human body. Shouldn’t you take care of it? In this media obsessed world it only makes sense that my introduction to the world of skincare was TikTok.
It’s not just a platform for Gen Z influencers to show off their latest dances. There’s a plethora of knowledge that’s easy to digest in the app and skincare is one of those areas.
Those 15-60 second videos are jam packed with clear and concise information that makes it easily palatable to my often-distracted mind. But this isn’t a post about TikTok. I’m here to give you some of the best advice I’ve learned from the app.
1. Washing your face twice a day – Cerave Hydrating Facial Wash
It sounds simple but honestly out of everything I’ve learned this is the one I feel has made the most difference to my skin. I’d hear this often from my friend (Claudia 😉 ) but it never really resonated with me because I figured simply washing my face couldn’t rid me of my skin issues. It really came down to choosing a face wash (or a combination of) that was right for me.
I have oily to combination skin and am prone to breakouts so I’ve always used a face wash that had 2% salicylic acid. But in turn this would be incredibly drying so I figured I’d only wash my face every other day. Big mistake.
Now I use two face washes. I start with my Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash (it’s a bit harsh so proceed at your own risk) and finish washing my face with the Cerave Hydrating Facial Wash. This brings back the hydration that was stripped from my face by the Acne wash.
CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser
2. Wash your face for at least 1 min – Urban Skin Rx Even Tone Cleansing Bar
Most of us only really wash our face for about 20 seconds. But in order for the components in the face wash to get a chance to do their job they need to be on your skin for at least a minute.
3. You don’t need an expensive face wash to do the trick – Renewing SA Cleanser
They’re meant to wash off right away so really only shell out the big bucks for oils and serums that are meant to stay on your face for hours.
4. Think team water and team oil – PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
The order of your products matter but it isn’t as hard as it may seem. Your waster based serums should be applied before your oil based. Just like we learned in in 5th grade science, oil and water don’t mix. If you put your water based products on after the oil then they’ll break down the oil products.
Put all your water-based products on first, think hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and alpha arbutin and then on top your face oils and moisturizers.
5. Stop everything you’re doing and buy a retinol cream – Differin Gel
This is mainly for my ladies (and even men) who are at least in their mid 20’s. Not really necessary if you are younger than 25. This is great for diminishing acne, scars, fine lines, and encourages collagen production. Is there anything retinol can’t do? Just make sure to use it only a few times a week if you’re just starting out.
I did the mistake of using it every day for 4 days straight and my face felt itchy and sensitive. Retinol can even cause burn marks so please tread lightly and work your way up to daily use. As a beginner I use Differin Gel It is so worth it!
And if you’re not into TikTok I totally get it. I wasn’t really into it either but like most millennials I was thrust into it by the pandemic and all of a sudden having a ton of time on my hands with little to nothing going on. If you’re more of an Instagrammer or Youtube person these favs of mine also have pages and channels on that medium.
Check out their pages and let me know what you think! @charlotteparlor (tiktok & IG), skincarebyhyram (tiktok & IG) & Hyram (youtube), yayayayoung (tiktok, IG, & youtube), whatsonvisface (IG & tiktok), dermdoctor (IG) and doctorly (youtube).
About The Author: This post was written by Fenix, a 7 year Naturalista, beauty, skincare and wig lover. Read more of her posts here.
