An Entirely too Long and Conceited Post About my Skincare Journey

     Why should you take any of my skincare advice? I mean, it's a logical question. I'm not a licensed aesthetician, I've never been to cosmetology school, sometimes my skin is in poor condition, and most days I can't be bothered to apply makeup in the morning. To be honest, I probably sound like just another unqualified voice on the internets, trying to act like my opinion matters. Valid point. I'm lacking in those credentials. But what I do have is a storied past of fighting my skin, combined with an actual scientific background. And while it's true that I'm not a dermatologist and I don't have a background in cosmetic chemistry, I am a trained biologist, geneticist to be exact, and I currently work full time doing hands-on gene therapy research for a well-known private university (if you're from Atlanta, I'll give you one guess). I think it gives me a leg up on most of my internet competition because I come at everything from a scientific point of view. I don't care what the glossy ads in Elle magazine say about a product, I don't care what celebrity endorses the product, I don't even care that this product is very expensive and sold at fancy department stores. I've learned to stop falling for marketing ploys and start looking at the science behind skincare ingredients. And to quote a poet, "it has made all the difference."
     I remember struggling so badly with my skin when I was in college. Through middle school and high school my skin was fairly clear, but very oily. I don't remember worrying about it too much and just using whatever cleanser from the drug store. But in college, man, things changed. I'm sure it was a combo of stress, poor diet, and bad water, but it set me into a full fledged acne/oil tailspin. I remember at one point during freshman year where I was washing my face three (!) times a day with orignal Noxema. Yikes! I remember standing in front of the mirror crying because my face was tight, shiny, red, still had acne, and I knew in thirty minutes it was going to be covered in oil.
     By the time I was 20 I had found Proactiv and my skin got a bit clearer. I hated the way the products would bleach my washcloths and pillowcases, but it seemed worth it to have clearer skin. I still had massive pores, extremely oily skin, and dry flaky patches from the products. After a few years I ended up going off the products because my skin texture was just so bad. Grad school found me finally seeking a dermatologist to try and sort out my acne. Which wasn't horrible, but I was still struggling with whiteheads/blackheads/acne and, per usual. really oily skin. The doc prescribed a topical retinoid cream and some benzoyl peroxide cleansing wipes. I used the products for about a year and half before I finally gave up. No matter how I staggered the products they ended up leaving me with red, dry, itchy skin that still somehow managed to produce copious amount of oil.
     Things started to finally make sense when I stumbled across a very out of date book at the used book store called "Don't go to the Cosmetic Counter Without Me" by Paula Begoun. The book was pretty beat up, but I slowly started reading through it. A lot of what she said was counter everything I'd been taught about skincare, but it seemed to make sense. I looked her up online and found that she now had her own line of skincare and makeup (Paula's Choice) and was selling online. She had also started a website called beautypedia where she had all the product reviews from her book listed. I started reading and researching. I ended up ordering some products from her skincare line and started stumbling my way back to better skin. I owe my skin to Paula and I'll never forget that.
     These days I'm not brand loyal to Paula's Choice products anymore, but they still make up more than half my arsenal. I very much appreciate the research that she lays out for you on her website. Each of her products has listed a full ingredient list, definitions for what each ingredient does, and peer reviewed journal articles about what an active ingredient actually does. No more mystery claims and "proprietary data"! Amazing! I think her product reviews are pretty biased lately, now that she has her own products to push, but it's always my first stop when I start checking out a new product.
     It still ended up taking a few years to work out the kinks in my skincare. I finally figured out the my skin is very sensitive to silicones, which is a nightmare in today's market, and that I have to quit being lazy and actually work on my skin twice a day; no excuses! You'd think I'd have figured that one out a lot earlier, but whatevs, that's life. I've also been soaking up any and all advice from the amazing Caroline Hirons, and that has definitely helped me establish a morning and evening routine. Today, I'm happy to report that my skin is looking wonderful (boy that sounds conceited). I have a routine morning and evening that rotates products around depending on my skin and it works. I no longer fight my skin, trying to beat it into submission. I have accepted the fact that I will ALWAYS have an oily T-zone and I will ALWAYS have to work diligently to keep blocked pores to a minimum. I have learned that my skin hates having oil stripped from it and will retaliate by producing oil in massive excess. On the flipside, I see nearly zero signs of aging and my complexion is surprisingly even. I don't wear foundation often because I just don't think I need to. Most importantly, I no longer spend time upset and worrying about the state of my skin.
     So, that was entirely too long of a post but I hope that sharing my journey might give you hope that 1.) you can change your skin and 2.) that I might actually have a clue about skincare. Hopefully you'll stay tuned to this space for lots of advice on ingredients, routines, products, and general makeup/skincare talk!

Ex-fo-li-ate!!!

     The title should be read in the voice of a Dalek. And if you're not a Whovian, none of that makes sense. But hopefully the rest of the post will! If you're not into skincare, whether from lack of interest or lack of funds, you should at least have a 3 step bare-bones skincare routine for morning and evening. One of the most overlooked steps is my favorite, and in my not-so-humble opinion, the most important. Exfoliation.
     

     This is step 2 in your routine, preceded by cleansing and followed by moisturizing, exfoliation is the step that has the potential to transform your skin in the shortest amount of time. Basic definition found on Google: shed (material) in scales or layers. Secondary definition found on Google: wash or rub (a part of the body) with a granular substance to remove dead cells from the surface of the skin. Most people would say the second definition is the true skincare definition of exfoliation. But that's only half right. Let's dive into the 2 types of skin exfoliation.
     

     Type 1: Mechanical Exfoliation. This is what most people think of, and, just like that second definition above, involves using an abrasive to mechanically scrub off the top layer of dead skin cells. You can also experience mechanical exfoliation if you use a washcloth, face brush, or Clarisonic when you wash your face. Mechanical exfoliation works well at removing larger skin flakes and dead cells on the very surface of your skin. However, this type of exfoliation falls short if you are looking to exfoliate within your pores or to help increase cell turnover, reduce inflammation, reduce sun damage, increase epidermal thickness, or reduce signs of aging, scrubbing your face will not help. In fact, scrubbing too much can actually cause damage to your skin. 

     

     Now, some mechanical exfoliation is a good thing. I use a Clarisonic on my face a few times a week and use a cheap (read rough) washcloth to wash off my cleansing balm in the evenings. I can notice a difference in my skin when I incorporate these steps in my routine. But over-scrubbing can cause irritation and inflammation, not to mention micro-tears in your skin if you use those horrible awful fruit scrubs from the drug store. Do NOT scrub your face with anything made up of ground nut and fruit pit shells! It WILL make tiny cuts in your skin and it WILL cause irritation! Throw that s--- out!

     

     Type 2 is chemical exfoliation and it's one of my most favorite things in life. My skin made a complete 180° turn once I started using them daily. The best way to chemically exfoliate is to use an acid. Specifically. an Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) or a Beta Hydroxy Acid. (BHA). These weak acids are chemicals that have a pH of less than 7 (does that ring a bell from high school chemistry?) and exfoliate in a way that loosens dead skin cells comprising the outermost layer of your skin so that they can be easily shed. BHA is usually found in topical solutions of 1-2%, while AHA's can be used in concentrations of 8-10%. These products are applied topically, usually in the form of a gel, serum, or liquid toner, once or twice a day. While both AHAs and BHA can exfoliate the skin, there are differences in how they penetrate the skin and what other skin-helping roles they play.

     

     I'm going to write a follow-up post (as this has become quite the albatross) about how to determine which type of acid to use, but one important note on selecting AHA or BHA products is that they MUST have a pH lower than 7 to work. Ideally they should be in the 3-4 range. Acids have a pH less than 7. If a product says it contains salicylic acid, but the final pH of the product is 7, it is no longer acidic and will not work. Aim for acids in the 3-4 pH range. Another note, do NOT go and buy an AHA and BHA and start using both on your face twice a day. If you're not used to using them, add one at a time into your routine. Start using one at night and slowly see if your face can handle more doses. I use an acid twice a day, but I've been doing so for a few years. Give your skin time to adjust. The number one skin care rule is to treat your skin as gently as possible. Slowly ease into an exfoliating routine and you won't end up with angry inflamed skin.

Spreading Knowledge Wherever I Can

     I had a consult this past Saturday at the mall and as I was leaving I stopped at Nordstrom to pick up a couple things. I was waiting for the associate to ring me up, so I went over to the Dior counter to check out their mono fusion eye shadows. I was digging through the drawer (why weren't they on a display?) when I found myself in the middle of a discussion between two Dior artists and a desperate customer.
      I listened to their conversation for a couple minutes and I couldn't help myself from jumping in! The poor woman was freaking out over some stress spots that had broken out on her face because she had a big interview coming up this week. The one artist who was working on this woman's face had no idea what the woman was worried about. She used some foundation to try and cover things, but it didn't cover anything. The customer turned to the other artist and asked him for help. He launched into a long list of products she needed to go buy to treat the spots. Again, not what the lady was looking for.
     I made eye contact with the woman and told her that first off, her spots were not very noticeable and she was a lot more worried about them than anyone else. Then I told the first artist to go to the Laura Mercier counter and pick up some Secret Camouflage. The first artist looked to the second artist and he told her to go get it. I told the customer that a creamy concealer wouldn't stay put, but a hard waxy product like SC would stay where it needed. A little powder on the top and she'd be good for her interview.
     I then walked out of the conversation like a fairy makeup consultant done spreading makeup help to women in need. Haha! Ok, a bit dramatic, but that is honestly why I do what I do. I LOVE helping people fix problems. And while makeup and skincare might seem frivolous, it is also one of the most effective ways to improve confidence and self esteem. I hope that lady felt like a million bucks walking into her interview.
     And that is why I don't trust makeup counter artists. Nordstrom is better than most at allowing you to mix between counters, but their artists are usually only trained on their brand so they don't reach out to other counters. They are paid to be brand loyal, and the customer usually suffers.