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Writer's pictureMac & E

Skincare 101 *for beginners*

* I am in no way a certified professional. I just think this is fun to learn about, so take what I say with a grain of salt*


What’s up you guys!! Man can you believe that there are only five days left of September, FIVE DAYS!!! This month has flown by, but yet slow at the same time, hahah… The other day I did a poll on our instagram story *shameless self promo ( if you’re not following, go follow @mac.and.e) I was asking for ideas on what to write about for the blog post, and to my shock skincare tips won by a landslide! So I am about to unfold some little tips and tricks, but I am going to keep it surface level because it can become confusing really fast, haha…



My Story:

I thought I would do a short background on my skin history. In Spring of 2019 I started to become more interested in what a skincare routine could do for you, and that was also the same time my skin started to flare up. I was constantly trying new products and nothing was working for me, if anything it kept getting worse… long story short I did end up going on a pill called accutane which helps “heal” bad/ severe acne ( I actually started it exactly one year ago today, and I have been off of it for 6 months.) While on this I found out how overwhelming my skin care routine was, so I started all over and learned to keep it simple. So now my goal is to help you not make the same mistakes I did as a newbie to skincare!


You’re Type:

When figuring out what products to use, you first need to know what face type you are and your skin concerns. For example before accutane, my face was oily and acne prone vs. after I am normal but dehydrated. I KNOW this sounds confusing but there are four categories we are going to focus on today:

  • Oily: you produce oil all over your face

  • Dry: you produce less sebum (oil) and overall typically dry and dehydrated

  • Normal: you have an equal ratio of sebum to dryness

  • Combination: you tend to be more oily in your t-zone area, but normal- dry everywhere else.

If you don't know what type you are, there are many tests that you could do to find out. The most popular being the blotting sheet: take a blotting sheet and stick one on your nose, forehead, cheeks, and chin.

  • if all sheets fall off immediately then your face is dry.

  • If they stay on for a couple of seconds then fall, your face is normal.

  • If they stay on for awhile, then your face is oily

  • And if it does a little of everything then you probably have combination skin.

*also these tests are not always accurate, so just keep in mind that you know your face best!*


Ingredients:

Ingredients are the heart and soul of having a good skin care routine, and knowing which ones to use. The most popular are hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, niacinamide, retinol, and vitamin c. You probably have heard of them before, but could have been confused on what they did.

  • Hyaluronic acid: Great for people who have dry dehydrated skin. What is does is bring moisture to the surface, because it has the ability to hold water *which is amazing!!* Some of my favorite HA products are:

  • Salicylic acid: If you have an overload of sebum on your face, and acne prone salicylic acid is your best friend. I know that this is in the famous Neutrogena exfoliating face wash, but please don’t use that! I REPEAT DO NOT!! I mean you can but they’re better options… SA is a BHA (beta hydroxy acid) so it will go to the source of your problem and decrease the inflammation. When using anything with SA don’t use it everyday because it can dry out your face. My fave SA products:

  • Niacinamide: This is another great one for acne prone skin as it decreases inflammation, and the appearance of pores. I would be careful to use this if you have dry skin because it could dry you out even more.

  • Retinol & Vitamin c: These two are an amazing duo, and any skin type will love them! Retinol works on increasing collagen production, helps with acne and makes the face appear soft. Vitamin c is a great skin brightening treatment as it deals with hyperpigmentation, scarring, and any redness. I am currently still trying to find a good retinol and vitamin so I do not have any personal suggestion to give!


The Basics:

Don’t go overboard when creating a routine, but stick with the basics first which include:

  • Face wash

  • Moisturizer

  • Sunscreen

Once you find a “holy trinity” that works for your skin, you can go to other products like serums, toners, or essence.


I hope you guys enjoyed this week's blog post, I tried my best to keep it simple but also not so overwhelming at the same time! Let us know if you guys want a part two to this post or a more in depth version, Hope you guys have an amazing week, byeee!

  • E ;)

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