The one thing that scares me most about skincare is feeling like if I don’t do everything perfectly, it’s all for nothing. I know I’m being dramatic, but there’s definitely some truth to it. You shouldn’t wear retinoids in the sun, you shouldn't mix acids and retinoids, and so on and so forth. After years of trying to be something I’m not, I’ve dropped the act of skincare guru and decided to let myself be the gloriously forgetful and inconsistent queen that I am. What works with this routine, is that it’s not me who has to be perfect, but my products.
Good morning!
They say you should sleep on your back for two reasons. One: Your spine. Two: Smushing your face into a pillow, well, smushes your face. I sleep underneath the pillow, mashing it into my face with my arms. I think my subconscious is trying to kill me? Despite all the thrashing around I do in slumber, when I wake up my KILLA patch is still snuggly sound on my skin, soaking up all the gross stuff. With hyaluronic acid, oligopeptide-76, salicylic acid and niacinamide, these little teeny stickers stop pimples before the damage is done. Also, because I always forget to wash my face, they come with CLEANA tabs that use vitamin E, tea tree oil and alcohol to prep the area.
I like to forget that sturdy KILLA patch for an extra couple hours while I sip my coffee and stare out of the window catatonically. Is this heading titled ‘Good Morning’? It’s around 2pm.
I saunter into the bathroom and examine my face. L-ascorbic acid serum (pure vitamin C) goes on after the KILLA’s have finally come off. This helps brighten your skin, and allows it to better fight off nasty free radicals floating around the air. While L-absorbic acid is pretty strong as far as vitamin c goes, you can also opt for a derivative if you’re looking to ease into it.
Then goes on hyaluronic acid for moisture, and sunscreen. It doesn’t matter that I’m staying home for the millionth time. UV rays can come through your window and I spend a lot of time people watching while pretending to brainstorm. Make sure to get the non-comedogenic kind. I’m also a big fan of fragrance free – less additives = lower risk of my face developing mystery rashes or things of that nature.
Good afternoon!
Order Chinese food. Send one email. Pick at my face while I’m sending said email and then slap on a couple HYPERFADE stickers to make me stop. Hormonal acne pops up in the same spot on my left cheek month after month, and HYPERFADE picks up the reparative talents my skin slacks on naturally. I forgive it. 24 self-dissolving microdarts pummeling brightening and regenerative ingredients right into my dark spot? OBVIOUSLY!
Good night!
Night starts around 6pm and is marked by my browser’s transition from Gmail to Netflix. I take a quart, not a pint, of chicken low mein to the face and, risking the reversal of HYPERFADE and KILLA’s diligent work, down it with a sugary ginger ale. The only thing to get through the layer of grease left on my skin by eight dumplings, is none other than ZitSticka’s PRESS REFRESH Hydrogel Exfoliating Sheet Mask. This is 100% the day-ender because of everything this ONE SHEET MASK does in literally 20 minutes. In the length of one Sex and The City episode, this sheet mask has employed salicylic acid, gycolic acid, lactic acid (exfoliants) AND niacinamide to balance, hyaluronic for flood-like moisture, and allatoin to revitalize my (dirty) skin.
This sheet mask is perfect for acne-prone skin and I would recommend using it twice a week. It unclogs pores, smooths texture and prevents breakouts. Unlike a lot of other sheet masks that just exist on the layer of your skin and then leave, PRESS REFRESH gets deep, deep in there. It’s what allows my retinol to do its thing and do it well. Right now, I’m using a low percentage retinol at 2%. Generally, nothing more is needed for anyone under 25. Retinol can seriously dry out your skin at first. To avoid this, try introducing it into your routine little by little, and always moisturize before and after.
For inconsistent, forgetful gals who eat a lot of takeout and sleep like ten year olds, it’s exactly what I need to get skin care right. I feel like a queen on a throne, with an arsenal of the world’s best soldiers waiting to protect me because I am incapable of lifting a finger. While I may be imagining this skin care scenario like it’s Game of Thrones: The results are positive no matter what you’re binging tonight.
Images: @makeup2themaxx @shelikesskincare
