Sugar, caffeine, late nights, and sun exposure are a few of our favorite things, but they can take a toll on our skin. Here is time-tested advice from our estheticians on how to both prevent and reverse signs of aging so that your skin looks and feels its best.
Read on to discover how to tackle dark spots, fine lines & wrinkles, dullness, loss of firmness and enlarged pores.
Problem: Uneven Skin Tone due to dark spots, melasma, scarring or general unevenness
Solution: Start incorporating targeted treatments that include clinically proven ingredients to help brighten dark spots (think: serums, essences and ampoules). Dark spots are formed when our melanocytes become overactive and clinically proven ingredients help to reduce that overactivity that results in the darker spots. Shangpree Marine Jewel Capsule: Each individual capsule is packed with sodium DNA, an extract derived from salmon sperm that encourages cell repair and regeneration and restores radiance (no salmon are harmed and the brand is cruelty-free).
Before/after photos provided from brand via their product study.
We also love niacinamide for dark spots as it’s clinically proven to help fade them quickly without being harsh on skin. Our Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum includes 2% niacinamide that helps to improve dark spots (whether from the sun or acne) gently and effectively.
You can also use neroli, a beautiful extract packed with vitamin C to help brighten dark spots. The Aromatica Neroli Brightening Facial Oil is a wonderful choice for those looking for an oil plus brightening benefits in-one.
**
Problem: Fine Lines & Wrinkles
Solution: When our skin loses its elasticity due to a slowdown in collagen and elastin production, we lose firmness and develop more pronounced wrinkles. Look for ingredients that will help activate more collagen production, such as vitamin A, adenosine, and peptides, a chain of amino acids which help signal the cells to stimulate collagen production. Antioxidants are also important as they form a protective shield against daily stressors that lead to premature aging. Mizon Peptide Serum is chockful of peptides that stimulate collagen and firm skin. Eco Your Skin Booster-Serum: Vitamin A is rich in retinol which helps combine collagen and elastin to reduce wrinkles, fade spots and hydrate skin. Peach & Lily Matcha Pudding Antioxidant Cream drenches skin with antioxidants and clinically-proven wrinkle-fighter adenosine deep within skin and also creates a weightless, invisible antioxidant barrier to help fight off free radical damage at all layers of the skin.
And don’t forget about the eye area — this is where the first signs of aging appear because the eye contour has the thinnest and most fragile skin on the entire face. Shangpree S-Energy Repair Eye Cream renews skin cells and stimulates collagen production with oxygen and adenosine. It has arbutin to help brighten dark circles, too! Eco Your Skin Volufiline15 Eye Essence has 15% volufiline and polylactic acid to lessen the look of crow’s feet, under-eye wrinkles, lid creases, and forehead and neck lines.
Problem: Dull Skin
Solution: Get a healthy glow with the green juice equivalent for your skin and by ensuring skin is plumped up with hydration. The Pure Lotus Jeju Lotus Leaf Essence is made with 89% lotus leaf extract instead of water to leave your skin brighter, balanced, and hydrated. Eco Your Skin Booster-Serum: Vitamin B5 has, yes you guessed it, Vitamin B5 aka the anti-stress vitamin or “hangover cure,” to help relieve fatigue and dullness caused by environmental aggressors. Miwaji Hyalu Serum Veil has a proprietary mix of short and long chain hyaluronic acid molecules. The short chain molecules sink into skin binding moisture to the deeper layers of skin. The long chain molecules bind moisture to the skin’s surface — but the way it’s formulated allows it to also form a veil on the surface of skin.
**
Problem: Loss of Firmness
Solution: If you’ve gone from taut and bouncy to sagging and droopy, find firming formulas that will give you a lift. Peach & Lily’s Chubby Cheeks Lift + Plump Sheet Mask contains collagen-boosting ingredients and a powerful dose of nourishment to help firm, plump, and smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. The best ways to prevent the signs of aging are hydrating and protecting the skin — ingredients like the powerful Dermaflux combined with antioxidants like trehalose and rose oil in Lagom Cellus Deep Moisture Cream will leave skin plumped and deeply moisturized. And last, but not least, Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum contains a cocktail of mountain yam, peach extract, niacinamide, peptides, and hyaluronic acid to brighten and firm skin. Crystal-clear glass skin is yours!
**
Problem: Enlarged Pores
Solution: As we get older, our skin can lose its firmness which can lead to the look of more enlarged pores. While pores can’t technically shrink in size, the appearance of pores can certainly be vastly diminished. Try the Peach & Lily Pore Proof Perfecting Clay Mask — this powerful yet calming formula uses kaolin clay and bentonite to help draw out even the deepest impurities, but, unlike typical clay masks, it won’t dry into a hard shell on your skin or leave skin feeling tight and uncomfortable. Shangpree’s Pore Tightening Mask clears excess sebum, eliminates dead skin, and tightens pores, but hydrates too. Be The Skin Botanical Pore Toner helps minimize the look of pores by balancing sebum production and providing a clear, matte surface for your following serums and moisturizers.
One of my most popular posts to date is a full review of Tony Moly’s I’m Real Sheet Masks it still garners a hefty amount of traffic each month, continually posing questions within my inbox in regards to stockists and expansions across the line. Well the good news is that as the years have passed Tony Moly is far more accessible within the UK; perhaps even more thrilling is that the newest drop of Tony Moly masks that were once exclusive to Sephora, can now be quickly found online. If your sheet masks stash needs shaken up, here are six new-ish Tony Moly launches to try…
After a quick Google search I have discovered that Acerola is a form of Cherry and naturally rich in Vitamin C as well as Vitamin A and Niacin, all of which are of course great for the skin especially in regards to brightening dull complexions, blemish control and to an extent often used for treating fine lines. Admittedly the benefits of a sheet mask are limited as they are a throw away product but if you are looking for something to instantly plump and revive the skin this is what you have been searching for. I’d personally squirrel this aside for an important event, night out or any occasion you want your skin to be truly radiant…even if just temporarily.
If you have blemish prone skin you may struggle to find a suitable sheet mask as most are aimed at quickly hydrating the skin with very few being catered to oilier skins. If this is a category that you fall into then you may want to try the Tony Moly I’m Charcoal Sheet Mask which gently re-balances the complexion without stripping or drying the skin out. As an added bonus as it is loaded with natural charcoal it may help to reduce the size and inflammation of existing blemishes.
Admittedly as far as ingredients go this has to be the most basic of the bunch but on the plus side it may just be the prettiest, not to mention it smells great. As you can most likely imagine this does little else other than quickly moisturise your skin but it does so in a light and refreshing manner making it suitable for just about every skin type.
Every now and then I stumble across a sheet mask that more than delivers and the Tony Moly I’m Real Ginseng Sheet Mask slots neatly into that category. Enriched with Ginseng which is said to brighten, this mask quickly leaves the skin with a glow that is on par with the after effects of a facial.
The colder months do have a tendency to create dull and dry skin, now the Tony Moly I’m Real Pearl Sheet Mask may not be a permanent remedy to all of your problems but if in a pinch it does give all but immediate results. After one use your skin will have a glass like appearance which may not solve all your skin woes but it is a good starting place.
As it is still technically Autumn, I can imagine most of us will naturally gravitate towards the Tony Moly I’m Real Pumpkin Mask Sheet to compliment a spooky move or two – it is the season of pumpkins after all. The good news is that as pumpkins are naturally great for the skin and full of Vitamin C a little of those antioxidants can be found within said sheet mask to help boost collagen production for plumper skin. This could be a great addition to any anti-ageing routine.
You can find all of the above via Notino for £6.10 each – link.
I recently had the chance to talk to Deciem’s CEO and Co-Founder Nicola Kilner and Education Associate for Australia Minh Lawton – here’s the edited interview! We covered a range of topics, including how they started in the skincare industry, which Deciem products are underrated, their personal favourite products, their skincare routines, what’s coming to Deciem next…
Retinol and vitamin C are two of the most powerful ingredients for your skin. Both are known to fight wrinkles, build collagen and fade dark spots and pigmentation.
But fitting them into your skincare routine can be tricky. Should you layer one on top of the other, or will that inactivate them? Which one goes on first? And what about mixing them together?
In this tutorial, you will learn:
Why you need to consider pH and solubility
What happens when you mix retinol and vitamin C together
The right way to use retinol and vitamin C in your skincare routine
The best retinol and vitamin C products to try
Retinol vs Vitamin C pH
If you’re thinking about using retinol and vitamin C at the same time, the first thing you need to check is their pH levels.
All skincare products that are water-based (aqueous) have been formulated to work at a certain pH.
Retinol typically has a pH between 5.0 and 6.0, as research has shown that’s where it operates best. The same goes for retinaldehyde and retinyl esters.
L-ascorbic acid, the active form of vitamin C, is usually at pH 3.5 or lower in order to effectively penetrate your skin (as this study proves).
However, there’s another category of vitamin C out there—vitamin C derivatives. These are less potent than L-ascorbic acid, but more stable, with varying pH levels.
Neutral vitamin C derivatives include ascorbyl glucoside, ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate and sodium ascorbyl phosphate, which are all in the 6.0 to 7.0 pH range.
Acidic vitamin C derivatives are ascorbyl methasilanol pectinate (pH 3.5), ethyl ascorbic acid (pH 4.0 to 5.5) and glyceryl ascorbate (pH 3.0 to 5.0). So these are not quite as acidic as L-ascorbic acid.
Skincare products that don’t contain water (anhydrous solutions) don’t have a pH.
Retinol vs Vitamin C Solubility
The next thing to think about is whether the ingredients are oil-soluble or water-soluble:
Retinol is oil-soluble, so it will only dissolve in oil-based ingredients (although it can be encapsulated within a water-based solution).
L-ascorbic acid is water-soluble, so it will only dissolve in water-based ingredients.
Vitamin C derivatives are usually water-soluble. The exceptions are ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate (which is soluble in oil) and ethyl ascorbic acid (which is both water-soluble and oil-soluble).
What Happens When You Mix Retinol with Vitamin C
Now that you’re familiar with the differences between retinol and vitamin C, let’s consider what happens when you use them at the same time or mix them together:
Their pH levels will change: Remember that retinol and L-ascorbic acid have a big gap in pH. So using them together will lower the retinol’s pH and raise the vitamin C’s pH. We know this can make retinol less active and inhibits vitamin C’s ability to get into the skin. Essentially, they will both become less effective! However, this isn’t a concern with the neutral vitamin C derivatives.
They may not dissolve or penetrate: Oil and water don’t mix. So if you’re adding a water-soluble vitamin C into an oil-based retinol, for example, it will not dissolve. Therefore, it won’t penetrate your skin, and you won’t get any of the vitamin C’s benefits. Another thing to keep in mind is that oils create a barrier on the skin that blocks the absorption of water-based products.
The Right Way to Apply Retinol and Vitamin C
Dermalogica Overnight Retinol Repair 1% and SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic
Fortunately, there IS a way to incorporate both vitamin C and retinol in your skincare routine. You’ve got four options:
Vitamin C in the Morning, Retinol at Night
Your easiest course of action is to separate vitamin C and retinol from each other and apply them at different times of day. This ensures that each ingredient can work at its correct pH.
But what if your vitamin C is anhydrous (water-free)? I’d also recommend using it at a different time than your retinol. Anhydrous vitamin C solutions typically include oils, silicones or oily solvents, so the retinol may not be able to penetrate well through them.
Products to try:
Vitamin C and Retinol on Alternate Nights
Most dermatologists believe that retinol should always be applied at night, away from UV light. But did you know you can apply vitamin C at night, too? This study found that DNA damage continues for hours after exposure to UV light, and suggests it could be prevented with a nightly antioxidant, like vitamin C.
By using retinol and vitamin C on alternate nights, you’ll get the benefits of both, without having to worry about interactions.
Products to try:
Wait 30 Minutes in Between Vitamin C and Retinol
If you must use retinol and L-ascorbic acid at the same time, separate them by 30 minutes. Apply your vitamin C first, since it has the lower pH of the two. Then, wait half an hour before you apply your retinol. Incorporating the waiting period allows your skin’s pH to return to normal, so each ingredient can work at its intended pH.
This is also applicable to the vitamin C derivatives ascorbyl methasilanol pectinate, ethyl ascorbic acid and glyceryl ascorbate, since they are usually acidic.
Products to try:
Vitamin C Derivative and Retinol Together
If you don’t have time to wait 30 minutes, your bet bet is a vitamin C derivative. Be sure to choose one with a neutral pH, such as ascorbyl glucoside, ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate or sodium ascorbyl phosphate.
Since they are close in pH to retinol, it doesn’t really matter which one you apply first. Go with whichever one has the lighter texture (keeping in mind that water-based products should always go on before oil-based products). As soon as the first one absorbs, you can apply the second ingredient and skip the waiting period altogether.
Have you noticed how your skin shrivels up like an old prune when it’s not hydrated?
All the retinol + exfoliation in the world won’t smooth it out. If anything, they’ll make things 10x worse.
What dry skin needs is a dollop of ceramides, little plasters that can patch up any hole in your skin’s protective barrier. Keep that moisture in and that shrivelled prune will blossom into a smooth rose.
Lately, I’ve been getting my ceramide fix from Garden Of Wisdom Ceramide Hydrating Complex Serum. Here’s how it went:
What’s In Garden Of Wisdom Ceramide Hydrating Complex Serum?
Ceramides make up a staggering 50% of your skin’s composition. It’s no wonder that when your skin doesn’t have enough, it gets drier and flaky.
What robs skin of ceramides? Like everything else, ceramides slowly deplete as you get older. But unprotected sun exposure, harsh winds, and over-exfoliation (all the usual culprits) can weaken the mortar that holds skin cells together and break down its protective barrier.
This is why I always double down on ceramides during winter, when the harsh weather is more prone to drying out your skin worse than the Sahara.
Garden Of Wisdom Ceramide Hydrating Complex Serum is as transparent as a gel and almost as runny as water. It spreads easily onto the skin and absorbs in a couple of minutes without leaving a greasy residue behind.
Fragrance
It’s fragrance-free, so anyone can use it (even sensitive skin).
How To Use It
If you keep your skin routine simple, you can apply it directly on cleansed, damp skin. If you’re using anti-aging serums (like retinol or Vitamin C), apply this afterwards.
Personal Use & Opinion
I apply Garden Of Wisdom Ceramide Hydrating Complex Serum every morning before I leave the house and every evening when I go to bed.
It makes my skin incredibly softer and smoother. When I touch my face, it feels silky smooth and a little tighter, too.
I noticed that if I leave the house without this on, my cheeks get a little red from the cold London winds. That’s a little reminder to up my skin’s defences at this time of year. This serum is perfect for this.
It doesn’t have any antioxidants, but for once I don’t mind. I can use a separate serum for that. But all the best anti-aging ingredients won’t make me look younger if my skin isn’t well hydrated.
This serum takes care of the basics (moisture), so you can build the rest of your skincare routine on top of it.
If you have dry and easily irritated skin – tell tale signs your skin’s protective barrier has broken down in places – Garden Of Wisdom Ceramide Hydrating Complex Serum will help.
I also think it’s a good idea to keep a ceramide-rich serum or moisturizer at hand in winter, in case the weather wreaks havoc on your skin.
Dupes & Alternatives
Have you triedGarden Of Wisdom Ceramide Hydrating Complex Serum? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Ingredients
Aloe Vera Gel, Spring Water, Ceramide Complex, Liposomes (Soy), Leucidal SF (Lactobacillis Ferment), Coconut AMTicide, Prickly Pear Oil
Take The Guesswork Out Of Skincare Shopping
Get access to the “Pro Skincare Library” for exclusive skincare routine “cheat sheets” and tricks to help you navigate the beauty aisles jungle like a pro and immediately know what to pick off the shelves to achieve the gorgeous skin of your dreams – even when you’re drowning in an endless sea of skincare products.
Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription and get access to the skin library.
It attracts water from the environment and binds it into the skin. It’s so powerful, it can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water!
All that moisture plumps up your skin to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, makes skin softer to the touch, and gives the complexion a dewy glow.
In true The Ordinary’s style, Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA has a very simple formula. You know what you’re getting from then name.
The Inkey List Alpha Arbutin has a higher share of humectants. Humectants are ingredients like hyaluronic acid that attract and bind water to the skin. This makes The Inkey List serum more hydrating.
Get access to the “Pro Skincare Library” for exclusive skincare routine “cheat sheets” and tricks to help you navigate the beauty aisles jungle like a pro and immediately know what to pick off the shelves to achieve the gorgeous skin of your dreams – even when you’re drowning in an endless sea of skincare products.
Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription and get access to the skin library.
Clinique All About Eyes Rich contains its fair share of silicones to minimise fine lines. It works like this: silicones fill in fine lines and wrinkles so they look smaller to the naked eye.
Of course, the effect is only temporary. When you wash off your skin at night, the silicones end up down the drain and your wrinkles look as deep as before.
Silicones go a step further: they also give slip to a product and allow it to spread smoothly on the skin.
Due to their molecular structure, you’ll find little gaps in between each silicone molecule. That allows them to keep water in the skin and let it perspire at the same time.
A pale ivory in colour, Clinique All About Eyes Rich has a fairly thick, creamy consistency that isn’t greasy and absorbs quickly.
Fragrance
It’s fragrance-free. That’s good. Fragrance is irritating. You do NOT want it anywhere near your eyes.
How To Use It
Before moisturiser, apply a couple of small dots on your under-eye area. Pat the cream in with your ring finger. Apply any leftover on your eyelids, too.
Performance & Personal Opinion
Clinique All About Eyes Rich keeps good on one promise: it hydrates and soothes skin, leaving it soft and smooth.
I was a bit worried the richer texture would give me milia seeds, but thankfully that didn’t happen. It also didn’t sting, burn nor irritate my eyes.
I also noticed the fine lines around my eyes looked slightly smaller (thanks silicones!), but the effect only lasts for a few hours.
So far so good. So, where does this cream fail?
For starters, it can’t do anything for dark circles. I’ve used this cream for weeks and didn’t see the slightest difference. Both the darkness and the puffiness is still there.
I’m on the fence about antioxidants. I know they can help me age more slowly, but I wish the packaging maximised their effectiveness, you know what I mean?
Get access to the “Pro Skincare Library” for exclusive skincare routine “cheat sheets” and tricks to help you navigate the beauty aisles jungle like a pro and immediately know what to pick off the shelves to achieve the gorgeous skin of your dreams – even when you’re drowning in an endless sea of skincare products.
Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription and get access to the skin library.
If you’ve tried everything to get rid of your acne and still those damn pimples won’t leave you alone, you may be tempted to go down this route, too.
And why not? The caveman regimen is all natural, low maintenance, and won’t literally cost you a penny. Plus, hundreds of people swear it helped them cure their acne once and for all.
But a few also swore it made things worse… It’s not unusual to go through a purging period when you embark on this new regime… or even to have your acne flare-up worse than ever.
What’s the deal here? Does the caveman regimen work only for some acne sufferers, like teenagers with hormonal acne? Is it just placebo?
Here’s what the science says:
What Is The Caveman Regimen For Acne?
The caveman regimen is the Paleo diet of skincare. Just like Paleo lovers follow the same diet as our cavemen ancestors, this acne regimen copies their skincare routine… or better yet, their lack of it.
That’s right. Our cavemen ancestors didn’t have a skincare routine. Whether their complexion was flawless or riddled with acne, they let their skin be. No interference.
The caveman regimen for acne follows the same philosophy. Followers use NO skincare products. NOTHING is allowed to touch their face. Not even plain old water.
I’ll let that sink in for a minute…
If you’re following this regimen, you CAN’T wash your face for MONTHS.
Lately some people came up with water-only versions, but the original protocol forbids even that. Purists won’t let anything come in contact with their face for fear of triggering another breakout.
For 30 days, you do absolutely nothing. No moisturiser. No serum. No sunscreen. No cleanser. No water.
After that, you can start reintroducing occasional washing into your skincare routine. But you need 2 more months to fully test out this regimen.
Nope. You can’t use anything. That includes skincare AND makeup products.
That’s right. You can’t rely on full coverage foundation to hide your pimples or a touch of red lipstick to distract the eye from forehead acne. You have to let the world see your bare skin.
There’s nothing wrong with that. You’re beautiful either with or without acne. Your beauty shines from within. It comes from your kindness, your sense of humour, your gentle nature. Don’t let anyone or anything ever make you feel otherwise.
But I know that going makeup free can be very uncomfortable at first for acne sufferers. If this is a dealbreaker for you, don’t feel bad. There are better ways to deal with acne, anyway.
P.S. Even if you’re tempted to cheat and apply a thin layer of foundation, how are you gonna wash it off? You can’t use a cleanser, remember? Ewww.
It’s quite simple, really. If you stop interfering with your skin, it will heal itself.
The longer version: acne sufferers often have a damaged acid mantle. It’s a protective layer that sits on the top of your skin, keeping it safe from germs, bacteria, and other enemies.
This mantle is delicate. Here are just a few things that can damage it:
Air conditioning
Harsh skincare products, like scrubs and soaps
Harsh weather
Overcleansing
Overexfoliating
Pollution
Skin diseases like eczema
Unprotected sun exposure
If you’ve been washing your face 3 times a day in the hope of getting rid of all that excess oil or benzoyl peroxided the crap out of your pimples, chances are your acid mantle is damaged all over the place.
The caveman regimen fixes this damage by… doing nothing. You just let sebum (your skin’s natural moisturiser) do what it would normally do without human interference, correcting any imbalances on its own.
There is NOW scientific proof the caveman regimen work for acne – any type of acne. Cystic, hormonal, adult, teenager… Whatever you’re dealing with, I could find no study showing this minimalist regimen helps.
Nothing to suggest that quitting your skincare products or not washing your face is beneficial for acne. Heck, dermatologists recommend you cleanse every morning and night even if you have acne!
And why not? Would you go without a shower for a month? I know, gross. Your skin ain’t no different. Do you really want to leave all that excess oil, grime, and pollution particles on your face for a whole month? That doesn’t strike me as a good idea…
Plus, acne ain’t a modern phenomenon. People have suffered from it for millennia. And they didn’t have benzoyl peroxide or other harsh acne medications back then…
No, the caveman regimen does NOT work for acne scars.
There’s no way that allowing sebum and your skin to do their natural thing can heal acne scars. Heck, even topical skincare products can’t do anything for them.
If you have acne scars, do your skin a favour and visit a dermatologist. They have plenty of tools at their disposal to treat any type of scars.
How Do You Explain The Caveman Regimen Cured Acne For A Lot Of People Then?
A quick Google search turns up plenty of forum threads where people swear the caveman regimen cured their acne. How is this possible?
The caveman regimen doesn’t provide any medicinal or miraculous ingredient to get rid of acne. In fact, it doesn’t add anything!
Instead, the caveman regimen works by subtraction. If you were using a harsh cleanser that was destroying your acid mantle or a rich moisturizer loaded with comedogenic ingredients, taking them off your skincare routine is bound to improve your skin.
In other words, your skin doesn’t heal because you’re following the caveman regimen for acne. It heals because you stopped using whatever was causing your acne in the first place!
What Skincare Ingredients Make Acne Worse?
Here are a few culprits that are likely to cause or worsen acne:
Benzoyl peroxide
Essential oils
Fragrances
Isopropyl Myristate
Isopropyl Palmitate
Most oils
Harsh surfactants, like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Rich butters, like shea
Soaps
FYI, just because a harsh or comedogenic ingredient is in a product, it doesn’t mean it’ll make you breakout. It depends on the concentration of the said ingredient and what else is in the formula.
Take coconut oil. If it’s the second ingredient in a moisturiser, it’ll likely give you acne. But if there’s only a drop of it in the bottle, it won’t do you any harm.
Bottom line: if that skincare product you’re eyeing has a huge dollop of these ingredients, leave in on the shelf.
It’s not unusual to experience a breakout when you first embark on the caveman regimen. The reason is simple: when you quit your skincare routine, you didn’t just quit the ingredients that were aggravating your acne. You also quit the ingredients that were keeping your acne under control.
Without salicylic acid to unclog pores or benzoyl peroxide to kill acne bacteria, your pimples can now thrive.
Of course, everyone is different. If your moisturiser was the only cause of your acne, going on the caveman regimen can help. But if it has an underlying cause, quitting your skincare routine completely can do more harm than good.
Need help to create a skincare routine that tackles your acne? Click on the image below to subscribe to my newsletter and receive the “Acne + Aging Skincare Routine” cheatsheet:
What Are The Best Alternatives To The Caveman Regimen?
I recommend a gentle skincare routine that tackles your acne without destroying your skin’s acid mantle. Here’s how to create one:
CLEANSER
Opt for a gentle, pH-balanced foaming cleanser that removes excess oil without disrupting the skin’s acid mantle. Anything with a pH higher than 6.5 is bad news for skin.
Best Picks:
Corsx low PH Good Morning Gel Cleanser ($11.00): ph 5.5. Available at Sokoglam and YesStyle.
Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser ($6.99): ph 6.2. Available at Ulta.
Paula’s Choice Skin Balancing Oil-Reducing Cleanser ($18.00): ph 5.5. Available at Nordstrom and Paula’s Choice.
Salicylic acid is your new BFF. This oil-soluble exfoliant gets inside the pores to remove all the excess oil and dead skin cells that are clogging them up and giving you acne. While it’s at it, it also exfoliates the surface of the skin and soothes redness.
Choose a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer that hydrates your skin without adding more oil to it. Bonus points if it has niacinamide. This multitasker helps treat acne, soothe inflammation, hydrate skin, and brighten the complexion.
I know it’s tempting to skip sunscreen. It’s so thick. Greasy. Pore-clogging. But you’ll never have clear skin without it. Here’s the deal: nothing inflames your skin like UV rays. And guess what acne is? An inflammatory disease! Do I need to say more? Experiment until you find a lightweight formula that doesn’t make your skin a greasy mess.
Best Picks
EltaMD UV Pure Broad-Spectrum SPF 47 ($25.00): available at Dermstore and Walmart
Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection SPF 50 Sunscreen + WetForce For Sensitive Skin & Children ($42.00): available at Ulta
Skinceuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 ($34.00): available at Blue Mercury and Dermstore
When a pimple rears its ugly head, use a spot treatment to banish it, pronto. Both benzoyl peroxide and sulfur have anti-bacterial properties that can kill P.Acnes, the bacteria that’s making your life hell. They’re both harsh, so use them on pimples only!
Best Picks:
Epionce Purifying Spot Gel ($38.00): available at at Dermstore
Kate Sommerville EradiKate Mask Foam-Activated Acne Treatment ($54.00): available at Sephora
Paula’s Choice Clear Regular Strength Daily Skin Clearing Treatment with 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide ($18.00): available at Dermstore and Paula’s Choice.
Given the lack of scientific evidence, I can’t recommend the caveman regimen for acne. Plus, most people do need skincare products to help them keep their acne under control. If you suspect your skincare routine is making your acne worse, identify the culprit and replace it with a gentler alternative.
Have you tried the cavemen regimen for acne? Share your experience in the comments below.
Take The Guesswork Out Of Skincare Shopping
Get access to the “Pro Skincare Library” for exclusive skincare routine “cheat sheets” and tricks to help you navigate the beauty aisles jungle like a pro and immediately know what to pick off the shelves to achieve the gorgeous skin of your dreams – even when you’re drowning in an endless sea of skincare products.
Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription and get access to the skin library.
Imagine having an entire collection of customizable bath product formulas created specifically to function as the base for YOUR fabulous essential oil blends.
Hint: it’s pictured right up there.
My latest publication is inspired by all you fab folks who work with essential oils!
Nivea Creme was the first moisturiser I ever used.
I wish I could tell you it was love at first swipe. All it did was give me a bad breakout after another. Would its lighter sibling, Nivea Soft Moisturizing Cream, do the same?
Your skin then uses the extra moisture to thrive. It plumps up so fine lines and wrinkles look smaller. It gets softer to the touch. And it glows as if it lit from within.
This is the Latin name for mineral oil. Yep, the one derived from oil.
It’s not as bad as it seems. Mineral oil undergoes a strict purifying process that removes ALL toxic impurities from it. The end result is 100% safe and non-toxic.
Mineral oil is so popular because it’s a great occlusive. This means it creates a barrier on the skin that slows down water loss. Remember all the extra moisture glycerin is bringing in? Mineral oil won’t let it out.
But why is Nivea Soft Moisturising Cream using mineral oil instead of other occlusives? It’s dirt cheap. If you want to keep the price this low, you don’t have many options.
P.S. Mineral oil itself doesn’t cause breakouts. But it can trap dirt and comedogenic ingredients underneath your skin – and that can lead to breakouts. This cream has Myristyl Myristate, a comedogenic ingredient that could give you pimples. For me it didn’t, probably because there’s not too much of it here anyway.
Alcohol Denat is one of the most misunderstood ingredients in skincare.
Critics say it’s terribly drying and irritating. They’re right… to an extent. Alcohol Denat can be problematic when used alone. But pair it with moisturising ingredients (like glycerin and mineral oil) and you can easily counteract its drying effects.
Having said that, if you have very dry or sensitive skin that can’t tolerate Alcohol Denat (some skin types just don’t like it), then Nivea Soft Moisturizing Cream isn’t for you.
So why is Alcohol Denat here anyway? It thins the texture so it’s not too heavy.
It’s lighter than Nivea Cream. The soft, not too thick texture feels refreshing on the skin and glides on easily.
A little goes a loooong way. Be careful not to apply too much – this stuff takes a few minutes to sink in and leaves a slight greasy residue behind.
Fragrance
It has a forgettable, clean scent that’s not too strong.
How To Use It
It’s a multitasker you can use on your face, body, and hands. When used as a face moisturzer, it’s the last step of your skincare routine at night. In the morning, you can use it after serums but before sunscreen.
Performance & Personal Opinion
I have combination skin and Nivea Soft Moisturizing Cream didn’t exactly make every area happy… It hydrated my dry cheeks enough to make them soft and smooth for hours, I’ll give you that.
My oilier t-zone? There, the cream went totally overboard. It was sooooo moisturising, my oily patches were shinier than ever. If you’re looking for a mattifying cream, this so ain’t it.
Another con? It has no antioxidants to fight premature wrinkles. That’s cool if you’re a teenager, but if you’re approaching your mid 20s, this cream may be too basic for you.
Who Is This For?
I’d recommend this cream only to teenagers with dry skin.
Who Isn’t This For?
Anyone else. Especially anyone with oily skin or interested in anti-aging.
Packaging
If you decide to give it a go, the cream will last you for ages. Look at how huge that jar is. But jars ain’t the most hygienic… Wash your hands well before dipping your fingers in.
Does Nivea Soft Moisturizing Cream Live Up To Its Claims?
CLAIM
TRUE?
The light formula with Vitamin E and Jojoba Oil is quickly absorbed and refreshes the skin.
Yes!
Provides refreshing body and face care in one handy pot.
Yes, it’s a multitasker.
A highly effective, revitalising and moisturising cream that leaves your skin soft and supple.
It’s very moisturizing, I’ll give you that (even too much, for most skin types).
Get access to the “Pro Skincare Library” for exclusive skincare routine “cheat sheets” and tricks to help you navigate the beauty aisles jungle like a pro and immediately know what to pick off the shelves to achieve the gorgeous skin of your dreams – even when you’re drowning in an endless sea of skincare products.
Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription and get access to the skin library.