Health Skincare-maxxing 101

[AsianBabe]

@Skills recommended I write this up after watching this documentary of Clavicular's history - I played it in the background while working and noticed clav's skincare routine mentioned a bunch of good products & tips that I also use.

Qualification: A lot of men and women have complimented me on my skin being really smooth & glowing throughout the years. I am 30+ and have no crows' feet around my eyes or visible wrinkles in general, never had any fillers, nor invasive cosmetic procedures nor surgery.

Genetics is part of it sure, but as you know, many asian women also take their skincare very seriously.

A lot of these products/routines have been known in the skincare community for decades.
But thought I'd share from my experience of never skipping a skincare routine since I was 16.

...Yes I know some men are just blessed and tell me they only use Dove soap + water or 5-in-1 shampoo lol.
A lot of times, less is more. You don't need a 10 step routine. But for those who aren't as blessed, here are some tips to keep in mind, so incorporate as little or as much of it as you like.

Remember, your skin is your largest organ and often a good indicator of overall health aside from physique/etc. Keep in mind, everyone's skin is different, so what works for some, won't always work for others. I usually experiment with different products until I find something that works really well for me, and stick with it for many years.

Skin Types:

✦ Dry - Prone to premature wrinkles, irritation, sensitive, opt for fragrance-free/dye-free products
✦ Oily - Good for aging, but bad for clogging pores/breakouts, opt for oil-free products
✦ Combination - Some areas are dry, some areas are more oily (usually forehead and nose)

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Daily Routine on Combination Skin - I rotate some products in/out or add/subtract from my routines to switch it up when my skin is being too sensitive or too tolerant. When your skin is too used to a product, it may not be as effective.

AM

✦ Foreo (T-sonic cleansing device) + Neutrogena Oil-Free Power-Clear Facial Scrub (A lot of times, I forgo cleanser in the morning to restore skin barrier/preserve natural skin oils)
✦ Rinse face with cold water
✦ Apply toner - I like Mediheal Teatree toner pads or apply Thayers' witchazel toner on a cotton pad. The texture of the pad + toner can also exfoliate extra dead skin cells.
✦ Moisturizer + Sunscreen of your choice. I usually use Anua Azelaic Acid Cica Skin Soothing Moisturizer + Beauty of Joseon SPF 50
✦ Caffeinated eye serum (The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye Serum)

Extra:

✦ Hypochlorous spray throughout the day (I like Magic Molecule) - removes harmful bacteria + calms redness/irritation + supports skin barrier.
✦ Use stainless steel gua shua around contours of the face/chin/neck to depuff, treat tightness from masseter muscle, lymphatic drainage

── ✧ ──

PM

✦ Foreo + Benzoyl Peroxide wash - Differin (5% BP, there's also a 10%) or my personal preference Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask (3.5% BP)
✦ Rinse face with warm water
✦ CosRx Snail 96 Mucin Essence - hydrates/locks in moisture
✦ CosRx 6 Peptide Skin Booster serum - Hyaluronic acid + NAG + Amino Acids or The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum
✦ CosRx Peptide eye cream + few drops of The Ordinary 92% volufiline serum (firms skin volume) or alternatively Adipeau cream
✦ Wipe phone down with isopropyl alcohol (70-90% to kill germs)

Extra:

✦ Hydrocolloid pimple patches for emerging whitehead pimples (Rael is my favorite brand or you can DIY and cut up hydrocolloid bandages)
✦ Spot treat problem areas/pimples/blackheads with Clean & Clear salicylic acid spot treatment gel
✦ Stainless steel blackhead extractor for pores around the nose
✦ PRDN cream (PRDN is derived from ginseng or DNA from salmon sperm - promise it's not as gross as it sounds..Serum/cream are likely not as effective as the injectable treatments, still testing)

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Once-twice a Week Routine during PM

✦ Use exfoliating gloves in the shower (kitsch makes decent ones for your body, cheekyglo or amazon has one specifically for your face that is gentle) - the gloves are especially good for dealing with keratosis pilaris (strawberry looking skin) that might form on your arms and legs
✦ Glycolic acid scrubs/gels & do not use retinoid the same nights
✦ Retinoid cream & do not use salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide or AHAs during these nights to reduce chance of irritation

Extra Tip: Extend your skincare routine down to your neck as well, especially moisturizing.

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Water Quality
✦ Use a shower filter and faucet filter (Ex: Jolieskinco, Helios)

Pillow Case
✦ Silk or Anti-acne pillowcases - have silver or copper fibers for antimicrobrial properties (Ex: Blissy or Gabire)
✦ Change out your pillowcase at least a few times a week, if less, use spray below:
✦ Anti-acne pillow spray nightly (TreeActiv makes decent ones)

Tooth paste
✦ Some toothpastes can really dry out and irritate your skin over time. Make sure you rinse around your mouth after so there's no residue, and brush before your skincare routine.

Laundry Detergent
✦ Use hypoallergenic, dye/fragrance-free detergent (Ex: All Free Clear)

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What is retinol?
✦ A derivative of Vitamin A to reduce wrinkles, treat acne, and smooth texture by increasing cell turnover rate

Side effects:
- Purging: temporary breakouts (4-6 weeks) due to cell turnover bringing clogged pores to the surface.
- Dryness/peeling/irritation

You can use retinol in the form of:

Retinoids - prescription only usually, % determined by dermatologist:
✦ Tazarotene - strongest but higher risk of skin irritation
✦ Tretinoin - most common (2-6 weeks for results)
✦ Trifarotene - targets gamma retinoic acid receptors - mainly for large areas like chest/back
✦ Adapalene - less potent than ones above, and longer timeline to fully clear skin (8-12 weeks)

Gentler Retinoids - OTC, great for those with sensitive/combination skin that want to slowly build up tolerance to retinol:
✦ Differin 0.1% Adapalene gel (over the counter)

Or

Alternative
✦ Bakuchiol Some By Mi serum - gentle on skin, less chance of peeling/burning, and safe to use during the day because it doesn't react to sunlight

Once you're more experienced with retinol products, you can try using retinal products (retinal is stronger/faster and only uses 1 step to convert into active retinoic acid as opposed to 2 steps with retinol)

I've personally stuck with the gentler retinoids and alternatives due to sensitive skin.

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Collagen

✦ If buying collagen powder, try to go for grass-fed and as natural as possible
✦ Optimally, IME, collagen intake via homemade bone broth is better. The less processed, the better.
Ex: Pho is not only a great hangover cure, but it's also a great anti-aging food because the bones are simmered for many hours - releasing collagen, gelatin, and amino acids. There is a reason why us asians drink a lot of hot soup/broth and miso, for the plethora of health benefits.

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Sandwich Method - buffers retinol drying/peeling/purging side effects so your skin stays hydrated:

✦ Apply a layer of moisturizer and pat it in
✦ Apply small amount of retinoid cream
✦ Apply layer of moisturizer on top

─────── ✧ ───────

Fade Dark Acne Scarring/Hyperpigmentation/Freckles/Age Spots

✦ Calcium serum (Dr. Melaxin makes some good products)
✦ Salicylic acid spot treatment (I like the clean & clear one with witchazel)
✦ Turmeric soap
✦ Vitamin C

Advanced

✦ Derma stamping with micro-needles - creates micro-traumas in skin for better product absorption & boosts collagen production - Qure Micro-Infusion
✦ Liquid micro-needling serum - Dr.Melaxin Cyano Pink Spicule Serum with B12

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Lip Care - Want super-soft kissable lips?

✦ Gently exfoliate your lips in the shower with your fingers or
✦ Use a warm wash cloth that has a bit of texture
✦ Lip balms: EOS, Starface

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UV Protection

No, you do not have to become a vampire. You should still touch grass too.

✦ UV rays are strongest between 10am-4pm
✦ Wear sunscreen (Ex: Beauty of Joseon Daily SPF 30-50 - no white cast/stickiness like other sunscreens)
✦ UPF clothing - blocks harmful UVA/UVB rays
✦ Sunglasses
✦ Extreme: some even wear gloves/sun shields/face masks or cover their entire body when they go outside.

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Fix your Gut Issues - SO IMPORTANT

✦ Drink enough water daily
✦ Minimize eating processed foods, maximize whole foods/skincare foods, pickled foods or anything with pro/prebiotics are great too
✦ Check if you have any food allergies/sensitivity. (ex: I'm sensitive to gluten/dairy)
✦ Monthly detox
✦ Balance your hormones, lower your cortisol through exercise/lifting, etc.

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What are AHA/BHAs?

These are exfoliants to help smooth, brighten, and even out your skin.

AHAs - Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Mandelic Acid, Citric Acid
BHAs - Salicylic Acid, Betaine Salicylate, Willow Bark

Don't combine certain active ingredients - it can wreck your skin barrier, inflame, irritate or dry out your skin.
Other combos can be good to combine.

Refer to chart below:

How do I know when my skin barrier is wrecked?
When it hurts to even touch, is super red, bumpy, patchy and it burns when you apply certain products to it.

My skin barrier is wrecked, what do I do?
- Reduce the amount of products you use during each routine down to a few. You likely combined too many products with actives at the same time, or your skin is allergic to some other ingredient in the product, or you used some products way past their expiration date, or gut issues/something else.

- Don't overcleanse your skin, forgo cleansing in the morning and just rinse with cold water

- Prevention: Always read the label, do research and test products on a patch of skin before you add it to your routine. Try to only add and test 1 new product at a time.

Use one of the products below or similar ones to calm down your skin:
✦ Vanicream daily moisturizer - free of dyes/fragrance/lanolin/parabens/formaldehyde releasers, and good for sensitive skin
✦ Anua Azelaic Acid Serum - azelaic acid calms redness, and this serum also contains 3 types of hyaluronic acid to hydrate and soothe skin.
✦ Rhode Barrier Restore cream - acai, peptides, shea butter, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, bisabolol - calms skin

But I don't care about aging. Why can't we all just embrace the aging process?
- I agree with you, we don't have to give into consumerism, and buy a gajillion skincare products just because marketing told us so.

I encourage you to do your own research, field test, and figure out what works best for you.

- Aging shows people the life and experiences you've lived to tell. Face lines can be beautiful and expressive too.

- But why not age beautifully while we're at it, and take care of ourselves in the process? Why not stack as many advantages as you can.

But ultimately, it's up to you. Live your life how you want it.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ .

 

[Skills]

Thank you! Many forum students promised years ago to do a skin care guide such as dreamer, 5 years later he didn't... You did it in a day.... Thanks again!

 

[TimeMachineDAD]

This was really awesome, thanks!
Much more complete than my own regimen.
BTW good reminder to dig up the volyfilline for the hollowing out undereyes, few too many bulk&cut cycles here.

Couple extra things from the point of view of old fart.

- One good addition that I like is oral hyaluronic acid, pretty cheap and has some actual evidence backing up the clalms of increasing hyaluronic acid production in the body.
- I take both Oral Hyaluronic acid + oral collagen peptides mainly for my joints, although they are befical for skin as well. Basically if you lift hard and heavy for multiple decades, the joints are first to give up.

Which ties up nicely with the fact that skin health is strongly linked with general health:
- Omega3 supplementation makes difference also for skin health by reducing inflammation. Really important for you long term cardiovascular health also (aka. functioning dick).
- Evidence points that aerobic excercise improves bloodflow which is benefical for the skin, but lifting weights actually increases your bodys collagen production making skin thicker. (aka. younger looking.)
- Some of the muscle hypertrophy from lifting weights is global, not only the muscles trained. There is also some effect in slowing down the bone loss. This is awesome, since major part of the old looking face is not only the "older skin", but also loss of muscle and bone structure beneath the skin which makes the skin sag. So basically hard and heavy lifting keeps the stuffing in your face longer.
- Try to eventually stabilize your weight after reaching your "natty max", because with oscillating bodyfat levels you tend to eventually lose too much facial fat. This is nice when you are young making the face look angular, but leads to gaunt look when older. (Hollow undereyes and shit..)

 

[AsianBabe]

- One good addition that I like is oral hyaluronic acid, pretty cheap and has some actual evidence backing up the clalms of increasing hyaluronic acid production in the body.
- I take both Oral Hyaluronic acid + oral collagen peptides mainly for my joints, although they are befical for skin as well. Basically if you lift hard and heavy for multiple decades, the joints are first to give up.

Yes! Oral intake of those is way more effective than just topical creams. They say to eat your skincare.

I also eat lots of carrots - this viral carrot ribbon salad is pretty tasty too - I add salmon to it for my omega3s, with a bit of kewpi mayo + mild garlic chili crisp for more flavor.

- Evidence points that aerobic excercise improves bloodflow which is benefical for the skin, but lifting weights actually increases your bodys collagen production making skin thicker. (aka. younger looking.)

Yes! Strength training/lifting is so important as we age. People wonder why I don't have like any cellulite and that's because I'm also squatting at least twice my weight, and been toning everything out.

 

[TimeMachineDAD]

Yes! Oral intake of those is way more effective than just topical creams. They say to eat your skincare.

I also eat lots of carrots - this viral carrot ribbon salad is pretty tasty too - I add salmon to it for my omega3s, with a bit of kewpi mayo + mild garlic chili crisp for more flavor.


Yes! Strength training/lifting is so important as we age. People wonder why I don't have like any cellulite and that's because I'm also squatting at least twice my weight, and been toning everything out.

I was thinking about the order of importance?
This is pretty heavy regime for 20-something without actual skin issues.
Of course fix the real issues like acne first.

My take is that for everyone reading this, the absolute must they should include into their regimen is:

Every morning wash your face and apply moisturizer with spf. Simple, fast, cheap habit that you will thank yourself for in following years/decades. Moisturizer will also immediately make your skin look better.

This is the pareto optimum and you can easily add extras later when you have this habit installed.

 

[Skills]

it seems a lot acne stuff, but for acne has to be treated both internally and extarnally:

- for acne/pimple/bumps what worked for me like fast as fuck was hight amounts of panthotenic acids (10 mg) it has the same effect people get with accutane..... (which i think clavicular did) whithout prescriptions, over the counter and no side effect, obvious you will divide with 3 or 4 meals not all at once, and they have pills in amazon that go as high as 1k mg (this is what i take every day as maintenace).... This is for severe or bad acne i had it bad, but i am sure if is not that bad you don't need that much, here is the scientific backing:

Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) may help reduce acne by lowering facial oil production and supporting the skin barrier. [1, 2]


How It Works

• Oil Breakdown: Pantothenic acid turns into coenzyme A (CoA), which helps your body break down skin oils and sebum more efficiently.
• Barrier Support: It helps regulate skin cell growth and keeps the outer layer of skin healthy. [1, 3]

Dosage and Use

• Lower Doses: Standard skin vitamins often use 150 mg to 250 mg per day.
• High Doses: Older or alternative protocols for severe acne sometimes use 1,500 mg to 5,000 mg (or more) per day, often split into multiple doses.
• Community Consensus: Users on SkincareAddiction agree that high doses require consistency, but warn that acne often returns if you stop taking the supplement. [7]

What to Expect

• Timeline: Small changes can take 4 to 6 weeks, while clinical studies test results over a 12-week period.
• Safety: Because vitamin B5 is water-soluble, your body flushes out extra amounts safely. However, very high doses can cause mild stomach upset in some people. [2, 4, 8, 9, 10]

If you'd like, let me know:What type of acne you are dealing with (hormonal, cystic, mild)What treatments you have already triedI can help you decide if a vitamin B5 supplement fits your routine.
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4065280/
[2] https://www.mdacne.com/article/pantothenic-acid-vitamin-b5-for-acne-treatment
[3] https://www.marieveronique.com/blogs/science-research/a-treatment-plan-for-acne
[4] https://www.mdacne.com/article/pantothenic-acid-vitamin-b5-for-acne-the-science-benefits-mdacne-s-inside-out-approach
[5] https://clearstem.com/blogs/skin-care-learning-center/vitamin-b5-for-acne
[6] https://www.peacehealth.org/medical-topics/id/hn-2927004
[7] https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/comments/1bkvobk/acne_success_report_pantothenic_acid/
[8] https://www.healthline.com/health/pantothenic-acid-for-acne-does-it-work-and-how-to-use
[9] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/dth/6610699
[10] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24831048/

Just careful with hair loss, some people reported that side effect at high doses....


^ second thing that really worked for me is topical niacinamide..... (more is not better) make sure you don't go more than 5% concentration this is the one i use from amazon

Topical niacinamide (vitamin B3) helps treat acne by calming inflammation, balancing oil production, repairing the skin barrier, and fading dark post-acne marks. Concentrations between 2% and 5% are typically effective, gentle, and well-tolerated by sensitive skin without causing bacterial resistance or purging. [1, 2, 3, 4]


Key Benefits for Acne-Prone Skin

• Reduces Redness: Calms swelling and inflammatory bumps like papules and pustules.
• Regulates Sebum: Gently balances oil output to keep pores from clogging.
• Fades Marks: Inhibits melanin transfer to clear up post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
• Strengthens Barrier: Boosts ceramides to protect against external irritants. [1, 3, 4, 5, 6]

How to Use It

• Application: Apply once or twice daily after cleansing or before heavier moisturizers.
• Compatibility: Layers easily with other actives like retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, or salicylic acid to offset dryness and irritation.
• Timeline: Expect visible improvements in redness and oil control within 4 to 8 weeks, with maximum results taking up to 12 weeks. [7, 8, 9, 10, 11]

If you'd like, share:Your current skincare routineOther acne products you are usingI can help you figure out how to add niacinamide safely.
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://www.firstaidbeauty.com/blogs/skin-concern/does-niacinamide-help-with-acne-heres-what-the-science-says
[2] https://www.honeydew.com/blog/does-niacinamide-help-with-acne
[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IRnAbhJaUI
[4] https://www.colorescience.com/blogs/blog/does-niacinamide-help-with-acne
[5] https://www.laroche-posay.com.au/blog/3-things-you-need-to-know-about-niacinamide.html
[6] https://www.theinkeylist.com/blogs/news/does-niacinamide-help-with-acne
[7] https://www.acnesupport.org.uk/treatment/niacinamid/
[8] https://www.webmd.com/beauty/what-to-know-about-niacinamide-skin-care
[9] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XaatVrpQeIs
[10] https://eightsaintsskincare.com/blogs/page-eight/does-niacinamide-help-with-acne
[11] https://flychem.com/blogs/articles/niacinamide-benefits-uses-side-effects-amp-how-to-use-it-for-skin

Last thing on acne, certain things will make you break out and is individualistic for me:

- soy protein
- hummus

^ those things make me break out really really bad....

As i said in the razor bump post vitamin e (1k iu) is also good for bumps and maybe acne. indirectly (but since i take panthotenic acid don't know)...

 

[Teevster]

Damn! Finally someone who wrote a real skin care guide here. I have tried to get @Warped Mindless to write something up on skin care as he is pretty into that. But he never got to it. So very happy someone took their time to do it.

This is a detailed post. I will take my time to read it, and get back if there is anything.

On my end I am trying out different products. I was very happy with the face cream from Korres (Greek brand) but can't seem to find it where i live. I also experiment with Clinique for men lotion - they also have an oil free one - but so far, I am very happy with the French brand Filorga. Their eye cream actually removes dark circle (so does the eye cream from Murad).

Thank you @AsianBabe .

-Teevster

 

[Skills]

Damn! Finally someone who wrote a real skin care guide here. I have tried to get @Warped Mindless to write something up on skin care as he is pretty into that. But he never got to it. So very happy someone took their time to do it.

This is a detailed post. I will take my time to read it, and get back if there is anything.

On my end I am trying out different products. I was very happy with the face cream from Korres (Greek brand) but can't seem to find it where i live. I also experiment with Clinique for men - but so far, I am very happy with the French brand Filorga. Their eye cream actually removes dark circle (so does the eye cream from Murad).

Thank you @AsianBabe .

-Teevster

try to post links please....

 

[Teevster]

try to post links please....

Done.

 

[TimeMachineDAD]

Not exactly skincare maxxing anymore and I wouldn't mention this without being anonymous..

tinted sunscreen
You get additional protection from visible light in addition to SPF which lessens the skin discolorations, but that's not the point..

In practice this is BB-cream or foundation cream, basically makeup you can get away with as a man if you choose the color right.

Best Tinted Sunscreens for Men: No White Cast SPF – OnPointFresh

Find the best tinted sunscreens for men by skin type, shade range, finish, mineral filters, no white cast, acne-prone skin, and daily SPF use.

onpointfresh.com

Here are some examples on what level of difference these make:

https://www.allure.com/gallery/best-tinted-sunscreen-for-face

..yep, pretty gay, but works nice.

 

[AsianBabe]

Fade Dark Acne Scarring/Hyperpigmentation/Freckles/Age Spots

✦ Calcium serum (Dr. Melaxin makes some good products)
✦ Salicylic acid spot treatment (I like the clean & clear one with witchazel)
✦ Turmeric soap
✦ Vitamin C

Note: When I wrote turmeric soap forgot to mention it should be the kind that also has kojic acid in it which is what actually fades discoloration. Kojic acid inhibits melanin production by blocking tyrosine.

Don't combine certain active ingredients - it can wreck your skin barrier, inflame, irritate or dry out your skin.
Other combos can be good to combine.

Refer to chart below:

I realize this chart is a bit hard to read so let's break it down - Note: if you want to use the products within the same day, you can, but you need to separate when you apply them. Ensure your face is washed in between routines - ie: AHAs/BHAs in the morning, and retinol at night.

DO NOT COMBINE

✦ Retinol + AHAs/BHAs
✦ Retinol + Benzoyl Peroxide
✦ Retinol + High concentrations of Vitamin C
✦ Vitamin C + AHAs/BHAs
✦ Niacinamide + AHAs/BHAs
✦ Niacinamide + High concentrations of Vitamin C

_

GOOD TO COMBINE

For Anti-aging & Brightening:
✦ Vitamin C + Ferulic Acid
✦ Vitamin C + Vitamin E
✦ Retinol + Hyaluronic Acid

For Hydration & Barrier Support:
✦ Niacinamide + Hyaluronic Acid
✦ Peptides + Hyaluronic Acid

For Acne + Oil Control:
✦ Salicylic Acid + Niacinamide

For Exfoliation:
✦ AHAs + BHAs
✦ Glycolic Acid + Vitamin C

_

Anti-aging/Clear Acne/Smooth Texture/Even out pigmentation:
✦ Tretinoin (Apply during PM) + Azelaic Acid (Apply during AM)

Not exactly skincare maxxing anymore and I wouldn't mention this without being anonymous..

tinted sunscreen
You get additional protection from visible light in addition to SPF which lessens the skin discolorations, but that's not the point..

In practice this is BB-cream or foundation cream, basically makeup you can get away with as a man if you choose the color right.

Best Tinted Sunscreens for Men: No White Cast SPF – OnPointFresh

Find the best tinted sunscreens for men by skin type, shade range, finish, mineral filters, no white cast, acne-prone skin, and daily SPF use.

onpointfresh.com

Here are some examples on what level of difference these make:

https://www.allure.com/gallery/best-tinted-sunscreen-for-face

..yep, pretty gay, but works nice.

Women will not think it's gay if a man wears sunscreen with a bit of tint/coverage to even out skintone, imo lol. Probably makes a good impression for interviews/camera too. Men on tv/news anchors/theater will typically always have some sort of makeup on too.

_

Also I know this guide isn't beginner-friendly. It's more of a cheat sheet for routines/products I use. These recommendations have helped my friends over the years too. May make another guide sometime that is beginner-friendly.

 

[Francis]

I thought the tint was meant to offset whitecast from mineral sunscreen.

 

[Francis]

AB, any thoughts on retinal? Spelled with an "a". E.g. The Ordinary's emulsion.

I don't even wear sunscreen and my routine is shit, but I did some good research a while ago and got Biore UV for Kids (ordered from amazon Japan) and Dr. G (Korean).

Good basic cleanser is Round Lab Dokdo (Korean) and moisturizer Bioderma (French).

A good cheap cleanser is Neutrogena Ultra Gentle. You can get it in creamy or foaming depending on skin type. I tried Neutrogena hydro boost hyaluronic cream but apparently you need an occlusive moisturizer on top or it can dry your skin out even more? Too much for me.

For lighter morning cleansing if you need more than water, a good one is Cosrx good morning cleanser (Korean... no snail mucus in this one), or Bioderma micellar water (French... invented due to shitty Paris water back in the day)

AB, what about body wash?

One time I made soap from sodium hydroxide and olive oil. If you put it in a wine bottle with strips of aluminum foil and put a balloon over it, you get hydrogen gas. Light a piece of paper on a stick and pop it and you get a massive fireball.

 

[AsianBabe]

I thought the tint was meant to offset whitecast from mineral sunscreen.

It will offset in normal lighting and photos usually, but under flash photography, depending on how pigmented it is, the minerals may still give a slight whitecast or "makeup flashback" effect.

So it's better to just find sunscreens/makeup without zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in it, IME.

AB, any thoughts on retinal? Spelled with an "a". E.g. The Ordinary's emulsion.

Retinal is what I'd use on my neck instead of my face because the skin on my face tends to be more sensitive (used to have rosacea, dermatitis, and eczema flare ups), but that's just me.

Celimax makes a good retinal treatment. I also follow SongofSkin who keeps up to date with good products.

A good cheap cleanser is Neutrogena Ultra Gentle. You can get it in creamy or foaming depending on skin type. I tried Neutrogena hydro boost hyaluronic cream but apparently you need an occlusive moisturizer on top or it can dry your skin out even more? Too much for me.

I used to use that exact hyaluronic cream too when I was younger, but also noticed my skin became pretty sensitive to it because of the formulation (watch out for Isopropyl Palmitate & Cetyl Alcohol - it can clog pores, synthetic fragrance/dyes also cause irritation) and yeah I did pile an occlusive moisturizer on top due to that as well, but found it better to just stop using that cream in general.

For lighter morning cleansing if you need more than water, a good one is Cosrx good morning cleanser (Korean... no snail mucus in this one), or Bioderma micellar water (French... invented due to shitty Paris water back in the day)

Yeah I really like the CosRx line in general. In the mornings, if my skin isn't super oily, I usually just rinse with cold water and use a toner pad (Mediheal makes lot of different kinds) and then apply moisturizer.

AB, what about body wash?

One time I made soap from sodium hydroxide and olive oil. If you put it in a wine bottle with strips of aluminum foil and put a balloon over it, you get hydrogen gas. Light a piece of paper on a stick and pop it and you get a massive fireball.

I personally like the Native body washes or just Dove fragrance-free/hypoallergenic soap for sensitive skin.

Lol, what a fun chemistry experiment. We did something similar in a lab.

 

[Francis]

Honestly wow. Asian Babe is Lab Muffin confirmed.

Brb shopping pillow spray

 

[Francis]

Btw you can do the hydrogen with Drano. Outside...

 

[TimeMachineDAD]

Women will not think it's gay if a man wears sunscreen with a bit of tint/coverage to even out skintone, imo lol.

No worries, gay is good
It's equally gay to dress sharp and no-one here gives a flak about that.

DO NOT COMBINE

✦ Retinol + AHAs/BHAs

You know your stuff, but just that everyone understands, these are typically ok to combine, just do it in subaequent days.
If you peel on evening with AHAs/BHAs, do not apply retinol immediately afterwards on that night. You can typically apply during the next night.

I thought the tint was meant to offset whitecast from mineral sunscreen.

That's what I thought too when I went looking for these, but after applying I noticed how pretty I was