This Is How You Should Layer Your Skincare Products
I am a self-proclaimed product junkie.
I use toners, AHAs, BHAs, physical exfoliators, vitamin C, oils, and chemical exfoliants at the same damn time. When I started using these different products, my skin was not happy. It was irritated continuously, and my breakouts got worse. How could I have drawers full of products with great reviews and still battle breakouts?
The answer? I was doing it wrong.
I even got a chemical burn because I was trying to get rid of a pimple overnight. Pro tip: Put a spot treatment on the little bugger and leave it alone. Seriously. With so many options on the market that claim to make our skin glow, look younger, and more even, I think it's helpful to break down how often treatments should be used and how to build an effective skincare regimen that doesn't leave your skin begging for mercy.
Start With A Gentle Cleanser
One thing I stay away from is a harsh cleanser that strips the moisture in my skin. Dry, irritated skin and active ingredients like vitamin C and glycolic acids don't mesh. I keep my face wash simple — using Burt's Bees Cleansing Oil with Coconut & Argan Cleanser and Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Pore Perfecting Toner morning and night to make sure my skin is balanced and ready to take on my nightly treatments.
Take Care When Using Chemical Exfoliants
The key to using AHA and BHA chemical exfoliants is to use them sparingly — one to two times per week. After using a chemical exfoliant like The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution, follow up with a The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid Serum or Rosehip Seed Oil by Kate Blanc to replenish the moisture in the skin. If you use retinoids, skip it on nights when you're using your favorite chemical exfoliant to prevent over-exfoliation or skin irritation.
Pro tip: If you're using an acid on the skin, sunscreen is a must!
Vitamin C Serums
I have tried a handful of vitamin C serums, from drugstore to prestigious brands and have learned one crucial thing — vitamin C is a gamechanger. Vitamin C can reduce dark spots, even skin tone, and protect the skin from free radicals. My go-to is Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum because it's made with good ingredients at a reasonable price point.
While ascorbic acids can have many benefits, they can also be irritating when mixed with other active ingredients like glycolic acid, retinol, and salicylic acid. Instead of using vitamin C in your night routine, add it to your morning regimen. If you have sensitive skin or haven't had much experience using a vitamin C serum, apply your moisturizer first, then layer your vitamin C on top to prevent irritation.
Don't Forget To Moisturize
Because of my combination skin, I didn't make moisturizing a part of my morning or night time regimen until I discovered rosehip oil. I thought more moisture equaled oilier skin — wrong. The key to keeping skin balanced is making sure you properly moisturize. Moisturizing also locks in water-based serums. Most drugstore moisturizers either left my skin too oily or broke me out, so I have opted for oils. I pat 2-3 drops of Rosehip Seed Oil by Kate Blanc into my skin and I'm good to go without becoming an oil slick thirty minutes later. In the summer months, I use hyaluronic acid as a substitute and my skin loves me for it.
Take Your Time
My skincare routine is a part of my daily self-care. There is something soothing about making the health of my skin a priority. If you want to make sure your products are doing their job and not sitting on top of the surface — gently press serums into the skin to ensure the product is completely absorbed. After it's applied, don't rush to put on your makeup or moisturizer — give it about five minutes, then go to your next step. In the morning, that means you can enjoy your morning coffee, pack your gym bag, or mentally prepare yourself for your morning commute.
Skincare is a very personal thing, and what works for me might not work for you, but I wanted to share what I've learned through trial, error, and a few chemical burns.
Want to read more xoNecole skincare stories like this? Check out these essential reads below:
I Cleared Up My Hyperpigmentation With This 5-Step Method
Everyone's Raving About The 10-Step Korean Skincare Routine
xoNecole Readers Reveal How They Get Rid Of Dark Spots
Kelis Keeps Her Skin Radiant & Glowing With These Three Simple Skincare Secrets
Featured image by Getty Images
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Bianca Lambert is a proud Atlanta native soaking up the Los Angeles sun. She is the founder of Mae B: a stationery company for women of color and a digital content creator on a mission to elevate the voices of women of color everywhere.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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ItGirl In Motion: DonYé Taylor Asked Herself This Question When Creating Her Brainchild
"Being an 'ItGirl' is all about being yourself and taking all of the elements that make you who you are and displaying them at your highest capability," creative brainiac DonYé Taylor says in the introduction of the limited video series, "ItGirl In Motion."
In partnership with Hyundai, xoNecole has unveiled the limited series in conjunction with our inaugural ItGirl 100 list. The list boasts 100 Black women who not only innovate and take up space when it comes to putting on for their cities, but also as the driving force behind brands that create impact for the culture. ItGirl DonYé Taylor is one of the 100 featured ladies who put her purpose into action.
ITGIRL IN MOTION with DONYE TAYLORwww.youtube.com
As a marketing consultant, content creator, and CEO, a driving force behind DonYé's ambitions has been to show others how she sees the world by "creating art and doing things that shift perspective." In founding her brainchild, Nüclei, which is coincidentally also home to the ever-so-chic chrome brain piggybank, DonYé briefly touched on the inspiration behind the brand. "I was like, 'What would it look like if I were to be of service to myself?' And that's what made me create Nuclei," she said.
Watch the video above to take a peek into the life of the LA-based ItGirl, the importance of Black women receiving our "flowers" while we're here, and the three things she believes are absolutely essential to any ItGirl.
See our ItGirl 100 list in full here. Click through the gallery below for some BTS moments of DonYé and our partnership with Hyundai.
CREDITS
Director: Mikkoh @mikkoh
Production Company: @30inthemorning
AD/Gimbal Op: @jeffreyrattanong
DP: @jucelandrin_
Editor: @30inthemorning
1st AC: Bonnie Delgado @bonniebellevue
2nd AC: Liz Robles @lizfatimarobles
FPV Drone Op: Kai Kevin Goh @kaivertigoh
Gaffer: Nelson Nguyen @nelson_ftw
Key Grip: Ames Hoang @mangothemaker
SLT: Jamon Tolbert @jamon.tolbert
Sound Mixer: Deyo Forteza @introducingdeyo
PA: Breyona Holt @exquisite_eye
PA: Aminah Muhammad @aminahmuhamm
BTS: Marika Belamarich @marikarosegold
Featured image by Marika Belamarich for xoNecole