My new favorite drugstore face wash, dealing with dry skin in the summer, how I flatten a giant zit in 48 hours, and a review of my Haldi skincare routine after a year!
I had a very weird moment last week: a moment where I realized I hadn’t had any acne in a while. Like a month. While wearing a mask frequently.
This was a big deal for me! For many, many years I typically had a cluster of acne on my chin. It’s improved significantly in the last two years, and a few changes in skincare tactics have made all the difference.
Here’s my no filter face at the moment! My skin type is pretty dry: I think I could put moisturizer on 3x a day and still not look dewy. But I get acne on my chin and forehead specifically, and I have leftover scars and red spots from a life of acne.
A new cleanser: The first change I made in my skincare was switching to this drugstore cleanser. I picked it up after reading a dermatologist say that combining salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide is more effective for combatting acne. This Neutrogena face wash is cheap, gentle on dry skin, and has made a huge difference for like $6. I use it with Dermalogica clear start salicylic acid, which is still my favorite. I layer it between moisturizer and sunblock if I have a zit in the morning and use it every other night.
Haldi updates: So I wrote about Haldi last year and I have been so impressed with their recommendations, still! And I say this as someone who has tried every internet start up acne cure-all brand. You tell Haldi about your skin and they give you product recommendations and tell you how to use them. It’s Sephora products, just without feeling lost in the store (and they’re the same prices too I have checked). Here’s the best stuff I’ve learned from Haldi this year:
Face oil: I am a CeraVe die hard fan but Haldi pointed out to me that I use a lot of skin resurfacing products (Good Genes 4 Life) and thus might need a stronger moisturizer. This YTTP face oil has been a game changer and I use it every night now! A little goes a long way.
A new mask: I just got this Alpha-H mask from Haldi. It functions similarly to my beloved Dennis Gross peel pads (meaning it is incredibly strong and leaves your skin suuuuper smooth–I use it once a week and avoid the sun the next day). I like it because it means I’m not throwing out like 3 items of trash every time I do my fancy skincare.
My new way to eliminate zits in 48 hours: Ok when I DO have a zit now, I have reducing its size down a science. First, I use this Kate Sommerville spot treatment liberally–I put a dot of it on the zit in the morning, mid way through the day, and at night (let it sit for 10 minutes or so). Once the zit has come to a head (gross, yes), I leave a blister bandaid on it overnight to draw the moisture out. You’ve probably seen those trendy “pimple patches” online by now, but they’re basically just blister bandaids (which you can find at any Target) made smaller. I cut regular bandaids down to size for the same effect.
If you want your own skincare recommendations you can sign up for Haldi reccs by putting my my name (Rebecca Rice) in the referral box. I’m not an affiliate, just a skincare fan 🙂 Do you have any products you’ve loved lately?
PhD in Clothes 