M Y ‍ ‍ R O U T I N E

morning:

• 1. cleanser
• 2. eye cream
• 3. day cream with niacinimide and sunscreen (SPF 30+)
  • (let it sit for 8-15 minutes)
• (make-up)
• 4. moisturizer

night:

• 1. cleanser
• 2. micellar water (if i wore make-up)
• 3. eye cream
• 4. alternate between:
  • serum (azealic acid)
  • differin gel (prescription)
• 5. acne spot treatment
• 6. moisturizer

weekly:

• chemical peeling (7% AHA)
• clean makeup brushes
• disinfect phone
• wash pillow cases
• wash face towel

ingredient checklist:

• azelaic acid ✓
• ceramides ✘
• retinoids ✓
• niacinamide ✓
• salicylic acid ✓

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M Y ‍ ‍ P R O D U C T S

products i use: see here

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I N G R E D I E N T S

☼ acne · ◎ spot treament · ⁂ for post-inflammatory erythema · ※ against oily skin

Tier 1 (Amazing):

• retinoids (Retinoide) ☼⁂※ (prescription necessary!)
  • a form of vitamin A, for acne and aging, e.g. adapalene (Adapalen) / differin (gel)
  • unclog pores, decreases oil production, decreases inflammation
• azelaic acid (Azelain-Säure) ☼◎⁂※
  • good for acne and hyperpigmentation and redness and irritation. gentle, safe.
• benozyl peroxide (BPO) (Benzoylperoxid) ☼ (pharmacy only!)
  • anti-bacterial, for moderate acne. ~4%.
  • can dry out skin. for some it's mildly irritating! careful, it bleaches!

Tier 2 (Great):

• salicylic acid (Salicylsäure/Salizylsäure) ☼◎※
  • (BHA) removes oil, exfoliates, anti-acne, helps against PIH
• chemical peels ☼
• tea tree oil ☼ (like this)
  • anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial. can be irritating/allergic!

Tier 3 (Supporting):

• sulfur (Schwefel) ☼
  • against acne and rosacea (but stinky!)
• zinc supplementation (oral) ☼
  • against acne
• niacinamide (Niacinamid) ☼◎⁂※
  • antioxidant, decrease oil production, against redness
• gluconolactone (Gluconolacton) ☼
  • gentle exfoliation

Tier 4 (Don't Need For Acne):

• hyaluronic acid (Hyaluronsäure)
  • moisturize/hydrate
• vitamin c
  • antioxidant, reduce hyperpigmentation, brightens skin, anti-aging...
• vitamin e

Uncategorized:

• panthenol (Panthenol)
  • moisturizes, calming skin, helps skin barrier
• ceramides (Ceramide)
  • lipids (fatty acids) that moisturize and protect the skin barrier
• centella asiatica (Indische Wassernabel) ⁂
  • against scars
• green tea (Grüntee)
  • antioxidant, works best in combination with other antioxidants (like vitamin c)
• liquorice root (Süßholzwurzel) ⁂
  • anti-inflammatory, against redness
• tranexamic acid (TXA) (Tranexamsäure) ⁂
  • against redness

Good for Oily Skin:

• absorb oil from skin
  • 1. silica (Kieselsäure)
  • 2. perlite (Perlite)
• against oil production
  • 1. retinoids (Retinoide)
  • 2. green tea & niacinamide (Niacinamid)
  • 3. azelaic acid (Azelain-Säure)
• remove oil from skin
  • 1. salicylic acid (Salicylsäure)
  • 2. clay masks (Tonerde)

To Research:

• bisabolol
• zink
• allantoin
• aloe vera
• glycerin
• (activated) charcoal (Aktivkohle)

To Avoid:

• coconut oil
• alcohol
• hydrogen peroxide

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I N F O

• can make acne better:
  • sunlight (but not worth it, because it damages skin)
  • washing pillow cases and towels
• can make acne worse:
  • sugar
  • dairy (especially skim milk (Magermilch))
  • vitamin b12 supplements
  • touching your face
• no link to acne:
  • drinking more water
  • greasy/fatty foods

Types of...

• acne scars ↷
  • atrophic scars = punched-out skin
  • hypertrophic scars = elevated skin
  • post-inflammatory erythema (PIE) = red spots
  • post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) = dark spots
  • post-inflammatory hypopigmentation = light spots
• skin conditions ↷
  • 'hormonal' acne (around jawline)
  • comedonal acne (blackheads, whiteheads)
  • fungal acne (needs antifungal medications) (not actually acne)
  • inflammatory acne (postules)
  • nodulocystic acne (deep-seated, painful)
  • rosacea (rashes on nose and cheeks) (not actually acne)

Terms:

• EN <=> DE
  • astringent = Gesichtswasser
  • clay = Tonerde
  • micellar water = Mizellenwasser
• non-comedogenic means that the product does not clog pores, so they are good!
• serum = lightweight product with higher concentration of ingredients than moisturizers
• toner/tonic = water-based lotion, looks and feels like water, is a primer and hydrates

Misc.:

• chemical exfoliants (to gently dissolve dead skin cells, 1-2x a week, instead of physical peeling!)
  • AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) smooth and soften skin, reduce wrinkles, make you sun sensitive! (e.g. glycolic acid, lactic acid)
  • BHAs (beta hydroxy acids) useful for rough skin and acne (e.g. such as: salicylic acid (daily))
• cleansers
  • foaming cleansers seem to remove oil better than other
  • use gel-based, because they contain more acids than cream-based ones
• retinoids/retinol
  • most forms break down in the light, so don't use them in the morning (unless the product says it's okay)
  • TO DO : RESEARCH
• microneedling
  • = tiny needles into the skin for controlled damage to activate wound healing. it induces collagen production & helps products get into the skin better
  • dermarollers cause more trauma than stamping, do not use deep (>1mm) dermarollers
• black dots on nose: just fix with the usual stuff (salicylic acid, niacinamide, etc.). if there is a lot of build-up use a pore strip (not more often than 1x a month)
• moisturizer
  • gel-based might work better than lotions, creams or ointments
  • use "oil-free" or "non-comedogenic".
  • we use moisturizer because many acne treatments (e.g. salicylic acid) can dry out and inflame the skin, which (unmoisturized) can make acne worse.
• sunscreen
  • it helps if they have niacinamide in it
  • types: chemical (less greasy), mineral (less irritating)
  • use chemical (not mineral) sunscreen, because it is less greasy
• mix or don't mix?
  • caution:
    • retinoids + vitamin c
    • retinoids + salicylic acid
    • retinoids + AHA
    • adapalene + benozyl peroxide (BPO)
  • never mix:
    • retinol + benozyl peroxide (BPO)
    • vitamin c + hypochlorous acid
    • vitamin c + copper peptides
  • vitamin c + any acid (e.g. salicylic acid, azelaic acid) = ??? (to research)

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Links:

• doctorly: great youtube channel by dermotologists with many product recs
  • skinpedia: their website
• skin care guide

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