SKINCARE GLOW FOR MEN, WOMEN, EVERYONE

Pimples caused by stress hormones, pimples caused by hormonal imbalance (aka reminder that I’m not pregnant), dark spots, acne scars, burn scars, hyper-pigmentation, inflammation-I have had it all. When I hit puberty, my skin was still flawless UNTIL I turned 18 when my skin glowed down. One day, a toddler ran her hand over my cheek and she said that my cheek felt like a cactus. Yes, it was that bad. So, when anyone says that my skin is flawless, a part of me still thinks that they’re exaggerating but I know that I have come a long way and my bank account has taken some dents because of my skin.

A lot of my skincare products are actually recommended by men, so that goes to show you that skincare doesn’t have a gender label. So, for this post, I gathered 3 self-identifying males and 2 females (myself included) to share their secret to their flawless skin and their glow (even though they didn’t want to be photographed, but their reviews are quoted throughout this post). For reference, we have combination/oily, acne-prone (varying degrees), sensitive skin. Personally, I call my skin “bougie paper” because it is extremely sensitive to stress, hormonal imbalance, dairy, crusty people, bad credit score, harsh weather, harsh chemicals, and stressful humans.

CLEANSERS:

“First things first, I wash my face twice a day because I wear makeup almost every day and we encounter a lot of pollution during the day.”

 

• Heimish All Clean Balm: This should be a required product that comes with makeup tutorials. It is an oil based balm that breaks down makeup and impurities and cleans the skin without stripping the essential oils on your face. It breaks down Fenty eyeliner (that lasts 14 hours, I’ve tried), and waterproof mascara with Shea butter and citrus herbal oil to brighten your complexion.
• Boscia Detoxifying Black Charcoal Cleanser/Peter Thomas Roth Black Mask: Peter Thomas Roth is a mask while Boscia is a daily cleanser, but they both have the same active ingredients-activated charcoal, vitamin C, and Thamin. I personally believe that nothing detoxifies your pores and skin better than activated charcoal due to its adsorbent quality which basically means that it pulls out the impurities in your pores and absorbs them, and my skin always feels very clean with this combination.
• Foreo Cleanser (we all use this product): “Never ever wash your face with your hands”-Tyra Banks. For my bougie paper skin, harsh sonic tools are a no-no. The Foreo has a massaging motion that works my cleansers into my skin to clean them and massages my skin to increase blood circulation in the face (which is very important to reduce puffiness and reduce the look of aging). Personally, I love the Black foreo because it has a more gentle massaging effect (side note: it says that it is for men but who cares about gender?)

EXFOLIATORS

“Too much exfoliation will cause acne but you will pile on dead skin if you don’t exfoliate”-My fearless dermatologist.

“I exfoliate three times a week, which gives a good balance for my skin to actually have enough debris, dead skin that needs to be removed without stripping my skin of essential oils.”

• TATCHA RICE ENZYME POWDER: Contains rice powder which is great for cleansing your skin and papaya enzymes which is rich in Vitamin C for that GLOW. Also contains the most common “skin conditioners” aka products that clean your skin and balance the pH- Lauryl Betane and Sodium Lauroyl Methylaminopropionate

MASKS:

“I promise you that we are not sponsored by Peter Thomas Roth, but every year, Peter Thomas Roth releases a value pack of complementing masks for sensitive skin and it is the best thing after sliced bread.”

“At least twice a week, I use a face mask based on my skin’s needs. Sometimes, it’s dull and sometimes I have a hormonal or stress-related pimple so I treat it accordingly.”-Laolu

• Pumpkin Enzyme Mask (Laolu’s favorite): If you have ever seen any of my pictures or in person and you’ve said “your skin is glowing,” chances are that I used this either the previous night or that morning. The most active ingredient is pumpkin which contains alpha hydroxy acids which helps with cell turnover and to clear acne scars. 
• Cucumber Gel Mask Extreme Detoxifying Hydrator: I get a pretty bad sunburn and reaction on my face whenever I switch from very cold weather to intensely warm weather and this has always been my saving grace. It contains a high concentration of cucumber and Aloe Vera which helps with sunburn, redness, and puffiness (tested and true based on the sun in Aruba). Also contains lemon, papaya, orange extracts which are very effective for brightening acne scars.
• 24K Gold Mask: Besides looking like the most expensive fairy of them all, this product is high in caffeine which might not be great for my insides but it is great for balancing my skin tone. It is also really good for those of us that have hyper-pigmentation. Also, claims to have 24K gold but I can’t prove that

TONER:

“After getting a clean face, I begin the replenishing process with an alcohol-free toner because alcohol-based toners dry out your skin!”

• Fresh Rose Toner: My bougie paper skin can’t handle any type of alcohol toner because they are drying. This is the only toner that makes my face feel all soft, clean, and refreshed at any time of the day thanks to the rose extracts and hyaluronic acid.

SERUMS:

To provide some deep treatment, I always use a serum. My favorite serums are anything with high concentration of Vitamin C for my acne scars.

• Olehenrikson Truth Serum/Drunk Elephant Day Serum: Both serums promise the same benefits, but I have found that the Drunk Elephant works faster to improve my acne scars and it is more hydrating while the Olehenrikson is less than half the price of the Drunk Elephant but it takes twice the time as the Drunk Elephant to achieve the same results. So, the choice depends on your level of patience. 

MOISTURIZER:

While my skin is still damp and the pores are still open, I follow up with another intense vitamin-c moisturizer to hydrate and seal my glow.

• SUNDAY RILEY CEO: Hands down, one of the very few moisturizers that doesn’t aggravate my bougie paper skin, brightens my skin without making it oily, and hydrates my skin. The key is the 5% THD Ascorbate form of Vitamin C which is less irritating than the more common L-ascorbic acid in most vitamin c products.

SUNSCREEN:

“Since I use a lot of brightening products for my acne scars and for THE glow, it is HIGHLY important that I use an effective sunscreen that doesn’t make me look like Casper the Ghost.”

“Sunscreen is just a MUST for everyone of all complexions if you want to have a spotless, healthy skin.”

SUPERGOOP Everyday Sunscreen SPF 50: This is actually a favorite for all of us, because it is effective and affordable and dermatologist-approved. For the makeup folks, this sunscreen is amazing because it contains Octinoxate and Avobenzone which prevents that Casper ghostly look and flashback that a lot of sunscreens cause. If you couldn’t care less about makeup, this $19 sunscreen also blends right into your moisturizer without creating any film and it is SPF 50. Hands down, a favorite.

HONORABLE MENTION: GRAPEFRUITS, ORANGES, AND TURMERIC: very high in Vitamin C which helps with cell turnover aka THE GLOW.

 

There it is: Skincare for all.

YOUR GLOW DOES NOT DIM ANOTHER PERSON’S LIGHT (AND VICE VERSA)!