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It's just built up on our insecurities. You go to the store hoping to make yourself more beautiful or relieve a painful skin condition, you don't know what to choose because they all promise to "leave your skin smooth and healthy, reduce redness and fine lines, moisturize and protect, even the skintone, minimize pores, restore, hydrate" or whatever. Half of the words they use aren't even something that can be objectively assessed. So you begrudgingly pick something out after reading all the labels and checking online forums for reviews, pay good money for it only for it not to make any difference. Great. And rinse and repeat. But we keep doing it because we want to feel like we are taking care of ourselves and we want what they promise: beautiful, clear skin. But we don't have to play their way to get what we want.
Here's what I started to do. I think it's worth a try - you'll spend barely any money or effort and won't give your money to some schmucks that literally thrive on women's insecurities and it creates less waste. My skin is better than ever before, I don't have acne anymore and the weird little red spots on my cheek are gone. I can't guarantee that it will help everyone, who knows, but isn't it worth a try?
First of all I stopped using any soap or cleanser or whatever product to wash my face. If I wore makeup I remove it with coconut oil. In the evening I wash my face with only water, but in the morning I wash it with water and ground oatmeal dissolved in water. I started doing this because I read about people with cancer going through chemotherapy who got some sort of skin lesions because of it and researchers started putting a paste made of finely ground oatmeal on them. All of the patients experienced relief with no side effects: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17034418/
And this is my experience: I haven't had acne since I started doing this, only if I forget to wash with oatmeal for a day I tend to get acne then. Actually no, of course I did still get acne for a week or two when I started but after that it stopped.
Besides that, I use a skin cream with a sun protection factor of 50 before I go outside. Sun protection is probably the only thing that has any worth of all the creams and concoctions they sell. Like, preventing sun cancer is something worth spending money on, preventing wrinkles and "erasing pores" is not, not to me and I hope not to you, don't give them your money to fix some made up problem like that.
We're trapped in this cycle of buying more and more things to fix problems as they come up, but maybe we should cut down instead. Every product you use alters your skin in some way that can fix some problem but create another. You may think I'm a hippie or that you can't do the same because you have a serious skin problem and you couldn't live without the stuff you use to relieve it, but I also had big, painful acne and I tried lots of products, some did offer relief but none as much as oatmeal and not using soap. I can't say my way is the right way but I can say it helped me so I want you to try too.
P.S. Have you seen those people who have a whole mini fridge for their skincare products? When I see that, I feel such a visceral disgust with humanity lol
I had acne all my life until my mid thirties when I cut out dairy. Completely clear skin in a week. Now if I cheat and eat anything with dairy, I get a breakout. Definitely give diet change a try too!
People are ruining their skin barriers left and right by using tons of stuff on their faces and then they need more stuff to remedy the issues caused by the products. Sometimes skin problems can't even be treated topically either because they're due to hormone imbalance or allergies. My skin is clearest when I do nothing to it, all the products just caused me more breakouts in the long run, even if I used ultra sensitive stuff without any scent and ethanol.
I think less is more when it comes to skincare. The vast majority of skincare products marketed to women, at least those in the US, are full of toxic ingredients. I avoid makeup for this reason, as well as most creams, lotions, etc. I only use natural, non-comodogenic moisturizers like jojoba or rosehip (great for acne btw) oil.
I'm a big fan of UPF 50+ hats and clothing. I avoid sunscreen since most formulations have chemicals that I'd rather not put on my face and body.
I'd say a very clean and nutritious diet w/regular exercise are really important for skin health, with common sense measures like sun protection, and staying hydrated and moisturized.
Skin care isnt hygeine or heath - its just a cosmetic hobby like hair styling. Nobody "needs" skin care.
All you need for health and hygeine is to wash your face and use sun protection.
Wash your face - I wash my face to remove dirt and grease. Soap removes dirt and grease, so I use soap daily and it works great with no bad side effects.
Sun protection - when necessary, not compulsively. A drop of spf face cream when you're getting ready for work at 7am isnt going to do anything, so dont bother. Sunscreen needs to be applied liberally. If you feel fresh and clean after putting on sunscreen, then you did it wrong. Also, compulsively applying sunscreen every morning whether or not youre going to be in the sun at a time of day when the rays might affect you - that's ineffective and wasteful. Just put sunscreen/hat/clothes/sunglasses on when youre going outside and actually need it.
I've been prone to acne my entire life and toxic people literally make me break out due to stress. When i cut off my abusers, my skin started clearing up and now its so much better and smoother since I started seeing a dermatologist. The trick is to use a little product as possible.
i've tried washing my face with just water but it just makes me break out.
I switched my skincare routine to using CeraVe's foaming cleanser, moisturizer and Pacifica's sunscreen. Thats it and my skin is blessing up!!
Drinking water and ensuring I stay hydrated does the most for my skin.
Yes,. Skincare is a scam. I rarely wash my face unless I need to take off foundation. And never have acne issues. I use tea tree oil pads 3 times a week to get off any grime and to liven up my face, then I moisturize with a natural shea butter, Vit E lotion that I make myself. Leaving your face alone is the best skin care regime you can do. Our skin has very important healthy bacteria and natural oils that NEED to be there in order to have healthy skin. The good bacteria keep the bad bacteria in check and we kill and destroy the good bacteria every time we use all these chemicals to wash our face, allowing the bad bacteria to get control then acne occurs. I do use hyaluronic acid for plumping and that works great 👍 as I'm an older woman.
I think a lot of what you're saying is true, and there is a huge part of me that wants to be crunchy and make my own oatmeal cleanser, etc. But...
There is also a part of me that gets such joy from girlie things. I'm in no position to be able to afford a skincare fridge, but I can imagine that would be loads of fun. I also love scented things, even though I know they're probably terrible for me.
IDK. I don't drink or smoke, I exercise, and I eat a balanced diet. If I want to slather some watermelon-scented goop on my face at night I'm gonna go for it. And maybe, just maybe, my delusional belief that it's working will cause me to manifest great skin. Probably not, but still.
Thank you for this post I always feel like maybe I'm being irresponsible or a bad adult for not washing my face regularly or using 17,000 skin care products, but I genuinely haven't had issues for all of my adulthood with a fairly minimal routine and I see no reason to change that. I have noticed that the people around me who use more skincare products tend to complain more often about skin issues. I rinse my face with water and use a moisturizer every day. I have a gentle face wash to use on days where I've been doing something dirty/sweaty and have an excessive amount of oil or dirt on my face, but otherwise nothing. I agree that 'skincare' is just another male-created imaginary industry preying on women's insecurities.
I actually have "problem skin." I have moderate eczema, which used to be severe in my childhood. My skin, in it's natural state, is dry and itchy and bumpy and oozy and often covered in open wounds from scratching in my sleep. On top of that, most treatments for eczema cause breakouts, and breakouts on top of an active patch of eczema can be dangerous because of the introduction of bacteria into the deeper layers of the skin. And then treatments for breakouts trigger eczema and blah blah blah.... anyway, I've had to learn a hell of a lot about skincare to get this under control.
Here are some things I learned. They might only be applicable to people with eczema, but I think anyone with dry, sensitive skin could also get some benefit from this:
Face washing is just not that necessary. Water and soap are anathema to eczema, so I have to minimize exposure. I wash my face no differently than I wash the rest of my body - once a day with a gentle, eczema-approved cleanser. (Cerave Hydrating on the face, Dove bar soap on the body.)
Moisturizing is absolutely that necessary. Twice a day, every day, face and body. I usually layer moisturizers on my face or top it off with a facial oil, because my clothes seal in the moisture on my body but my face is always exposed to the elements, and I have to prevent trans-epidermal water loss. I will layer moisturizers on my body in winter, because the dry air makes my skin worse.
Exfoliation is also necessary, but it has to be super gentle. Chronic eczema will eventually cause the skin to thicken/harden if you're not exfoliating. However, harsher exfoliation - especially chemical methods like acids or retinoids - can trigger flare-ups. On the body, physical exfoliation with a washcloth during normal bathing is usually enough. I will occasionally do a scrub with oatmeal. For the face, one my moisturizers has a low concentration of urea for some very gentle chemical exfoliation. Most methods of physical exfoliation are too harsh on my face, even the oatmeal scrubs.
SPF is also necessary, because UV exposure can trigger eczema and because skin cancer is no joke.
Oatmeal is genuinely awesome. Oatmeal baths are a lifesaver when my eczema is bad, and some of my favorite moisturizers have it as an ingredient.
Baby oil is also genuinely awesome. If I didn't have eczema, I think I could just wash my face and use baby oil and be fine.
Literally nothing else is necessary, and usually makes it worse. I am pretty aware of the ingredients in my moisturizers, because some are very necessary for managing eczema (ex: ceramides, hyaluronic acid, colloidal oatmeal), and some are just a nice benefit to have since I'm already using a moisturizer anyway (ex: niacinamide, peptides, etc). I have tried a lot of stuff in my long journey to make my face stop hurting all the time. And one of the biggest things I've learned is that once you have healthy skin, nothing else is really necessary. It's just not gonna make that big of a difference, and it's not worth the time and expense of trial-and-error to find the thing that does make a difference. This is what I have to do to achieve healthy skin. Most people probably don't even have to do this much.
I feel a bit stupid, now I realize I'm preaching to the choir! And I am finding your comments very helpful, thank you everyone.
yep, i can vouch for this- i had so many pimples and what not. But since one year, i have been washing my face with only water, it cleared up. Recently, i felt insecure, so i bought a moisturizer to apply after showering. Within a week, i developed red patches and a pimple! I stopped immediately and went back to water only. Lo and behold, my skin cleared up.
As for SPF, are there any good physical sunscreens? I do not want to use a chemical one
I’m someone who needs this info. I am 35 with no signs of aging yet so I guess I am a bit paranoid about it and probably use more than I need. Once I finish up what I have now, I won’t be re-purchasing most of it because I’m trying to save aggressively.
Does anyone here have recommendations for milia? It’s really the only skin issue I struggle with. I use Tretinoin cream, which is what my dermatologist prescribed, but no matter what products I use or don’t use on my skin each day, it stays about the same. I am going to try OP’s method, but wondering if anyone else struggles with this and has found a solution.
Ice bath, Bone broth and Gua Sha is all you need for great skin that will last up until your mid 30's or beyond without getting any work done.
Sure I use the skin care samples when I get those after buying something, when I get it as a gift I'll use it but I'll never buy it.
I have a dry face though and don't use soap . I use a simple cream everyday. I also found using an inexpensive vitamin c cream cleared some random pigmentation I had in my face. Im 38 almost 39 and my skin gets scaly without a moisturiser. I know what your saying though it's excessive and not necessity
I used to use a moisturizer that was about $130 for a little over 2 ounces. It's from a brand heavily pushed by a NYC derm who became an influencer. This cream caused me to develop dermatitis. I didn't even think about it as the cause. I thought I must just have really bad skin. I thought I was inherently flawed. Nope. It was the cream. So I switched to a plain one that I can get for less than $20 in a one pound tub. My skin is drastically better.
Anti-aging products are anti-women scams.
i have melasma, and it's the most difficult to get rid of. i've been using some products, but they're not making a difference (only in my pockets...). Any tips on how to deal with it without all the acids and sunscreen 2 to 3 times a day? i hate doing skin care. it takes up a lot of time and money. i'm lazy and poor. i've already decided i'll stop it after finishing the products i have right now.
I used to spend a lot of $ on expensive skin care products. Now I buy cheap products and avoid most. I will try the oatmeal water bc I'm sensitive to many things and sometimes trigger a reaction. But ever since I focused on cheap simple profits for basic moisture and skin protection I have wonderful skin and a low cost. I have sun damage in spite of using spf but it's necessary.