Hi everyone; I am wanting to reach out for some suggestions on what I did wrong and how to fix my blow up breakout. I recently changed up from an all natural skin routine, don’t judge me! I was taught this way. I used olive oil or a beeswax cleansing balm to remove makeup, and followed with a foaming cleanser when I was wearing a little more makeup, but often just made sure to rinse thoroughly. My skin usually wouldn’t get dry from the oil cleansing, and I rarely needed moisturizer other than sunscreen. I would use essential oils of tea tree and lavender for spot acne treatment , and had great skin… I have been learning more about skincare and have had some concerns with my routine as a lot of the natural products I was taught to use are not recommended by derms. I bought the banila Co clean it zero cleansing balm and foaming wash set, as well as the beauty of josean deep glow serum, cosrx’s aha whitehead toner, and Elemis marine hydration lotion. I would sandwhich tretinoin with lotion  2-3 times a week after applying the other products and letting them sit, as well as the AHA. I expected a little purging but I did not expect my complexion to be completely ruined within a month. 

After a month of persistently worsening breakouts I stopped and went back to using olive oil and beeswax to cleanse, and still am using the banila co foaming cleanser, but gave the cleansing balm away to my boyfriend because I wasn’t sure if the fragrance was an issue. I am still using the Deep Glow serum, and went down to weekly with the AHA, However I am still experiencing new breakouts every day, faster than the old ones can heal. 

I don’t want to have to use olive oil to wash my face , and only essential oils on my skin. Although clear, it definately had some issues with dullness and texture. I  want to be able to use skin care products to help my complexion and quality of my skin  without breaking out. The side photo is my skin now. The first photo is my skin before starting the new routine.  Any recommendations ?

Acne Explosion

How long is too long for a purging? How can you tell if you active ingredients are irritating your skin more than they are helping ? I started way too many actives at once and my skin went from okay to horrible so fast. I had an all natural skincare routine which was mostly homemade herbal products before hand which gave me good skin, but I had  some texture issues I was wanting to address. so I bought myself a cleansing balm and foaming wash from Banila Co, the CosRX AHA whitehead toner, the beauty of Joseon deep glow serum, and the elermis hydramarine cream. I would sandwhich tretinoin at night time with my moisturizer. I started noticing a breakout about a week in. I read online to be persistent and keep it up, but my skin is scarring really badly and at this point I don’t think it’s worth it to continue. Any tips on how to help with routine, consistency, or products to try to fix this mess? Should I continue? Should I stop some of the products and only do one at a time? Am I going to purge for every new product? Ahhhhh so much to learn

Purging SOS

I initially noticed some irritation when starting , although it went down over the course of the first few weeks after pacing out application to every other day. I currently use it daily. 

This product definately works as advertised, my lashes have grown significantly longer, fuller, and darker in the last month and a half of use. It looks like I’m wearing mascara after just curling my lashes and I have gotten a lot of compliments on my lashes since starting use. First picture is after, with no mascara. Second picture is before starting, with mascara. Third picture is two months after starting, with mascara 

Nothing bad to say , I love this staple contour stick ! 

Sooo smooth and bendable. I love how well it builds on top of other liquid or cream products. I own the Charolette Tillsbury cream bronzer, and this contour sticks buildability and blendability is honestly comparable. Great dupe drugstore product! 

Newbie mistake; I started way too many new actives at once and switched up my face wash at the same time after a skincare haul... This took my skin from doing well to a terrible, painful breakout. The one active I have kept in my routine is this serum. I have noticed no irritation or purging , and it has significantly helped minimize scarring from the breakout I’m still trying to get under control. 

I love how easily absorbed this serum is. The arbutin really helps reduce acne scarring and even out any redness in the complexion. This has been a saving grace for my acne prone skin. 

It may be contributing to my breakouts. I started too many new products at once to gauge it accurately, so I am eliminating various products to try to find the trigger and am not sure about this one. Possibly the fragrance ? 

Great foaming cleanser. Easy to rinse all the way off without feeling stripped or dry. Removes oil cleansers and balm cleansers fully. 

Nothing bad to say , honestly! Other than to note it is a silicone based product , so if you’re wearing a mineral makeup it may separate. Also make sure you let it set all the way before applying your base when using it as a primer ! 

I love this primer. It is a great base underneath  and over the top of makeup, and also creates a beautiful radiant glow on its own makeup free:)
Photos show how it creates a dewy affect on your skin with or without makeup! 

noxdomina