Recently, I’ve been seeing so many posts about skincare and I’m not sure if it’s due to the fact that we are all at home and have more time on our hands or if it’s becoming a “fad.”

With the rise of the skincare and the beauty industry, it’s hard to know what products are good for you, which products are budget-friendly that still remain high quality, and which products are actually hurting your skin. Especially on Tik Tok, I’ve seen so many dermatologists “calling out” users for using products that actually hurt your skin.

So how do we know what products are fads, that could hurt our skin, or fundamental and help our skin? Well, the simple answer is researching and reading reviews of products before you buy them. You can also see what products are recommended by dermatologists or if you see a dermatologist, ask them before purchasing.

Over the years, my skincare routine has changed with my skin. My skin from the time I was a kid up until recently, was fairly normal and I rarely had acne.

Recently, my skin has become very oily and my chin is covered with acne. After some research, I found out the acne was from several things. First, my diet was not very balanced and I was lacking “good” gut bacteria. Second, I was working out daily, but not washing my face directly after the workout to get all the sweat and dirt out of my pores.

After doing more research, I found a good probiotic to help my gut and a skincare brand that is made specifically for athletes. In the past month, I have seen my skin completely transform. My mom even asked me if I had something done to my skin because it looked so “glowy.”

This is my current skincare routine:

• Morning Routine
  1. Wash face with Athia’s daily facial cleanser
  2. Blot acne areas with Clearasil Salicylic Acid Stubborn Acne Control pads
  3. Apply Olay Eyes Ultimate Eye Cream for Dark Circles and Wrinkles under eyes
  4. Pat on L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum
  5. Moisturize with Athia’s Hylauronic and Vitamin C Daily moisturizer
• Night Routine
  1. Remove all makeup and dirt with Micellar Cleansing Water from Garnier
  2. Wash face with Biore Charcoal Acne Scrub depending on breakouts
  3. Follow steps 1-4 from the morning routine
  4. Apply Athia’s Retinol Night Cream
• After workouts, if I don’t have time to wash my face
  • I spritz my face with Athia’s Post Workout Spray
    • I also use this throughout the day every now in then when my skin needs a “refresher”

*I am not paid to promote these products (I wish I was). These are products that have helped my skin so much and wanted to share the information.*

What sparked my interest in skincare?

I grew up thinking that I didn’t need to do all the “extra” cleansing and moisturizing until I was older and started to see wrinkles. However, my whole mindset around skincare changed, after speaking to an elderly woman when volunteering at a nursing home.

A few friends and I were spending time with one group of women in the home, when one of my friends asked, “if you could give us one piece of advice to use for the rest of our lives, what would it be?” And to no surprise, one lady said, “don’t get married to a man named Paul.” We all chuckled and other ladies gave their advice. But the one piece of advice that really stuck with me was “take care of your body, especially your skin starting now. You only get one layer of skin and once you harm it, you can’t go back and fix it. You’ll thank yourself when you’re 50.” That evening I went home and thought about everything the women had told us. I researched the best affordable, skincare products, and routines. I never thought about my skin that way before.