Skincare order help please & exfoliator

[NauseousNancy]

I need help 🤣

I got some new products for Christmas. I got:

la Roche posay micellar water
ditto effaclar purifying gel cleanser
ditto sensitive fluide
revolution 12.5% vit c serum

i also have some skin & me needing used.

what order to I use them in? Do I use them all morning and night?

do I need anything else? My skin sometimes feels like it needs a good scrub but I read they aren’t really the thing to do anymore?

Micellar water to take off any makeup before using the gel cleanser.

Use the Vitamin C serum before the moisturiser.

If you don’t have particularly sensitive skin, you can use vitamin C both morning and night. Depending on what you were prescribed for Skin + Me, you may be able to use them together. Retinol and Vitamin C are fine used in the same routine.

Thank you!

skin and me is Tretinoin, niacinamide, azelic acid.

where would I add it in?

What's your skin type and what are you wanting/need from the routine? That combo would really dry my skin out and not be anywhere near hydrating enough to get the glow I'm generally after, but I have dry skin that's also blemish prone.

If you're just using up the Skin & me and aren't continuing with it then I'd just not bother. There won't be any significant short term benefits from it over the course of a few weeks, it needs to be used over time for best/visible results.

If you're using Skin and me with Tret long term then I'd use the vitamin C serum in the mornings before moisturiser or skip the Skin& me a couple of nights a week and substitute in the vitamin C serum followed by moisturiser. You can moisturise before and after using the skin and me doser if you need to.

If that's all you're using then I'd use the micellar to remove eye makeup (if it didn't sting), followed by the cleanser, serum and moisturiser.

I'd consider double cleansing with a balm cleanser followed by the gel as the second cleanse, remove gently with a flannel for some light exfoliation, after that serums, moisturiser followed by a good SPF for the daytime (which really should be in rotation if you are using Tretinoin).

I have quite a bit of skin and me - I forgot to cancel the subscription but haven’t been using it so have at least 4 months! Can reactivate after this.

i have quite combination skin. Blemish prone, but can get dry patches around my eyebrows, randomly my eye lids as well. Already starting to notice this creeping back. I’m looking for blemish reduction - I mostly get these on my chin. Also, blackhead reduction and pore reduction - have visible pores on chin and around my mouth.

I have a spf as well will make sure I add in. Where does it go in the routine in the morning?

what do you recommend for the balm cleanser?

Make sure to rinse the micellar water off after you use it.

I think Superdrug do a good balm cleanser. Or The Body Shop. Or The Inkey List oat cleanser is supposed to be good too.

I would stick to using your Vit C in the morning and just try to get a good consistent routine going of cleansing in the morning and then using your Vit C plus a moisturiser and then your SPF every day. At night double cleanse and use your Skin and Me. I’d start using that 3 nights a week initially to get your skin used to it. I would also moisturise at night after the skin and me. Wait a bit after applying your Skin and Me and then moisturise. CeraVe is a nice moisturiser to use after tret.

Exfoliation will help your skin but don’t overdo it. Two or three times a week is generally enough for most people. If you want a physical scrub then Paula’s Choice do one that isn’t too harsh as it’s made of jojoba beads. There are lots of liquid exfoliators too. Pixi Glow Tonic is one.

My skin is quite sensitive so I have found that a routine a night of alternating products is best for me. So one night retinol, next night just hydrate, next night exfoliate, next night hydrate and repeat the routine. Maybe try something like that for a month or so and see how your skin is.