put this on your face: vaseline!
2020 has taken many things from us, but it gave us one thing: a windfall of time to dedicate to the care and keeping of our skin. as for me? i tried re-embarking on the tretinoin journey in march, which quickly devolved into the maskne from hell, forcing me to come to terms with having sensitive skin. for the rest of the summer, i babied my face: no actives (retinoids, acids, vit c, etc.), no makeup, only soothing & moisturizing. once fall rolled around and my face was FINALLY ready for actives again, i added a BHA serum every evening to treat breakouts.
now that winter is looming, i’m keen on the retinol adventure again, but i have a new-to-me adventure in mind: slugging, for the purpose of keeping the retinol uglies at bay. admittedly, i was duly influenced by a resurgence of social media posts + internet articles about, well, smearing vaseline all over your face. to me, this didn’t seem like big news - i’d heard about this old-school beauty tip many times before, but simply never tried it. (ed. note to acknowledge that Black women have been doing this for decades!)
vaseline is occlusive, which means it prevents moisture from evaporating off your skin, keeping your precious serums and actives and creams locked in tight! this helps your moisturizer be more effective, but be wary - it also makes actives more effective, so start low & slow: a low concentration (or the % you are already acclimated to), every few days, working your way up slowly.
i have given the routine two weeks so far, but i swore my skin already looked better after the first night. continued below: the full routine!
starting at top right, going clockwise:
double cleanse | farmacy green clean makeup removing balm, $34, farmacybeauty.com; fresh soy face cleanser, $38, fresh.com.
you can just as easily use pond’s cold cream & cerave hydrating wash for this step! i upgraded my cleansers this year because i wanted to treat myself, and i am hooked on these two. green clean removes makeup & leaves my skin soft, and the soy face cleanser is super gentle. (i use the soy face cleanser alone in the AM)
tonic + essence | wldkat ginger + kombucha bubbling skin tonic, $24, wldkat.com; missha time revolution essence, $54, misshaus.com.
this wldkat tonic is the bomb. no, i don’t feel the “bubbling,” but it is delightful nonetheless. it is a calming, hydrating tonic with CBD + kombucha that leaves my skin bouncy and plump. if i want a little extra moisture, i will layer on the missha essence as well.
serum | “buffet” by the ordinary, $14.8, theordinary.deciem.com, collagen booster by the inkey list, $10.99, sephora.com.
in my search to replace a tragically-discontinued peter thomas roth serum, i have tried these two. “buffet” has the most similar ingredient list, but finishes a bit sticky for daytime wear. the inkey list collagen boost wins here, thanks to its silky texture!
moisturizer | first aid beauty ultra repair face moisturizer, $26, sephora.com.
the simplest, no-fuss, effective moisturizer. my skin loves this company. this is the point where my morning routine would end, but onward we go! the slug awaits!
retinoid | olay regenerist retinol24 cream, $38, olay.com; the ordinary granactive retinoid 2% emulsion, $9.80, theordinary.deciem.com.
tyler uses the olay, so i might as well use it while i’m waiting on my favorite retinol from the ordinary to come in. plus, i figured a drugstore retinol would likely be a gentle formulation. it has a really lovely feel to it, and while i have experienced some purging in the normal areas, i haven’t experienced any irritation - in fact, my skin is quite calm!
cream | first aid beauty ultra repair cream intense hydration, $34, sephora.com; ursa major golden hour recovery cream, $48, clubduquette.co.
the yummy, heavy duty emollient stuff. you could stop here and get good results! but we don’t just want good. visions of glossy-skinned selfies dance in our heads. WE WANT THE SLUG.
the slug | VASELINE. yep, the vaguely-yellow tub with the navy lid, with the label that declares “150 years of vaseline!” poor thing, a milestone bday in quarantine. spread it on thick - don’t fret, it’s non-comedogenic - and then assume your best shavasana pose. (maybe take a few glossy-faced selfies, yourself!) when you wake, enjoy the glow!
yours in shininess,
jess
✨
I. am. so. here. for. this. --- also. I need a tutorial. HALP