Tag: fungalacnesafeskincareroutine

UPDATED 2023 MORNING SKINCARE ROUTINE

Still dealing with my Cauter scars from last year’s treatment (see the post here)

Past one month after the treatment when I wrote this post, check out the improvement on my Cauter scars.

These are skincare products that I’ve been using to help with the scars after they completely dried. Products arranged by step by step, and FYI they’re all Fungal-Acne Safe.

  • GARNIER PURE ACTIVE MICELLAR CLEANSING WATER FOR OILY & ACNE PRONE SKINS: acts as first cleanser to wipe away all left over products and natural oil produced at night.
  • SAFI HYDRATING WATER CLEANSER: my new found with super affordable price, with satisfying foam when applied.
  • LA ROCHE-POSAY SEROZINC: acts as toner mist, wait to dry and move on to next product.
  • KIEHL’S CLEARLY CORRECTIVE DARK SPOT SOLUTION: new HG of mine, vitamin C serum that didn’t break me out.
  • VICHY MINERAL 89: you are definitely missing out if you haven’t tried this Hyaluronic Acid (HA) serum. 
  • KIEHL’S ULTRA FACIAL OIL-FREE GEL CREAM: love the feel and texture of this non HA moisturizer, I do recommend to find moisturizer without HA, if you’ve already used one in serum step.
  • SKIN AQUA UV SUPER MOISTURE GEL SPF 50+ PA++++: one of my HG sunscreen that never caused any breakout on my skin, and didn’t leave any marks (great for under makeup). 

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

[UPDATED] SUPER SIMPLE MORNING SKINCARE ROUTINE 

It has been awhile, so I thought I’m going to update y’all about my current skincare routine.

I found this routine to be super effective on my fungal-acne prone and hormonal/adult acne prone skin. Especially I live in always hot and summer weather, plus using mask during the pandemic. If you notice, I do skip moisturizer step, just because I try to avoid clogged pores under the mask. But as I always mentioned, skincare is personal, so what work for me might not work for you. 

Currently, I swear by these 4 products only:

1. Facial Cleanser: Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser
My all-time favorite, one of the best basic face wash for sensitive skin. Unlike many who skip face wash in the morning, I just can’t. I wore Retinol at night and it feels icky and oily when I wake up.

2. Exfoliant Toner: Gallinée Face Vinegar
It contains Lactic Acid, the gentlest member of AHA for sensitive skin. This toner will help to promote slightly more acidic environment on the skin, in order to make Vitamin C serum absorb better and work more effectively. If you dislike the vinegar scent, you won’t enjoy this.

3. Vitamin C Serum: Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power Serum
It’s fungal-acne safe, non-irritant, and by far the greatest vitamin C serum that I’ve ever tried. Expensive, but worth it.

4. Sunscreen: Missha Aqua Sun Gel Spf 50+ PA++++
I’ve been using Skin Aqua brand for ages, but currently trying something new just for a change. It looks like milky white lotion but when applied, it won’t leave any greasy feel or white cast. So far I’m loving it.

PHOTO: SHINTA ROSVITA

MORNING AFTER ADAPALENE & RETINOIC ACID

Apologies for such long hiatus. Writer’s block, LOL.

In this post, I’ll share you what I currently use for morning skincare routine after using Adapalene & Retinoic Acid at night.

FYI, Adapalene & Retinoic Acid are two prescription-strength creams that will definitely open our pores, but they won’t exfoliate them. We still need help from exfoliating actives like AHA or BHA, in the morning. You can choose only one active in one product (like toner only or serum only), but if your skin can stand it, go all the way from toner to serum.

  • CLEANSER/MORNING MASK: SEBAMED CLEAR FACE ANTI BACTERIAL CLEANSING FOAM
    Contains Montaline C40 that will zap acne bacterias and Panthenol. 
  • TONER: HADA LABO TAMAGOHADA MILD PEELING LOTION
    This contains Gluconic Acid 
  • SERUM: DUVADERM CLARIFYING SERUM
    This contains 0,5% Molecular BHA
  • MOISTURIZER: SEBAMED CLEAR FACE CARE GEL & KRAVE OAT SO SIMPLE WATER CREAM 
    As you know I’m on my 3 Step Moisture Method, that’s why I’m using double moisturizer after natural moisturizer which is water. Steer clear of any actives in the moisturizers’ ingredients lists.  
  • SUNSCREEN: SKIN AQUA UV SUPER MOISTURE GEL SPF 50+ PA++++
    It has been my HG because it didn’t trigger my Fungal Acne & Comedo. 

PHOTO: SHINTA ROSVITA

FUNGAL-ACNE SAFE GENTLE CLEANSER

Since using Adapalene & Retinoic Acid as a daily nighttime routine, I have been using gentle cleanser as my second cleanser for my PM routine.

Why gentle cleanser? I just don’t want to over-do my skin. I want to balance between the prescription-strength treatment and the actual skincare. Cleansers that are too harsh, might disrupt the skin’s barrier function. And I personally believe there’s no need to use second cleanser with actives, especially if we’re going to use actives in steps after cleansing, like toner and serum.

Scroll down for my favorites with each of its’ pros and cons ingredients.

DERMA365 GENTLE CLEANSER

PROS: Panthenol, Glycerin & Oat Kernel Flour
CONS: Triethanolamine (comedogenic)

VANICREAM GENTLE FACIAL CLEANSER

PROS: Water & Glycerin
CONS: None, seriously!

SIMPLE REFRESHING FACIAL WASH

PROS: Triple Purified Water & Panthenol
CONS: Tocopheryl Acetate (poorly absorbed by skin)

ST IVES SOOTHING DAILY FACIAL CLEANSER

PROS: Panthenol & Chamomile Flower Extract
CONS: Tocopheryl Acetate (poorly absorbed by skin)

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

HOW TO KEEP MY FUNGAL-ACNE PRONE SKIN WELL HYDRATED

This post was inspired by Olena Beley’s 3-step moisture method.

Let me explain my current #stayathome battle: clogged pores especially on chin and left cheek, less hormonal acne, and no fungal-acne attack.

For your information, I still try my best to stay away from non-safe for fungal acne skincare products, just because I know that yeast are still inside our lovely skin, waiting for the right time to strike again. So do acne bacteria. But the one that constantly evaporating from our skin is water. They call it TEWL, Transepidermal Water Loss. Just drinking water might not help for this situation. We all need moisturizer for our skin, not to put moisture into them, but to prevent them from evaporating moisture quickly. And Olena said, “Hydrated Skin is less prone to clogging”.

While I still do my other skincare routine, I inserted her 3-step moisture method. It is Water, Humectant, and Emollient. I really hope that if my skin is hydrated enough, maybe my clogged pores problem would be solved for good. Let see, while I will update you guys in a month time.

Here’s how I do it twice daily now (I literally just started, so mind me):

  • Start with water, because we shall never use moisturizer on a clean, dry skin. Instead of plain tap water (which I’m afraid our local water contains lots of unwanted chemicals), I prefer to wet my face after cleansing with Hydrating Toner. I use Abill First Starting Toner (which contains just 4 ingredients and totally feels like good water) that I pour inside a mist bottle, to make it spread nicely rather than just splashing. Making sure skin is only damp not dripping wet.
  • While still damp, apply humectant. Olena recommended Hyaluronic Acid or Sodium Hyaluronate (its’ salt). I use two pumps of Vichy Mineral 89, which contains Sodium Hyaluronate instead of plain HA (later on this matter, as I just found out that some people are reactive to HA).
  • Then quickly apply a pea sized only of emollients to seal the deal. Olena recommended ingredients like Capric Triglycerides or Squalane. Mine is Eau Thermale Avène Tolérance Extreme Emulsion, which contains those two (Capric and Squalane, how convenient).

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

POST FUNGAL-ACNE: THE MINIMAL SKINCARE ROUTINE

Obviously, before my first fungal-acne attacked in 2018, I didn’t even know which ingredients triggered them. But after the healing process, my whole skincare regimen has changed a lot. To give you a clearer idea, here’s my minimal skincare routine back in 2018.

Here’s my updated minimal skincare routine now, please note that these are during #stayathome periods (you’d be surprised, the more time I have the simpler the routine becomes).

MORNING:

CLEANSE: First thing that I apply in the morning, cotton pads soaked with warm water to wipe away oil residue and nighttime products. Then I cleanse with TATCHA THE DEEP CLEANSE, which I intend to finish before it expired. Luckily mine is a travel size ones.

TONE: I never skip toner, because I believe if I did, my pores will clog more. My current fave is EUCERIN DERMATOCLEAN CLARIFYING TONER, it’s not an exfo toner or hydrating ones, it’s a perfect daily toner that won’t irritate sensitive skin.

TREAT: I skip moisturizer in the morning, just because this #stayathome period. Instead, I do something that I rarely did back in the old days. AM Treatment! I dab on acne treatment and dark spot treatment on specific spots. My current faves: DERMA E VERY CLEAR SPOT TREATMENT (for pimples) and GOODAL GREEN TANGERINE VITA C DARK SPOT SERUM (for post acne marks). Both can be use on daytime, so I maximize this period to make sure pimples and dark spots are treated during daytime, too.

If I have to catch some sun in the morning (which I do lately every morning), this is my HG sunscreen: SKIN AQUA UV SUPER MOISTURE GEL SPF50+ PA++++. I admit it’s hard to find a new replacement for this. It’s not waterproof, so easy to clean with just micellar water (no need for balm or oil).

NIGHT:

CLEANSE: I will use BIODERMA SENSIBIO H2O to cleanse my leftover sunscreen and continue with PETER THOMAS ROTH IRISH MOOR MUD PURIFYING CLEANSING GEL. I use the cleansing gel with my FOREO LUNA3.

TONE: As lazy as I can be these days, I only use ALPHA H LIQUID GOLD, alternating with EUCERIN DERMATOCLEAN CLARIFYING TONER.

SERUM: On my non-exfo days, I apply GLOSSIER SUPER PURE SERUM.

TREATMENT: I apply DRUNK ELEPHANT A PASSIONI RETINOL CREAM twice a week, topped with DRUNK ELEPHANT T.L.C FRAMBOOS GLYCOLIC NIGHT SERUM. I love this combination for my never ending clogged pores problem.

HYDRATE: Last step for PM routine is to hydrate, with my old time favorite, VICHY MINERAL 89 – SKIN FORTIFYING DAILY BOOSTER. I love this because it’s gel, absorbs easily and feels so light on skin.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

REVIEW: AMORE PACIFIC VINTAGE SINGLE EXTRACT ESSENCE

To cut the post short, I’ve been looking for skincare with green tea.

Why? Because it’s rich in EGCG (that’s Epigallocatechin Gallate), that research has shown can improve acne and oily skin. As I’ve been dealing with never ending hormonal acne, thanks to my fluctuating androgen levels, I need EGCG’s help. Not only that, EGCG is also a great anti-aging oxidant which helps fight wrinkles by increasing cell turnover.

Then, my googling journey came to this product. An expensive product for a bottle of essence. What made them so bloody expensive? Well, it carefully utilizes green tea cultivated from the Dolsongi Green Tea Garden, the first of the three garden tea gardens that the company owns and operates on Jeju Island, off the South Coast of Korea. The green tea leaves are handpicked and naturally fermented in optimal condition for 50 days, then transferred by tea masters and placed into this traditional Korean earthware band buried in the earth, to age naturally for another 50 days.

So yes, it needs 100 days of waiting and another 24 hours slow extraction process to make this worthy essence. But, does it worth my splurge (btw, it costs me IDR1,5 mio for 120ml bottle).

From skincarisma.com

Rejoice for those who love minimal ingredients. It only consists of 6 ingredients: Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (aka the green tea), 1,2-Hexanediol and Ethylhexylglycerin. And yes, this product is also vegan.

As the name stated, it is an essence, so it goes straight after toner. I use this twice a day, morning and night by pouring three drops on the palm of my hand and pat. If you’ve been reading my post, you know I still believe in essence step, as it will help skin to absorb serum and moisturizer more effectively.

So how did it perform on my skin?

BEFORE USING THE ESSENCE
AFTER USING THE ESSENCE

Well, I can see a huge difference when I applied this on night time. When I woke up in the morning, I saw less oil on my face. And if big painful zits, especially on chin area started to appear, this will lessen the red appearance. I believe, it also brighten my skin tone.

Texture: very watery with no scent. It looks more like a black tea essence, even though it’s supposed to be green tea.

Is it safe for Fungal Acne? Yes, even though it comes from fermented green tea.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA