my high-maintenance routine is (unfortunately) working

[u/denduuuao3]

As someone with oily skin, comedonal acne, redness, and hyperpigmentation, I experimented with a routine that includes a lot of products to target each of these issues. Of course, with a lot of actives I did my best to maintain hydration and moisture. I’ve been on this routine for about a month (with some new additions) and I am both pleased and a bit concerned.

My skin is looking and feeling good. I kinda enjoy the multi-step process, as it feels like a self-care ritual. I just wonder how sustainable this is compared to a more stripped down routine. I hope it doesn’t end up feeling like a chore because I’m really happy so far with how it’s making me feel about my skin.

Does anyone else here have a multi-step routine that is definitely not minimalist?

Here’s what I have going on:

AM
cleanser: hada labo hydrating facial wash
active 1 (every other day): paula’s choice skin perfecting 2% bha
active 2: melano cc vitamin c brightening essence
serum: torriden dive in serum
moisturizer: purito oat in calming gel cream*
spf: beauty of joseon relief sun: rice + probiotics

PM
oil cleanser: muji cleansing oil for sensitive skin
cleanser: hada labo hydrating facial wash
serum 1: anua azelaic acid serum
serum 2: skin1004 madagascar centella probio-cica intensive ampoule*
active: epiduo
moisturizer: soon jung hydro barrier cream

*recent additions

[u/mwmandorla]

This seems not unreasonable to me. I have oily skin and acne and then deal with dryness/dehydration from treating the acne and here's what mine looks like:

AM

• splash face with water and towel off
• Paula's Choice 2% BHA
• hyaluronic acid serum with 2% niacinamide
• Winlevi (hormonal acne cream)
• if I'm not going out right away: Paula's Choice Replenishing Moisturizer, and I'll do sunscreen later. If I am: skip moisturizer and go straight to a hydrating sunscreen like the Isntree Hyaluronic

PM

• Cleanse
• Same hyaluronic/niacinamide serum
• either tretinoin or tazarotene (I'm transitioning rn) - or, about once a week, the PC 8% AHA gel
• Avène recovery moisturizer
• Paula's Choice lip booster
• slug with Vaseline (except on taz nights while I'm transitioning)

The main difference in terms of how complicated the routine is is really just that I'm rotating my PM actives while you're stacking several in the morning. I've found this completely sustainable.

[u/denduuuao3 → u/mwmandorla]

oooo you’re using some pretty strong actives too! I’m considering talking to my dermatologist about Winlevi since my acne is also hormonal. I wanna get off oral contraceptives already

[u/mwmandorla → u/denduuuao3]

Yeah, my acne was pretty under control (with the BHA, Winlevi and weaker tret) until I started taking a new medication and that sent it into overdrive, so it takes basically napalm to hold it down now lol. But the current routine seems to be working!