AM
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
E.L.F. Vitamin C + E + Ferulic
CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion
PM
Alternate between
Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
and
The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane
A community for transfeminine people and experiences.
This is a supportive community for all transfeminine or questioning people. Anyone is welcome to participate in this community but disrupting the safety of this space for trans feminine people is unacceptable and will result in moderator action.
Debate surrounding transgender rights or acceptance will result in an immediate ban.
This community is supportive of DIY HRT. Unsolicited medical advice or caution being given to people on DIY will result in moderator action.
Posters may express that they are looking for responses and support from groups with certain experiences (eg. trans people, trans people with supportive parents, trans parents.). Please respect those requests and be mindful that your experience may differ from others here.
Some helpful links:
Support Hotlines:
AM
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
E.L.F. Vitamin C + E + Ferulic
CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion
PM
Alternate between
Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
and
The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane
(yes, this has differences)
(days I have off and want to do a little extra)
I wash my hair once every 3-4 days (so twice a week). At night, I put my hair in a bun to preserve it, and since I shower in the "morning" (for me), I'll leave it in the bun and put a shower cap on. I have somewhere between 1B and 1C hair (medium-high density) with a wolf cut, for reference
And that's my routine! It looks very complicated, I'm sure, but I have it all down to a science at this point. Everything is routine, and I organize my products so I know which one to do next without having to think abt it. Everything has its place! My skin loves me for how I treat it, so I'm happy to go through every step in my routine. It feels so good to do skincare, bc it really is "me time". I'm doing so much just to treat myself well, and it works! I've had problems with cystic acne for years (especially on my body and neck), but at least since starting my face routine, my face doesn't really get breakouts anymore (unless I miss some makeup lol)! I may add a body serum to my repertoire at some point soon and see if that helps.
Anyways, hope u found this helpful! It's a lot, but I love my routine!
Great info! Thanks for this. Out of curiosity would you be able to give an estimate of how much buying all of those products would cost and approximately how long they last you?
Um, unfortunately I can't comment on exactly how long things last. My memory isn't good enough to remember how long anything lasts me lol. The serums last a long time for me, and the toner (at least the glycolic acid toner) lasts suuuuper long (esp in the larger size). Oh, and I need to stress this: what works for me may not work for u. I have gradually added things to my routine specifically tailored to my needs, which are likely somewhat different to urs.
How abt this? I'll list the everything by my subjective "affordability":
Hope this helps a little bit! I'm afraid I really don't know how long most of these things last, so it's hard for me to comment on that lol.
This is great info! Thanks so much for all the effort typing it out!!
Nothing at all! It kinda shows :)
I let perfect be the enemy of good for way too long, but now I have a simple routine that works for me.
Daily AM/PM
1-2 times / week
Oh I just upped my routine!
Every morning: Nivea Skin Clear in shower Anua serum (niacinamide) Revitalift (low dose retinol cream) Beauty of Joseon SPF50+ (just a moisturizer with high SPF)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday evenings micellar water (just to get the blech off) Creightons BHA lotion (salicylic acid for blackheads, a bit higher concentration to stay on over night). Revitalift (low dose retinol cream) A cheap Nivea facial lotion (something less sticky for bed)
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday evenings micellar water (just to get the blech off) Revitalift (same thing again, you get the picture) A cheap Nivea face lotion (something less sticky for bed)
And then Sunday evening is kind of a rest day for my skin so I just lightly scrub with water.
I have NEVER been good about skincare. I used to live in a sunny place on a sailboat and basically my skincare exclusively revolved around wearing a wide-brim hat and shorts, so I'm doing a bit of catching up. 😅
AM:
PM
Body moisturizer - La Roche-Posay Lipikar Urea 10% (this will make your skin suuuper soft)
I was using prescription Tretinoin and Azelaic acid in place of my different exfoliator serums for awhile, but I didn't like how angry my skin was getting everytime I had to pause for different things like laser hair removal or microneedling. I'll eventually go back to them once I finish my laser and microneedling sessions!
I wear my skin and use it to keep my organs inside. I don’t wear makeup and only add an aftershave lotion. I still look a little youthful at forty.
bar soap is probably too harsh, I would swap for a gentle cleanser designed to be used on the face
for smooth skin, you might try occasionally using exfoliating face washes (don't use them too frequently; I find salicylic acid face cleansers are usually more exfoliating and might work for this purpose) and use a wash cloth when exfoliating to help physically remove the outer layers of dead skin and reveal the soft younger skin underneath
remember to use sunscreen every day (there is special sunscreen formulated for the face, look for "cosmetic sunscreen")
Face: scrub (am; I shower in the evening), toner, moisturizer. Occasionally exfoliate when I remember. Moisturizing cream before bed.
Body: moisturizing milk if it's dry. Epilator once a week or so.
Nails: always painted. I like OPI and Nail Holic. I use a cuticle tool to keep things tidy.
Hair (curly: it tends to form ringlets): shea moisture shampoo and conditioner then hair mask, twice a week. Prefer to air dry, otherwise I use a diffuser. Styling water spray in the morning with a very coarse comb. Don't usually bother to put it up at night. Sometimes leave-in conditioner, hair milk or oil when I feel like it.