December 9, 2019

Skincare Update + what not to use on your face

I didn't know what else to title this. I've done a ton of skincare posts. They're still pretty valid. But I think our skin changes a lot, so getting attached to one particular product or routine isn't always best in the long run.

My first dermatology post is here.

After 3 months, I went back for a check-up.

Good news?

It all works!

You can see in the pictures that I have a dry spot near my chin, but my chin has always been my problem area.



I have very little make-up on; just a brush of powder, really. It's also painfully obviously that I need to find a good eye cream and need to add some lip color into my regular rotation, not just when I'm going to see people outside of my house. 

Also, just now realizing that my forehead is covered in these pictures but there's nothing there to cover up. It was just super windy on this day. 

Also good news: Our insurance PAYS for this. I'll list my co-pays for the products below.

I don't have to go back until September now (which I won't, but hopefully I'll find a doctor in our next location).

Bad news?

I do have a little bit of dryness so I need to start spot-treating with moisturizer.

Which isn't really bad news, I suppose, but is just annoying.

Here is what I was told to use:






1. The wash is at night ($9)
2. In the morning ($9)
3. At night ($11)

I don't use anything else because the wash is enough to get any face makeup off. You leave it on for 30 seconds and, for real, if it stays on much longer, it starts to burn. Nice to know it works, right?

I use Eucerin moisturizer for eczema as a spot-treatment as needed
And I still use my caffeine-based eye cream. That's just what I picked up when I ran out of my RF eye cream because I was tired of looking tired in the throes of bad baby sleep over the summer.

The only question I really had for the doctor was what kind of moisturizer to use. I mentioned that I had used CeraVe moisturizer with sunscreen over the summer and it'd make me breakout worse than usual. He said that was definitely the sunscreen component and not to use sunscreen on your face unless you have to.

A dermatologist told me you generally should not use sunscreen on your face.

That goes against everything we hear, right? Every beauty blogger/MLM beauty product salesperson starts with a layer of moisturizer + sunscreen.

He said the chance of irritation and breakouts is so high for most people that it's not worth it. Unless you're actually going to be outside in the summer, it's definitely not an everyday product.

When I asked about this initially, he said Are you worried about sun exposure...? In Pittsburgh? In the winter? He asked if I was going to be traveling to a sunny place in the near future LOL.

And I realized how ridiculous I sounded. If I'd been having this conversation with a dermatologist in Colorado Springs, the answer would've been different. Sometimes I forget where I am.

After all, I took this picture out of the exam room window: we're in for 6-7 days a week of THIS until April...



He said maybe if I were going skiiing. Then I could use sunscreen on my face.

So anyway. There you are. If you are in a northern climate, in the winter, and not spending long periods of time outside daily, don't use a moisturizer with sunscreen.

That was the most valuable thing I've heard from a professional since we've been here.

3 comments:

  1. That's interesting. I've always wondered that because I am cheap & see that the night cream doesnt have sun screen & I thought, who can stop me from wearing it in the day too? Now I know I can.

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  2. That does make a lot of sense, though. I think climate affects our skin more than we realize. Living so close to the equator in a very sunny climate, I figure I probably need sunscreen a little more...but even at that I don't actually have a facial moisturizer with sunscreen at the moment. But I haven't gone outside much lately, anyways. My skin seems to appreciate it when I keep things simple.

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  3. I'm in the Midwest but winter lasts from November-April most of the time so I think I could probably get away without wearing sunscreen moisturizer. I use that same clindamycin gel too but my co-pay is FIFTY DOLLARS. I want to cry every time I have to refill it (btw, it's $50 for three of those small bottles- they don't offer any other option). Insurance is a scam!

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