My Family’s Skin Care Secret Weapon
As promised: my epic skin care post!
First: a quick sunscreen update: despite my previous post, I find I’m still reaching for the Paula’s Choice Resist Cellular Defense most mornings. I just like it so much more than anything else I’ve tried. I do choose the PC Skin Recovery kind if I’m going to spend a lot of time outdoors, since I feel better protected with its combination of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. And I tested (on my arms only, not face) samples of the Biore Watery Essence and Biore Watery Gel I talked about in that post. Honestly, I can’t tell much difference between them. They both have a pleasant citrusy scent which fades quickly after application. They offer excellent UVA and UVB protection, but they do contain quite a bit of alcohol and that tends to dry me out. Plus they’re chemical sunscreens, not physical. I guess the bottom line is, they don’t check enough of my boxes. I can see keeping them around for arms and legs, though.
Other people gave lots of good recommendations in the comments of last month’s post, so if you’re hunting, check them out.
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I’ve learned a lot about skin care in the past few months. Several members of my family suffer from an extreme dry skin condition. It isn’t eczema; it isn’t psoriasis; it’s a diagnosed condition with a long name, and what it means is: their skin doesn’t produce enough oil and is seriously, even painfully dry. Many doctors have recommended treatments over the years. Nothing worked. Neither did natural remedies such as coconut oil. If you’re tempted to suggest it, odds are that we tried it. It has been a long and frustrating journey.
But suddenly, things have changed. Like: massively changed. What happened is: during my sunscreen research, I got sucked into the fascinating world of Asian Beauty forums, and I. have. learned. so. much. While Western cosmetic science focuses on makeup, Korea and Japan tend to put their research funding toward skin. Conventional wisdom says Korean skin science is about ten years ahead of American.
As a result of my skin-science reading binge, the most game-changing element for me was the realization that the various products our pediatricians have recommended over the years might have worked if we’d known to layer them. Frankly, I’m a little frustrated with the dermatology department at our local children’s hospital. One year: “Use this!” The next appointment: “Hmm, okay try this instead.” “Still no better? Honestly, we’re stumped.” (That is a paraphrase but just barely.)
I’ll skip the narrative and cut to the point: I realized that we needed not one treatment but a variety of them, in layers, used consistently.
- A gentle chemical exfoliant to remove dead skin cells;
- A humectant to hydrate the skin (and this is where our newly embraced secret weapon comes in; see below);
- A moisturizer containing lipids and ceramides to restore oil to the skin (just as Step 2 restores water); and
- An emollient to seal in all this nourishing oil and water (when weather permits).
If you’re at all familiar with the Korean approach to skin care, you know that layering is a key aspect: combining different products that do different jobs. This can involve many, many steps (and products), or just a few. The basic elements are: cleansing; actives (such as the chemical exfoliants I mentioned in our Step 1; more on that in a minute); toners and essences; serums and ampoules; moisturizers; sunscreen. For a more thorough explanation, see this post by Tracy of Fanserviced-B. What I’m talking about in this post is a subset of the above—you’ll note that the Very Important cleansing and sunscreen steps are not included in my little list up there.
My steps 1-4 up there refer specifically to treating my kids’ super-dry arms and legs. Their skin needs oil, and it needs water. For years, we have tried doggedly to make that happen from within, through diet—and, as I said, from without, via the treatments our doctors have recommended over the years. But trust me when I say that nothing made much difference. Dry, prickly, bumpy skin that stung in hot weather.
But now, just as summer rolls in (note: I started this post a month ago!), it’s gone. It’s healing. It’s comfortable skin. I’m overjoyed for them.
Step 1. Exfoliate.
Physical exfoliants are things like scrubs and pastes. The gritty elements may be sugar, salt, microbeads (ugh), or ground up husks of various sorts. Most scrubs are too harsh for my kids’ delicate skin (and too harsh for your face too, so be cautious). However, a gentle sugar scrub can be useful if you have a lot of hard, dead skin to slough off. You can make one with olive or coconut oil and sugar. (Some people find coconut oil irritates their skin, so patch test your recipes.)
Chemical exfoliants use gentle acids such as lactic acid and glycolic acid (AHAs) or salicylic acid (BHA) to break down and remove dead skin. Many facial products contain these alpha hydroxy acids or beta hydroxy acids as well. For example, the well known Stridex pads in the red box contain BHA. Your favorite foot cream may well contain an AHA.
(I rewatched Mean Girls recently and got a big laugh out of the scene when Cady and Janice spike evil Regina’s face cream with foot lotion. Their secret plan to wreck her complexion comes to naught—possibly because the AHA in that foot lotion would actually be great for Regina’s face.)
(Peppermint, though. Not great on the face.)
For years (on and off), I have used a 5% AHA treatment from Paula’s Choice for exfoliating my face. I love this product. Quite gentle but very effective. I find that every-other-day usage is the right amount for my skin; more than that and I start to show the telltale signs of overexfoliation: red, tight, shiny skin (for me it’s always right beside my nose). I learned quickly to pace it correctly. Other people have good effects with daily usage and even stronger percentages of AHA.
*Note on Paula’s Choice links: these are not affiliate links, but if you are a first-time customer, you can use my Refer-a-Friend code and both of us will get a $10 reward coupon. Amazon links in this post are affiliate links.
Another reason the Mean Girls foot lotion made me smile was because a certain brand of foot lotion was one of the products urged upon us by a dermatologist some years back. If that doctor had encouraged us to follow it with the darn-near miracle product coming in Step 2, and then to follow that with a good moisturizer, we might have gotten somewhere. But nope. But that foot lotion did contain an AHA which helped with exfoliation.
Another oft-recommended treatment was Amlactin. As the name suggests, it contains lactic acid—one of the gentlest AHAs. The kids always said it stung and they dreaded having to put it on. Again, I now believe that was due in part to its being used solo. Steps 2-4 would have helped enormously.
For my kids’ dry skin, what I’m using now for Step 1 is (on alternate nights):
Paula’s Choice Resist 10% AHA Body Lotion
Cerave Skin Renewing Lotion with BHA
Eventually we will cut this down to a single exfoliant product, probably the Cerave because it’s more affordable and I love the formulation. Lots of ceramides to repair the skin barrier. Also, the Paula’s Choice AHA smells a wee bit vinegary. (Common for AHA products. The 5% face stuff above smells more like citrus than vinegar to me and I don’t mind it at all.)
Step 2: Hydrate.
Hada Labo Rohto Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Lotion.
Hyaluronic acid is the bomb, you guys. You’ll find it in a number of creams and lotions, and Paula’s Choice even sells it as a booster serum that you can add to your favorite product.
The Asian beauty forums are filled with paeans to the Hada Labo lotion, and for good reason. This is an affordable product ($12 on Amazon Prime) that hydrates like nothing I’ve ever seen. A little goes a long way, so a bottle lasts a long time. The consistency is not what Americans typically consider lotion—it’s thin and slippery, like a really really watery serum. Sort of. I squeeze a few drops, no more, into my hand and it slides on like water. Delicious. It leaves your skin feeling a tiny bit sticky at first and then soaks in, leaving you nice and smooth.
My kids’ dry skin LOVES this stuff. We now have bottles in each bathroom and apply it immediately after showers. And again at night after the exfoliating lotions, before moisturizing.
Game. Changer.
(Worth noting: there is a “Premium” version of this lotion which is supposed to be even more hydrating. We haven’t tried it yet. Hada Labo also sells a “Shirojyun” lotion which contains arbutin for brightening—which is often described as “whitening” (ugh) on Korean skin care products (although it’s about improving skin tone, not bleaching skin—perish the thought). Arbutin freaks me out, so if you’re wanting the hydrating product, be sure to look for Gokujyun, not Shirojyun.)
(Another note: I like to use a couple drops of Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion on my face in the morning mixed with two drops of Vitamin C booster as a nourishing serum to follow my hydrating toner—but that takes us into my personal skin care routine, which is a WHOLE OTHER SUBJECT. A subject with layers. Many layers. And weird stuff like snail mucin (I know, I know) and propolis. Not to mention sheet masks. I do love me some skin care!)
Step 3: Moisturize.
This step is all about lipids and rich, nourishing ingredients. And I mean, this is the step I’ve excelled at, all these years. Hail to the rich, thick moisturizer! Aveeno oatmeal lotion was recommended to us early on, and it is excellent stuff; it was our family staple for many years. It just wasn’t enough alone.
Cerave sells a thinner, pump-lotion version of this product as well, which some people prefer because sticking fingers into a tub can be unsanitary. Other folks use a cosmetic spatula instead of dipping fingers. I’ll admit that we are not that fastidious here. We just make sure to wash our hands before dipping in. (You can also find the tub with a pump on it, but I haven’t tried that.)
Step 4: Seal in all the goodness.
These four steps got us to a comfortable place. I think they can cut back on the exfoliants now, going to a few times a week. Steps 2 and 3 are the long-term workhorses. We’ll resume Step 4 when the weather turns again, as needed.
Doctors are great, seriously
Modern medicine has saved the lives of more than one of my children. I don’t mean to drag on doctors, not at all. But I’ve been navigating the system for twenty years now, and, well, sometimes I’ve had to find solutions outside it. If all the different treatments recommended by my kids’ dermatologists over the years had been bundled together (along with a bottle of Hada Labo), we’d have arrived at the Land of Happy Skin much, much sooner. I’m just glad we’re there now.
Related: my ongoing sunscreen saga
Cate says:
I use and love many of the above. Let me also recommend YuBe for the moisturizing element. There is a less expensive knock off I’ve just discovered called yuskinA which is almost the same as yube, but a little thinner consistency. This stuff is great for hands…we all chap easily and this cream/ointment soaks in immediately, isn’t slippery, and just feels like great skin. I get it on amazon.
On July 27, 2016 at 6:05 pm
Jennifer says:
I have never heard of Cerave Healing Ointment. We use the cream on Nina’s eczema but it’s still horrible and keeps her up itching all night. Off to order. Thank you!
On July 28, 2016 at 5:20 am
Melissa Wiley says:
Poor Nina!! The healing ointment claims to not be greasy but we have found that in hot weather it kind of melts on the surface of the skin and takes a while to soak in. I used it as Step 4 on the kids in May and June but we laid off it in July after the temperature soared.
On July 28, 2016 at 8:38 am
Emily says:
I love this! I’m a skincare freak–because, I’m pale, and I’m on a lot of meds that make me photosensitive. So I am always on the lookout for new skin care ideas.
The layering thing is definitely true. I just tried it for the first time with a bunch of masks on my face, and holy cow, what a difference.
On July 28, 2016 at 5:28 am
Sarah says:
I was wondering if you wait after applying an exfoliator before putting on the lotions? Some of the Asian beauty blogs that I have read say that you need to wait 15-20 minutes before moving on to the next step after applying Vitamin C or an exfoliant.
On July 28, 2016 at 8:21 am
Melissa Wiley says:
Sarah, yes, I’ve read that about wait times too. It has to do with pH balance, I believe? The Paula’s Choice folks claim their products don’t require wait times, but I usually do wait 10-15 minutes after applying the AHA 5% on my face. And I use it at night only (every other night), and Vit C in the morning only.
For the kids, I don’t wait between the exfoliant and hydrating steps. We’ve had fine results and I figure limbs aren’t as fussy as faces. 🙂
On July 28, 2016 at 8:31 am
Jennifer Gregory Miller says:
My husband has icthyosis vulgaris and cannot produce his own moisture. His skin gets painful and cracking, especially in dry winter months. Lac-hydrin (Amlactin) is what he uses, but not for his face. I have trouble getting him to have a program for his face.
My sons also have eczema, so this post is appreciated!
On July 28, 2016 at 2:26 pm
Melissa Wiley says:
Jennifer, that’s closely related to what my kids have. Amlactin alone didn’t do anything for them. I think I could use it now in place of the PC Resist AHA lotion but they would still need the humectant (Hada Labo lotion) + moisturizer (Cerave in the tub) steps. (Other products would work for those steps, but those are the best two I’ve found. I don’t know anything that comes close to Hada Labo for hydration.)
On July 28, 2016 at 2:43 pm
Lindsey says:
This might help my poor husband who has struggled with skin issues for decades now! Thanks for all the tips, he doesn’t layer and we do jump around to different products all the time…poor guy, I’m always like you need to take Omega 3s! Drink more water!
Odd question–I used to use skincare products from Japan–particularly the company DHC. Loved it all. Then the Fukishima disaster happened. I started to worry about radioactive contamination (this may sound weird, but it truly is a small country, and the radiation spread through the water supply somewhat) of products formulated there. There’s a half life of hundreds of years for some of the nuclear isotopes released. There isn’t much in the Western media about it but certainly Korean and Chinese consumers worry about this…any thoughts on that? Sigh. Overthinking things I’m sure.
On July 28, 2016 at 7:39 pm
Selvi says:
It’s a Mama superhero power to figure things out like this and implement them when even experts can’t solve the problem. Point for the Mamas and thank you for sharing it.
I’m really curious about what you do for your own face. I don’t do anything, but time is insisting it be accounted for, and I am finding myself inspired by you in this as in many other things :).
On July 29, 2016 at 4:13 pm
Jennifer says:
Just because it’s on my mind now, I have developed melasma on my upper lip this past year and nothing helped until I started using Paula’s Choice Triple Action Dark Spot Eraser in conjunction with Mario Badescu’s Brightening Kit (not the Vitamin C serum bc it aggravates my skin). I think there are some concerns about safety in the Paula’s Choice product so I use very little but I’m thrilled that after only 2 weeks I can look in the mirror without crying.
On August 1, 2016 at 7:21 am
Michelle says:
Ok, you have to do a post on your personal skincare routine (ok, you don’t “have to”, but I would really like for you to). I discovered the Asian skincare scene after your sunscreen post and, yup totally using snail mucin (I’m using Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream). I have to say, I have been pretty amazed with it. I’m slowly adding products. Kind of a tedious process with the patch testing, and only adding one thing at a time. If you decide to do a post, I’d love to hear how you built your routine.
On August 1, 2016 at 6:21 pm
Melissa Wiley says:
I’m definitely working on one!
On August 20, 2016 at 5:49 pm
Erica says:
Oh, you should be getting paid for this!!!
On August 3, 2016 at 10:15 pm
jvezz says:
Yay, so glad to read that you’re working on another skincare post. 🙂
On October 26, 2016 at 2:27 pm
Melissa Wiley says:
That poor post! It’s been in my drafts folder for two months!!
On October 26, 2016 at 3:02 pm