Too much moisturizing == super shiny skin. I’ve been using my Benton Snail Bee Lotion every other day because of that.
PSA: If you feel burning on your skin after applying BHA or AHA, wipe it off. You’ve probably over exfoliated!
My skin is shinier than it used to be, and I’m so confused. I’ve been adding water, not oil! And I’m pretty sure I was dehydrated to start with! Do you think even adding too many watery hydrating products can leave a person shiny, or when you say “moisturizing” do you mean lotions and creams?
I’m not sure!! For the first few months, I used to love putting on my lotions + my watery hydrating products (so both) every day, but my skin got super shiny (it wasn’t oily but it sure looked like it was). Now, I think my skin is used to it, and I try putting on a bare minimum one lotion every day. But any more than that and my skin looks weird :/
It might also be that I’m pretty young (18 y.o.) and I don’t need a lot of moisturizers every day. I think that the clear gel-like toners and essences + too many facemarks are the worst when it comes to making shiny faces: once I switched to only lotion and limited my daily facemasks to every two weeks or so, my face felt a lot softer and looked more naturally radiant (definitely wasn’t as shiny as before).
Same! I have the problem of wanting to get rid of my skin troubles as soon as possible, and my brain thinks that piling on products will save me…..but that tends to break me out instead :/
COSRX AHA Whitehead Toner is incredible. I was testing it out on one side of my face, and that side FELT SMOOTHER IN TWO DAYS. My little whiteheads were disappearing. But now I’ve over exfoliated and my skin feels super thin and tight and dry.
Hi tantan!
It’s great that you did an experiment that showed that the product works! I’ve found that to be true with many products that I’m trying. I recommend that you use really moisturizing products with green tea and sodium hyaluronic acid to ease that horrible, dry, over processed feeling you’re having right now. My skin is combination so finding a balance between taking care of blackheads/pores and not dehydrating my skin is always a challenge. Green tea toner helps me even it out some. I use Innisfree green tea balancing skin. Good luck!! 😊
Oh cool I haven’t heard about that Innisfree toner! I’ll try it out—I totally feel you with the combination skin. I’ve stopped using any cleansers for now, but my face feels and looks like an oil slick now while feeling dry? Hmm I have Etude House’s hyaluronic acid mask stored so I can use that and see
That sounds like a good start! As far as I know hyaluronic acid hydrates without contributing adding to that horrible greasy feeling. The site has a great article about dry versus dehydrated skin. I thought my skin was combo/dry until I read the article and realized that I was using products that were dehydrating my combo/oily skin. Have a nice mask, and I hope it helps!! 💜
Thanks so much! You’re right—after that article, I think that my face is actually dry in some places, although my nose is still super oily. Hyaluronic acid did help a lot, and I think it also brightened my face a little too!
I’m happy to hear that the hyaluronic mask seemed to help, some! One of the reasons I prefer this site to others is the quality and breadth of information in the articles. Also, I’ve found the beautytap community to be supportive, helpful and positive. 🌹
Oioioi. My most sincere condolences! I hope your skin gets better soon. I overexfoliated with Vitamin C serum once and I remember what a nightmare it was, and for such a long time, too! The only thing my skin could stand after that was Pyunkang Yul’s Essence Toner and the Scinic Aqua All In One ampoule. I had to drop everything else in my routine because it hurt and broke me out.
Oh interesting, I’ll keep those products on my radar! I’ve been looking into Vitamin C serum but since I’m so impatient with products, I have a feeling I might over exfoliate with Vitamin C too.
If your skin is as sensitive as mine, it might be best to try it once a week first. I’m doing that with the COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid and the AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid right now, and yet I still had to add some extra soothing steps into my routine because that was already A Lot for my skin to take 😀
I used to use a 1.5% Salicyclic Acid wash daily, and using AHA or BHA 2-3 times has actually been pretty ok for my skin. I think I’m purging a little though—a bunch of new closed comedones popped up on my cheek, near a place that breaks out a lot.
tantan
January 22, 2019 at 7:17 AM
jane0elaine
March 23, 2019 at 12:05 PM
My skin is shinier than it used to be, and I’m so confused. I’ve been adding water, not oil! And I’m pretty sure I was dehydrated to start with! Do you think even adding too many watery hydrating products can leave a person shiny, or when you say “moisturizing” do you mean lotions and creams?
tantan
April 2, 2019 at 7:05 PM
I’m not sure!! For the first few months, I used to love putting on my lotions + my watery hydrating products (so both) every day, but my skin got super shiny (it wasn’t oily but it sure looked like it was). Now, I think my skin is used to it, and I try putting on a bare minimum one lotion every day. But any more than that and my skin looks weird :/
tantan
April 2, 2019 at 7:11 PM
It might also be that I’m pretty young (18 y.o.) and I don’t need a lot of moisturizers every day. I think that the clear gel-like toners and essences + too many facemarks are the worst when it comes to making shiny faces: once I switched to only lotion and limited my daily facemasks to every two weeks or so, my face felt a lot softer and looked more naturally radiant (definitely wasn’t as shiny as before).
jane0elaine
April 2, 2019 at 7:49 PM
Ah, that’s really interesting. Makes sense. I think another possibility is I’m just putting way too much of each product on my face.
It’s just that I *like* putting a lot of things on my face!
tantan
May 19, 2019 at 10:24 PM
Same! I have the problem of wanting to get rid of my skin troubles as soon as possible, and my brain thinks that piling on products will save me…..but that tends to break me out instead :/
tantan
October 20, 2018 at 10:54 AM
tantan
October 20, 2018 at 10:55 AM
I suggest Benton Snail Bee Essence! It’s so mild and it makes my skin feel so soft. No breakouts or gross tacky feelings when you put it on. But YMMV.
tantan
June 26, 2018 at 1:38 AM
lightbulb
June 26, 2018 at 10:37 PM
Hi tantan!
It’s great that you did an experiment that showed that the product works! I’ve found that to be true with many products that I’m trying. I recommend that you use really moisturizing products with green tea and sodium hyaluronic acid to ease that horrible, dry, over processed feeling you’re having right now. My skin is combination so finding a balance between taking care of blackheads/pores and not dehydrating my skin is always a challenge. Green tea toner helps me even it out some. I use Innisfree green tea balancing skin. Good luck!! 😊
tantan
June 26, 2018 at 10:48 PM
Oh cool I haven’t heard about that Innisfree toner! I’ll try it out—I totally feel you with the combination skin. I’ve stopped using any cleansers for now, but my face feels and looks like an oil slick now while feeling dry? Hmm I have Etude House’s hyaluronic acid mask stored so I can use that and see
lightbulb
June 26, 2018 at 11:59 PM
That sounds like a good start! As far as I know hyaluronic acid hydrates without contributing adding to that horrible greasy feeling. The site has a great article about dry versus dehydrated skin. I thought my skin was combo/dry until I read the article and realized that I was using products that were dehydrating my combo/oily skin. Have a nice mask, and I hope it helps!! 💜
tantan
June 27, 2018 at 7:39 PM
Thanks so much! You’re right—after that article, I think that my face is actually dry in some places, although my nose is still super oily. Hyaluronic acid did help a lot, and I think it also brightened my face a little too!
lightbulb
June 29, 2018 at 8:30 AM
I’m happy to hear that the hyaluronic mask seemed to help, some! One of the reasons I prefer this site to others is the quality and breadth of information in the articles. Also, I’ve found the beautytap community to be supportive, helpful and positive. 🌹
tantan
June 29, 2018 at 7:10 PM
I agree, this community is wonderful! There’s so much information you can get from here.
kimmy
June 27, 2018 at 4:48 PM
Oioioi. My most sincere condolences! I hope your skin gets better soon. I overexfoliated with Vitamin C serum once and I remember what a nightmare it was, and for such a long time, too! The only thing my skin could stand after that was Pyunkang Yul’s Essence Toner and the Scinic Aqua All In One ampoule. I had to drop everything else in my routine because it hurt and broke me out.
tantan
June 27, 2018 at 7:41 PM
Oh interesting, I’ll keep those products on my radar! I’ve been looking into Vitamin C serum but since I’m so impatient with products, I have a feeling I might over exfoliate with Vitamin C too.
kimmy
July 10, 2018 at 7:37 PM
If your skin is as sensitive as mine, it might be best to try it once a week first. I’m doing that with the COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid and the AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid right now, and yet I still had to add some extra soothing steps into my routine because that was already A Lot for my skin to take 😀
tantan
July 17, 2018 at 6:51 AM
I used to use a 1.5% Salicyclic Acid wash daily, and using AHA or BHA 2-3 times has actually been pretty ok for my skin. I think I’m purging a little though—a bunch of new closed comedones popped up on my cheek, near a place that breaks out a lot.
kimmy
July 17, 2018 at 4:15 PM
Oooh, okay. Yeah, that definitely sounds like your skin can handle more than mine at this point. A big YAY for cleaned-out nice skin ❤️