A desperate girl’s holistic skin care routine targeting hyperpigmentation
I had acne for a long time, and it left behind a lot of scarring. I assumed the hyperpigmentation would fade over time, but alas.... While I’ve moved past feeling depressed about it—thanks to a lot of self-love work—I still want to take action and work toward even skin tone. I’ve had this discoloration long enough that i am suspecting it may be sun damage as well, if not melasma :(. Peels don’t seem to do much beside drain my wallet so I am tabling those for now.
For the next four months, I’m committing fully to this goal. I’ll be targeting the issue from the inside out, using a variety of interventions:
Internally: A blend of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Western Herbalism, and Ayurveda.
Externally: Skin cycling with mild skin care products. My skin is sensitive, and strong acids compromise my skin barrier quickly, leading to breakouts and tears.
I’ll update here as the time passes and hopefully, by end of May, my update is that that the routine worked to heal my concern.
So my concern is: Discoloration
Internal interventions:
From a TCM perspective, this is blood stasis or blood deficiency. Essentially, skin should heal and if it isnt healing the blood isnt healthy. To combat this I need to “build my blood.” I will write a more in depth post about my overall diet changes (like eating more seaweed and drinking bone broth) but for now:
Eating Goji berries + bone broth + Collagen
Taking dong quai + hawthorn berry
Blackstrap molasses
From western herbalism lens, this is an issue caused by oxidation. My books written by american herbalists almost always say the same main things: Take a high dose of vitamin C. I’ve consistently done this and it hasn’t made much of an impact. TCM says if you have blood deficiency avoid high doses of vitamin C. I’ve decided I’ll keep taking 1000 - 2000 mg of vitamin C for now. I’ll update if this changes. I already take a b complex, vitamin D, and a multi-vitamin with zinc. I’ll be adding:
Chlorophyll
NAC
Silica
From an Ayurvedic perspective, this might be caused by hormonal imbalances.
Ashwanganda
Sex dust from moon juice
External Routine:
Red light therapy every morning. Currently use FOREO but planning to invest in this device
Skin cycling schedule:
Sundays and Tuesdays > exfoliate
Monday and Thursday > retinol
Wednesday Friday and Saturday > recovery nights
Products
Cleansers:
Alternate between gentle Moon Juice Milk Cleanser and Auteur Enzyme Cleanser
Mornings and recovery nights
I’m from toner
Primally pure clarifying serum
Moon juice cosmic cream and/or Primally pure antioxidant balm
Wednesday Exfoliation routine:
Moon juice acid potion
Moon juice plump jelly
Moon juice cosmic cream
Retinol days
Sunday Spa Days :)
I’ll either treat myself to a professional facial(every six weeks) or do the following(weekly):
Routine will be double cleanse, exfoliate and steam, gua sha with oil, mask (sheet or hydrating mask), LED Light, and then the normal recovery night routine.
Spa Products
Masks: Andalou brightening glycolic mask or White Ginseng Radiance Refining Mask or Sisley Paris
Sheet mask or hydrating mask (Don’t have one in mind yet)
Red light therapy
Moon juice plump jelly, Primally pure clarifying serum, Primally pure antioxidant balm
If you’re thinking whoa thats a lot, I’m thinking the same thing too but as the title say, desperate girl 💁🏾♀️
