Basically what I just said on the title of this post. I use a double cleansing routine, cooling toner, bean essence serum, and a moisturizer mixed with sunscreen (mixoon, so I know its a good brand). Even if i let it dry, it will literally make my makeup not stick as well as if I had nothing on my face.

What am I doing wrong? Can anybody give me some advice?

Thank you!!

Wondering if an LED mask is worth the money knowing that I probably won’t use it that often?

Also, is neck coverage actually worth paying extra costs?

I have been doing skincare on and off for a long time, and honestly, I am exhausted from trying so many products without properly understanding what my skin actually needs.

I have dry combination skin. My skin can feel extremely dry, rough, and dehydrated when I touch it, but my T zone gets oily. I also have acne scars, pimples mainly around my cheeks, chin, and lower chin, and a lot of sebaceous filaments or whiteheads around my nose and chin.

I am Indian and currently living in the UAE, so I also want to know if the climate here could be affecting my skin.

My main skin concerns

1. Very dry and dehydrated skin
2. Oily T zone
3. Rough skin texture
4. Acne and occasional pimples on my cheeks, chin, and lower chin
5. Acne scars and marks
6. Many sebaceous filaments or whiteheads, especially around my nose and chin
7. Acne, scars, and small bumps on my shoulders
8. Very dry body skin
9. Extremely dry and somewhat dark lips
10. Finding products that actually work without making my skin worse

What I noticed about my lifestyle and skin

Something interesting is that when I focused on my lifestyle instead of skincare products, my skin became much better.

I started working out regularly, and it made a huge difference to my skin. My skin looked healthier and more glowing.

I also stopped eating sugar for around 3 to 4 months, and during that period I barely had acne problems.

I usually eat fruits, vegetables, and a fairly good diet.

During that period, people actually complimented my skin and said I looked around 16 or 17 even though I am 21 😭.

However, my lifestyle has been very on and off, and recently I went back to an unhealthy routine. My skin became worse again.

Now my college is about to start, so my entire schedule is going to change. I want to build a realistic skincare and lifestyle routine that I can actually maintain throughout college.

What I want to achieve

I want to improve:

1. Acne and pimples
2. Acne scars and marks
3. Dehydrated and rough skin
4. Combination skin
5. Whiteheads and sebaceous filaments
6. Shoulder acne and body bumps
7. Dry body skin
8. Extremely dry lips
9. Overall skin health and glow

I do not want a complicated 10 step routine. I want healthy skin and a routine that I can maintain long term.

My previous skincare routine

Morning

CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser

ANUA 10% Niacinamide + 4% TXA Serum with Ceramide, Hyaluronic Acid, Tranexamic Acid, and Vitamin B12

CeraVe Moisturizer

The Derma Co 1% Hyaluronic Aqua Gel Sunscreen SPF 50

This routine actually worked quite well for me, especially the ANUA serum.

Night

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser

Coconut oil as moisturizer

My current routine

Right now, I have basically stopped skincare.

I only wash my face, apply coconut oil, and sometimes use Nivea Blue Tin moisturizer.

My experience with moisturizers

I have tried many moisturizers.

Nivea Blue Tin worked really well on the dry parts of my face, but it made my T zone extremely oily.

I then switched to CeraVe moisturizer. It worked initially, but my skin becomes dry again after around 2 to 3 hours.

I want a moisturizer that properly hydrates my skin without making my T zone extremely oily.

Sunscreen

I have used sunscreens such as Aqualogica and Beauty of Joseon.

However, I spend a lot of time inside my room, so I often do not apply sunscreen.

I want to know whether I should still be applying sunscreen daily, especially because I live in the UAE and want to improve my acne marks and pigmentation.

I also want a sunscreen that lasts a long time and is not too expensive.

Home remedies

I currently use a homemade face mask made with:

Chickpea powder

Turmeric

Curd

I use it around 3 times a week.

I want to know if this is actually beneficial or if I should stop doing it.

I would also love some genuinely useful home remedies, but I do not want anything that could damage my skin barrier or make my acne worse.

Body acne

I also have quite a lot of acne and small bumps on my shoulders, along with some acne scars.

My body skin is also extremely dry.

I want to know what could be causing this and what kind of body wash, moisturizer, or treatment I should use.

Lips

My lips are extremely dry and have become somewhat darker.

I use Vaseline Cocoa at night, but it does not seem to be enough.

I want recommendations for something that can actually help with very dry lips and possibly improve the darkness if it is caused by dryness or irritation.

What I want advice about

I want a realistic skincare routine for morning and night that I can maintain during college.

I want to know which products are actually worth spending money on and which products are unnecessary.

I want affordable products because I do not want skincare to become unnecessarily expensive.

I want my moisturizer and sunscreen to be long lasting and good value for money.

I want to know which ingredients I should actually focus on for my acne, acne marks, dehydration, whiteheads, and sebaceous filaments.

I also want to know which ingredients I should avoid because they might damage my skin barrier.

I want advice about my lifestyle, diet, exercise, sleep, hydration, and sugar intake because I noticed that these things had a huge effect on my skin.

I want some simple skincare habits or holy grail tips that I can follow consistently.

I also want to know whether my current use of coconut oil is actually good for my face or whether I should stop using it.

Most importantly, I do not want to keep buying random serums and products. I have already spent a lot of money experimenting, and I want to build a simple routine that actually makes sense.

Basic makeup for college

I also want to start doing very basic makeup for college.

I do not want heavy makeup.

I want recommendations for:

1. A good lightweight foundation or skin tint
2. Concealer
3. Lip balm
4. Lip tint
5. Blush
6. Mascara
7. Any other basic products I actually need

I want makeup that looks natural, works well with dry combination skin, does not feel heavy, and is reasonably affordable.

Overall, I want genuine advice rather than being told to buy a huge number of products.

I want to spend money only where it actually matters and build healthy skin through a combination of simple skincare, lifestyle, and consistency. 😭

I swear skincare has turned me into a forensic investigator lol. Photo from Monday: “Okayyy I think the hyperpigmentation is fading.” Photo from Wednesday, taken like 4 cm closer to the window: “Never mind. My skin is ruined. Nothing has ever worked. I must begin a new life.” 💀
Then I compare both photos and realise: different lighting different angle different time of day one photo has moisturizer one photo looks like it was taken with a potato And then im like... how do normal people actually track if a product is working??
Do you guys use a spreadsheet? Notion? Just keep everything in one giant photo album? Or do you also just stare at your face every morning and let vibes decide if your skincare is working 😂
Because apparently I need to conduct a controlled clinical trial just to figure out if my moisturizer improved my skin by 2%.
pls tell me im not the only one doing this 😭

Hey, I would like to know what kind of moisturizers you use, I’ve been using Nivea however after a while, my skin gets very oily, which causes my makeup not to last in the T-zone. I’ve seen recommendations for hydrating gels, but they make my cheeks feel very dry. I’m not sure what kind of routine I could use to feel hydrated without my skin getting so oily.

I’m thinking about switching from standard cream sunscreens to a solid stick. Honestly, I just hate getting my hands messy and dealing with that sticky feeling afterward.

Do sunscreen sticks provide the same level of UV protection, or is there a noticeable drop in effectiveness? Would love to hear your experiences or recommendations!

Recently I’ve only been using Cera Ve’s Foaming Cleanser and a moisturiser (right now I’m using cetaphil’s) but there was a time a while ago that I was using a toner from byoma, salicylic acid from the Inkey List, the ordinary’s 10% niacinamide and moisturiser.
These products were fine, but I just sort of stopped doing my skincare after I ran out of them and never really picked it back up.
I ended up having a really bad breakout a year and a bit ago, which my mum made me see a doctor about and I was prescribed Duac which worked wonders, but after I stopped using it, my skin returned to normal.

I repurchased the inkey list’s Beta Hydroxy Acid a while back and use it occasionally, but I’m not committed to incorporating it into my routine until I have a really solid plan for my skin.

I’m going insane because I’ve been researching all different brands of azelaic acid and niacinamide. I’m seriously considering getting the 4% niacinamide from skin1004 to use with the BHA. I would want to avoid using azelaic acid and BHA together as I already have quite sensitive skin.

Any advice would be greatly appreciate.