I have terrible skin and have always wanted to follow a basic skincare routine, but thanks to ADHD I am lucky if I remember to even splash water on my face in the morning. Usually I will buy a product, use it a few times, then get bored of it and forget it exists. So I’m curious, what are your skincare routines like? How did you get them started? Are there specific products or types of products that make it easier?
Do you have any morning or evening routines that you manage to do every day successfully? You might have more success if you link them together with your skincare routine. So for example if you manage to always brush your teeth 2x a day, just add skincare time right before or after that. Or even tie it in to changing for bed. And don’t beat yourself up if you end up skipping a few days or weeks, it’s just about getting back to it at some point.
Also think about location. Maybe if doing your skincare routine at the bathroom sink isn’t working for you, then you may want to start doing it in your bedroom, or maybe even the kitchen! Try out different places, and maybe switch it up if you find yourself skipping a lot of days.
As for the routine itself, I find it helps to find a product you find pleasure in that also suits your skin type. I have acne-prone skin that’s also sensitive and a touch on the dry side, so I cater to those needs. It might take a little experimenting to see what works for your skin.
Think about things like scents, colours, fun. Do you like having pretty bottles? Is your favourite scent strawberry? I do my washes with a goat’s milk soap bar from an Etsy seller that smells amazing (and I get to feel good about using a product that leads to less plastic waste), but in the past I have also used the Laroche-Posay Effaclar cleanser, which was really good for my acne, and has a really nice texture. The Effaclar I used without any other products, in hindsight I probably should have at least moisturised after wash, but it’s a good option for when you have little energy/time/interest because it’s pretty effective by itself.
For the other products I found a routine that works for me using mostly The Ordinary products, which goes:
Every AM and PM wash face and neck, then:
Day 1 AM Azelaic acid > Moisturiser > Sunscreen PM Granactive retinoid > Moisturiser
Day 2 AM Niacinamide 10% with zinc 1% > Moisturiser > Sunscreen PM Salicylic acid 2% > Moisturiser
The moisturiser I currently use is their borage seed oil. It’s probably the most important of all the steps (after wash), as dried-out skin produces more oil which leads to more acne.
As you can see it involves alternating products every other day, which gives me some variety. Most of the products are in little jars with pipettes, a little more fun to use than the squeeze tubes. And they’re fairly simple products in their composition, so if you find one step of the routine doesn’t work for you you can maybe swap it out with a different product. Most importantly for me, the products aren’t too expensive, and you’re using a few drops at a time so it takes a while to get through them.
You didn’t go into specifics on your skin type so wherever you go you might want to get help from the sales associates. You don’t have to get everything they recommend, try it out one product at a time and see what works for you.
Most of all be kind to yourself, ADHD is hard on the self-esteem and terrible skin is also hard on the self-esteem! I regularly miss out on skincare days but thanks to having done the routine successfully for months in the past (and also to getting older), my skin is a lot more manageable these days.
Good luck, and have fun trying new things out!