Happy Halloween Beauties, prepare for the spookiest sagas yet… WARNING: Flashbacks to your worst skincare choices and haunted rituals of the past.

We’ve all been there: freshly tween, hopping on the skincare train totally, utterly, blissfully unaware of the dos and don’ts of the skincare world, and all the freedom to purchase products used by your favourite idols and celebrities…

Next week comes and you’ve got volcanoes and puss bursting from every corner and crevice of your once-fresh face. Today? Recovered, but fearful of making your routine any more complex. Let’s break it down so you actually know what’s okay, and what we’d advise you not to try! 

✅ AHA + BHA + PHA

If done RIGHT. The trio can cause over exfoliation and irritation, however, Some By Mi formulated a line dedicated to this! The formula incorporates them at low concentrations - AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner is a personal favourite.

✅ Hyaluronic Acid

Brings out the best with the most active ingredients without irritating or cancelling out effects! Layer with a Vitamin Serum, pair with a Retinol eye cream, or boost your barrier with Niacinamide.

❌ Vitamin C + Retinol

Powerful actives with the potential to irritate - use Vitamin C in the mornings with an SPF and Retinol in the evenings for overnight renewal.

❌ Niacinamide + Strong Acne Treatments

Do NOT use Benzoyl Peroxide with Niacinamide! It’ll oxidise the ingredient and null the effectiveness of both, resulting in dryness, irritation and sensitivity.

Not to spook you but…remember the era of St. Ives Apricot Scrub? BOO! The physical exfoliator rose to icon status for being the budget-friendly exfoliator, filled with beautiful herb extracts and natural exfoliants. This contained jagged walnut shell particles which caused micro-tears and resulted in a class-action lawsuit that tainted its image forever.

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) as a facial toner? Don’t ask me how, I’m scared too. With its incredibly acidic pH level of 2, this ingredient was recommended to lift dark spots and kill bacteria on your skin… it’s also recommended for household cleaning for the same reasons (yikes). Your skin is only mildly acidic, so it can cause chemical burns and triggered flare ups! 

What won’t damage your skin? I thought you’d never ask.

☁️ The Purito Seoul Oat In Gentle Exfoliating Face Cleanser uses soft oat particles for gentle physical exfoliation without causing irritation! Oat soothes, and the formula supports hydration for dry and sensitive skin.

☀️ For erasing dark spots, try the Abib Glutathiosome Dark Spot Pad Vita Touch. Niacinamide, Glutathione and Vitamin C derivatives to brighten your complexion with liposome technology for effective delivery, and mild LHA for some gentle exfoliation too.

Blackhead strips, eggs and glue became bathroom staples from the 1990s, even starring in iconic 2000s movies like the Princess Diaries. Some things are better left in fiction, and pore strips are one of them - while instantly satisfying, they’re a quick but equally damaging ‘fix’.

The true horror: you’re literally ripping off EVERYTHING. Not just blackheads, but healthy sebaceous filaments that help protect and keep your skin moisturised. The strong adhesive used in these strips (or worse, glue) pulls on the surface of your skin leaving tiny tears, causing redness, irritation and long term scarring.

👯‍♀️ Love the satisfaction of seeing blackheads removed from your pores? We have an equally fun alternative - try the Ilso Super Melting Sebum Softener and Ilso Deep Clean Master.

The softener gently dissolves oxidised sebum and unclogs pores using natural Papain and Grapefruit enzymes, and the tool helps release excess sebum without pulling or irritating your skin.

It recently surfaced that there is an “age-old” skincare method that resets damaged skin and heals your broken barrier… Personally, I’d never heard of this practice until I came across @tiazakher’s viral and quite frankly horrific video.

If you’re not familiar, this method involves going cold turkey with your skincare routine - no cleansers, moisturisers or even water. In her own words, this would 'allow her skin to simply shed and heal over time.' Wild.

It’s evident the dirt, buildup and bacteria growing on her face wasn’t going anywhere - fungal buildup, hyperkeratosis and the risk of infection to already compromised skin will do more harm than good, and like healing any kind of wound, it needs some extra care and attention!

Instead of adding more products or completely switch it up, reduce your routine down to the basics.

🌱 Focus on gentle cleansers, minimal exfoliation, and barrier balms - the Dr. Althea Green Relief Amino Gel Cleanser and Etude SoonJung 10-Panthensoside Cica Balm are great options if you’re looking for an alternative from your usual products!

🩹 Tia claimed she was a victim of skin picking - if you’re also guilty of this, try spot patches! Chose one with minimal ingredients like the Elizavecca Witch Piggy Hell-Pore Blemish Spot Patch to protect troubled areas and help healing.