Winter Soldier Skincare Experiment

[mermads]

There is a lot of conflicting information out there about how we should be caring for our skin.

"Wash the bacteria off your skin to avoid breakouts"

"use this cleanser!"

"wait, what are you doing? don't use that cleanser, use this one"

"washing your face every day will dry it out"

"moisturize!" "remove the natural oil from skin and put this other type of faux oil on it instead" 

 

In an effort to come to some sort of conclusion, I'm putting my face through the first of what will probably be several month long experiments. The goal of this experiment is to discover whether or not washing the moisturizer/sunscreen off of my face at then end of the day is helping or hurting me 

 

Hypothesis: My skin will break out less if I wash my face with cold water before bed than it would if I did not wash my face nightly.

 

Procedure: For 28 days, I will apply my aveeno spf 15 sunscreen/moisturizer each morning. For 14 days, I will skip my nightly rinse. The following 14 days I will rinse my face every night before bed. 

 

Controls: I will keep my shower routine the same (no soap on my face, brief exposure to warm, not hot water). I will change my pillowcase every 3 days. I will remove makeup when it is worn without washing my whole face. I will drink and eat normally.

 

For Science! For Narnia! 

[mermads]

Day 1.

 

Skin condition at end of day: normal. Soft and bouncy (indicating collegen levels are normal). Skin tone: Even. No obvious discoloration or blotchiness.  Pimples: one very small one on the left side of my chin, small amounts of under the skin acne in the cheeks with no discoloration (a casual observer would be unable to tell). Pores: visible on the nose and area where the cheeks meet the bridge of the nose.

 

Sunscreen was applied at 12pm with clean hands after shower before sun exposure.

 

Pillowcase: fresh

Makeup: small amount of eyeshadow (Girl on Fire by Shiro Cosmetics!) and mascara removed via coconut oil

Food and drink: more sugar and alcohol than usual (though not an obscene amount), as it is thanksgiving, but otherwise a fairly balanced amount of mostly vegetables. 

Shower: 2. One before leaving the house and a very brief evening shower to wash the product out of my hair. Face was not directly exposed to water during the evening shower

[mermads]

Day 2

 

Skin Condition at End of Day: Essentially the same as the end of Day 1. No drastic difference. 

 

Sunscreen: applied at 1 p.m. before sun exposure. Pillow: used for one night. Makeup: none warn or removed.

[mermads]

Day 3

 

Skin Condition at End of Day: same as previous days with the addition of three small light pink potential pimples on the nose. The small pimple on the left side of the chin has disappeared. 

 

Pillow: used for 2 nights. Makeup: none.

[mermads]

Day 4

 

Skin condition unchanged

 

Pillow: 3rd night Make up:  light eye makeup removed by water

 

Day 5

 

Pink potential pimples are less noticeable and unlikely to become full pimples. New small pimple appeared on the right side of the chin

 

Pillow: fresh

 

Day 6

Skin unchanged

Pillow:  1 night

 

Day 7

All constant except pores seem larger.

 

Pillow: 2nd night

 

Day 8

Skin: new pimple (small, pink) under left side of lower lip

 

Pillow: 3rd night   Makeup: under eye concealer removed by damp tissue 

[mermads]

Day 9

Skin Condition:  same

makeup: removed via oil and damp tissue

 

Day 10:

Skin Condition: same

 

Day 11

Skin Condition: unchanged

 

Day 12

Skin Condition: new small pimple, lower lip pimple is gone

 

Day 13

Skin Condition: same

 

Day 14

Skin Condition: skin is pale, there is some redness around the nose/ cheeks

 

And now we begin monitoring how skin does when washed with warm water before sleep. 

[mermads]

Day 15 

Face washed before bed with warm water and patted dry

Condition: about the same as it did on day 14

 

Day 16

Less redness at the start of the day. I had a photo shoot involving heavy make up, so rinsing with warm water would not have done the trick. Make up was removed via oil cleanse

 

Day 17

skin condition even, pores appear smaller. No obvious pimples.