Girl Talk 9 Things I Wish I Knew About Skincare at 21
Pull up a chair. Here's the big sister skincare advice I wish someone had given me before I spent my whole paycheck on products.
Pull up a chair, babe. If I could go back and sit 21-year-old me down with a matcha, this is what I'd tell her. It would have saved me a lot of money, a lot of stress, and at least one very questionable DIY lemon face mask.
never put lemon on your face. ever.
No. 01 Sunscreen is the real glow-up
FRANKLY Bright Up Sun SPF50+ PA++++
$35
Every. Single. Day. Rain, clouds, sitting by a window, all of it. I wish I'd started way earlier. Find one you actually enjoy wearing, because the best sunscreen is the one you'll use. Mine has a soft tone-up tint, so I can skip foundation on easy days.
No. 02 More products ≠ better skin
At 21 I had an eleven-step routine and a cabinet full of half-used bottles. My skin was confused and so was my bank account. A cleanser, a hydrating serum, a moisturizer and SPF is a complete routine. Everything else is a fun extra.
No. 03 Introduce one thing at a time
If you start five new products on Monday and break out on Friday, you'll never know which one did it. Add one, wait a couple of weeks, then add the next. And patch test on a small area first. Every time.
No. 04 Oily skin still needs moisture
whamisa Organic Flowers Water Cream
$62.50
I used to skip moisturizer because I was shiny. Big mistake. Oily skin still needs hydration, and a lightweight, watery cream like this one gives you that without feeling heavy or sticky.
shiny ≠ hydrated!
Your skin isn't a filter, and it was never supposed to be.
No. 05 Texture is normal. Pores are normal.
Every face you see online has been lit, angled, filtered, or all three. Real skin has pores, little bumps and the occasional spot. Glass skin is about a healthy-looking glow, not plastic perfection.
No. 06 Don't pick. I know. I KNOW.
Hands off. Picking can leave marks that hang around a lot longer than the spot itself would have. Pop on a pimple patch and go do something fun instead.
No. 07 Purging vs. breaking out
Some strong active ingredients, like exfoliating acids or retinoids, can come with a short adjustment phase where you get small breakouts in your usual spots. That's what people call purging. Gentle hydrating products like toners and creams shouldn't do that, so if something new gives you breakouts in brand-new places, or your skin stings, itches or turns red, stop using it. When in doubt, ask a dermatologist. That's what they're there for.
listen to your skin, not the comments section
No. 08 Consistency beats intensity
FRANKLY PDRN Bounce Ball Serum
$55
A simple routine done every day will do more for your glow than a dramatic once-a-month reset. Boring is beautiful. My everyday non-negotiable is a few drops of this PDRN serum, and honestly? Pressing it in is the best thirty seconds of my day.
No. 09 Your lifestyle shows up on your face
Sleep, water, stress, snacks: it all shows up eventually. Skincare is one piece of the puzzle, not the whole thing, so be as nice to your body as you are to your skin. And keep it fun. A swan claw clip holding your hair back makes any routine feel like a moment.
Big sister, signing off
Be patient with your skin and kind to yourself. Nobody has it all figured out at 21 (or 31, or 41), and that's okay. You're doing better than you think.
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