Amnah Mushtaq Skin Blog

Hello my rose petals 🌹If you have oily/acne-prone skin, be very careful with what you put on your face! Here’s a list of the safe products. Pick one and use 1-3x/week depending on your skin’s tolerance level!

Follow & Glow! 😘

Hello my rose petals 🌹 Let’s look at some amazing Retinoids for intermediate users (slightly advanced than the beginners 😉) today!🥳⁣
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Here are few important things to remember about Retinoids:⁣
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>> Don’t use any other active in the first few days of using Retinoids.⁣
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>> Use a pH-balanced cream cleanser which is super gentle on the skin.⁣
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>> >> Use occlusive-based moisturizers and oils to combat the dryness.⁣
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>> Use with Niacinamide. It helps minimize the irritation and increases skin’s tolerance towards retinoids.⁣
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>> Use a broad-spectrum SPF (minimum SPF 30) as this bad boy is notorious for increasing sun sensitivity. Remember not protecting the skin while using retinoids can be more harmful than beneficial.⁣ 🌞
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>> Purging is most common with Retinol. Be patient and give it time. It should get better by 8th week.⁣
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>> Don’t expect overnight results. It takes anywhere from 3-6 months to see the improvement in acne and fine lines. ⁣

Are you using retinoids or you’re thinking about starting? Let me know in the comments and we’ll chat there!

Follow & Glow! 😘

Hello my rose petals 🌹 Let’s look at some amazing Retinoids for beginners today!🥳⁣
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Here are few important things to remember about Retinoids:⁣
⁣
>> Don’t use any other active in the first few days of using Retinoids.⁣
⁣
>> Use a pH-balanced cream cleanser which is super gentle on the skin.⁣
⁣
>> >> Use occlusive-based moisturizers and oils to combat the dryness.⁣
⁣
>> Use with Niacinamide. It helps minimize the irritation and increases skin’s tolerance towards retinoids.⁣
⁣
>> Use a broad-spectrum SPF (minimum SPF 30) as this bad boy is notorious for increasing sun sensitivity. Remember not protecting the skin while using retinoids can be more harmful than beneficial.⁣ 🌞
⁣
>> Purging is most common with Retinol. Be patient and give it time. It should get better by 8th week.⁣
⁣
>> Don’t expect overnight results. It takes anywhere from 3-6 months to see the improvement in acne and fine lines. ⁣

Are you using retinoids or you’re thinking about starting? Let me know in the comments and we’ll chat there!

Follow & Glow! 😘

Hello my rose petals🌹! Let’s talk about the most requested topic today- milia!

Milia are tiny white bumps that appear mostly on the face skin and around eye area. Milia are also common in newborns but can occur at any age.

If you have milia bumps, don’t try to extract yourself at home. It can lead to permanent scarring. Use the above-mentioned ingredients/products or seek professional treatment.

Some professional treatments include:

They include:
* Cryotherapy. Liquid nitrogen freezes the milia. It’s the most frequently used removal method.

* Deroofing. A sterile needle picks out the contents of the cyst.

* Chemical peels. Chemical peels cause the first layer of skin to peel off, unearthing new skin.

* Laser ablation. A small laser focuses on the affected areas to remove the cysts.

* Diathermy. Extreme heat destroys the cysts.

* Destruction curettage. The cysts are surgically scraped and cauterized.

The most successful at-home remedy would be using Retinoids, especially Retinol or Tretinoin.

Do you suffer from milia? Have you ever seen a professional from the extraction? Let me know in the comments ☺️!

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Some Monday positivity for y’all! Love your skin, love yourself 💖!!

Please don’t fall for multiple-steps skincare routines and too much exfoliation. Treat your skin with live and it will glow right back!

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Did you already know this? 🙋‍♀️🙅‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Hello my rose petals! I’m back with some positive message for you all! You’re beautiful the way you are! 😍 Show yourself some extra love today, stand in front of the mirror and praise yourself! You deserve it!!

Hello my rose petals🌹! Talking about the textured/bumpy skin, it’s commonly seen that when we experience bumpy texture, we start exfoliating. And when we exfoliate and things don’t improve, we exfoliate more, increasing both the frequency and the strength of exfoliants, to the point that skin starts getting irritated. And this leads to damaging our skin barrier. Find my series of posts on ‘Skin Barrier’ to find out what it is and how you can fix it.⁣
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Anyway, coming back to the topic, we often get trapped in the vicious circle, where first we get bumps. To fix the issue, we start exfoliating. When the problem doesn’t resolve, we exfoliate more. Now since the skin barrier gets damaged with too much exfoliation, we get more texture. So we exfoliate more, and the cycle keeps going…..⁣
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A very important point here is to find out the underlying cause of what’s causing the texture.⁣
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Ask yourself this question to find out:⁣
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𝗔𝗺 𝗜 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀? ⁣
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Include both physical and chemical exfoliants while answering this question. ⁣
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- If the answer is NO and you have bumpy skin, start using an exfoliant. Lactic acid is a good place to start for most skin types. Start by using once or twice a week and only take it up to using it 3 times a week. No more than this please 😊⁣
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- If the answer is yes, then ask yourself:⁣
“How many times am I using exfoliants and how strong they are?” If you’re using exfoliants more than 2-3 a week and you still have bumpy / textured skin, there’s a high chance your skin barrier is not happy. Work on repairing and strengthening your skin barrier. Use products geared towards providing hydration and moisturization. Be patient while you’re working on your moisture barrier and the results will be very rewarding in a few weeks’ time.⁣
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Follow & Glow 😘!
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Hello my Rose Petals 🌹! Today’s topic is the most requested one. Pigmentation is tricky to treat. Most of us struggle with it and don’t know where to start. Have a question about pigmentation? Put it down in the comments👇.

Please note a portion of this post is sponsored.
 
4 key steps to treat pigmentation are:

EXFOLIATE: Make sure you’re not using AHAs or BHA more than 2-3x/week. You can start with Retinoids gradually and then increase the usage to everyday. Products mentioned here: 
 
1.    BANISH PUMPKI ENZYME MASK: [Ad] it’s an exfoliating mask made with natural pumpkin enzymes & AHA glycolic acid. I used it a few times this month and I’m amazed at how gentle it is on the skin! It’s fun to apply this mask since it has a yummy pumpkin fragrance that I love. I spread a thin layer on my face 2-3 times a week and leave it on for 15 minutes. After I wash it off, my skin feels soft. It’s a really good product for people who can’t tolerate exfoliants/actives & equally good for everyone else. Sells for CA$54 and the tub should last you a long time. Use code ‘Amnah’ to get $5 off on your order of $50+.
 
2.    NEUTROGENA RAPID WRINKLE REPAIR
 
CORRECT: In this step, you need a lightening agent, which works on reducing melanin production. I gave two suggestions, pick the one you like :)
 
1.    PAULA’S CHOICE 10% AZELAIC ACID BOOSTER
2.    TOPICALS FADED SERUM
 
PREVENT: In this step, you need an antioxidant that helps prevent pigmentation. Vitamin C is a classic one in this category, however it’s not the only one. Suggested products in this category are:
 
1.     SKINCEUTICALS CE FERULIC
2.     BANISH VITAMIN C CRÈME: [Ad] This is Vitamin C in a moisturizer form that is a one-step product for people on-the-go. It is a fairly light-weight moisturizer that quickly absorbs into the skin without making the skin overly greasy. In my opinion, all skin-types can benefit from it. It hasn’t caused me breakouts or clogged pores, so I think it might work well if you’re prone to breakouts. It can also be used on neck and body as well because of its ease to use. It’s CA $68.

Continued in comments.