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Jorge Diaz

Professor McCann

English 1302.203

4 May 2022

Implementing a Facial Skincare Routine

Facial acne—this is every teenager’s worst nightmare, and unfortunately, many

of them deal with it at some point in their life. Dermatological issues can occur

to anyone, and contrary to many beliefs, they are not only a basic and easy to deal with skin

problem. Dermatological problems, which are inevitable, can happen to people because of their

tedious lifestyle, hormonal changes, and sometimes because of genetics. Facial acne, as

described, is something that can be treated through the use of facial skincare products. As the

primary subject of a one-week experiment in which a facial skincare routine was implemented, it

can be said that the experimentation was full of dermatological benefits, knowledge, and

challenges.

To begin with, the first thing that someone who wants to start utilizing skin care products

should do is to learn about different skincare products. Not only that, but people should also visit

a dermatologist before even trying to apply anything on their skin. A dermatologist is the type of

doctor that focuses and deals with people’s skin, nails, and hair. It is important for people to talk

to a dermatologist because they are the only ones that are educated enough about which skin

treatment to give people, depending on their kind of skin problems. However, doing personal

research on different skin products is also important. For instance, a person who is going to start

a skincare routine could research the ingredients that make up most skincare products. According

to Jamal and Rani, the majority of cosmetic ingredients are byproducts of plants and animals, as
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well as inorganic and synthetic chemicals (31). Particularly, one of the cosmetic products that

might sound familiar to most of the people, which is an animal derivative, are essential oils

(Jamal and Rani 32). Essential oils, like eucalyptus oil and lavender oil, are mostly utilized to

make one’s skin shiny, fresh, and for aromatherapy (Jamal and Rani 32). Nonetheless, even

though essential oils seem like a perfect item for everyone’s skin, it is important that whoever is

going to use them learns about the topic, as wrongly using a product could be dangerous for their

skin.

Furthermore, before utilizing skincare products, it is important for people to consider the

side effects they might cause, as well as the reasons why they are used. Generally, everyone uses

facial skincare products in order to better the condition of their face, and get rid of acne.

Nevertheless, different people may have more specific motivations for adopting a facial skin care

routine. To illustrate, Putranto mentions that “physical appearance is a means of showing the

personality, freedom, convictions, and self-confidence of this modern life” (38). What this means

is that nowadays, the way people’s bodies look is a way of showing freedom, goals, and

confidence. Even though these points might sound like amazing motivations to adopt a facial

skincare routine, there might be some side effects to it. To create a picture, many men are

currently susceptible to negative criticism just by the use of any cosmetic product, but why?

Well, society has certain types of stereotypes about cosmetic products, and one of them is that

men should not use them, and that they are a “women thing.” Not only that, but these ways of

thinking can also lead to violent sexism, which can impact a man’s mental health. Aggresive

sexism and derogatory remarks that are often directed towards men, such as “metrosexual,” are

just some examples of why everyone should consider not only the good side of implementing a

facial skincare into their daily activities, but the bad side as well.
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As the primary subject of the one-week long mentioned experiment, the first thing that

needed to be done was to obtain some facial skincare products. For this experiment, the

pharmaceutical products that were used are Clindamycin Phosphate Gel USP of one percent,

Benzoyl Peroxide of five percent, Dove unscented soap, and Fluocinonide Cream with a USP of

point zero five percent. When this experiment started, which happened the evening of Monday,

February, the 7th of 2022, the first thing that the subject of the experiment did was wash their

face with the soap Dove Unscented, in circular and soft motions for approximately 5 minutes.

After washing their face, the subject of the experiment dried their face by tapping it slowly with

a clean towel. Once that was done, the subject applied the night cream, which was the

Fluocinonide cream, in necessary quantities. To do this, the subject of the activity distributed

small amounts of cream throughout their face with the tip of their finger. Later on, that same

cream was dispersed throughout the subject’s whole face until it was invisible. The next day, the

subject of the experiment washed his face with the Dove Unscented soap the same way in which

it was mentioned. However, instead of applying the Fluocinonide or night cream, this time the

creams that were used were the Benzoyl Peroxide and the Clindamycin Phosphate Gel, which

can be identified as the morning creams. Equal amounts of the previously mentioned creams

were put in the subject’s palm to later be mixed. Once the creams were combined, the subject of

the experiment placed the almost homogenous mixture on their face, which was achieved in the

same way in which the night cream was applied. The routinely application of the night and

morning creams happened until Wednesday, February, the 9th of 2022. After that day, the subject

of the activity noticed that the morning creams were not having a positive effect on his skin. As a

result, the participant of the experiment stopped using the morning creams, and kept using only
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the unscented soap and the night cream. The usage of the “altered” version of the facial skincare

routine was followed for another four days.

After one week, the experiment was over, and as expected, there were some visible

differences. The first consequence that was observed from the subject of this experiment were

mood swings. As recorded, the implemented facial skincare routine modified the subject’s

attitude, who gained more confidence and willingness to express himself. To illustrate, before the

experiment started, the subject showed a high dissatisfaction level towards his face, as he

believed it was full of acne and disgusting “life marks.” However, after the experiment, the

subject’s confidence increased, as he believed that his face looked better, and that it had a better

feeling. More than that, skin appearance also evolved throughout the whole experiment. At the

beginning of the activity, the subject showed multiple kinds of facial acne, such as pimples,

blackheads, and red marks. On the other extreme, the subject of the experiment reported, and

exhibited, a better facial skin situation. This was shown through the diminution of acne marks,

pimples, blackheads, open pores, irritation, and facial dryness. Overall, some of the results of this

experiment were a better attitude, more confidence, and a decrease in facial acne marks.

In conclusion, implementing a facial skincare routine every night and morning can be

something difficult. In fact, some of the challenges that adopting a facial skincare routine could

represent to someone is a schedule modification, a huge mind impact, and overall physical

changes. Before even using a facial skincare routine, it is important for the user to be informed

about what products they are about to use. However, it is also important for people to know that

implementing a facial skincare routine will not be as easy as it sounds, and that it might present

them with serious challenges, such as the mentioned. All in all, while adopting a facial skincare

routine might present users with a series of challenges, it is true that it will also present benefits
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such as the effects of the products being used, the need to absorb knowledge, and the whole

process of oneself adapting to following a facial skincare routine.

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Works Cited

Jamal, Zeba, et al. "Cosmetotextiles: A wearable skin care." Int. J. Home Sci 4 (2018): 31-35.

PutrantoT. D., SuyantoB., AriadiS., and SantosR. R. T. “The Discourse of men’s Facial

Care Products in Instagram from the Foucauldian Perspective”. Jurnal Studi Komunikasi,

Vol. 5, no. 1, Feb. 2021, pp. 37-57, doi:10.25139/jsk.v5i1.3159.