From Bad Breakouts to Skin Like Buttah: My 5-Minute Routine

Goodbye pimples, cysts and dark spots. Hello clear, soft, supple and luminous skin.

Shanna B. Tiayon

Published August 14, 2024

illustration of woman's face skin improving with her skincare routine

Kruttika Susarla

Are you looking for a new skincare routine? Do you have one that you love? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

From puberty, until well into my 40’s acne and blemish prone skin has always been my plight, no matter what I tried. I’ve battled regular breakouts, facial cysts and hyperpigmentation for so long, I resigned that good skin was just not in the cards for me.

Then one day, I was mindlessly scrolling on Facebook and a public figure I follow, who always has great skin, Luvvie Ajayi, was giving out skincare tips. I immediately stopped scrolling and devoured the comments section with the tips. After I finished, with new hope, I decided to give skin care one more try, so that I could stop claiming bad skin as eternal. With the right products and consistency, I was able to transform my skin over the course of a year. I even started getting regular facials to support my journey.

I invited my awesome esthetician Ife Shabazz, of The Pearl Modern Day Spa, in Columbia, MD, to contribute to this article and break down the science of why my skincare routine worked so well, taking my skin from breakouts to buttah!

Below is my skincare regiment and some insights from Ife about each step and product. Ife also recommended other budget-friendly alternatives (prices are subject to change). Her comments are lightly edited.

Step 1 Cleansing: I ditched the Dove soap I was using (don’t judge me) and snagged Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser ($25.00, kiehls.com) from Luvvie’s list because it’s gentle and the price was right.

Ife on the Why: Kiehl’s products are formulated with amino acids, which feed the skin while extracting oil, dirt and sebum. A lot of Black women have skin issues because we're extracting things from our skin, but we're not feeding it back. You should cleanse in the morning and again at night (when the body is in a rested state we get better benefits from skincare products).

You may also like: Fresh Soy Face Cleanser ($39.00, fresh.com); or Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser ($39.00, youthtothepeople.com).

Step 2 Exfoliation: Gritty facial scrubs don’t work well for my hyperpigmentation prone skin, so I chose a chemical exfoliate instead, another of Luvvie’s suggestions – Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant ($35.00, paulaschoice.com).

Ife on the Why: It’s important to have an exfoliator because every 5-7 days our skin cells turnover. This product contains BHA and Salicylic acid, together they help to remove dead skin cells off the surface of the skin, which helps with dull skin and hyperpigmentation. You should exfoliate a minimum of once a week.

You May Also Like: Naturium Glycolic Acid Resurfacing Gel 10% ($23.00, naturium.com); or The Inkey List PHA Toner ($14.00, theinkeylist.com).

Step 3 Vitamin C Serum: Prior to Luvvie’s post I never heard of Vitamin C Serum for the face, but her testimony about Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster ($44.00 paulaschoice.com) sold me – it gives you that Last Dragon type glow for the face.

Ife on the Why: Vitamin C serum is a staple for any skincare regiment. It helps to fight free radicals on the skin, which causes our skin to age. It does this by helping to bring more oxygen to the pores, which makes the skin glow. Vitamin C also helps to lighten hyperpigmentation and supports collagen production in the skin as well. Vitamin C can be used 1-2 times a day.

You May Also Like: Urban Skin Rx Even Tone Superglow Serum ($24.00, urbanskinrx.com) or Tru Skin Vitamin C Serum for Face ($21.97, truskin.com)

Step 4 Moisturize: Initially I was resistant to using moisturizer because of my oily skin (Ife explains below why I was wrong about this). But I did some research and opted for belif True Cream Aqua Bomb ($38.00 sephora.com).

Ife on the Why: When you're cleansing the skin and you're extracting oil, if you're not replenishing it your body tries to overcompensate by producing more. This moisturizer also contains hyaluronic acid which supports anything you put on your skin by helping it penetrate 10 times more effectively.

You May Also Like: Naturium Plant Ceramide Rich Moisture Cream ($25.00, naturium.com) or Paula’s Choice Invisible Finish Moisture Gel ($35.00, paulaschoice.com).

Step 5 Sunscreen: Raise your hand if you grew up hearing “Black don’t crack”, well Black might not crack but it can get skin cancer, albeit at lower rates than non-melanated skin. Also the sun can make hyperpigmentation worse. I opted for a facial sunscreen that didn’t leave a white cast (white after hue): EltaMD UV Clear Broad-spectrum SPF46 ($43.00, eltamd.com).

Ife on the Why: Sunscreen helps to prevent the hyperpigmentation on our skin from becoming worse. Specifically the Elta sunscreen uses Zinc Oxide which is a naturally derived sunscreen, which has the ability to repel the sun.

You May Also Like: COOLA Organic Face Sunscreen SPF 50 Sunblock Lotion ($32.00, coola.com) or Supergoop Play Everyday Lotion SPF50 ($24.00, supergoop.com).

One last tip: While I rarely get breakouts anymore, when I do, I dab a bit of Tzol’skin Rose Detox Mask ($42.00, tzolskin.com) on the pimple at night after cleansing. After about one to two days, the pimple disappears, no popping required! An alternative you may also like is New York Biology Dead Sea Mud ($16.00, newyorkbiology.com) or Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask ($35.00, origins.com).

I now know that “good” skin has nothing to do with “the cards”, it’s all about knowledge and consistency. Thanks, Luvvie!

Are you looking for a new skincare routine? Do you have one that you love? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Shanna B. Tiayon is a Social Psychologist (PhD), mental health expert, small business owner and freelance journalist. She writes on topics of wellbeing and the ways we may infringe upon the wellbeing of others. She was a 2022 National Magazine Award Finalist.