Absolute Minimalist Skincare for the Lazy Bitch

Skincare is such a different thing for so many people. There's people with oily skin, normal skin, dry skin (oh man, am I super dry), and sensitive skin (I'm super sensitive, too). Each requires its' own regimen. A lazy bitch doesn't have time for a crazy regimen, I know, but skin is the first step towards looking like an actual human being.

My personal problem is that I'm dry as a bone. I have atopic dermatitis (basically, eczema that lasts your whole life). It's dry as paper, itchy, easily irritated, and flaky, so I've developed some personal skincare for myself. I have a boyfriend who is both sensitive and very oily and acne-prone, however, and so I feel fairly confident giving you both sides of the skincare coin.

Because I'm used to living on-the-go, I know mostly about drugstore and beauty store brands. Unless it was given as a gift, I won't have ever used department store brands. That said, I refer to a lot of online reviews, especially those that have scientific dissections of the ingredients. I've spent a lot (a LOT) of time trawling the breakdowns of skincare ingredients. I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but I would say that I'm more informed than someone who runs into Walgreens to buy whatever sunscreen is on sale.

While I really recommend a cleanser/toner/(serum if possible)/moisturizer regimen, this isn't the most practical for the on-the-go lady. If you really need something that will take 10 seconds or less, then I recommend the following. Note that you can buy all these in drugstores, and that none of them contain fragrances or drying alcohols (some alcohols are moisturizing). Just because you don't have a lot of time doesn't mean that you can't give your skin a little TLC.

I also wanted to make sure that all the products I recommended were safe for sensitive skin. Obviously, you could be allergic to an ingredient in these, but for the most part, these are tried-and-true. Even people who don't have sensitive skin should avoid fragrances and irritating ingredients, because they cut down on your collagen and elastin production. This makes you wrinkle faster -- nobody wants that.

If you're on your way home for the night, you can use both products. If it's the morning and your skin is clean of makeup, just use the other product.

Dry Skin: Albolene Cleanser and Cerave Moisturizing Cream

To remove makeup, I use Albolene (also available at drugstores, though I haven't been able to find it at Wal-Mart). You slather it on your face (dry or just-washed), massage it in for a few seconds, and then wipe it off with a tissue. It feels waxy in the container, but it melts right down and is super easy to remove while locking a little moisture into my skin. I love it.

This is available at almost every U.S. drugstore, as well as Wal-Mart and Target ($14.97 for 16 oz). I don't have any experience with out-of-US stores, but please leave a comment if you've found these items outside the U.S., and where.

I'm recommending CeraVe Moisturizing Cream because it was recommended to my by both my dermatologist and by the SkincareAddiction subReddit. I have tried going without the ceramides and other ingredients that this supplies, and oh man, it is not pretty.

If you still find that you're dry after applying this, you may need actual water for the cream to hold in. The hyaluronic acid in this binds to water to keep it in your skin, but if there isn't enough in your upper skin layers or the environment, it may actually draw it from the lower layers of your skin. To stop that from happening, splash water on your face before applying. If you don't have access to a faucet when you need to use this, dab some water from a water bottle or use a hydrating mist/water in a spray bottle to give the acid enough water to bond to that it doesn't actually dehydrate you.

Try the lotion by Cerave if this takes too long to absorb/is too moisturizing for you.

Yes, I have done both of these in the car.

Normal Skin: Physician's Formula -- Eye Makeup Remover Lotion, for Normal to Dry Skin

This you can keep in your dashboard with a couple cotton balls, and remove makeup whenever you need to. It has moisturizing ingredients, so that you can give your skin a little nutrients while you wash off your day, but it also is crazy inexpensive ($4.99). The directions say that you should wash it off with water afterwards, so just upend your water bottle in the palm of your hand, rub it in gently, and tissue or toilet paper it off. It's best to follow with a light moisturizer if you can, but since this has so many moisturizing ingredients, you'll be okay do do without if you have to.

If you're having trouble getting some makeup off with this, and you can tolerate it, do try the Albolene, above.

For non-sensitive skin, I really loved the Neutrogena Cleansing Towelettes.

They gave a little bit of moisture and conditioning while really getting rid of all of the dirt. These are so incredibly convenient that I'd actually say everyone should have these available, for those nights you get home and stupid o'clock and all you want to do is crash. They take about 10 seconds, and you can literally see all of the color coming off of your face. They do have fragrance and drying alcohols, though, so this isn't a great option for every night. Also, unless you get them on sale, they aren't very cost-effective. You get about 25 for $4.45, so they won't break your bank or anything, but getting a liquid and cotton balls is far, far more frugal. I keep these for party nights.

Oily Skin: Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover and Stridex Maximum-Strength Pads

I'm not going to say that I've removed makeup on my boyfriend before, but this is an extremely well-reviewed drugstore oily skin makeup remover. It doesn't have irritating ingredients and no fragrance, so it's gentle. Technically, I could use this on my super dry, super sensitive skin if I didn't insist on all my products to be moisturizing.

For breakouts: I started using Stridex when my aunt recommended it, but I was using the Sensitive Skin version, in the green box. The SkincareAddiction subReddit (which I really do thank for helping me help my bf's skin) recommended this one instead. The salicylic acid (the medication that cleanses your pores) isn't effective in the green box because of the pH. Just because it says "Maximum" on the red box doesn't mean you should be scared of it. The medication is the same as most any that you'll find over-the-counter, but without alcohol. It's also in a convenient pad, so you can just smear it around your face. This is a holy grail product both for my boyfriend and many other people. His hormonal acne cooled down so intensely after using this once a day that I wish I had taken pictures. 

You'll want to smooth this all over your face and/or affected areas. I recommend doing this on your face if you tend to break out, even if you don't have any at the moment. You'll definitely feel it on your skin, for about 5-10 seconds. Once it's dry, you can go on to use a light moisturizer if you feel you need it. 

All right, Lazy Bitches, that's it! If you have any recommendations or holy grail products that you can use on-the-go, please leave it in the comments below. Note that I DO NOT recommend doing only this every night. You definitely need to give your skin some TLC from time to time. That said, you and I both know that we can't spend all that time when we're out at the bar with our friends till 2am. This is for those nights! Live a little, and keep yourself in decent shape. Have fun, ladies! :]