Our Skin Diary series dives into the skincare routines and products of our Apostrophe team (and hopefully beyond!). This week we talked to Apostrophe’s Marketing Coordinator, Sabrina Diec, about her skin. She keeps her combo-oily skin glowing and healthy with a dialed-in routine. Read on to learn more!

Age: 23

Skin type: Combination/oily

Skin concerns: Blackheads/clogged pores on forehead, nose, and chin, occasional breakouts, uneven skin tone, and fine lines (I know, I know, I’m 23, but PREVENTION IS KEY, OK?).

Lifestyle: I live a rather simple and boring lifestyle, to be honest. I work 9:45am to 6pm on weekdays, and rarely go out on the weekend. But you can always find me (and my dog-son) on hiking trails, at food-related shindigs, or the cheese aisle at Whole Foods (did you know- you can ask to sample ANY cheese? you’re welcome)!

My Apostrophe dermatologist is Dr. Mamina Turegano. I try to follow her skin diet recommendations (no processed sugar, dairy, or eggs) to prevent breakouts, but some days (ok most days) call for a good serving of ice cream (or two) and a glass of wine. I think I read somewhere that wine is good for your heart? And maybe skin? I’m choosing to believe it 😄

Location/climate/environmental concerns: The Bay Area – temperate climate, but can be super windy and drying at times.

My approach to skincare: Straight to the point and under 10 minutes (brushing and flossing included).

AM:

1. Splash face with cold water to wake up and wash out the sleep in my eyes.
2. Son & Park Beauty Water ($30) → Acts as toner – so refreshing.
3. The Ordinary Azelaic Acid 10% ($8) → One of Dr. Turegano's recommendations for the redness around my nose.
4. Bioderma Hydrabio Gel Cream ($25) → I have this on hand so I've been using it to get rid of it. It's not bad, but it's nothing special. I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it and could easily swap with a cheaper Cerave moisturizing lotion ($9).
5. Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+/PA++++ ($8) → During the week, I usually make coffee and get ready for work, let the sunscreen sink in, and then come back to apply makeup (these eye bags can't hide themselves). I might try a different sunscreen after I run out. I don't hate this one, but I feel like it leaves me a bit too dewy in the morning and greasy at midday.

PM:

1. Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm ($30) → Melts nicely and does the job of removing makeup. I do this before I hop in the shower.
2. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser ($14) → So cheap and lasts forever. I usually do this step in the shower.
3. Son & Park Beauty Water ($30) → I usually put some on a cotton pad to remove any leftover traces of makeup/oil/dirt - you'd be surprised at how much comes off, even after cleansing! On days where my skin feels extra dry, or I've used an exfoliating cleanser, I usually pat a little extra of this water into my skin.
4. Hada Labo Goku-jyun Milk ($12) → I started incorporating this humectant-rich lotion back into my routine since it contains a good amount of glycerin and hyaluronic acid to help retain water/moisture. Just a pea-sized amount is good for me. While I wait for this to sink in, I floss and brush my teeth.
5. SkinMedica TNS Eye Repair ($102) → Ok, this product is really pricey (working in dermatology has its perks). If didn't get this for free, I'd try Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème ($38) or, more realistically, I would just use my moisturizer.
6. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Lip Therapy ($12) → Tip: apply lip balm before tretinoin to avoid spreading it to the lips and drying them out.
7. Apostrophe Tretinoin Formula 0.05% ($75) → My Holy Grail for keeping breakouts at bay, evening out my skin tone and texture, and giving me that healthy glow. My skin has seen so much improvement since starting tretinoin 0.025%. Since I just started on the higher strength, I'm only using this every other day. So far, no irritation 😊
8. SkinMedica Dermal Repair Cream ($129) → Call me an old lady, but there's something I loooove about this cream. It's super rich and moisturizing and my skin drinks it up so it doesn't feel heavy at all. It also contains Vitamin C + E which is a nice bonus. The only downside is the price tag. My office doesn't carry this anymore, so I'll have to find a replacement 😭
9. Latisse ($110) → I use it every other night or two, or whenever I remember. This makes such a huge difference on my Asian lashes.

Weekly

1. SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser ($47) → I try to use this 3-4x/wk in place of Cetaphil cleanser on nights that I'm not using tretinoin.

Have a skin routine that is killing the game? Share your secrets with us by filling out our Skin Diary form! We’ll take care of the rest!