Personal Changes
So… this post has been a long-time coming, though nothing compared to how long you guys have been waiting for the Ideal Routine Page. And I really appreciate all of you who stayed with me and kept this blog alive with your enthusiasm, passion, and loyalty.
Unfortunately, I can’t seem to stop disappointing you guys with delays on top of delays. So it goes without saying that I have one more to thrust upon you all, and for that I am truly sorry.
I had originally decided to post the entire Ideal Routine Page in June and call it Jumbo June! However, to make a long story short, I landed a full-time 8-5 job that will (obviously) require a lot of my time and attention–I start tomorrow. It would be impossible for me to finish a majority of the content by the June deadline. Therefore, I’ve decided to push the launch date back an entire month to July.
Fortunately, Jumbo July works as well! I’ve also decided to attach the Sun Protection Page, which really is just an extension of the Ideal Routine Page, right behind the latter and publish that in August along with an updated My Story & Routine–another item that’s long overdue. Haha! But seriously, mea culpa.
Skin Care Changes
On another note however, an even bigger change that I’m sure will shock most of you is that I HAVE COMPLETELY SWORN OFF INORGANIC SUNSCREENS... I know, right?! WHAT?! Believe me, it took a lot of going back and forth for me to decide this, but it’s the truth! I mean, clearly I value inorganic sunscreens over organic ones, as demonstrated in the 5-part sunscreen battle that discussed all the relevant characteristics. Evidently for me however, one single factor (aesthetics) overwhelmed all others.
After two years of working through this issue, I’ve given up. (Scroll down if you don’t want to read a super-rant). I’m tired of looking like a white, dead vampire-victim; or vampire depending on the universe in reference: the kind of chalky, ashy, pasty, and cool-toned nightmare that looks and feels unnatural. The very dry finish that most inorganic sunscreens with high % of UV filters exhibit, also accentuates any dry skin, large pores, and the like. Furthermore, I can’t wear white shirts because the sunscreen with stain and yellow the collars. I can’t wear dark or colored shirts without the sunscreen whitening the collars. It’s just such a logistical headache that I will no longer deal with them on a regular basis!! God, I seriously debated if I should have written this entire paragraph in CAPS. But I figured I’ve already lost enough readers… As for tinted versions, none of them are as perfect as I’d like. Either they provide inadequate sun protection or are too pigmented to use at 2.0 mg/cm^2 without looking like I was wearing theater makeup.
Does this mean I’m going to recommend organic sunscreens over inorganic ones now? Of course not. I still stand by (almost) everything I said in the sunscreen battle. Personally however, I am simply not willing to deal with the whiteness.
Anyways, I have a few bottles of inorganic sunscreens that I’m definitely not going to use. Ever. So I figured I might as well give them away to you guys.
Mini Giveaway
The giveaway will consists of two tubes of the discontinued Arcona Reozone SPF 30 sunscreen. One bottle is brand-new, the other is about 2/3 full. If you are the winner, let me know if you don’t want the opened bottle; I’ll just give it to someone else.
I found this product several months ago while I was looking for a new sunscreen to replace the Blue Lizard SPF 30 that I’ve been using years. With 7% ZnO and 7% TiO2, the Arcona provides about the same amount of overall sun protection as the Blue Lizard. The texture of the Arcona however, is more fluid and appropriate for oilier skin types–though certainly not for the very oily. I had used it as a body sunscreen. It’s slightly less white than the Blue Lizard, though still quite so.
Indoor lighting after sitting for 20 minutes.
Outdoor lighting; in direct sunlight at noon. Note that I likely applied more than 2.0 mg/cm^2. Therefore, while the sunscreen is still white, it isn’t THAT white.
Giveaway Rules
This is an informal giveaway. If you’re interested in trying this product, just leave a comment telling me why you’d like to try it, and if you only want the unopened bottle or both. Also, this giveaway is only open to my US readers.
Publishing Schedule
***The publishing schedule has been updated: https://thetriplehelixian.com/2013/06/28/updated-publishing-schedule-for-the-ideal-routine-and-the-sun-protection-pages/
At last, we have reached the meaty part of this article! After cementing the structure of the two Pages into place–via additional research and feedback from you guys, there will actually be a LOT more posts than the initial 30 that I planned for the Ideal Routine Page. Same goes for the Sun Protection Page and the updated My Story & Routine. However, I have managed to keep 30 and 10 respective “categories” that will be posted on a daily basis starting July 1st, 2013; I’ve added one additional section to My Story & Routine. So the schedules will follow as such:
Ideal Routine Page
Expect a lot of SPAM on days where there are product recommendations, as I plan to have individual posts for each product.
July 1: Jumbo July Kick-Off and Ideal Routine Introduction
July 2: Cleansers (1 categories; 5 posts)
July 3: Toners (1 category; 1 post); Moisturizers (1 categories; 4 posts)
July 4-8: Chemical Exfoliants (5 categories; 8 main posts + A LOT of posts (1 for each product)) (I THINK there are like 50 product recs….) So expect SPAM during these days.
July 9-10: Chemical Exfoliants Product Recommendations
July 11-12: Important Ingredients in Skin Care: Retinoids and Product Recommendations
July 13-14: Important Ingredients in Skin Care: Vitamin-Based Antioxidants and Product Recommendations
July 15-16: Important Ingredients in Skin Care: Polyphenolic Antioxidants and Product Recommendations
July 17-18: Important Ingredients in Skin Care: Other Antioxidants and Product Recommendations
July 19-20: Important Ingredients in Skin Care: Niacinamide and Product Recommendations
July 21: The Ideal Skin Care Routine: In Practice-Generic Routine
July 22-23: The Ideal Skin Care Routine: In Practice-Acne Routine and Product Recommendations
July 24-25: The Ideal Skin Care Routine: In Practice-Hyperpigmentation Routine and Product Recommendations
July 26-27: The Ideal Skin Care Routine: In Practice-Rosacea Routine and Product Recommendations
July 28: The Ideal Skin Care Routine: In Practice-Very Sensitive Skin Routine and Product Recommendations
July 29: Common Negative Interactions
July 30: Body and Lip Care
July 31: FAQs
I think this updated schedule makes a bit more sense. I mean, there will still be SPAM, but the individual product reviews will be published at a more even pace, rather than being all done in one day.
Sun Protection Page and Updated My Story & Routine
There will be a short pause between the publication dates of the Ideal Routine and the Sun Protection Pages because everyone (including me) will need time to catch up and prepare for the second phase. The Sun Protection Page will begin on August 6, which just so happens do be the first day of a new lunar cycle or New Moon. While the moon is the dichotomous opposite of the sun, it paradoxically parallels the role of the various forms of sun protection, primarily sunscreens: to absorb and/or reflect sunlight. Therefore, it really fits our purposes here!
After the Sun Protection Page is complete, there will be a three-day intermission, after which the updated My Story & Routine sections will commence publication on August 20–the date of when the Full Moon occurs; it represents the culmination of all the Ideal Routine and Sun Protection Pages from my perspective; the purest form of manifestation. Finally, after everything is said and done, there will be three more days (agreeable symmetry anyone?) left of August during which you can finally catch some R&R and reflect on everything that has transpired.
Haha, now THAT was lame! But I hope it goes to show that I’ve definitely put thought into this schedule and that both its structure and content possess meaning–something that you will all soon partake and therefore, be a part of. 🙂
Anyways, here’s the schedule for August:
August 6: New Moon Kick-Off and Sun Protection Introduction
August 7: The Components of Sunlight and How They Damage the Skin (1 category; 4 posts)
August 8: Do Artificial Light Sources Damage the Skin? (1 category; 1 posts)
August 9: The Identity, Structure, Stability, and Toxicity of Organic UV Filters (1 category; 4 posts)
August 10: The Two Main Inorganic UV Filters Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide (1 category; 4 posts)
August 11: Common Positive Interactions in Sunscreens (1 category; 3 posts)
August 12: Common Negative Interactions in Sunscreens (1 category; 3 posts)
August 13: A Theoretical Approach to Sunscreens (1 category; 3 posts)
August 14: A Practical Approach to Sunscreens (1 category; 5 posts)
August 15: All Sunscreen Product Recommendations (1 category; A LOT of posts (1 for each product)) I haven’t actually gone through the sunscreens available from DermStore, Skinstore, Sephora, Beautypedia, and Nordstrom yet, so I can’t give you a rough estimate of how many product recs there are. Still, expect SPAM on this day! I’ll likely space out the individual review posts between this day and the next. (Edit: There are around 100 product recommendations… So yeah. There will be SPAM).
August 16: What Other Forms of Sunscreens Are Available Besides Sunscreens (1 category; 1 post)
August 20-28: I will just be updating the My Story & Routine sections. The only new section will be “My Makeup Routine,” since a few of you seem to be interested in what makeup products I use. Furthermore, note that any of the products in my old routine that are no longer used, will be given their own individual product review posts. So again, expect some SPAM during these days.
Okay, that sums everything up! Gosh, there’s so much to do! But now that everything’s pretty much set in stone, there will be no more delays.
I also realize that this leaves us just a little over a month to complete the other three Pages. They will be less extensive in depth, but will retain thoroughness in scope. Think of them more as epilogues of our skin care saga, rather than additional chapters.
Please let me know any suggestions you may have, and if you think I should add or remove something from the Pages! If you’d like to enter the giveaway, just tell me why you’d like to try it.
The Triple Helixian 
Oh! And I almost forgot! Will you include those sunscreen wipes? Idk if they actually work well…
Posted by Belle | June 4, 2013, 10:18 pmUnfortunately no. And that goes for sunscreen sprays as well.
With both wipes and sprays, it’s pretty much impossible to know how much you’re applying. And since sunscreen efficacy is directly tied to application amount, that is NOT a good thing. 😦
An exclusive reason as to why I will not be recommending sunscreen sprays was discussed in the Toxicity post (part III) of the sunscreen debate: http://www.futurederm.com/2012/09/03/are-inorganic-sunscreens-better-than-organic-ones-part-iii-toxicity/ The reason is that sprays facilitate sunscreen inhalation, which is NEVER a good thing. I mean, that’s what the skin prevents in terms of meaningful levels of free radical generation and endocrine disruption.
I hope that makes sense!
Posted by John | June 5, 2013, 4:41 pmHi John, I’m looking forward to reading all your Magnum Opus! I would love to try the sunscreens; living in Arizona, being a redhead, hating getting (more) freckles and getting horrible reactions(red racoon’s eyes) to Octinoxate all add up to me needing an inorganic sunscreen. I’m having a very hard time finding one I like for my face, so I spend all of my time inside during the day. I don’t mind looking like a vampire, compared to everyone down here, Too many of them look like “Tanning Mom”…very scary!
Posted by Jenn | May 27, 2013, 7:56 pmYay! I’m excited to see everything coming together, too. 🙂
And good for you for not minding the vampire look. I shudder to look in the mirror while wearing an inorganic sunscreen. Lol!
Posted by John | May 27, 2013, 9:38 pmI discovered you recently and so far I’m pretty excited about the upcoming posts! June is my “exam month” so I’m also quite relieved that I’d be able to catch the pace in July without missing my study time! 🙂 Thanks for the work you put in here, very much appreciated!
Posted by Alétheia | May 21, 2013, 6:02 pmGreat! I’m so happy to have you here. And it’s nice that the delay works for both our schedules. 😉
Posted by John | May 21, 2013, 7:36 pmCongrats on landing the new job John! 🙂
And I share your feelings about inorganic sunscreens. Aesthetics is important– no one wants to look like a white vampire!!! Hope you’ll recommend one with a minimal white cast. I’ll keep you updated on any new ones that I try too!
Posted by kristinakatai@yahoo.com | May 21, 2013, 2:18 pmWow, thanks. How thoughtful of you!
In the Product Recommendations post, I’ll definitely be noting any inorganic sunscreens that I KNOW for sure are either transparent or tinted enough so that the white cast is pretty much gone, but not so pigmented that it’s like foundation and would be aesthetically unrealistic to use at 2.0 mg/cm^2 (cake face anyone?).
Posted by John | May 21, 2013, 7:33 pmYay for this, too!
Posted by ladyisla | May 21, 2013, 9:43 pmIf you know of any you’d like to share, I’d be happy to consider them!
Posted by John | May 21, 2013, 9:50 pmOh, gosh, I wish…I still use the Hourglass Mineral Veil but it does have a whitish cast, and I used a Neutrogena one for my Orlando trip…I’ll check on which one it was exactly, it was pretty good, and the whitish cast wasn’t too bad..
Posted by ladyisla | May 21, 2013, 10:14 pmOoh okay nice. 😉
Posted by John | May 21, 2013, 11:12 pmNeutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 45
Posted by ladyisla | June 1, 2013, 9:18 amWow, John! That’s an incredible amount of work and posts–I can’t wait to start reading them all!
Posted by ladyisla | May 20, 2013, 6:10 pmThanks m’dear!
Posted by John | May 20, 2013, 6:51 pmRegarding cleansers, I was wondering if you’ve tried oil based cleansers? It seems to be very popular with folks who want to use it on a dry face to clean off waterproof foundation or sunscreen prior to using their regular cream or foaming cleanser. An example would be DHC deep cleansing oil or Kose softymo cleansing oil. It seems to be very common in Asian skincare lines but I’ve also found them in skincare lines for Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier. I’d love to know if the cleansing oil alone is just as effective as a foaming cleanser or if the combo of the two is worthwhile.
Posted by Courtney Y | May 20, 2013, 2:39 pmYep, I will definitely be covering this issue in the cleanser section! But they really aren’t that unique, but can certainly be effective.
Thanks for pitching in your thoughts. 🙂
Posted by John | May 20, 2013, 6:51 pmQuite honestly, I am relieved that your masterpiece will not be out until July. June is an insanely busy month for me at work with no spare time for blog-reading.
I have been so excited about diving into it (your ideal routine, not my work) that I would just hate that it was viewable and everyone else got to gobble up all the goods before I could get a peek!
And now I am extra-intrigued about your switch to organic sunscreens – WOW, did NOT see that coming.
Thanks for all of your hard work and for breaking it all up into tasty little segments that will make it easier to digest.
Can’t wait!
Posted by janine | May 20, 2013, 2:29 pmYay! It’s great that this schedules works out for the both of us!
And I KNOW, I myself still can’t believe that I’m going to switch to organic sunscreens. Unfortunately, there are way fewer options (due to my super high standards… 😦 ), but I believe I’m found an excellent options.
As always, I appreciate your participation in every way!
Posted by John | May 20, 2013, 6:49 pmJohn, thank you for being you and sharing your brain with us! That said I of course have a question, no rush except on the ubiquinol question, if your area.
Caryn
May 20, 2013 at 3:45 pm
Does taking the Priori supplement coffeeberry and Intelligent Nutrieients Antioxident Seed Meal Blend,and Ubiquinol 200mg supplements do anything good for your skin or body health? I use forms of them topically in different skin care and have been taking for months orally? I wonder if all the supplements are doing more damage to my wallet then helping improve my body?
I left this on Nicky’s blog to see her take? My main question is I take lipitor and take the ubiquinol to prevent muscle cramping. Not the Dr. or pharmacy can answer do you take the ubiquinol at the same time as lipitor or does it matter? I’m sorry I started the lipitor as it has caused a blood sugar issue making me stuff sugar in my body. I know statins is not your field but just wondering if the ubiquinol is helping anything?
Thanks for all the help you provide as I share your wisdom with others!
Posted by CARYN | May 20, 2013, 1:57 pmYou’re welcome, and thank you for your kind words!
As for your question, you are right that I am definitely not an expert when it comes to internal medicine… I mean, that’s something you should ask your doctor.
But if you’d like my opinion, based on Lipitor’s profile on http://www.drugs.com, there doesn’t appear to be any interactions between that and any of those supplements you’re taking.
That being said, I’ve always recommended and believed that when it comes to oral antioxidant supplementation, it’s better to get them from foods. This is because food feeds your entire body, which means that almost every component of something you eat, can have an effect on some part of the body. By limiting yourself to just the ones that have been documented and discovered, you may be missing out on something helpful that has yet to be discovered. It’s something that’s a complete 180 degrees from what I believe in when it comes to skin care. But it’d take too long for me to fully explain why. But rest assured, this is something that will be covered in detail in the Skin & Lifestyle Page.
Furthermore, while antioxidants are a great thing, your body needs free radicals in order to function. And too many antioxidants has actually been shown to lower your body’s natural antioxidant capabilities via a phenomenon called hormesis. Like I said, I’ll be covering all of these issues in the other Page.
But for now, I personally think you should get your antioxidants from your foods. But if that’s not possible, you can still take supplements. But watch your intake, and make sure to exercise! Ultimately, they won’t have much an affect on your skin, unless you’re seriously deficient in terms of antioxidant intake.
Does that all make sense?
Posted by John | May 20, 2013, 6:47 pmYou are so amazing and I think you should be a DR. First you have the brains and most of all you have compassion for others! My diet is lacking due to the stress in my life and I understand about over doing something good could throw off the balance of things. The problem today is most Dr.s are so quick to write scripts for FDA approved drugs and don’t consider that a problem could be solved by checking out a person’s vitamin levels. such as now the great interest in vitamin d.
Once again thank you for such a fast reply, as always I’m in awe of you!
Posted by Caryn | May 21, 2013, 8:26 amAs always, you humble me. 🙂
And if you think you’re lacking in vitamin D due to your current diet and/or sunscreen use, you can certainly take supplements. However, you can simply just add fish to your diet. My favorites, all of which contain a lot of vitamin D, are salmon and tuna. Eating some quality sushi would be great too!
Posted by John | May 21, 2013, 7:25 pm*faints*
this. will. go. down. in. history. :3
Posted by nelsonvengeance | May 20, 2013, 1:13 pmLol!! I wish that emoticon worked here, because I know what it looks like!
Posted by John | May 20, 2013, 6:13 pmwait, if you have sworn off IOS, then that would also mean that you wont be using the 3:1 sunscreen foundation combo for your day foundation anymore right? =O
Posted by nelsonvengeance | May 22, 2013, 11:45 amYep! You sir, are absolutely correct. 🙂
Posted by John | May 22, 2013, 5:26 pm*anticipation skyrockets*
Posted by nelsonvengeance | May 22, 2013, 6:57 pmHaha yes!
Posted by John | May 23, 2013, 6:13 pmThat’s a lot of posts! I don’t know if you should post so many in a day, but I look forward to ALL that.
Posted by Lucas | May 20, 2013, 11:18 amHm, I know I could spread them out. But there’d be too many to spread out anyways. Plus, I’d just prefer to keep it to one topic/category per day. I know, I’m weird and ultra-OCD like that. 😉
Posted by John | May 20, 2013, 6:13 pmHi John, I’d like to try the sunscreens because I live in the sunbelt and really need to use it everyday!
I’d like to try both please =D
I think it may also be good to talk about the efficacy of tinted moisturizers and their SPF values (vs. /effective/ SPF value in efficacy) compared to white (non-tinted) sunscreens and their SPFs.
Thanks!
Posted by medicalschoolgirl | May 20, 2013, 9:07 amOkay thanks for the input! So far, you are the only entry, so you have a mighty good chance of winning. 😉
Also, all products with an SPF rating of say 15, will provide the SAME amount of initial protection against UVB rays if they are applied at 2.0 mg/cm^2. It doesn’t matter what the vehicle is (tinted moisturizer, regular sunscreen, lip balm, etc…) That being said however, the type of product will affect how much is typically applied; and THAT’S where some people believe they are not equally effective.
Does that make sense?
Posted by John | May 20, 2013, 6:12 pmYes that does make sense – thanks!
Posted by medicalschoolgirl | June 1, 2013, 2:09 pmJobs, changes, and sunscreens, oh my! I was quite excited about the Ideal Routine release, but lest we forget, you must earn your daily bread. But kudos on getting a job, especially in the middle of a recession there! Is it too personal to ask what your job is?
Oh! And where will the how-to for BASF fit here? And in the cleansers part, will you state why or why not active ingredients in cleansers work?
About you’re sunscreen problem, will you only use totally organic sunscreens, or are semi-organic semi-inorganic ones okay?
Welp, the best time of the year is the later part. Big movie releases, book releases, and now to add the drama, John Su spam! Gah! Must be patient. I wish you the best on your job! Hopefully no mean co-workers!
Posted by Belle | May 20, 2013, 4:11 amHaha well, I can tell you that my job doesn’t really having anything to do with skin care. But the pay is pretty good, so I see it as a way to earn some savings for when I return to school to become a dermatologist–something that will take me like a decade to do. Lol!
The BASF instructions post will be part of the “Practical Approach to Sunscreens” section.
As for the cleanser question, I’ll likely include something about that topic, though it shouldn’t be very extensive by any means. This is because, with the exception of hydroxy acids and benzoyl peroxide, any other “beneficial non-vehicular ingredient” included in a cleanser, such as antioxidants, peptides, etc… will all be washed down the drain before they’ve had time to adequately penetrate into the skin. But I’ll put a small note about this in the relevant section, just to make things more well-rounded. Thanks!
As for my “main” sunscreen (basically, what I actually apply at 2.0 mg/cm^2 and depend on for adequate protection) is completely organic. Most products that contain both types of UV filters are either still very white, or do not provide enough overall protection (for me).
Anyways, I appreciate your excited-ness; it makes me even more excited! And I also hope I don’t have to deal with any work drama. 🙂
Posted by John | May 20, 2013, 1:19 pmBetter late then never! haha
Anyway, thank you thank you and thank you, John for taking such a huge effort to write articles.
I learn many things from your articles and i wish that there were many other people like you in the beauty industry. we all really appreciate what you have done.
Thank you :]
Posted by Bung | May 19, 2013, 11:39 pmThank you for sticking with me through thick and thin!
Posted by John | May 20, 2013, 1:08 pm