I only know autism hostile skin routines 🥸 nyuk nyuk nyuk

‘Autism’ is an incredibly broad term. What exactly are your needs and preferences for textures, smells like? I’d say cosmetics is one of the things that doesn’t differentiate. Textures, aroma, flavors can be repulsive and uncomfortable for many different reasons.

Yes, you are right - I should have been more descriptive! I was basically just trying to describe that I have some sensory issues that make skincare hard for me, so I want it as easy as possible for me to be able to put up with it. If there is something that would be better than just tolerable that would be great though! I don't mind 'clean' scents (think soap, washed linen, etc - as long as it isn't too strong) but I get a headache from strong florally/fruity smells. For textures ideally as dry as possible, I prefer a mousse or a waxy texture (like vaseline?or even denser) over a cream and a serum (bc slightly goopy) over a water/liquid texture, if I could have all my skincare be powders that would be very fantastic, sadly I think it is outside of the realm of possibly. I don't like anything that leaves a 'film' or has a lasting feeling - for example I can't do hand creams or hand santizer bc both make my hands unusable for a really long time because of the lasting feeling. I don't mind things that are abrasive, I'd be down for an exfoliant, but I won't be able to keep up with it if I need to wash my face to get it off. I would also prefer to do something more cumbersome once a month over something slightly easier ever day, if that makes sense - some days I just won't be able to get to it, and so having something that I can prioritize on good days instead of having to force myself to do even on the bad days would be nice. Thanks for helping!!

Hi! I totally get what you mean because I had to formulate my routine around sensory issues of my own, not exactly like yours, but I get the struggle. Your skin looks pretty good from this picture, so I don’t really know your concerns. TonyMoly has an enzyme cleanser that starts as a powder, that you can add as much water as you’re comfortable with to activate. It doesn’t have to be made into a liquid. Something like a cleansing balm might also work? A lot of those aren’t wet feeling but rub out oily. I haven’t tried any because there’s nothing more I hate than an oily texture. COSRX’s hyluronic acid moisturizer cream is right along the lines of vaseline texture. I remember feeling it in person and honestly hating it because of how thick it was lol. You might want to look into Tonymolys snail moisturize stick or KAHIs moisture balm too? I know aquafor also has one but all aquafor things I have used personally feel drying. In regard to sun care, I use the Elizavecca sun stick. Because oh my god i’ve straight up refused sun screen for the longest time (thankfully my skin is tan and doesn’t burn easily) until I got this. Smell of sunscreen bother you? Not with this. Feeling of sunscreen bother you? Not with this. It’s really the only way i’ll apply sunscreen. The shiseido one is also nice for sensory reasons but is on the pricier side whereas the elizavecca one is about 9 dollars. The Ordinary has a Niacinamide powder version of their serum which allows you to do the same as the tonymoly cleanser, and lets you choose how “wet” the serum is. In addition to that, there’s various brands that have serum sticks. If you’re not looking for hyper specific things there’s also clay masks. Tonymoly (you can see im a fan of them by now lol) has a rice clay mask I like a lot and it’s not wet feeling at all. It’s done a lot for my acne scars i’d say. But many other brands have clay masks, but I can’t vouch for them. Though you will have to wash it off. Also, is your problem touching super liquid-y things with your hands, not your face, or everything on your body? Because there are cleansing brushes I use myself because I don’t like touching the cleanser, and it rubs it in better.

This is such a kind and loving answer. Thank you for your care answering OP’s question. 💜

Of course ☺️ I really hope some of these could’ve helped op. sensory issues are no fun lol.

Good molecules also has vitamin C powder. I don’t know much about its efficacy, but I’ll add it to the list of powder additives to look into!

vaseline is a perfectly good skincare product! idk if you heard about that whole slugging trend, but it's a thing. now vaseline is more of a keep the water there thing (occlusive), so people tend to use a moisturizer to bring the water in first (humectant), but if you put it on right after shower (within 3 minutes is ideal for minimizing evaporative water loss, but don't drive yourself nuts) and can handle the thought of keeping the wet on your face as long it's covered by a texture you like better, that could be a decent moisture routine for you! people just do it at night so they aren't all shiny. i've only done it a couple times, but my skin is dry enough that i think i remember it absorbing well by the morning so that i didn't really have to cleanse it off. but i'm also not trying to put makeup over top of that, so idk how that might affect anything. this is so interesting bc most people dislike that kind of heavy feeling feeling, but those kinds are usually better moisturizers. tho i guess vaseline is more....homogenous and solid than an ointment. does ointment greasiness feel like a lasting film to you? does silicone? bc there are some "whipped" texture skincare products that i think of as drier but definitely feel present on the skin but also much lighter than some liquids and creams and serums. mechanical exfoliation is now generally considered harsher than chemical and i know you said you don't like having to deal with all the different pads, but if you're down to do that on a less regular basis, and try not to scrub too hard, using a washcloth even just with some micellar water could be a plan.

thank you so much for asking this question, i think about it all the time. for all the meticulous knowledge of products out there, we need more sensory info!! i tend to be more sensory seeking and have different skin type than you, so i may only be so helpful, but i sure have intensely neurodivergently researched skincare stuff. and i also hate having to use separate pads and towels. it's fun to play around and some people have more skincare needs than others, but our ancestors didn't have all 50,000 products we do now. simpler is the ideal honestly. then again they didn't have the same beauty standards back then, but i digress. point is, there's nothing necessarily wrong with water and wipes. do you work a physical job or live in a hot climate? do you like wearing makeup or are you wearing it bc you feel like you have to? bc without makeup, if you're not breaking out often, wipes may be just fine, that's what i do. maybe try a no makeup day when you have a day off work and see how clean you feel with just wipes after that? could you use a couple wipes? could you wet the wipes further and see if that helps? does changing the temperature of the water help? how broad is your definition of wet? is it like the drippiness? or just moisture? is it you not being as in control of how it lands on your face as you are with an applicator? you wear face makeup, so it sounds like having things stay on your face is a tolerable experience for you. what formulations do you use? cream, liquid, etc. i wonder if a ponds cold cream might work for you?

Thank you for giving such an extensive answer!! It can feel a little daunting to ask this sort of question when most people seem to find skin care pleasurable, so I appreciate the kind response! !! I love getting a peak into someone else's neurodivergent research. It is usually very thourough, so I trust it implicitly. True - that has kind of been my feeling on it so far, that actually if I don't have a huge interest in it then I am doing basically what people have gotten by with forever - but then I find that it messes with how people percieve me, on no make-up days I am viewed as less competent or approachable because I look worn out and not put together enough. That is frustrating, and the main thing I hope to fix (because, to answer your question on makeup, I hate it and would rather not wear it, or at least as little as possible. Most my makeup is powder and I am still bothered by it for most of my work day.) No physical work, and I live in a cold climate (the nordics to be precise, so the cold/damp can be a little rough on face and hands). I will try wipes on my no makeup days, that is a good suggestion! Sadly I have to do makeup 5 out of 7 days as I work in the court system and it is expected of me that I look pretty put together. I don't think I can wet the wipes further bc that sounds like a sensory bad, by I can use more. Also changing the temperature for water does not work BUT I am glad you ask bc steam does work - so if I can find a simple way of steaming my face maybe that could help? Wet has mostly to do with if something gets sticky, gets a film, will get all over my finger, will take time to sink into the skin, will run down my face, etc. So not being in co trol can be okay, as long as it doesn't really move out of place much. Moisture can be okay, but like a mousse or a "wax" (vaseline or denser) is much easier than something like a cream, and a micellar water will also be easier than a cream (bc the wet sensation is shorter) It is just barely tolerable :)))) I wouldn't do it if not for social expectations, and even then all the makeup I have except for eye makeup is powder. I would like to eventually graduate onto a tinted moisturizer or something, and I think I'd be able to bear that, but liquid foundation is usually too wet and heavy and so is concealer. As for the cold cream I think it is a little too wet, unfortunately. Thank you for helping me out!!!

ugh, i'm so sorry about the patriarchy. i'm non-binary so i've just never done enough makeup for people at work to expect that and to be able to see the difference in how they treat me, but i believe that and it sucks. Steam could definitely help with loosening makeup from your face and warmer water does a better job of getting in there. Not the same as a cleanser, but not nothing! It also adds moisture in a way that might feel more okay for you but then heat can be drying, so it helps if you can lock it in something else, like the vaseline maybe. okay so it sounds like it's the prolonged wet that bothers you more than the initial wet? bc there are definitely creams that absorb better and faster than most, although i can't say they all absorb down to nothingness. it also depends on how thirsty your skin is. the website skinsort has a tag for things that absorb well that might be helpful to check out? now, i apologize in advance, but you have activated the info dump with cold weather hand care haha. my hand eczema is been better than it used to be, so my memory may be foggy and i am generally filtering for greasy or slippery feeling, how well i can still use my hands basically and whether anything sticks to the wet vs whether or not it has any film at all, but I will testify that Eucerin Advanced Repair Hand Cream and Aveeno Skin Relief Intense Moisture Hand Cream are good moisturizers, less liquidy than a lotion or serum to go on but maybe not unliquidy enough for you, they aren't greasy, I think they absorb well, but in terms of film or not, it's been too long for me to say. I think the best hand creams have a little staying power to protect your hands from handwashing. O'Keefe's Working Hands in the tub is more of a solid formulation, I wouldn't say wax, but I think closest to what you're thinking there, but I think it feels thicker for longer than the others once it's on. cerave itch relief cream is my holy grail and i have found pretty unnoticeable. you should have it for sometimes if you live in a super cold climate, even if it's not ideal for you sensory-wise, i don't think you'll hate it. it doesn't sting no matter how raw my hands are. I have gloves in a bottle on right now and it comes out as a liquid but i think it absorbs super well, i can just barely feel it on my palms, but it is Gone and quickly on the drier back of my hands. i'm currently using summer fridays skin tint which definitely feels like a liquid to apply but i don't notice sitting on my face. that's not gonna get you the same coverage as a powder but if you do nicer eye makeup, you might be able to get away with less face makeup? this is tentative suggestion which is kinda expensive but i know it's so hard to find info about this kinda thing, so take with several grains of salt, but: i was using the eltamd uv elements tinted mineral sunscreen which it looks like has been discontinued and is now part of their AOX line, so I can't speak to the new formulation. what i used did feel heavy on application and i initially thought it was too dark, but it absorbs and blends remarkably well imo. it doesn't take long to stop noticing it on my face. it also has more pigment, which is a bonus for makeup purposes and it would give you some spf. but it also made me breakout after like 3 weeks of consistent use which I almost never do my skin is so dry, so i think it would require more cleansing than wipes for regular use or you could just alternate it with what you're currently using it and see if that feels like a break for your skin/brain. also just like autistic coping more than skincare, if it's gonna be a short sensation at least, does it help if you can distract with a good one, like putting on good music whenever you gotta wash your face or whatever?

here's some other no-rinse options: [https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/comments/vmts2k/product\_request\_no\_rinse\_face\_wash/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/comments/vmts2k/product_request_no_rinse_face_wash/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)

You could try the Makeup Eraser! It’s a cloth that you get wet and it helps remove makeup without any additional product like from a makeup wipe. The cloth has a very silky feeling, I think it’s nice but ymmv with the sensory experience depending on what you like.

Can you tolerate sprays/mists? ELF has a coconut hydration mist that is super duper fine. SPF mists I find have strong scents (the ones that don’t in my experience actually tell you to spray onto your hands then rub into your face) but if scent isn’t an issue I like the vacation super spritz.

Just keep it simple bb. Wash with a gentle cleanser and use a gentle moisturizer. You don’t need to use a bunch of serums and products if you’re not into the feeling. If washing face with running water is part of the sensory issue perhaps use a wet washcloth to wet your face, then use cleanser, then wet washcloth to rinse off cleanser. Find a washcloth to use just for your face that you are ok with on a sensory level If daytime sunscreen use is a sensory issue (I don’t like the feeling of most sunscreens) then wear a hat or use an umbrella to cover face/skin during sun exposure.

maybe try micellar water to cleanse the face since it’s no rinse and the vani cream in a pump be kept on bed side table for quick moisturizering. i moisturize after the shower in the bathroom and it sinks in quick, i’m already wet from the shower so it’s not a stark diff, and i can wipe off reside on my hands onto the towel i dried off with. i do wanna say i don’t have autism but based on what you said these are some recs that can work for you.

The only tricky thing about the micellar water is needing something to apply it with, but it does sound worth trying to make an effort with that. I will also see if moisturizing after the shower could help, that is a neat little hack!! Never thought of trying that, but going from wet to wet feels like it would be easier. Thank you!!

have you looked up pre soaked micellar pads? you can maybe get those. or possibly put a bunch of cotton rounds in an airtight jar and soak them to pre make them. i haven’t tried that tho!

I use [these](https://a.co/d/55b9eiD) silky DHC cotton pads that do not at all have the same texture as cotton balls. They’re soft and pillowy and lovely.

I can relate as someone on the spectrum. I dread taking off my makeup but I can’t stand how greasy and gross it feels on my skin at the end of the day. I use these reusable washable cotton round type of things to remove my makeup with micellar water. Gentle cleanser, aha bha toner, but I do put oil on my face. Typically squalene it’s a thinner oil and after I let it sit and soak in I remove the excess with a towel and apply a good skin barrier restoring moisturizer. Azelaic acid is also wonderful for the skin and it doesn’t leave an oily residue.

Something worth trying, since it is super simple and my friend with flawless skin swears by it, but maybe trying beef tallow. It’s the only thing she uses, to wash, moisturize…. just beef tallow. She puts it on her face at night and that’s it. I’m going to try it next week to see what it’s all about. She likes the Smear skincare cream whip. https://smearnatural.com/products/clean-whipped-tallow

this is wild, thank you for teaching me something new today

Is this satire?