“Tosca, What's Your Skincare Routine?"
Skin type: very dry & sensitive
I spoke with Tosca about managing dry skin with a low-maintenance routine and a minimalist approach, her Korean skincare lifesavers, and alternative places to find high-quality skincare products that aren’t Sephora, lol.
Tosca is currently developing a health and wellness podcast called Tend2Belle. In it, she has honest conversations with beauty marketers, creative entrepreneurs, and medical professionals, asking them how they take care of themselves.
(progress photos below)
Toluwani: What is your skin type?
Tosca: Dry. I’m dry. Dehydrated. I can feel it now—it's that time of year, the weather is changing. I have to switch up products. I get elephant skin in the winter.
Toluwani: Oh no! We'll get into that soon. How often do you feel like you have to moisturize your skin?
Tosca: In the summer, I can get away with just toner and sunscreen. But I’ve noticed my skin needs something to grab onto. I can’t just throw moisturizer on by itself—I need a toner, an essence, or something moist for it to cling to.
Toluwani: Are you into Korean skincare? I’ve noticed they place a huge emphasis on hydration.
Tosca: And sensitivity! Yes. A lot of American skincare has fragrance, and it makes me break out horribly. Most of the time, I’m still dry—or worse, greasy and dry.
Toluwani: That really speaks to the quality of the products. They’re not actually effective—it’s all surface-level stuff, like appearances and fragrance.
Tosca: Exactly. I don’t need fragrance on my face. That’s the one place I definitely don’t need it. I don’t even use scented lotions because they don’t moisturize; it’s just pure alcohol.
Toluwani: And what type of breakouts do you typically deal with?
Tosca: I don’t even know the name, but I had a “cute little guy” yesterday—one of those pus heads that keeps growing bigger. (Pustules)
Toluwani: What’s your skincare history?
Tosca: I never had acne but in my 30s, I started getting a hormonal chin strap. Then I discovered Korean skincare, which helped. I still get congested in my T-zone occasionally, but I’ve learned to give myself mini maintenance facials. Of course, nothing beats an esthetician. For at-home facials, I start with a charcoal mask and follow up with a sheet mask. I’m loyal to the JayJun Rose Water Mask and their Shining Intensive Mask.
Toluwani: I love that you broke down your home facial routine! What’s your current skincare routine?
Tosca: Unfortunately, my PM routine is still wishful thinking. It mostly happens when I’m wearing makeup.
AM:
Double cleanse with The Face Shop Oil Cleanser or Glamfox Cleansing Balm
Cleanser: Rice Water Bright by The Face Shop
[I’m From] Fig Scrub Mask (twice a week)
Charcoal mask (currently using Evelom, but I like experimenting with others)
Serum-based sunscreen over toner:
COSRX Aloe Soothing SPF 50 (summer)
[I’m From] Fig Boosting Essence (winter)
PM (not super consistent):
Double cleanse with The Face Shop Oil Cleanser or Glamfox Cleansing Balm
Cleanser: Rice Water Bright by The Face Shop
Serum over toner: COSRX Aloe Soothing SPF 50
Dr. Jart’s Pore Remedy (once a week)
I also do more face masks in winter for hydration and barrier repair.
Bonus product rec: The Round Lab Mugwort Cream is amazing—super underrated. I wasn’t as impressed with the soybean one or the blue cream that everyone raves about. But the mugwort is to die for.
Toluwani: Earlier, we touched on how your routine evolves over time. How do you know when to rotate products or techniques?
Tosca: When my cheeks start feeling tight, I know it’s time to switch to my winter stuff. My routine also changes based on the makeup I wear. I discovered the Love Yourself Serum Foundation and thought, “Oh, yeah!”
Toluwani: What about summer? What’s your indicator then?
Tosca: When my products feel heavy—like I have an unnecessary extra layer sitting on my skin—that’s my signal to switch things up. I’m super sensitive, so I can’t handle any discomfort.
Toluwani: What’s one skincare hack that’s consistently worked for you?
Tosca: Do I even have one? I guess investing in Korean skincare is my hack. I get random breakouts and allergic reactions with American products, but the minute I switch back to Korean skincare, my skin clears up.
Toluwani: Wow! I was already planning to, but now I’m never leaving Korean skincare.
Tosca: Yes! I don’t know what they’re doing over there.
Toluwani: They must have different kind of scientists over there I don't know what kind of lab equipment they have.
Tosca: And their spas are unmatched! One day, I’m going to Korea just for the spas. I don’t know if I want to go to Sri Lanka for Ayurvedic treatments or Korea for the spas more—but Korea’s definitely on the list.
Toluwani: What’s one thing you wish you understood about your skin earlier in your skincare journey?
Tosca: I’d tell myself to stop trying to make drugstore products work. They never will. It’s not you; it’s the products! Those formulas are full of chemicals that mess up your skin. Also, CeraVe sucks.
Toluwani: Right?! CeraVe made my acne worse, and then I looked at the ingredients—absolutely horrible.
Tosca: Ceramides are great, but CeraVe’s ceramides are at the bottom of the ingredients list. It’s all alcohol and a horrible cocktail of chemicals. Stay away—it’s only making things worse.
Toluwani: What’s the best skincare advice you’ve ever received?
Tosca: I’ve never really gotten advice—I’ve always been the nerd in my friend group. I try products and share with them, which is why I’m starting my podcast Tend2Belle. It’ll cover health and wellness topics with people from different professions, sharing how they take care of themselves.
Toluwani: What’s your skincare advice for the audience?
Tosca: Figure out your skin type! It’ll help you understand how much and when to use certain products.
Also, if you’re running through creams in under a month, that’s a sign of poor quality—it’s basically water. Another reason I love Korean skincare: the products are so concentrated that a little goes a long way.
Final tip, shop small and shop local! Look into alternative sources to buy products. Here are a few to get started:
Marshalls
Etsy
Stylevana (buy Korean brands in bulk)
Masksheets.com (discount Korean skincare)
Toluwani: What’s your hope for the future of Black skincare?
Tosca: I want us to stop boxing ourselves in. Stop using Vaseline, and beauty-supply cocoa butter is not real—don’t use it! Jergens is diluted evil—it’s not horrible, but we deserve better.
Try Ancient Cosmetics! It’s Black-owned, and their body oils are delightful. In summer, I mix their oils with lotion; in winter, I layer oils with creams for hydration.
*Breakouts triggered by an allergic reaction to common American skincare products.
You can find Tosca on all platforms at @ToscaMarleen. Stay tuned for her upcoming podcast, Tend2Belle.
*If you would like to share your skincare journey on MySkin.Journal, feel free reach out below! This platform is meant to be a space for you all to share openly and connect with each other ❤️.