I now realize that too much is toxic.

Oh my, I never knew my face could feel this hot. Today, after work, I looked in the mirror and noticed my skin looked unusually dull, so I took out a slightly stronger scrub than usual and scrubbed it. I pushed harder than usual to exfoliate, and now my whole face is flushed and stings with the slightest touch, making it nearly impossible to do anything. Calmly applying a soothing pack and reflecting, I realize how foolish I was for trying to drastically change my skin condition overnight. Now that I'm in my 30s, my skin's resilience isn't what it used to be. Ultimately, sticking to a daily routine, where I take small steps every day, was the right answer. But in trying to see dramatic results in one day, I ended up damaging my skin barrier. For the time being, I think I'll have to put all my functional cosmetics away in a drawer and stick to a moisturizing and soothing home care routine, waiting for my skin to feel better again. Don't be as obsessed with exfoliation as I was. This evening, I painfully learned once again that skin needs to be treated with care, with gentle soothing. I hope everyone ends tonight with a peaceful routine without any stimulation.