How I got rid of my acne with skincare practices

 

Yep, despite how healthy and flawless-looking my skin looks today without makeup. It wasn't always like this. 

Today

Growing up I was one of those kids that had zits pop up every once in a while. I was actually lucky it wasn't ever like really bad like some other kids that had faces filled with pimples. And to be honest getting a few pimples here and there even as a teenager never bothered me. That said few people know this but I am a huge perfectionist so for me it was a matter of wanting clear, perfect skin because I could. I could take action and see results happen that's what my fight against acne was really about. I went through a period of testing products to see what would work on my face. And when I was a teen in 2010 the first brand I first interacted with was Clean & Clear. Its name was obvious and their ads pushed by Vanessa Hudgens promised to get rid of your acne with their salicylic acid infused face scrub. Those were times when companies used microbeads in their face scrubs and face cleansers which at the time we didn't know were bad for our water sources and marine life. But more importantly, for my first foray into skincare it was awful! At the time, I didn't know my skin would react badly to salicylic acid nor did I know that I was allergic to it. After adding to my skincare routine a salicylic acid face scrub and salicylic acid face moisturizer that Clean & Clear had introduced only for a few weeks I noticed my skin peeling and itching one day. In skincare, this means your skin is having a hard time tolerating the products and while I tried to take out the moisturizer with salicylic acid I realized my skin just didn't like it. I was allergic I just didn't pay attention to it until it was too late because I wanted to see clear skin results so bad. In the end, I dropped Clean & Clear though I felt sort of sad the company couldn't help me in my search for good skincare to keep my skin healthy. 

Flash forward a few years later and I will try Neutrogena's benzoyl peroxide clear pore cleanser and when this product appeared in grocery stores it was still relatively new, I finally got results! It worked. It was strong and you had to be careful it didn't burn much like how you have to be careful with medication. But many times more manageable and not bad reaction causing. It finally attacked acne and results happened in as little as 2 days. Less if you stacked their later released benzoyl peroxide vanishing cream as a spot treatment on spots where you had small potential zits. 

This was all over-the-counter and products that cost less than $8, by the way. Nothing like Proactive. Nothing expensive just ingredients that worked. 

Getting rid of acne on my own gave me such a sense of accomplishment. I was ecstatic but not only that I was in awe of scientists and science itself. That it could give solutions to conditions that troubled, us, in this case problematic skin. 

There's something to say about me having to treat problematic skin and that is this. I learned a lot about good skincare practices. I learned if your skin burns from a product that is a sign it's no good for your skin, you should follow up with face moisturizer after face cleansing, research ingredients well to avoid allergic reactions and if companies are in fact using ingredients that could be harmful to our environment, and to wear SPF since skin aging is the worst. We want to look young and healthy, as long as possible, after all. Oh, and one last trick I learned even with a face cleanser with an active that fights acne-causing bacteria it's ok to use it merely on spots that you need it the most instead of your whole face. It saves you product and avoids you getting sensitivity from the strong ingredients present in acne-fighting skincare. Then you can just cleanse with a much gentle cleanser on the areas you didn't clean with an acne-fighting cleanser. 

While I would like to say that was the end of my journey with skincare it isn't. After that, I came to the understanding that our skin's health is constantly changing and that while my skin could be clear today it might not be tomorrow. It's kind of like having a healthy lifestyle. I still have to follow my skincare routine morning and night every day. But it's not really a chore. I like the dedication it takes and seeing my skin look healthy as a result. It's also fun that skincare is getting better and better so now I do treatments. I splurge on face serums, face masks, face sheets masks, skincare tools and who knows what else the future could yet bring. And along the way I like seeing my skin transform. 

Skincare routine to fight acne -simple version-

Morning

-Neutrogena benzoyl peroxide clear pore face cleanser

-Soap & Glory vitamin-c face wash with yuzu superfruit

-Benton fermentation eye cream

-St. Ives face moisturizer

-Neutrogena benzoyl peroxide vanishing cream spot treatment

-SPF if going out

Night

-Neutrogena benzoyl peroxide clear pore face cleanser

-Soap & Glory vitamin-c face wash with yuzu superfruit

-Earth to Skin manuka honey night cream

-My current skincare routine with treatments

Morning

-Neutrogena benzoyl peroxide clear pore face cleanser

-Soap & Glory vitamin-c face wash with yuzu superfruit

-Benton fermentation eye cream

-St. Ives face moisturizer

-Face rolling with the Sonia Kashuk jade face roller for 8 minutes

-Neutrogena benzoyl peroxide vanishing cream spot treatment

-SPF if going out

Night

-Neutrogena benzoyl peroxide clear pore face cleanser

-Soap & Glory vitamin-c face wash with yuzu superfruit

-Earth to Skin manuka honey night cream

-Pixi peel chemical exfoliator| 2x a month

-Neutrogena hydro boost multivitamin face serum | 2x a week, every 2 weeks

-Neutrogena retinol face cream | 4x a month, every 2 weeks

-Acure glycolic acid dewy face moisturizer | 4x a month, every 2 wyt?eeks

-Earth to Skin green tea face toner | 1x a week

-Freeman anti-stress face clay mask | 2x a week, every 2 weeks 

-Lululun sheet face mask Precious green | 2x a week, every 2 weeks