What some of you may know, and what others of you may not, is that beyond my passion for writing, I have a compulsive obsession with skincare. The moment I hit 13-year-old girl puberty, the first thing I lost control of was my own skin.
Most people can handle acne; unfortunately, I've never been one of those people. I envy women that can walk outside the door with a pimple on their face without repeatedly asking (or every single one) of their friends, "how bad is it on a scale from 1 to 10?" I've done this almost my entire life, and I won't lie to you and say that a skincare regimen has solved my problem. It likely never will, BUT it sure can do wonders for prevention and relief.
Skincare, for me, requires far more than a religious use of products. It requires a positive mindset that I've continuously worked in developing every time I don't like what I see in the mirror. Nobody is perfect, especially me. I know I don't need to be, but acne is often the culprit that stands in-between my best self and me. The insecurities that fester with one blemish are ridiculous but ridiculous does not make them invalid; that's something that took a long time for me to accept. After years of dermatology and psychiatry appointments, I, at 20-years-old, am beginning to understand how my brain works, and in turn, found ways to alter its path to skin-picking destruction.
I'm nearly positive every single one of us has experienced the feelings of embarrassment, depression, and anxiety when it comes to the way we look on the outside. For perfectionists like myself, the emotions are only enhanced. Every single girl has experienced a breakout at some point in their lives. Unfortunately, almost every girl reading this is bound to experience another amid adulting hormones and anxiety. It's what my dad would say, "a part of life." There are all kinds of parts of life that we don't like, but this portion, personally, has to be one of my least favorites.
The thing that I've learned about life is that it only continues. We can curse it, hide from it, or float through it, but none of those things are living. As much as I struggle in maintaining this mindset, developing a skincare routine that works for me dramatically assists in its development. While this provides only a glimpse of how I attain 'beauty,' I feel that I, like many others, have resorted to others' stories to form my own skincare tale. If you, like so many others, find yourself struggling to accept your own skin, I hope you are reminded that you are not alone. I also hope by sharing some of my everyday products below, you might find a piece to your own skincare 'puzzle.'
My Regimen
Epiduo | Treatment: Acne (Prescription)
I've been using Epiduo since the beginning of my skin journey. Despite sometimes doubting its effectiveness, I know deep down that Epiduo does what it's supposed to do if I do what I'm supposed to do. It's meant to treat acne spots before they emerge, or after. I always hoped it would be the savior for skin-picking. Let me tell you, it's NOT. Epiduo is great and does do wonders for peoples' skin. You just have to be willing to give it the time to do so.
Ketoconazole Cream | Treatment: Eczema (Prescription)
I had absolutely NO idea that I even had Eczema until I routinely returned for an eyebrow wax where my skin would rip into flesh (gross, but honest). I always thought I had sensitive skin, which it clearly is, but it's also something more. Particularly along my T-Zone, my skin dries to an extreme. When I told my dermatologist, she immediately prescribed putting this cream on sparingly twice a day. Walah! Eczema gone. Seriously a game changer.
Elta MD Foaming Facial Cleanser Sensitivity Free, pH balanced, \Oil-free | Cleanser
For the last few years, I religiously devoted myself to Rodan & Fields products' and received incredible results; just for less incredible prices. With a college-budget, the spending wasn't realistic for me and the package included products I used less than often. With that being said, I needed to make a change that fit my lifestyle. This was the first one. Elta MD is a dermatologist recommended brand that sells incredible, clean and light skincare products that make your face feel fresh and cleaner than ever. With extremely sensitive skin, I was hesitant to switch cleansers and worried about potential breakouts. This product caused quite nearly the opposite. Foamy-fresh, it makes my face feel lighter than ever. I've never enjoyed a cleanser so much!
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer | Moisturizer
This moisturizer is thicker than most, but completely and totally necessary for my dry skin. Whether I apply it in spots or everywhere, it always hydrates my skin exactly the way its supposed to leaving a smooth finish. I 100% recommend for those leaning on the dry side!
NIOD Flavanone Mud | Decongestant 3-Step Mask
I stumbled upon this recommendation not too long ago, and haven't regretted my purchase one bit since. Once a week, I apply an even, thin layer of this mask proportionally around my face avoiding my hairlines. The A three-phase rinse-off decongestant that promotes healthy, good looking skin
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