Recently, I've been getting a lot of comments asking what my skin care routine is -- the thing is though, honestly, every time I'm asked or complimented on my skin, I am always utterly shocked because I am a survivor of problematic skin.
My Skin Story:
As far as I can remember from my teen years, my skin was angry. Granted, I've never dealt with the emotional pain of chronic cystic acne or other severe skin conditions, but I've dealt with the pain of not having clear skin for many years, and for those of you who know, it is something that can be really emotionally scarring, especially to your self-esteem. My skin, especially on my cheeks and forehead, was speckled with little bumps and red, inflamed papules that would appear on my cheeks and temples. My skin's texture was like a rocky, bumpy road. On top of that, my skin was greasy-y, which ever so beautifully accentuated my problematic skin. I felt horrible, ugly, to the point where I just avoided mirrors.
So many times I cried, sobbed even. My mother and sister had beautiful, flawless skin. My mom would try to comfort me by saying that I would grow out of it. That it was just hormones. But to me, it was my life. It was my face! I had to look at this skin day in and day out. I begged my mom to take me to her dermatologist, and she finally took me, despite the out-of-pocket cost. I felt I needed something strong, INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH, to keep my breakouts at bay.
The dermatologist said that I had mild to moderate acne that was probably induced by my angry teenage hormones. To me, nothing about my skin seemed mild or moderate. Instead, it felt severely devastating. He prescribed me with specially formulated creams and face washes, and not to mention the more evasive cortisone "injections" that I could get for the really painful bumps. At that point, I didn't flinch at the thought. And the cleansers and cream did help improve my skin by calming the inflammation and redness, and improving the texture.
But I knew I couldn't be on these products forever. For one, they were expensive. So I tried to find other products that could act as alternatives. Proactive being one...and it failed with flying colors! I've tried homeopathic and natural remedies. Countless over-the-counter products, vitamins, etc... All of which fairly kept my skin under control, but it was still unpredictable.
Time did heal wounds, in a sense. I felt that as I got older my skin improved bit by bit. Then when I was 18 years old, I went on "the pill" for the very first time. I was happy to know that it would help manage those hopelessly painful times of the month and ELATED at the notion that it could help my skin by regulating my hormones. And after two months of feeling sick to my stomach, I started to see improvement. My skin started to clear little by little. And of course, no more painful cramps!
My Skin Story Now:
Up until 2010, my skin would have minor breakouts, which were nowhere near as bad as when I was a teenager, but still downright annoying. In 2010, I discovered Acne.org and learned about the simple three-step skin regimen
that would help my acne-prone skin get clear. Honestly, at first, I was not buying it. I thought it was just another "Proactive" type gimmick, but I went ahead and tried it out anyway. Of course, the site encourages you to buy their entire acne ystem, but I just bought the acne treatment, which is basically a 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide gel.
To make an already long story short, the addition of this acne treatment to my regimen has helped improve my skin dramatically (sorry to make this sound like yet another infomercial, but this has been literally the only thing that has worked for me)! It is my secret weapon that I have had for the past year and a half.
And now, without further ado, the daily skin regimen breakdown:
1) Cleanse morning and evening with Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash.
2) Apply morning and evening 1 pump of Acne.org treatment (BP gel).
3) Apply morning and evening Derma E Vitamin E Cream 12,000 I.U..
That's it! I followed Acne.org's regimen to the letter for the first several months, and then adjusted it to my skin's needs. And it has been working fabulously! [announcer voice] So now it's your turn to make that change. Just pick up your phone and call now!
Other things I've discovered to help optimize skin health:
We've all heard that eating a well-balanced diet and living a healthy lifestyle can improve your skin. It certainly is true. I know sometimes it's hard to pass up the grease, sugar and fat for...green, but what you eat, I believe, is truly reflected by your skin. I'm not talking a strict diet of deprivation, but "goodies" (only in moderation) with the implementation of healthy lifestyle changes. And also, tons of water!
[The below photo was taken in 2009 and was during one of my monthly breakouts. Ugh, so annoying!]
[This photo was taken last weekend--a year and a half into my routine! Another important note that has worked for me is to remain consistent with skin products. It's funny how hair and skin can behave so similarly ;-) ]
To find out more information about the Acne.org regimen and products, please click here.
What are some of your tips, tricks and products that have worked for your skin issues???
-Sophia