Anyone
who has ever had skin problems or struggled with acne can sympathize with the
little jolt of fear and anticipation you feel (as you hold your breath) when
you turn to look into the mirror in the morning to see what monsters have
decided to erupt on your face, which you have to take time and care to cover
and hide and hope no one notices… Know what I mean? It sucks. I've spent far too many days of way too many
years of my life being heartbroken seeing new blemishes in the reflection
staring back at me. It’s depressing,
disheartening and in many ways debilitating – and in all honesty, is where my
obsession with makeup began – in my attempt to cover up my skin imperfections
in the hopes that I (and others) could actually see my FACE and not my
ACNE.
In the
past year of my life, I can honestly say – for the first time EVER – I’ve NOT
had that fear. I’m 26! I thought you were supposed to stop getting breakouts
when you hit your 20's! What the fudge! I have literally tried every type of
topical treatment, face wash, cream, potion, lotion, and mask both drugstore
and high end (pricey!) and while some may help
treat existing pimples or freshen my face after a long day, nothing really
worked long term. I’ve spent many, many
$’s and tears on failed products – and I can actually say – I’ve found something that
works for ME. And I couldn’t be happier.
Now, I stress – ME – because everyone’s skin is different – and your
skin’s appearance greatly depends on the lifestyle and diet choices you make
every day…. In other words - what you put into your body on the inside shows
on the outside. Soo.. I wanted to share
what I’ve found helps me keep a clear complexion…
1. Drink a TON of water. Ok, not literally a ton, but at least 2
liters a day – unless you’re doing vigorous activities/exercises – in which
case, drink a little more.. I cannot stress how important this is. Think of it as hydrating your skin cells and
flushing out any bad little toxins that could be floating around waiting to
wreak havoc on your face (or elsewhere). When I was younger, I struggled to do
this, 2 liters or 8 glasses felt like so much! And when you’re busy in life,
running around, in class, at work, taking care of kiddos, or simply being human
- it can be hard to remember! How I trained myself was to buy a bigger bottle. Go grab one (as
big as you can stand to carry around) and keep it at your side and set goals of
drinking a little every few hours. After
a while, you’ll find your body will crave the water! And you’ll feel better and
more energized and it will SHOW in your skin, I promise. Keep going – and get sippin’!
2. Start (and stick to) a face washing
routine. That means, wash and hydrate
your face in the morning and then remove ALL of your makeup/products from your
face before bed, then cleanse, and moisturize again! I know you’re tired and you don’t care – but believe me, you
WILL in the morning. JUST DO IT.
MY holy grail products are the Ance.Org line.
Created by Dan Kern and available online HERE These are
aaaahmazing. For me, at least, they’ve worked wonders. Now, I’ve tried the
ProActiv and Exposed skincare systems (as well as every possible drugstore
alternative) and what I’ve discovered is that my skin seems to respond better
to products that contain Benzoyl Peroxide as their active acne fighting
ingredient instead of Salicylic Acid.
I’ve been using Dan’s system for almost a year now and I believe it’s
truly helped balance out my skin and keep the breakouts under control. I also love the Body Shop’s Vitamin E cleansing
system and I will interchangeably use these products in my routine. These are really gentle, smell amazing and you can find them HERE. Now, I
still get the occasional hormonal blemish, (thanks mother nature!) but it’s
usually just the one or two and they clear up and go away after a couple days. I’m in LOVE with acne.org and if you’re
struggling finding products that work for you – give them a shot! You’re not
conned into signing up for repeat shipments/charges, and you can order products
in kits or individually. Their customer
care center is great, super friendly and helpful. What do you have to
lose…(except your acne!!!) ? :)
3. My last tip is to LEAVE YOUR FACE
ALONE. This means, don’t touch & rub
your face throughout the day; don’t rest your chin on your hand (as you sit at
your computer desk reading this – I see you); and please try oh-so-hard not
to pick at your breakouts. I know how impossible this is sometimes,
you just want them GONE and somehow it feels better to think you have a ‘wound’
than a raging black/whitehead yelling at everyone to stare at it. However, this
is not beneficial to your skin in the long run.
Believe me – I know. My face will
forever be scarred with the evidence of past breakouts that I’ve messed with
and have now turned into dark marks and enlarged pores. But remember, our fingers harbor a lot of
oils, and germs and can sometimes make the blemish even worse and extend the
healing period. Who wants that??
So guys, treat your skin with GENTLE love and care. Don’t get frustrated, don’t give up. Make healthy choices and stick to a routine
and you will see improvements!
P.s. I will be doing a post about my favorite Drugstore Skincare
products, DIY homemade masks and budget friendly options to get a glowing complexion!
xox
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