Wednesday, December 14, 2016

TALK: Acne Chronicles Entry 1

My name is Jessica and I am a 24 year old college graduate who still suffers with acne on a daily basis. 2 words to sum up the experience that I have been plagued with for 8+ years, IT SUCKS. I remember being 15 years old and having perfect skin, the kind people had to constantly comment on because it was in such good condition. Then I started to get into makeup more. Prior to this I just heavily relied on a Maybelline Mineral Powder Foundation and some drugstore eyeshadow people. It all started to go downhill from there. I started heavily buying and using MAC Cosmetics believing that it was the best of the best. All in all it ended up contributing to my currently destroyed skin. Age 16 hit and my skin was atrocious. My cheeks and forehead were covered in painful and embarrassing lesions. Not just lightly clogged pores but big bumps that unfortunately most of the time were poppable. After overloading my face with any products I could afford (and squeezing), I was left with damaged and scarred skin. The acne settled but my skin was forever changed to look like the aftermath of a meteor shower (in theory). I took care of my skin from the beginning. Always cleaned and toned, and never went to bed with makeup, but it did not save me. I now know that it all had to do with hormones and not just with makeup.

Today I find myself still suffering with new breakouts on a daily basis. I went a while able to be acne-free when using all natural products but once my skin settled, it was back. My hormones have been out of whack for years and unfortunately I don't see that changing anytime soon. They contribute to my stress and anxiety, which triggers all of the breakouts. I still take care of my skin but when the acne is a result of your malfunctioning brain, dealing with it becomes 10x more difficult. As exhausted as I am from dealing with my issues, I still continue to fight them daily for my own mental health. Most days I am too ashamed to leave the house because of how bad it looks but I try to fight on in order to eradicate the fear of being judged because of my skin. I think I have done a decent job at shocking my skin back to normalcy from time to time by switching up my routine. I have been on a routine for about 6 months so I think it is time to pack up and get the ball rolling. Any suggestions for favorite acne products?

My current skincare routine is:
Cleanser: Derma E Purifying Gel Cleanser and Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel
Toner: Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Toner (High School Vibes)
Moisturizer: Pond's Crema S Nurturing Moisturizer
Spot Treatment: Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10
Mask: Queen Helene Mint Julep
Scrub: Purifying Daily Detox Scrub and Queen Helene Mint Julep Natural Scrub

xoxo,
Jessica

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