Since December my skin has been absolute trash. Meaning, the skin on my face has been in a constant cycle of inflammation, dehydration and general anger. This winter I have experienced multiple breakouts and as a result, hyperpigmentation on my cheeks. Why? Hormones.
At first, I had hope that my skin would calm on its own, so I just went about my regular routines. I made no adjustments and basically ignored the problem. My skincare routine included the use of a prescription benzoyl peroxide cream and retinol alongside gentle cleansers and moisturizers. When that stopped working, I got a bit more aggressive and regimented.
I added serums and lactic acid to my daily routine. Plus, I began to use a benzoyl peroxide based cleanser to ensure bacteria wasn’t spreading. For the record, I know better than to attack my face like this, but I went all in despite my own misgivings. We all know what happened… things got worse.
My already inflamed skin became irritated and dehydrated, which left me with skin that looked aged and tired all of the time. Finally, I took a moment to think and realized that I needed to get back to basics. I am on the hunt for a new dermatologist, but in the meantime I self-prescribed a halt to all of those irritating actives.
Healing My Trash Skin
Step 1: Right now I am focused on keeping my routine simple: cleanse, moisturize, protect. That means, morning and evening I am cleansing with La Roche Posay Hydrating Gentle Cleanser. Why? Because it is a gentle, yet effective cleanser, without actives or fragrance. In the evening I massage the makeup, sunscreen, and dirt off of my face with Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm before cleansing with the La Roche Posay cleanser.
I’ve found that beginning my evening skincare with a five-minute oil cleanse to be one of the most effective ways to combat acne. After watching a video by the LaBeautyOlogist on Youtube, I decided to skip the prescription benzoyl peroxide in favor of gentle cleansing as my greatest weapon again acne.
Step 2: In response to dry skin, I am using the Hada Labo Goku-jyun premium milk or The Ordinary Buffet Serum under Cerave Daily Moisturzing Lotion. These hyaluronic acid-based serums provide intense moisture as well as repair to soothe my inflamed skin. Using both prescription retinol and benzoyl peroxide cream took my skin from combination oily to irritated and dehydrated, so I give my skin a facial once a week as well.
Step 3: Somewhere along the way, I decided to try a new sunscreen, and I did not like the white cast it caused. As a result, I simply stopped using sunscreen. I know, big mistake! Now, to my protect my skin from further hyperpigmentation, every morning I am using Clinique Broad Spectrum spf30.
My morning commute is pretty long and I sit in front of windows while I work, so I need to prioritize sun protection. The verdict on the Clinique is still out, but I have a full container so I plan to use it up. I may return to my trusty Elta MD once the Clinique sunscreen is empty.
Weekly Treatments: Recently I began to use the facial attachment on my steamer while cleansing. Then, I follow up with a Mandelic Acid mask for gentle exfoliation and a sheet mask for hydration. This routine helps to slough away dead skin, deep cleanses, and is slowly returning the moisture balance back to my dehydrated skin. I have never had an intense at home skincare routine, but the weekly facials focused on clean skin and hydration have made a world of difference.
Once a week I also use a Lactic Acid serum by the ordinary to get rid of any dead skin mid-week. Otherwise, I usually cleanse, moisturize and protect via a sunscreen. Turns out that the simple routine is best for my acne-prone inflamed skin.
Though my skin is still irritated, the constant cycle of breakouts has halted and the hydration is returning to my skin. Moral of the story? When experiencing a skin freakout, return to the basics and wait. The wait is THE WORST, but my skin is improving and for that I am thankful.
