It's been a while since my first post, so I've decided to start with my skincare routine. This routine has greatly improved my skin. I am 32 now and have battled mild to moderate acne since the age of 15. Looking back now, my acne in high school wasn't all that bad. In college my skin worsened and then at age 21 my skin went CRAZY. At the time I wasn't exactly sure what caused it, but I knew something had to be done. I tried every topical OTC treatment, cleanser, toner, scrub, etc. You name it I tried it. I then moved on to prescription treatment, both topical and oral, stopping just short of accutane. Again, no success.
At 25 I started experiences some other female issues. This lead me to my gynecologist and we discussed a possible hormonal imbalance. I pushed her and she finally tested me. Come to find out, I had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. I felt like the heavens opened up and I now had an explanation for my acne. Well, the explanation didn't come with a simple cure. I started on another journey towards eradicating my acne. I started with a good cleanser. Philosophy's Purity made simple was my HG for 3 years and it helped slightly. My doctor then put me on Retin A, but I just couldn't stick with it. I couldn't deal with the initial break out and flaky skin. Through trial and error I figured out what skincare ingredients my skin just didn't like:
Soybean oil
Algae extract
Cocoa butter
Isopropyl myristate
Myristyl myristate
Avobenzone
I stayed away from those products and added the Clarisonic to my routine. My skin improved even more. I was still getting cystic acne along my chin and on my cheeks. Next stop was Makeup artist's Choice at home chemical peels. I started off slow with mandelic acid, lactic acid, and glycolic acid. My skin LOVED chemical exfoliation. I did weekly peels alternating between those three and my skin improved. My cystic acne decreased to one or two right before my period. I then decided to go back on Retin A. Since I had been using the peels I went straight to the 0.1%. I had some peeling and flaking, but not as bad as before. One product that has greatly helped with the dry skin has been Cerave moisturizing cream. At first the richness of it scared me, but my skin needed moisture. Yes, oily skin needs moisture too!
I am now seeing improved texture and only one or two small pimples at any given time. I still deal with hyper pigmentation from old breakouts, but they are getting lighter. So heres my current routine:
Morning Routine:
Cerave Hydrating Cleanser or Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser
Cerave Facial Moisturizing Lotion PM
EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46
Night Routine:
Walgreens Makeup Remover Wipes
Cerave Hydrating Cleanser or Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser
Retin A 0.1% & 0.025% (alternate nights)
Cerave Moisturing Cream
Other products I love:
Philosophy Purity Made Simple
JanMarini Age Intervention Transitions
Eucerin Everyday Protection Face Lotion SPF 30
Cerave Facial Moisturizing Lotion AM SPF 30
