I was extremely lucky during my teenage years. I never went through a phase where I really struggled with my skin. I had the occasional breakout, but it was never something I was self conscious about. Then when I got to college everything changed. I always had a ton of breakouts that I was constantly trying to hide. I went from rarely wearing makeup in high school (#allgirlschoolperks) to being forced to wear it every day. I’m still not sure what really caused it, but it was probably the mix of a new environment and an overall increase in my stress level. I also didn’t really have a skin care routine because I never needed to before. After a year of struggling, I finally found a method that works for me, and my skin has never looked better.
Identify the problem. Is your skin oily? Dry? Do you have breakouts or just general redness? Knowing what the problem is will make finding the right routine much easier.
Don’t be afraid to try different products. I have tried dozens of cleansers until I found one that kept my skin clear without over drying it. It can be super overwhelming but as long as you know what problem you are trying to correct, you can narrow it down quite a bit.
Always wash your face at night! We all have those nights where we just want to collapse into bed without taking our makeup off, but that’s the worst thing you can do. You need to wash off the grime that has accumulated throughout the day, and don’t just rely on a makeup wipe. They’re great to take your makeup off, but it wasn’t until I started washing my face after I used one that my skin finally started looking better.
Drink water and watch what you’re eating. If I don’t drink enough water each day, my skin gets incredibly dry and no moisturizer can help. I’ve also noticed that I tend to breakout if I eat too much processed food. This may not be the case for everyone, but if you feel like you’ve tried everything and are still suffering, pay attention to your diet.
Visit a dermatologist. It is a dermatologist’s job to resolve any type of issue you are having with your skin. They would know better than anyone the right products to use, so if you don’t want to go through the struggle of figuring things out on your own, or you’re going crazy because nothing’s working, talk to a dermatologist.
Photo Sources:
http://allpix.club/pages/w/washing-your-face/
http://beauty411.net/2014/03/facial-cleansers-to-reinvigorate-skin.html
http://brisbanenaturalhealth.com/natural-treatment-of-acne-and-breakouts/
http://blog.equityapartments.com/drink-infuse-water-fruits-herbs/