I woke up one morning this past October with intense itching all over my cheeks, chin, nose, and forehead. I hopped out of bed, went into the bathroom, and saw a reflection of small red bumps forming underneath my skin. Hours later, those bumps developed into clusters of hives. This left me spending months at doctors and skin specialists trying to figure out what the root of the problem was. First, I was told it was a skin allergy to something I was eating. Then, they said it was contact dermatitis. The dermatologist told me to moisturize after swim practices and stop using my old acne antibiotic prescriptions, soaps, and every possible material my face touched. After the problem persisted a month longer, the doctors changed their diagnosis to Rosacea. I had to use a Tretinoin cream along with the Prugen face products in the shower. When there was no improvement, they shrugged their shoulders, told me it was hormonal acne, and advised to go on Accutane.
By Thanksgiving, I was more self-conscious of my skin than ever before. I tried covering the problem up with makeup, but the foundation caused more flare-ups. I had cracks around my mouth from chlorine burn at swim practice. If I over moisturized, I would break out more, but if I didn’t moisturize enough, my skin would get too itchy and form more bumps. When my relatives came over for the holidays, my aunt noticed the problem on my skin. “Have you tried using any face washes in the shower? First Aid Beauty has helped your cousin, Alana, tremendously.” Now that I thought about it, no, I had never used a face wash in my life, and never found a good moisturizer that I trusted enough to use consistently every day.
Before doing some research, I did not realize that face wash and face moisturizers were so essential. Moisturizer helps to balance the skin’s oil levels and hydrate the skin, which prevents wrinkles. Face wash cleans the skin to eliminate excess bacteria, this prevents the formation of the flare-ups I experienced. Once I purchased a few of First Aid Beauty’s products, I entirely changed the skincare routine that I had been doing for years. For those like me who struggle with their skincare routine, here is the method that cleared my skin condition.
Morning Skin Care
The first thing I do in the morning is wash my face with the First Aid Beauty face cleanser. I apply a small dot on my pointer finger and place the product on the areas I break out the most- my forehead, chin, and cheeks. I rub the cleanser into my face in a circular motion to push the cleanser deep into my skin. I splash warm water a little bit at a time, ensuring the product forms a white foamy consistency. I then rinse off the product completely. I use warm water because it loosens the dirt while also maintaining the essential hydrating oils in the skin. I follow up with the First Aid Beauty moisturizer, marking the product on the same points of my face, and massaging it with the tips of my fingers until I cannot see any product left on my face.
Night Skin Care
We touch countless things throughout the day, then touch our faces even more without realizing it. I also use the same cleanser at night because it is incredibly likely that bacteria has accumulated on my face, potentially ready to clog up my pores! In the shower, I re-wash my face with the First Aid Beauty cleanser using the same technique from the morning. When I get out of the shower, I use Benzaclin Peroxide Topical Gel, a personal antibiotic cream prescribed by my doctor. After that sets into my skin, I apply a little amount of moisturizer so that my face does not dry out from the peroxide gel or build up too much oil overnight.
You can purchase First Aid Beauty at Ulta or Sephora, and I love it because of how gentle the products are on the skin. When I struggled with acne, I felt very self-conscious. It is crucial to be secure in your skin, especially when independently living at school calls for the need to be confident in your actions. If you have high maintenance skin like me, I recommend trying out First Aid Beauty. I hope sharing my experience and skincare routine helps you achieve healthier skin and, more importantly, a healthier outlook on yourself!