Pick. Scratch. Squeeze. Pop. Dig. Bleed. Repeat. I know it’s bad, but I can’t but help to indulge in picking at my skin, popping pimples, and squeezing blackheads. My mom always yelled at me when she caught me picking at my skin, but I was unable to stop scraping away dried skin from a huge zit I had popped earlier that week. If you are grossed out easily by the realities of skin hygiene, I would advise that you stop reading now because it’s about to get gross. Jk. Sort of.
I remember the first time I developed a pimple (on my nose to be exact). I was in the third grade and it was far too early to have to deal with such adult problems such as a mysterious red dot on the bridge of my nose. But there I was sitting at a table reading to my first-grade reading buddy as I read to her a story while she just stared at my nose and promptly informed me that it seemed I had something on my face. I told her I must have cut myself and she naively accepted that, but I think she knew the truth. Kids are smarter than they seem. I walked home in distraught and complained to my mother about this plague ravishing my once perfect complexion. She informed of the terminology: pimple, zit, spot, blackhead, whitehead, scarring. I was overwhelmed.
This sense of feeling overwhelmed followed me to CVS where my mom lead me down the skincare isle on a mission to find me some of the basic products she used as a teenager. She placed a foaming cleanser from Biore and a spotting cream from Oxy in the basket. Suddenly I entered a new world of skincare and the feeling of embarrassment waned. I looked forward to indulging in self-care – although I didn’t really know what that meant at the time – each morning as I washed my face and soon I had a collection of scrubs, creams, masks, and blackhead strips.
I am going to be honest with you: sometimes I think my entrance into the skincare world and obsession with toiletries lead to the worsening of my skin. I entered middle school with cystic acne and cowered away from anyone who looked at me. How could anyone like me? Or have a crush on me? Or want to partner with me on the history project? I continued to experiment with new contraptions from the drugstore all the way to an expensive boutique with white walls and glass shelves to no avail until my doctor advised I see a dermatologist. She prescribed me an antibiotic and two acne lotions (which I still use today) and soon my skin wasn’t so bad. Not perfect, but better.
Now, don’t get your panties in a twist. I am NOT advising that you follow what I did and take an antibiotic to solve your acne problems (if you suffer from such horrendous genes). I am actually pretty sure there has been research suggesting these types of antibiotics aren’t good for your body. Well. At least I will die with no cystic acne! Ha…ha…ha…
It took me a while to find a skin routine which works for me and that is the moral of this story. Try not to be so easily persuaded by fancy skin masks that create foaming black bubbles on your face or a purple night cream that promises to make your face look like you were three-years-old again. These products may end up doing wonders for your skin, but as I have been around the rodeo a few times, I am hear to tell you that simple is better.
Not the brand Simple. The routine simple. Find a cleanser that you like. If you are lost, I suggest Cetaphil for dry to normal skin; it is really gentle and won’t irritate your skin. If this doesn’t clean your skin enough then experiment with other products, but try to do some research on what kinds of products might make sense for your skin type. Then find a moisturizer. I really like Cerave AM/PM from CVS; it is a little on the expensive side for a drug store purchase, but it does wonders for my skin and I find it equivalent to the popular First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair moisturizer you can buy for a lot more at Sephora. Next, find some sort of spot cream if you are dealing with acne. If you can afford to consult with a dermatologist that could be beneficial to find the right type of cream for your skin condition. Then STOP.
Don’t get fancy when you can stay in your sweatpants for the whole day. Try out a simple skin routine and focus on drinking a lot of water, not touching your skin (yes mom, I was listening), eating a healthy diet, and getting enough sleep. Then expand your horizons. Maybe find a face mask or scrub to add to your routine and target certain problem areas you want to solve. Add a serum or eye moisturizer if you so desire. But don’t stray too far because you might just find yourself in a worse spot than when you started.
I know you’re probably thinking: well what does this girl really know and why should I even bother to listen to her? Fair point. Not going to lie when I say that I do not have a PhD in dermatology or no the latest trends in skincare, but I do have a resume of experience as a customer of skin products and that still counts. Take what I have said or don’t, but I urge you to remember this. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who has perfect skin or who has a nose filled with blackheads. Even if you find the ultimate nose strip that permanently removes blackheads for good*, if you can’t find confidence and love for herself first, this ‘improvement’ won’t help in the long run.
*But seriously if you find such a product please contact me.