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When I receive a random compliment, it is often about my skin.
I was a very lucky teenager. I never really got acne, just the occasional zit that would go away after a week (albeit almost always in a very conspicuous location—we can’t win every battle). I remember many days in the dressing room after dress rehearsal for a high school theatre production, listening to my friends go on about how “the mass breakout is coming” and they’ve accepted it. But while there are a few blemishes here and there, despite the years of heavy school stress and even heavier stage makeup, overall my skin is clear.
Part of that is just genetics. As with any ailment, certain people are naturally more susceptible to acne. I am not. Accident-prone? Absolutely. But acne-prone? Fortunately, no. That being said, anyone can break out if they don’t take proper care of their complexion. That’s a lesson we often learn the hard way.
My skin isn’t “perfect” either. It can get very dry, especially in the winter, and sometimes it becomes red or shiny (the oily-looking kind, not the glowing kind). But, like controlling breakouts, maintenance is fairly simple as long as you stick to it.
Without further ado, here are some tips on how I quite literally stay comfortable in my own skin!
Note: Everybody’s skin is unique, and different things will work for different people. Products that work really well for me may not work well for others, and vice versa, so this is just a quick overview of my personal experience. I am also not a dermatologist, so do not take what I say as absolute scientific truth.
Go natural—where you can—in every sense of the word.
Almost all the products I use are made from natural ingredients. We’ve all heard of DIY skincare recipes that are supposed to miraculously poof away pimples overnight. While those aren’t generally as miraculous as they claim to be, there’s a lot to be said for dumbing it down to the basics. Before makeup and skincare chemists existed, people found ways to take care of their skin, and if it worked then, why not now?
Moreover, I’ve personally found that when dealing with dry skin, artificial ingredients made it worse. It took ages to find a makeup wipe that didn’t leave me feeling sunburnt. While the “all-natural” products can be a little pricier, for me it’s worth it. (My soap is actually very cheap—stay tuned!) There are also lots of DIY recipes that genuinely nourish and heal your skin, even if they won’t erase your blackheads overnight, including the classic Oatmeal Facial, so I would absolutely recommend a craft self-care night to get skin relief on the cheap!
The other side of going natural is not wearing heavy makeup every single day. We’ve all heard this rant before, I know, but think about it. When your skin is used to being worn down with pigment, it doesn’t have as much time to breathe, and won’t be as adept at handling itself on its own. While there are lots of makeup products and makeup removers that are designed to be healthy for your skin, you should still take a breather every once in a while, even if it’s just one day every week or two. For example, on a light makeup day, I’ll usually just wear soothing anti-redness primer and concealer, maybe with some loose powder and mascara if I’m in the mood. On heavy days, I’ll do a full face, but my skin doesn’t suffer because I take care to cleanse and moisturize, and because there are many days when I don’t wear makeup at all.
Wash your face!
This seems like an obvious one, but I think it’s the most powerful. I remember hearing around the fifth or sixth grade (a.k.a. the onset of puberty) that you should always wash your face in the morning when you wake up, and at night before you go to bed, even if you’re tired and would rather just go to sleep. Now, as a twenty-year-old, I still hold myself to that, and I know that it has made a difference.
I generally wash my face with an all-natural bar soap. It started out when I received a nice soap from my grandmother as a gift, and when it was eventually starting to run out, I found a vendor selling handmade soaps at a craft sale. Thus the cycle began. I look for soaps made from ingredients that suit my specific needs, like calming lavender for redness, milk and oatmeal for dryness, charcoal for purification, etc. Not only does one bar last me ages, making it incredibly cost-effective, but it’s a great way to support local businesses. Lots of places sell local handmade soaps, so keep a lookout!
As an addendum, for a few weeks, as I was starting college, I tried switching to a popular brand of face wash, wondering if I would get better results. Lo and behold, I experienced the most dryness and the most breakouts I’ve ever had in my life. Then, when I switched back to natural soap, what do you know? Things were back to normal! However, if I feel the need to exfoliate, I have an all-natural exfoliating cleanser that I sometimes use in the shower.
If you can’t “wash” your face, at least do something.
When I went on a two-week trip to Laos, I couldn’t wash my face in the tap water because my body wasn’t immune to the bacteria, thus accidentally swallowing any could make me very ill. Not an ideal situation when you come back every day sticky from the humidity, but I brought my two secret weapons: cleansing wipes and Garnier’s micellar water.
My best friend introduced me to the magic of micellar water one day when we were hiking, and she wanted to freshen up before lunch. It’s basically a catch-all for your basic skincare needs: it cleanses, removes dirt, oil, and makeup, and hydrates. One bottle lasts for ages, so it’s another cost-effective option!
On the topic of stage makeup, I’ve taken to using micellar water as a “final sweep” of sorts. Because it’s not quite as strong as actual makeup remover, I generally use the latter or a cleansing wipe to get the bulk of my makeup off. Then, when most of it is gone, I’ll go over it with micellar water to catch things like stray smudges of foundation in my hairline, remnants of eyeliner along my tight line and in the nooks and crannies, and the sweat that’s been gathering under all the powder under the glow of the stage lights. It feels better than going over my face with another cleansing wipe, as even the best will dry you out a little bit if you use too much, and it doesn’t leave a residue like makeup remover does.
And let’s face it, I’ve had a few long days when the water in my bathroom won’t heat up, it’s 2am, and I’m on the verge of collapse. Cheating every once in a while and using micellar water to cleanse your face at the end of the day (so long as you’re not wearing eye makeup) is better than nothing.
Protect and nourish your entire body!
When you don’t take care of your health, the skin is often the thing that shows it first. Drink water, take vitamins, eat fresh fruits and vegetables (or frozen when they’re not in season), make sure to get the proper micro- and macro-nutrients, and get enough sleep! Wear sunscreen if you’re going to spend a lot of time outside. (Another tip: there are lots of foundations and primers with built-in SPF that will keep your skin from drying out an aging in the summer!) Oh, but don’t worry—that old myth about chocolate causing pimples is just a myth, so feel free to treat yourself, too!
This is not an exhaustive list, but if you’re interested in making a change to your skincare routine, it’s a good starting point! I encourage you, even if you don’t like to do a whole lot of maintenance or makeup, to become familiar with the qualities of your skin, and explore the proper options for taking care of it. There’s lots of free information online, as well as many certified professionals, should you need an extra boost. Everyone should feel at home in their skin, and maintaining it doesn’t have to be difficult—all you need to do is show it some love!