In the past year, I have become a lot more confident in my appearance — including my skin. I never struggled with overbearing acne, but my self-image has negatively been affected by acne. I have noticed as I get older, I have hormonal breakouts, blemishes and sometimes rashes on my face. I also have never seen a dermatologist, which I am still debating.
When I was a teenager, I was unaware of my appearance. I was the girl with the unibrow and had occasional acne. I think as social media took off I felt more self-conscious about my overall appearance (like most women). I did not start really caring about my skin until COVID-19 hit. During this isolated time, I had the free time to experiment with what worked on my face. I was not wearing makeup, since there was nowhere to go, so my face was in amazing condition.
Then I fell into the online skincare hole. I watched skincare tip videos, reviews of products and TikTok video after video of people guaranteeing clear, perfect skin. I found myself ordering products and trying the wrong products and too many products on my face at a time. Just because thousands of people liked a video does not mean that product will work for you! Then summer arrived and my face was great again. I’ve realized sunscreen is your best friend, and we all need to start wearing it as we get older. I feel so comfortable with my skin in the summer months, never in the winter.
I had some events in my life that were stressful, causing my skin to worsen. I noticed it really began to affect other aspects of my life. I tried some more products that seemed to help, though only short-term. I am still trying new products all the time.
I have realized that less is sometimes more. I wasted a lot of money on expensive skincare, and realized I can find dupes to these ‘miracle-working’ products. I now understand my skin more. I have very sensitive, acne-prone skin (dry in the winter too). With this in mind, I have a better idea about what products work better for me (Aquaphor and Vanicream are amazing). I also have been watching a dermatologist named Dr. Shereene Idriss and Dr. Dray, on YouTube, who break down skincare. I like them because they are not influencers who are paid to promote a product. They share their honest, professional advice. I will link below for those who have never talked to a professional about their skin.
Makeup also plays a huge role in the health of your skin. It is hard to find makeup that is cruelty free and does not cause breakouts. I constantly wash my makeup brushes after use. I drink lots of water and change my pillowcase. I do everything right, right? Maybe not. Skin types are different. There are many factors that play a role, like your age, diet and environment. When I eat better and work out more; my skin looks better. When I am at home; my skin looks better. When I am well-rested; my skin looks better. The huge factor I need to accept is genetics. It could just be the person you are.
I need to stop hunting for this answer to obtain perfect skin. I do not think I will ever find it. In the meantime, I need to accept that I am human. A human that is flawed and is allowed to have acne. It does not make me less beautiful (even though it can feel like that on the inside and outside), it makes me human.