Imagine being one of the only kids in fifth grade with a face full of pimples. That was me 10 years ago, constantly feeling embarrassed to go to school and let other kids my age with perfect skin see me. I’ve constantly struggled with acne since I was 11 (I guess I hit puberty kind of early) and up until about a year ago, it was extremely difficult for me to find a skincare routine that worked for me and to actually be able to stick to it.
You know how you sometimes get a sudden burst of energy in the middle of the night to clean your room and get your life together? Well – during the beginning of the COVID-19 quarantine period, I got this sudden burst of enthusiasm to take care of my skin, but again, I wasn’t sure where to start. At the same time though, my entire Instagram feed and Youtube ads were FILLED with Curology ads… so I thought why not just give this thing a try? My thinking was, “If it’s horrible for my skin and I break out even more, at least I’ll be home where no one can see me.” I decided to take some pictures of myself, upload them to a Curology provider, and wait for what he would decide I need.
I ended up getting a package with a basic cleanser and moisturizer that works for everyone, along with my custom Curology formula that’s tailored to my skin needs. I was very hopeful for this new skincare regimen and boy did I have a reason to be. The beginning was very slow, but after about 2 months, I began seeing big time results. My skin went from being filled with pimples everywhere to literally perfect… no pimples and no acne scars visible. Now, I’ve heard of a lot of people who Curology hasn’t worked for, and that’s completely okay because everyone’s skin is different. But this whole spiel is to let you know to not give up on finding what works for you. I mean, it did take me like 10 years.
Also, Curology isn’t the most affordable thing in the world, so although it was my holy grail, I decided to say goodbye and let it go about 2 months ago and switch it up to some more affordable skincare that’s just as good. In order to know what to switch to, I did a lot of research. By research, I mean watching Skincare by Hyram videos on Youtube (if you’ve never watched his videos, watch them right after you finish reading this article. Seriously). Hyram has a variety of videos about cleansers, moisturizers, serums, etc., and he also informs his viewers on what’s best for different skin types: oily skin, dry skin, combination skin, and normal skin. If you don’t know what type of skin you have, he also has a video on that to help you figure it out.
With the help of Hyram and cosdna.com (another holy grail that I’ll talk more about in a future article, so look out for that), I’ve decided to go with… drum roll please… CeraVe. CeraVe has had so many positive reviews all over TikTok, all over Hyram’s videos, etc., and with good reason. They’re affordable, have a way shorter ingredient list than most skincare products out there, and their products include ceramides and hyaluronic acid (which are great for your skin). I’ve been using their AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 30 (PSA: ALWAYS either use moisturizers with SPF or apply sunscreen after your regular moisturizer! This helps to prevent wrinkles, slow down aging, protects you from the sun’s damaging rays, and so on.) in the mornings and their PM moisturizing lotion before bed, along with Youth to the People’s Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser both morning and night. My skin still looks amazing and I’m saving way more money than I was with Curology.
Nothing above was sponsored btw – it’s just me trying to help you find what works best for you if you’ve constantly struggled with acne like I have because trust me, I really understand the struggle and if you read this far, I hope you find a good skincare routine for yourself and are blessed with clear skin always!!!