‘Pepperoni face.’ ‘Crater face.’ Connect the dots.’ We have all been there: waking up on an important day— or anyday for that matter— wanting nothing less than to look our very best, but all we see in the mirror is acne. The worst part? We feel as though everyone stares, everyone notices and some of them are even bold enough to make comments.
There are few things worse than hating your own appearance and thinking about it on a constant and daily basis. Luckily, women who have suffered from acne around WVU’s campus have created a list of skincare items that worked for them, and hopefully for you too, because everybody deserves to shine bright and feel unstoppable.
A big tip for skincare before you even start looking into creating a normal routine is to go in with an open mind. Try to stay away from negative thoughts of ‘nothing works for me’, and especially stay away from negative connotations surrounding over-the-counter and drugstore products because some of them do work, you might just not be getting the right ones.
Every skincare routine should be consistent and more of a ritual than a routine. Try setting a strict skincare schedule and sticking to it as harshly as possible. Be strict with yourself! The most popular routine we have seen is the classic “once in the morning, again in the evening” routine, which seems to yield the best results for people.
Looking at the first step of your routine, it is recommended that you begin with a bare and freshly cleansed face. For this, a highly recommended facial cleanser is the Neutrogena Deep Clean Facial Cleanser. This cleanser is available at most drugstores and can be found for as little as five dollars.
Once you have a clean face, it is important to get down and dirty with a good exfoliator and clean out all that extra gunk from your day. According to Business Insider, the “overall best exfoliator” you can get right now is Glossier’s Solution Exfoliating Skin Protector.
You can find this product online at Glossier.com for just $24, and if you don’t believe us, you can read the reviews for yourself. This product specifically is recommended for use every day, but if you choose to go with another product for exfoliation, it is typically recommended to use only once or twice a week.
Following this step it is good to find a toner that you will eventually fall in love with. Casey Lucas, a 19-year-old sophomore at WVU, has struggled with acne for a large portion of her life. She recommends a witch hazel toner, which you can find a big bottle of at any drugstore for just a few dollars.
“I swear by a good toner,” Lucas said. “I use it to take extra makeup and dirt out of my pores, and it helps a lot with my oily skin and breakouts.”
Once you have found your perfect match in ‘toner heaven’, you can move on to a moisturizer. Cassidy Connolly, also a 19-year-old sophomore at WVU, says that she loves the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion.
“It makes my skin feel so soft and refreshed after every time I put it on,” Connolly said. “I love it.”
You can find the moisturizing lotion in most department stores for about $24 or online at clinique.com for roughly $15.
To end your skincare routine with a bang, Brooke Armknecht, a 19-year-old sophomore at WVU, says to use the Clean & Clear Persa-gel 10 for spot treatment. This item can be found at most drug stores for just under $5.
If none of these are strong enough for your acne, or even if you just want an extra skincare boost, Emilie Sullivan, a 19-year-old sophomore at WVU, says that she works in an over-the-counter acne treatment called Stridex, which comes in containers in the form of 55 to 90 pads saturated in astringents to help prevent acne before it happens as well as treat existing blemishes. This product can be found at drug stores for under $4.
After sticking to this routine for a few weeks, you will most likely see dramatic results in your appearance and hopefully, have a little added flare and pep in your step walking around campus.