Skin care is not very exciting with acne prone skin. There are dozens of products that may work for you, or cause irritation. As every dermatologist says, it takes time to clear up acne. For anyone that is experiencing hopelessness for their skin to improve or just needs a boost of confidence when having a breakout, I hope my story will motivate you.
I have struggled with acne since my first year of middle school. I remember feeling disgusted, ugly and embarrassed of the way my skin appeared. I was told by my family that it would only be temporary as I was going through hormonal changes. I had tried a couple of drugstore face washes, but eventually my dad purchased the famous brand, Proactive. I used it for a while, but noticed little change and a lot of irritation. After some time, I would show up to school and halfway through someone would tell me that I looked a little red. I would look in the mirror and sure enough I had red pigmentation all over my face. As you can assume, I didn’t use Proactive anymore.
I went on to use products that my dad would randomly bring home from the clearance aisle and try that. Even though my dad thrived in the clearance section, a lot of these products were way too rough on my skin, and I was still experiencing irritation. Although I was convinced I had rosacea, I eventually went to see my doctor about my skin. She recommended a face wash and a benzoyl peroxide gel that I was to use every night. I knew that benzoyl peroxide was a strong product, but I thought nothing of it and of course did not do a test on my skin before applying it all over my face. I woke up the next morning with an allergic reaction that caused my eyes to be swollen shut. In conclusion, I did not in fact have rosacea, but an allergy to products containing benzoyl peroxide.
After discovering that, I had to be extremely careful with the products I used. I could not use anything with harsh chemicals, and often that is recommended to get rid of acne. I tried pills for a couple of years that helped the acne, but they eventually stopped working. This was hard for me because I just ended high school, and this was still an ongoing issue. Eventually I reached out to a dermatologist here in Kansas City. They were able to recommend products that have truly changed my life. My skin is not perfect, but I am able to feel better in my own skin, and that is exactly how I want everyone to feel.
I am not advertising to go see a dermatologist or to use the same products I do, but I am asking you to trust the process. My mom would tell me that anytime I was down, and she was right! Trust the process and figure out the products that work best for you. Since skin care can be pricey, remember to hydrate, get plenty of healthy foods and I found it useful to stop touching my face so often. Most importantly, remember to never compare the state of your skin to someone else’s. For the longest time, I would see people with skin that had no pore in sight and think less of myself. I then realized that having “perfect” skin is unrealistic. I had to learn to focus on my own journey with my acne and focus less on others. Lastly, remember that you are beautiful, no matter the state of your skin.