My Face Is On Fire- A Love Letter To Moisturizer
I think at one point I would’ve sold my little soul for clear skin.
If you’re the type of person with the type of skin that easily breaks out, then let’s be friends.
If you’re the type of person with the type of skin that easily breaks out, then let’s be friends.
My Journey With Bad Skin
No one in middle school wants to be that pimply kid, but I was. Add some braces and glasses from the clearance rack from the local eye doctor and you could say I was doing pretty good confidence-wise. The social media middle schoolers these days are way ahead, skin-care wise, than I ever was.
I went into high school with slightly better glasses, but no improvement in my skin-care routine. I transitioned to the Proactiv 3-step acne routine, and anything with the word “acid” in the ingredients list. After scrubbing my face with St. Ives Apricot Scrub every night, I really thought that my face feeling like it was on FIRE was the solution to my acne (spoiler alert: it wasn’t)
So a few years after high school, and basically no change in my breakouts except for a few months here and there, I decided to go on accutane. I know, there are SO many differing opinions on this, and I was worried too at first when they said there were risks and how hard it can be on your body, but I thought, I may as well try. It ended up being my knight in shining armor… In pill form.
Within a couple months my skin was more clear than it ever had been! The biggest benefit I found though, was I felt confident! For the first time I felt confident in my own skin, without makeup or concealer covering up blemishes. I also felt confident trying new skin care products without worrying about breaking out. I found out it works pretty well to use this crazy thing… Moisturizer!
You might be thinking, “this was the first time you tried new products to suit your skin better??” Yes Karen, unless you’ve been in the thick of it acne-wise, it’s really hard to describe how intimidating trying new things on sensitive skin can be. After accutane I started a deep dive on skin care products, and slowly started to discover how beneficial things that work to heal your skin barrier are. Things like hyaluronic acid are a great way to start adding moisture into a routine.
(Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in the body that helps retain moisture in the skin and joints. It acts like a sponge, holding up to 1,000 times its weight in water, making it an excellent hydrating ingredient in skincare products.)
Some Moisturizing Tips and Products
A moisturizing routine is similar to taking care of a plant. Why? A plant needs water. Duh. If your plant is dying you don’t set it out in the sun to dry out more. Yes, the sun plays a vital role in keeping a plant healthy (most plants, for my example I’m not talking about those easy, in your dusty closet, never-die plants), but so is water. Just like skin care with exfoliants or actives help keep skin firm and clear, you need a balance of moisture to keep it healthy and balanced.
That brings me to my next point, keeping a simple routine, that is very moisturizing, is GREAT for people with sensitive skin. I actually didn’t learn this until earlier this year, when my face started breaking out a little again. It’s so easy to back into the fire-corner again when breakouts start happening, but that’s exactly why you need to find a routine that works for your skin.
Hormones, environment, stress, etc. (I have more posts that will talk about this) can cause things to happen that are out of our control. Breakouts can happen when we let little things slip, ergo the life of someone with sensitive skin! But moisturizer is something that can genuinely heal and keep your skin in a better condition. So here’s what works in the moisturizer world for me, as of right now, that helps my sensitive, acne-prone skin.
- La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer-
- This is a lightweight, easy moisturizer I can use everyday and not get sick of it.
- It has ceramides, niacinamide, and the La Roche Posay Classic, Thermal Water. Are you thinking, “what, am I gonna drink this stuff then?” Nope… Please don’t. Thermal water, as it says on their official website “contains a unique combination of minerals, trace elements, and a high concentration of selenium, a natural antioxidant.” (laroche-posay.us)
- Cerave Daily Moisturizing Lotion, or PM moisturizer-
- These both are great options, Cerave in general is honestly a really good brand overall, it doesn’t have any of the flash of some other brands, but the price point is a big selling point for most.
- It has ceramides in its formula, and I’ve used both, I really like the PM formula on nights when I feel I need a little extra oomph but don’t want to add a ton more steps into my routine.
- The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Hyaluronic Acid Daily Moisturizer-
- This is a non-greasy formula with hyaluronic acid, triglycerides, ceramides, and other components. The Ordinary is becoming more popular I think, but they still have an amazing price point, and most of their products I have found to work really well with my skin and not cause me to break out!
- Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Firming Moisturizer-
- This one is probably the most expensive on my list, and a more popular option when it comes to social media. I’ve used this and really did like it, but didn’t rebuy just because the price wasn’t something I felt justified the product itself, when I was getting nearly the same result from the creams listed above. However, for those that like a little heavier, but non-greasy cream that works really well in tandem with other products, this is a great option. (Just please promise me you won’t make those “skin-care smoothies” like some people on social media…ew.)
Anyways, I will have more rants about skin-care, and routines (lucky you!) but, I am no professional. My best advice I can leave with you is this: figure out your skin type, and don’t be afraid to try new things. Take care of yourself and know that you do NOT need completely clear skin to be confident, and to look perfect. Come as you are, and the rest will follow.
Also stress causes breakouts.. Just saying.
You’re a gem!
QOTW:
“I’m always thinking one step ahead. Like a carpenter.. that makes stairs.” – Andy Bernard