When bad skin happens to good people!
Adult Acne ... EEK!!! 🤦🏾♀️ About a year ago, I had the worst acne attack of my adult life. Admittedly I was not eating right, I was drinking far too many fizzy drinks, eating greasy food, takeaways, and having little to no sleep. It was a very stressful time and I was also smack bang In the middle of my beauty exams. I was constantly tired and needed a daily shot of red bull and ridiculous amounts of coffee to get through the day. I would go to bed after religiously counting and cataloguing every spot on my face, wake in the morning and count again .. and each time, there seemed to be a new and even more painful one brewing. I’d start the day miserable, and by the end of the day I’d feel the dull ache of a new spot begging to join the party. It just seemed to be a non stop assault. It left me fed up and with very little confidence. All my regular products just wouldn’t work and I knew better than to fall into the trap of spending large sums of money on new products and innovations. It took about 6 months, but I did manage to get my skin back .. and better than before. This brings me to what I tell my clients .. good skin is a journey. Good skin, requires commitment, consistency and patience. How did I do it? 7 easy steps: 1. I got a really good cleanser - in my case I got the Elemis Dynamic resurfacing cleanser. 2. I incorporated cleansing oils into my regiment as a first cleanse.. I got the Elemis Cleansing Balm, but there are several amazing ones including the Superfacialist cleansing oil which I just discovered. 3. I exfoliated 3 times a week consistently, the Dermalogica Daily microfoliant was my go to.. PLUS I started using a face towel for my cleansing for extra exfoliation. 4. I switched to a glycolic toner - the Pixi Toner was my go to, but the Ordinary also do a fantastic glycolic toner.
5. I cut out caffeine and started to drink at least 2 litres of water a day. 6. I started taking a combination of multivitamins which included fish oils, evening primrose and vitamin C . The Seven Seas Perfect 7 woman was amazing and I continue to take it daily.
7. This next step is not achievable for all .. and requires a certain level of desperation loll. I used NO make up for a year. I know I looked scary and I’d often find people stare at me on the train .. but mehhh ... I just grit my teeth through it and kept my eye on the prize. My regiment didn’t break the bank and I kept things very simple. I also stayed very very consistent. Because I’ve also got dry skin (yes people with dry skin can also suffer from acne), I kept a close eye on my hydration, due to the stripping nature of my glycolic toner. This I did by using a hyaluronic acid serum which helps keep your skin hydrated without clogging your pores with oil.
For the first 6 months, I was not concerned about scarring. I simply focused all my energy on stopping the breakouts. It’s probably also important to mention I switched birth control from the implanon implant to the mirena coil - some say it has a hormone balancing effect. Once the acne stopped being active .. I again patiently, almost passively- addressed the scaring. I truly cannot tell you how long it took, I simply paid it very little conscious attention. But suffice to say.. a year on.. I have very little scarring left. I did I incorporate a vitamin c serum into my daily regiment and also switched to a Brightening vitamin c moisturiser (Superfacialist).
The worst thing about adult acne is the crippling despondency that comes with it. Impossible to describe if you’ve never suffered from it. As a teenager you can console yourself with the idea that it’s your hormones at play and you’ll grow out of it, but as an adult, you genuinely feel the it will never end. The key message is consistency, keeping things simple and also listening to your own skin. It’s also important to add, at this point, that nothing beats a good facial, at least once a month. Whilst you could give yourself a facial at home, if you know how, majority of people do not and I’d strongly advice you find a good aesthetician or dermatologist to visit at least once a month. Often a good deep cleanse is just the jumpstart your skin needs. And most of all .. pause, breathe and keep your eye on the prize xxx