Hello, beautiful people! I’ve been saving these skincare transformation selfies for a rainy day to show the GLOW UP is real. Without them, I wouldn’t remember how far I’ve come. And I’m so proud of my skin! Like many teens, I suffered from acne in high school. As I got older, it seemed to mellow out as the hormones subsided. But then I was hit with the ultimate betrayal: ADULT ACNE. BUM BUM BUM.
In all seriousness, I feel like active breakouts should be illegal after age 20. Who has time to get them under control?! In 2020, I decided to get serious about my skincare routine once and for all. For years, I had tried all of the product recommendations from beauty editorials to my celebrity favorites. But without staying consistent with a routine or knowing exactly what MY skin needed, it was pointless. So while I heavily endorse these as my holy grail skincare products, please take a moment to decide if they’d work best for you!
Think blackheads or small whiteheads. It can also present as congested textured skin (usually around the nose or chin) and bumps underneath the skin. The key ingredients to look out for are salicylic acid, azelaic acid, and hydrating products like these.
I had (and still do, tbh) the WORST habit of picking at my skin. Even knowing that I scar easily, it was hard to stop! My only plan of attack was to heal my skin as quickly as possible so there would be nothing to mess with. In addition to working SPF into my morning routine every single day, I also started to exfoliate regularly. Using ingredients like lactic acid, glycolic acid, and Vitamin C no more than 4x a week helped clear up my dark spots.
In a little over six months, I saw a HUGE improvement! Now it’s been about two years since I’ve been using these types of products, and I love how my skin looks! Sure, I do still have some hyperpigmentation and other things that I’d like to change, but overall I’m very happy with my skin, so let’s get into it!
Okay, there is a reason this Paula’s Choice baddie is a cult favorite. The directions say you can use this liquid exfoliant daily, but I always suggest starting off smaller. I use this about three times a week to exfoliate my skin. It has absolutely done wonders! I suffer from whiteheads and blackheads, and the salicylic acid has really helped to keep those breakouts under control.
I won’t lie to you friends. Like all SkinCeuticals products, it has a hefty price tag (coming in at $96). However, I promise it’s worth it when it comes to holy grail skincare products! I tend to have hormonal acne. Anytime my cycle starts, I break out around my chin and forehead. Now, I can help keep them under control by using this serum! About 5 days beforehand, I add it to my problem areas or the small bumps beginning to form with no issues. I use it about once to twice a week or as needed. The bottle lasts you a long time, so you definitely get your money’s worth. I swear this is God’s hero skincare.
Finally, you know that sunscreen is a must-have in your skincare team! As you can see above, I had a lot of dark spots on my skin. Of course, I would try to exfoliate to help lighten them up. But if you’re not using SPF on top of your skincare routine, then you’re just canceling out the work that you’re doing. I highly recommend having a good sunscreen you can reach for daily. I love this one because it doesn’t have a white cast and leaves a subtle glow! You can see more of my favorite sunscreens without a white cast here.
I could share a lot of other products since a lot of what helped with my skin is just hydrating it. I was drying it out too much by over-exfoliating and trying new products all the time. Over the past two years, I have really stuck consistently to my hero skincare products, made sure to wash my face twice a day, and figured out what works best for my skin. You can definitely try these recommendations, but be sure to spend time figuring out what works best for you! If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below.
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Hi Tomi!! Do you also use a physical exfoliant during the week or just stick with the liquid exfoliants?
Hi Alyssa! I only do chemical exfoliants! About every 4-6 months I’ll treat myself to a facial and perhaps get microdermabrasion with physical exfoliants there. But these improvements were taken before I added those in :)