The simple changes that cleared my cystic Acne.
I have struggled with my skin for as long as I can remember. Throughout puberty, through college, and well into my twenties. I am now almost 30 and think I have FINALLY figured out what works for me and what doesn’t. It has been a long journey that I’m still navigating, so the BIGGEST piece of advice I can offer is patience mixed with lots of trial and error.
In high school, I was on acne medication both in the pill form and topically for years. It was the only thing that worked to keep things under control. I listened religiously to whatever my dermatologist said because she was a doctor after all. Turns out, dermatologist don’t know everything and taking such a medical approach was not working for me either. I wasn’t a teenager anymore, hormones shouldn’t have been an issue, and I was done being on medication.
I tried the route of going to Sephora and asking for guidance, reading blogs and articles online about the best products for oily skin etc etc etc. And then the skincare industry popped OFF! I gave the 10 step korean beauty thing a try, used all the oils under the sun, spent so much $$$$$ at Sephora, and even bought a very expensive package for laser treatments for my face. I will say, these did help but I didn’t have the time and $1000 laying around to continue doing these treatments. Long, long story short- I was now 27 years old, about to get married and still struggling with my skin. 6 months after my wedding, a friend of mine introduced me to Maddie at Corrective Skincare who has forever changed my skin.
We took a deep dive into every single product I was using, and closely monitored what was working and wasn’t. Maddie put the kibosh on all of the misconceptions I had about a stocked medicine cabinet of products that I needed to be using. I threw away almost all products I owned and now only use the Corrective Skincare products (and a few others I’ll note.) I was getting facials with her every 4-6 weeks where she was doing crazy masks, peels, and extractions. I’m missing this after moving to Denver (and need to find a local replacement, sad!) but more than anything, the product and lifestyle changes have been the biggest adjustment.
**You can see photos and read about the specific changes I made in this Instagram post!
(I should note- these products are pretty specific to me, but I think would be beneficial for many who struggle with their skin. More than anything, I’d advise finding a med-spa nearby and a skin professional that you trust to walk you through your journey and recommended products. )
This is me makeup free today! Very grateful for this transformation and confidence.
In short, the overall theme = LESS IS MORE.
Morning
3-4 times a week, I will also use my jade roller in the morning on my face. It helps with creating definition in your cheek bone and to drain your lymph nodes. It is also amazing after a flight or night of drinking when you’re feeling puffy.
Nighttime
(even easier than Morning!)
**I want to quickly note something here. I used to be obsessive about ‘hydrating’ my skin and always using lots of moisturizer. Maddie turned me around to sometimes being OK with letting my skin be a bit dry and breathe. It seemed so backwards to me but made a big difference. I NOW ONLY DO MOISTURIZER IN THE MORNING AND LET MY SKIN DRY OUT AT NIGHT. Although in the Winter when it’s super dry, I’ll do a light layer of moisturizer and HUMIDIFIER SAVES ME!!!!
…and that is IT!!! Seriously. It is crazy to me how many products I used to pump my face with trying to combat redness with this, breakouts with that, dryness with this….and ended up just making it so much worse. I am so thankful I’ve gotten into this routine and hope this will be helpful for some of you out there with acne prone skin as well. I know these products aren’t cute and glamorous, but I swear by them. I’d also encourage you to find a med-spa local to you where you can find a skin guru that you trust!
Below are some more products that I’ll use on occasion that I love and swear by. Please let me know if you have any Q’s! I’m happy to answer and be a resource :)
