Hormonal acne, oily and sensitive skin, can be a task to fight or find products that work. Having experiencing hormonal acne, I have paid more attention to my skin, my regimen, the type of products I should be using, and skincare in general. For those of you, experiencing hormonal acne, know how difficult this can be to bare. I suffered from low self-esteem from 2019 to the present.
This all started in 2017 while attending the gym, I decided to stop taking birth control as I noticed without it, that I was able to lose weight faster. That combined with a healthy diet, I knew I would have been able to drop the weight quickly. A couple of months later, I started to noticed pimples appearing on my face, which were painful and red. Popping did not help and lead to dark marks where the pimples once were. I continued with my daily skincare routine and noticed it no longer worked.
Over time more pimples and dark marks appeared, people started to notice and frequent questions were asked about my face and what was happening. This led me to get extremely depressed. Finally, I decided to take my mom’s advice and visited the dermatologist. During my visit, I learned birth control helps with acne and I should resume taking it.
I was prescribed Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser, sunscreen with SPF 50 & up, and differin. After my appointment I made my way to the pharmacy, to purchase my items prescribed to me. Over time, I noticed the treatment worked as pimples started to disappear, but the dark marks remained. I started to see my pimples go once I stuck to my routine. My only issue was the dark marks, as they remained.
This is when I took it upon myself to do product research for dark marks. The first product I stumbled upon was called Admire my skin ultra-potent and boy did this give me a sting when applying it to my face., but this went away within a couple of seconds.
One night as I applied the product, the burn was more intense than usual. I rushed to the bathroom, washed the product off, and never used it again. After that, I continued to use my regular products, but my dark marks were not fading. My confidence continued to decline, so low that I disliked taking photos. Applying makeup to hide my dark did not work either. I decided that I would continue to spend more time doing more research, to learn more about skincare and what main ingredients assist with the fading of dark marks.
Buy Local
In Barbados, we are excessively big on the slogan that is “buy local” or “support Bajan businesses”. I just so happen to be scrolling through my Instagram timeline and stumbled across a local product that sparked my interest. Questions were asked based on my skin types such as my hormonal acne and the issues I was having with the dark marks. I was informed on which products to purchase which were a cleanser, face serum, and sunscreen. In addition to this, I was guaranteed results once used daily.
When trying a new product, makes sure to do a patch test on your hands, to see how the product will react on your skin. I applied the serum to my face, for a week and it did give a little sting but that pain subsided quickly. One night while applying the serum, the pain was unbearable. I rushed to the sink to wash the product off and noticed I had a mark on the right side of my cheek. What I thought was dead skin, was a chemical burn. The following day, I noticed another one on the left side of my cheek.
At this point, I gave up and vowed never to use serums, as my skin was too sensitive. Here I am, with another mark on my face, what am I going to do? Reaching out to the company did cross my mind but I decided not to and all products were thrown into the garbage.
Aztec Clay Mask
During my vacation in New York City, I came across the Aztec mud mask and I must say this has done wonders for my skin, including my hormonal acne. Each Sunday, I will apply this mask mixed with apple cider vinegar. Note, when mixing the clay and vinegar, never use metal spoons forks, or a bowl but rather a silicon bowl, stick, and spatula. If this is the first time using this product, remember to a small patch test before applying it to your face. The Aztec clay mask has faded my dark marks, chemical burns, and started to even out my skin tone.
Sunscreen
Many of us are not aware of how vital it is to wear sunscreen, even during the winter and at home. This helps to reduced dark spots/marks and protects your skin from the sun-rays as well. As I live in the tropics, I use SPF 50 in the Neutrogena clear face liquid lotion sunscreen for acne-prone skin. As I have sensitive skin, when applying the sunscreen I do receive a little sting below my eyes, but the product works well for me. The product will be white when applying, but that quickly disappears once you gently rub that into your skin.
Serums, Face Wash & Moisturizers
I took a break from the Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser my dermatologist prescribed and started to use the CeraVe foaming cream cleanser, retinol serum, and moisturizing lotion. Since using these products, within a couple of days I notice how smooth the texture of my face had become.
CeraVe foaming cream cleanser was out of stock, so I reverted to my Cetaphil. In addition, I purchased an organic vitamin C serum and Neutrogena pink grapefruit moisturizer. The vitamin c serum does not have a scent but the pink grapefruit does. However, both products dry instantly into the skin leaving a smooth texture. Just recently I have noticed how my skin went from dull to bright within a month of using a vitamin C serum.
The organic vitamin c helps to smooths lines, hydrate, brightens, protect against the sun, and regenerates. Neutrogena oil-free moisturizer is perfect for oily, sensitive, and acne-prone skin. Infused with pink grapefruit, this moisturizer is lightweight, and contains salicylic acid, to help treat acne. Cetaphil can be used on the face, hands, and body for all skin types including sensitive. This is a no lather cleanser that tackles acne and will not dry your skin, irritate or clog your pores.
Clear skin takes time and patience. Be consistent with your skincare routine, drink lots of water, and remain positive. You will not see a change overnight but with time, you will.
Here is the order to apply your skincare products:
- Cleanser
- Tone
- Serum
- Moisturizer
- Sunscreen
What products work best for you? Comment down below and share your skincare routine.
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