You can start anywhere you want, but I think I’ll start at the beginning, because that’s usually a good place to start, to borrow a sentiment from The Sound of Music.
I was lucky. I didn’t have any skin issues when I was very young, but I did started breaking out when I reached the sixth grade. I’d get these little pimples on my forehead, and I remember my mom taking me to a dermatologist, who gave me something called a PanOxyl Bar, which was a soap that smelled awful and bleached all my t-shirts, and a tube of super strong benzoyl peroxide.
They made my skin feel raw, but they kinda helped. Basically, I didn’t know what I was doing, and I didn’t incorporate any moisturizing products. My mom, who has perfect skin, really didn’t know how to help me either.
I pretty much continued to break out through high school, but the breakouts were minor. Just a few small pimples here and there. I used the benzoyl peroxide consistently, and it did help.
But things got more complicated in college. In my second year, I went through some sort of hormonal shift (my acne has always been tied to my hormones), and the few small pimples I’d been dealing with turned into big, painful pimples on my cheeks.
I started taking Accutane, and it was the only thing that really helped. It’s still controversial, and it was even more controversial back then, but it helped me a lot. It cleared up my skin, which remained clear until I hit my mid-30s.
I think that’s when I went through another hormonal shift. I started getting chin acne (but you already know about that).
I’m in my 40s now with drier skin (which used to be super oily) that’s still acne-prone. I still use benzoyl peroxide (Kate Somerville Anti-Bac Clearing Lotion), either in the morning or at night.
Now I’m more concerned about evening out my skin tone and dealing with fine lines than I am about preventing and treating breakouts.
I do have some fine lines under my eyes and around my mouth, but I like to attribute them to smiling. 🙂 I guess I smile a lot, because I’ve got the wrinkles to show it, LOL!
I haven’t done anything like Botox or fillers, but I refuse to say that I’d never go there. I don’t have the desire to now, but who knows? Anything can change in the future.
My big worry about things like that is that I wouldn’t look like me anymore, and I can’t imagine looking in the mirror and feeling like something was a little off, you know?
For now, I’m pretty happy with my skin, but I do plan to get more aggressive with my anti-aging regimen. When I got pregnant with Connor, I pretty much only used moisturizer and sunscreen, and I’ve fallen out of the habit of using serums and whatnot.
How about you, my love? What’s your skin story? I’d love to hear about it. You can share as much (or as little) as you’d like.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
In middle school/high school I had pretty bad acne like most kids my age at the time. My dad talked about bringing me to a dermatologist but that never happened and my skin cleared up. In college, my skin wasn’t too bad, a few zits here and there and that’s about it. I’ll be 40 in January, and I feel like my skin looks a little bit younger than my age. I would say I have combo skin – gets a little oily toward the end of the day but dry on my cheeks. I’m not too crazy with a skincare routine, currently I use SK-II essence, Sunday Riley Lactic Acid, and a hyaluronic acid from Sephora that is discontinued. I like what it’s doing! I think once it gets drier and more into winter I will need more of like a barrier cream because my skin will get dry. Suggestions welcome!
I started getting acne when I was eleven (60 years ago), yes I’m 71 and I still get a pimple here and there. I went to dozens of derms back in the day and they helped for a bit, but then it came back again. Now I use Kate Somerville’s Anti Bac lotion, thanks to you and I almost never have a breakout. Thankfully my very oily skin has aged really well. I have almost no wrinkles and most people think I’m at least 10 years younger. I use the Anti Bac twice a week now, and Niacinamide consistently everyday to help with spots. In the few weeks we get of winter (I live in S. Florida), I use a Neutragena oil free moisturizer. Again, thanks, because the Anti Bac saved me!
You’re welcome, Linda! Which niacinamide product do you use? I’m on the hunt for one.
I’m very fair, to the point many foundation “extra light” shades are too dark. But I always had good skin in my younger days almost no breakouts, just a little rosacea pink cheeks and I always wore sunscreen. Then menopause hit at age 42 (wait – I am NOT ready!) and with that came extra dry skin, acne on my cheeks and chin, and a flare-up of the rosacea as well as eczema, most common on my hands and neck. I also developed a sensitivity to a lot of essential oils with eczema (lavender and peppermint hate me). BBL light therapy took care of the rosacea (along with gentle plant-based products) and I’ve found, after spending WAY too much money on stuff I ended up giving away, products that work. Most people think I’m around 50. I’m 64. I’ll take it.
I had very little acne until adulthood – the occasional pimple. I washed my face and used moisturizer with sunscreen since I was pretty young, middle school ish. My mom is not into skincare (she washes her face with soap and puts body lotion on her face) but I was into teen magazines.
I burn super easily so I’ve always had to be pretty diligent on sunscreen. I’ve also always had pretty sensitive skin – prone to eczema and stuff. When I turned 18 I’d start getting a chin pimple with my cycles.
As an adult, in my mid 30s, my skin has gotten more temperamental and sensitive. I have rosacea, I am prone to eczema, and I’m allergic to stuff. Rosacea, in addition to be being unsightly, can really really hurt.
I see a dermatologist who has been super helpful – I use a cream with three different rosacea medications she prescribed. We started me on Differin, really easing in twice a week over moisturizer. I now do Tretinoin (a pretty low concentration) every night. This regimen, along with some gentle products and sunscreen, have my skin looking and feeling better than it has in a long time.
When eczema flares up (usually my eyelids and hands), Aveeno Eczema Therapy cream is a lifesaver. I have a slight indent from having MRSA in my cheek after jaw surgery, but I think wants the post inflammatory erythema fades it won’t be super noticeable. I scheduled an appointment with my derm to check it out.
My skin story has pretty much started at the age of just-turned-13, when I got really bad acne. My mother took me to a dermatologist that prescribed some products (Benzoylperoxide included), but as that didn’t hep much, suggested I’d go onto birth control. That was a really breakthrough for me, made my skin clear up quickly and as a side helped control my migraines, so I was happy until I turned 25, switched birth control and got acne again.
By then I was already a medical doctor, so I basically treated myself semi-successful – I didn’t want to go on Tretinoin as I was planning on getting pregnant. As that didn’t happen and I had a divorce, I went back on the pill, was quite happy, then met my now husband and started trying for kids again, which resulted in painful cystic acne, but also two amazing children. After I was done breastfeeding the second I started first Adapalene and later on Tretinoin, which both controls my acne (most of the time) and is the center to my anti-aging routine.
As I do have wrinkles and some skin laxity though (I am 43 after all), I am currently testing my way through different devices (LED mask, Microcurrent,…), but have not (yet) done anything like Botox or fillers.
Oh, and if I overdo the actives, I get eczema – great fun…