Not too long ago - from the beginning of March thereabout - I decided to take seriously a different approach to tackle my acne problem. I've had acne from 12 years old and saying that I’ve tried everything is cliché, but… I've tried close enough to everything.
The excuse of puberty was at the time alright with me, because that meant the promise of clear skin in adulthood, but I'm 26 and I still have acne! So, recently I set out to try a more regimen-oriented approach targeting acne. Not the 10-Step Korean skincare type-of-a-thing, though I must confess that I do use K-beauty products and find the rise it a wonderful delight. (Personally, I'm just not the person to do more than two steps, or three.)
For my acne problems, I upped my cleansing game. I wear makeup every day, and though MAC has done well over the years with balancing coverage and keeping my pores breathing - that's no reason to neglect thorough facial cleansing. By cleaning, I definitely don't mean when you use your soap bar or body wash in the shower. I've found that using facial creams and gels won't do all that well if you're not cleansing. And cleansing might not quite be the same from person to person. I was using products and when they didn’t seem to quite do the trick, I was left thinking - Damn, my hormones must be what's really doing me dirty. But my cleansing routine mattered - the right one. (Here, the "right one" means the product or practice which I found to work for me.)
Fast forward to what I do today? -->
At night, I start off cleansing my skin with a clay cleanser from L'Oréal - the L'Oreal Paris Skin Care Pure Clay Cleanser (3 Pure Clays and Red Algae Clay-to mousse Cleanser), which I pick up from Duane Reade (or amazon). The idea of a rare, expensive gem that just works isn't as special anymore when you've tried everything - so I said, something as basic as a cleanser off the drugstore shelf can suffice. It literally does the job of removing my makeup, dirt and excess oil all in one easy wash. On top of that, my gamer changer has really been my use of benzoyl peroxide, interchanging between the soap bar and the cream.
WHY A BENZOYL PEROXIDE SOAP?... Because!
Not just because, lol. A dermatologist one time recommended that I take antibiotics for about a month or so as a means to deal with my acne. I was concerned, and didn't understand why use antibiotics for acne? - So I googled it. It seemed like the dermatologist was maybe onto something, but my young, naïve and possibly "ignorant" self was not about to risk the possibility of drug-resistant bacteria, for the for the sake of acne. I was probably 15 or 16 years old at the time.
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, I read up on benzoyl peroxide and looked into how it helps kill some type of acne-causing bacteria. It seemed a feasible option to what the dermatologist-recommended from before, so I tried my luck with benzoyl peroxide. I am totally NOT a doctor, dermatologist, medical practitioner, skin guru or any other professional medical/skincare someone. I'm just a gal sharing what is working for me.
So, after cleansing at night I pat dry my face and apply a light layer of benzoyl peroxide cream to acne-prone areas. (As for the benzoyl peroxide bar soap I don't quite use it that much anymore - but I did more so in the mornings.) The cream that I use is the Clean & Clear® Persa-Gel®10 Acne Medication-1 Oz. I have to say that benzoyl peroxide is very drying, and I did notice some peeling. It totally dries up my face and keeps it dry. Moisturizing is a must - I cannot get away with not moisturizing.
As I said, this works for me. I have no medical authority to suggest how to deal with anyone's acne. It’s been a month since trying this out, and I'm encouraged to continue this routine as I get fewer breakouts and my skin is less dull.
Cheers to finding what works! A journey that is different for each of us.