Last fall and winter I was struggling with acne for the first time in my life. I skipped having acne in my awkward teenage years and was lucky enough to have it at the age of 25. I’m not 100% sure what caused my acne, but I’m guessing there were two major contributing attributes to the breakouts. First, my body’s very sensitive to hormones, and I think my body had major hormonal changes at the time. Secondly, I think my skin products were increasing my breakouts because they were too harsh for my sensitive skin.
When the acne first started last fall/winter, I went out and purchased a bunch of intense acne products (cleansers, acne spot treatments, toners) to attempt to dry my skin out and clear my acne. My breakouts were deep and painful, and I wanted to fix my skin. What I thought would make the acne clear up, actually made my skin even worse. It was very discouraging that none of the products I purchased cleared my skin and I was at a loss on what to do next.
If you’ve struggled with acne, you understand how much of a self-esteem crusher it can be. I was wearing full coverage makeup to the gym, yoga, and skiing to cover up my breakouts which probably was hindering my skin clearing up. I so badly wanted to be able to leave the house with no makeup on and feeling confident in myself. After some tears shed and feeling pretty low about my appearance, I decided to completely change up my skin care routine and go for more gentile and cleaner products that would nourish and heal my skin.
I have been using these products for the past year and noticed my skin changed completely. I was going to share this post sooner, but I truly wanted to test out all these products for a full year, and I’m finally here to share the five products that changed my skin. The only thing I hope for by sharing my story is to help at least one person improve their skin for the better.
Peter Thomas Roth Vitamin C Serum
A pricey purchase but it has done wonders for my skin. I’ve used other Vitamin C serum in the past but never saw results. This product helps with evening out my skin tone and gives my skin extra moisture. I use this product every morning after I cleanse my face and before my daily moisturizer.
Weleda Skin Food
I’ve been using this product as my nighttime face lotion for a year now, and it provides my skin with so much hydration! When I wake up, my skin’s plump and hydrated. It’s a thick cream, but it’s what my skin needs in Jackson’s dry mountain climate. If there’s only one product I can’t live without – it is hands down the Skin Food by Weleda.
Phoenix Face oil
For a little extra hydration before bed – I will lather my skin with the Phoenix Face oil after I’ve applied Skin Food. I use this product a few times a week, and it makes such a difference in hydrating my skin.
I use this oil a few times a week as part of my nighttime skin routine. It’s an acne treatment oil that doesn’t dry out my skin. If I feel like my pores are a little clogged or I might have a pimple coming on, I will apply this acne oil before applying Skin Food. Warning it smells funky, but it works!
Kate Somerville Face Scrub
I have very sensitive skin, so I try to use gentle products that don’t irritate my skin. That’s why I love this face scrub by Kate Somerville. I will use this product a few times a week while I’m showering and after I have washed my face with Purity cleanser (I’ve been using this cleanser for five years now).