Have you ever looked at someone, and just thought, “Wow, they are flawless.”….I absolutely have, and every time I think this, it is usually because of their skin…….but if you’re anything like me, your skin journey has been anything but flawless. (LOL!)

I have been paranoid about acne since I was about 10 years old. My brother, who is older than me, struggled with severe acne as a teenager which made me hyper aware of how unfortunate acne can be. I started a face washing routine right around 10 years old. I would wash my face in the morning and at night everyday with a face wash that my parents got from Walmart. (There is no Target in Lamar where I’m from).

Throughout junior high and high school, I felt like my skin was decent, but never awesome. I upgraded face washes to the Clinque acne line when I was 14 and used that through college and a few years after. At this point, I thought my skin was okay, but worse than it was when I was in high school. I would attribute my skin getting worse to working in restaurants, something about grease and oil clogged my pores, and my IUD. I love my IUD, but it did create some issues with my skin and hormones. I used a topical acne treatment in addition to my Clinque acne regimen for a few years until my skin cleared up for the most part.

The real plot twist here was after I won Miss Colorado USA. I was at a medspa, and was recommended that I use a medical grade skincare brand. I am not going to blast the brand, but this was the WORST decision I have made regarding my skin. Prior to starting my medical grade skincare, my skin was average, maybe average +. I would have a few surface layer pimples, but nothing drastic. When I started using the medical grade skincare brand, I went in all in , just like I do in everything. I was using it twice a day, and all 3 steps. I started this skincare regimen in November of 2018, this was also the same time I was under more stress than I had ever been before. I was in a relationship that took me months to get out of and in a sticky work situation to keep it light and the 30,000ft view.

I thought perhaps my skin was being sensitive to this medical grade skincare brand because I was stressed. Seems so normal right? Well, let me tell you something that isn’t normal…… If your skin starts burning an d turning red from a product, STOP USING IT! I wish someone would’ve told me this. I figured, if it burns it’s working. I didn’t realize it wasn’t normal until I was at my parents one weekend putting on the second step of the skincare regimen, and my dad asked if my face was okay because it was bright red. You know it’s an obvious issue when your dad notices that your skincare might not be great.

I stopped using the medical skincare regimen in January of 2019, but the damage was done. I’m not a dermatologist, but what I can tell you is that using that product and not being aware enough to stop using it sooner made my skin EXTREMELY sensitive to everything. My skin now is so much better. I ended having to go to a dermatologist, I used a topical cream, and eventually went through Accutane which I will do a completely separate post on. Below are some of my tips on how to improve your skin that I have implemented into my routine that I have found super helpful, and hopefully you will too.

Tips for Improving Your Skin

1. Drink more water- Seriously, drink more water. If you have any issues in your life, drink more water. I know it sounds simple, but for real do this. Hydration is critical for you to have a healthy mind, body, soul, and skin. I drink about a gallon of water day.

2. Stop touching your face- I used to be the worst at touching my face until the dermatologist threatened me in the nicest way one day while I was on Accutane. She explained to me that whatever is on my hands is getting on my face and clogging my pores.

3. Wash your make up brushes- I hate washing make up brushes, laundry, really anything that’s cleaning involved I’m not a fan of, but you have to be washing your make up brushes or getting new ones consistently if you are struggling with acne and wearing make up.

4. Change your pillow case- If you don’t wash your bedding regularly, you need to be changing your pillow case. It is a super popular trend right now to have silk pillow cases to help with hair and wrinkles…… but one thing to remember about silk pillow cases is that they don’t absorb the grime like cotton pillow cases do, which means if you have anything that can clog your pores on your face when you go to bed, it is getting pushed into your pores. I switched my pillow cases from silk to cotton and noticed a difference.

5. Start slow- If you’re trying a new skin regimen or even just a product, start slow. At first try it on the inside of your arm and make sure you don’t get an allergic reaction or have any sensitivity. Then try just one product on one area of your face. If that works out great, then go ahead and try your full face. If you had 5 new products to your routine and have a sensitivity, it will be really hard to pinpoint exactly what product negatively affected you.

I hope these tips help you, if you are struggling with acne. I also hope you know you are not alone in struggle with acne. It is so challenging a real confidence killer, in my experience. Remember, these are tips that help me, and continue to help me. I am not a dermatologist, this is just where I have found success.

If you’re looking for a new skincare regimen, click here and fill out the quiz. I will send you some options that might help improve your skin, and in turn improve your life.

As always,

Thank you for reading!

XO,

Madison