After several unfortunate trips to clinics, I finally found a routine that worked on my acne. Four months into this routine, I still get a casual pimple here and there (mostly related to stress, lack of sleep, and pizza), but my skin has made a Cinderella-like change. My simple (though not not time-consuming) plan from Dr. Bae, plus pills, plus using the skincare ingredient charcoal truly changed the condition of my skin in mere months. Now, I go makeup free most days and never wake up wondering what game of whack-a-mole is ahead.
Below: The routine that finally cured my adult breakouts.
Morning Routine (6 minutes)
Pills: In the a.m., I take 50 MG of prescribed Spironolactone, with lots of water as it's a diuretic, and you'll find that you're either thirsty all the time or have to pee all the time.
Cleanse: I start mornings with a refreshing splash of water rather than a true cleanse because I want to strip my skin of all of its oils.
Treat. Next, I apply a prescription cream mixture of Benzoyl Peroxide and Clindamycin and let it dry.
Eyes: I use cult-favorite Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Cream for an under-eye, dewy glow. It has these little shimmer pearls in it that give your eye the perfect radiance, (you won't even need concealer, seriously).
Hydrate: I tried a lot of day creams during my research to find the perfect cocktail of products,and BeautyCounter's Nourishing Day Cream takes the cake as the simplest, most hydrating, and non-fussy day cream in my book. There's no fragrance and, most importantly, it doesn't make me break out!
Nighttime Routine (10 minutes)
Pills: 50 MG of Spironolactone with water.
Cleanse: I use Fresh Soy Cleanser (full disclosure: I used to work there) with my Foreo Luna 2 Cleansing Brush. Soy Face Cleanser totally cleans out what the day has done to skin but is gentle and doesn't give it that tight, dry feeling that I get from other cleansers. The Foreo brush gently scrubs my pores and rids my face of every last bit of Manhattan. Bonus: one side of the cleansing brush is a massager, which I use to stimulate blood flow on my face.
Treat. A pea size of Differin gel, a potent retinoid gel that helps keeps my acne at bay. Once a week, I will indulge in my favorite, strong acne-clearing pads by Cane+Austin. I use the 20 percent glycolic acid solution.
Hydrate. If I need a deep dose of moisture, I love the hormonal acne line Knours. Its super thick and moisturizing One Perfect Cream smells herbal and clean, like it was just plucked from your garden. For a lighter dose of moisture, I love Kate Somerville's Oil Free Moisturizer, which has this great milky, soothing texture.
Eyes: I apply Environ Vita Peptide Eye Gel under my eyes, which instantly cools. While most gels leave a strange residue under my eyes, this one soaks in and I wake up looking like I got 8 hours of Zzzs, even if it was more like 6.
The Extras
Facials: I get a true facial-extractions and lymphatic drainage massage-once every six weeks from Cleo Rallis at Exhale Spa Central Park South. Cleo is an extraction queen and is the fairy god mother of making sure my pores are extra clean. She also noticed a difference in my skin, since I've been on Spironolactone.
Balancing Mask: Masking is like doing an extra credit project for your skin, and charcoal has been my favorite ingredient to keep my skin extra calm, specifically the Beauty Counter No. 3 Balancing Mask. There's a reason this mask is a best-seller-it only takes three minutes to dry, and I can see the difference in my skin immediately afterward. My hormonal pimples that still arise tend to look smaller after. There's also the refreshing peppermint smell that gives your skin a minty-clean feeling.
Charcoal mask: I use the Amareta Earth Mother Detoxifying Charcoal Mask. This line of products is developed to sync up to your hormonal cycle, the perfect answer to my skin woes. The jars are beautiful and you can feel the gentle activated charcoal mask detox your pores. I like to wear it while in the bath.
There you have it-a skincare story with a happy ending, at least for now. It's only been four months, so I know I'm in the honeymoon phase, but here's to hoping this routine and I are built to last.
TWEET YOUR COMMENT