Twelve years and still, my acne won’t leave me.
My complicated journey with acne started when I was 13 and to this day they are still with me
with dozens of acne marks.
In the beginning I used to hate acne so much that I have no idea when I started to hate myself
too. Being a brown girl, I already had issues with my skin color and when God gifted me with
oily and acne prone skin, my issues not doubled but tripled.
At first I was searching for skin-lightening and whitening creams. Now on top of it I started
looking for heavy steroid products that remove acne as soon as possible. Little did I know that
when it comes to skincare there are no shortcuts.
Every month I used to try different products either to go 2 shades lighter or ones that will work
as pimple erasers. Imagine a teen using products without knowing what ingredients it had,
applying them three times a day and not at all knowing what skincare even means. I was lucky
that I didn’t damage my face much but also sad that nothing worked. I was still a brown girl with
acne – not a good combination (that was what I used to think).
But something changed when I reached 16. That was when I watched a youtube video on how
to take care of oily and acne prone skin. I believed it would entail some awesome products but
what featured was a 25 year old girl sharing her acne story and what worked for her. She talked
about her skincare routine, what all knowledge she got from her dermatologist and some do’s
and don’ts.
That video was my gateway to skincare. Much love to her. In the very week I consulted a
dermatologist and finally started to practice skincare and to this day I practice the same basic
skincare routine, it helped me to combat acne and helped me not to achieve acne-free skin or
lighter skin tone but a healthy skin.
Here is what my skincare routine looks like.
Morning routine
- Cleanser – I wash my face with a salicylic acid based cleanser as it helps to unclog pores,
reduce acne causing bacteria and reduces excess oil. - Moisturize – Often after washing my face, it feels dry so to lock in that moisture and keep it
hydrated is a must. For my skin type, I always go for a lightweight oil-free moisturizer. - Sunscreen – Sun exposure can worsen acne. I apply a broad spectrum sunscreen every
single day no matter what the weather is. I always go for a non-comedogenic sunscreen as it
doesn’t clog pores.
Night routine
- Cleanse – Repeat the morning cleanse to remove all the buildup from the day like dust,
makeup, and oil. - Treat – I treat my active acne with salicylic acid. I also alternately use retinol for my
blackheads and whiteheads. - Moisturize – Apply a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer as I did in the morning.
Do’s - Love your skin and take care of it because it is gonna stay with you all your life.
- If you wear makeup everyday then double cleanse to remove all the excess buildup.
- Exfoliate at least twice a week with a gentle chemical exfoliant like AHAs or BHAs.
- Manage stress as it can easily trigger breakouts. Practice exercise, yoga or meditation.
- Wash your makeup brushes regularly and don’t share your brushes with anyone else.
- Wash your pillowcases often as it can trap oil, dead skin cells and makeup residue as these
can cause breakouts. - Consult with a board certified dermatologist.
Don’ts - Don’t skip sunscreen just because the weather is cloudy. Always have your sunscreen on.
- Don’t over cleanse as that would strip your skin of its natural oils and actually worsen acne.
- Don’t use harsh scrubs as they can irritate your skin and lead to increased oil production.
- Don’t touch your face often, especially don’t pick on your pimples as this can lead to scarring.
- Don’t use pore strips as this temporary solution does nothing but irritate your skin.
- Don’t forget to eat healthy and avoid processed foods.
- Don’t forget to pamper your skin and let it breathe.
I will be brutally honest, at first I thought that skincare means I will never have acne again and
will have picture perfect skin but it actually means “taking care of your skin and trusting the
process”. That’s exactly what I did and with time, skincare became my self-love language and
taking care of my skin felt awesome.
Cut short to this day, yes, I still have acne but now I treat myself and my skin with love. Acne will
come and go but my love for my skin is never going to change.
As I said above, my relationship with acne was complicated. I went from self loathing to anger to
denial to whatever to acceptance to self-love. It took me years to finally accept that even with
brown skin tone and acne, I am GORGEOUS.
To anyone reading this, with or without acne, you are GORGEOUS.
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