Skincare Journey

For as long as I can remember, I have struggled with my skin. She is very particular and gets unreasonably angry when her needs aren’t met to certain specifications….

It all started with terrible acne in high school. As you can imagine, I struggled with my self-confidence and it was difficult to not feel like I wanted to hide every day. Because of this, I became very acquainted with the idea of seeing a dermatologist on a regular basis and after trying some other, less invasive options, was placed on Accutane. I continued through 3 rounds (almost 18 months) of Accutane, and once the third round was complete, my acne was gone and has never returned.

I’m not sure if my dry skin is because of the Accutane, which reduces the oil glands, decreases oil production, and prevents clogging of pores, or if I was just created this way, but the dryness peaks during the long Minnesota winter season. It is terribly uncomfortable and I have test drove almost every oil, lotion, and lotion-ing process to find the right combo.

Finally, I came down with a nasty case of excema during a particularly stressful time in my life. While I am allergic to most products (which makes the processes that I detailed above especially annoying) and my excema was deemed to be contact-based, I am confident that it does flare when I am stressed. I am currently on Dupixent, because, like my Accutane journey, I had tried everything else to get it under control.

So, you’re probably asking what this all means to you. Well, because of my past and because of my future, I have researched. A lot. I want to allow you to learn from me rather than feeling like you need to deep-dive on everything on your own. I want to get you pointed in the right direction!

This year, I wanted to start a new routine that should have been an old routine. I started washing my face every night. I know, I know, I should have been washing my makeup off every night and not letting it marinate while I sleep. But I let excuses rein until recently.

I started this new routine with the products that I had been using for years: Cetaphil and Pond’s Cream. I didn’t include any toners, oils, retanoids or Vitamin C. Once I had a habit established, I also started to include some of these products (both expensive and drug-store finds) to make my process both effective and spa-like. (If I don’t enjoy something, I know that I will likely allow the excuses to work themselves back in.) Some products were duds. Some are great and have continued to be a part of my daily skincare. And, some are still in the testing phase. Likewise, I have learned about what to use when, and have test drove the processes as well.

And, I want to share them with you. I will be posting all of my products within blog posts that include links where you can buy as well. I will let you know if I the products are in the testing mode and what I have deemed as worth the money. I want to make sure that I’m aging as smoothly as I possibly can and I would like for you to do the same, if you’re interested.

With all of that being said, welcome to your own Skincare Journey. Happy to walk alongside you on this path!