Acne is something almost everyone in the world has struggled with. Personally, I have combination skin and typically would get cystic acne spots around my jawline and chin. When I was younger, I struggled with acne on my forehead, as well as my shoulders and back. I was always really insecure about it, to the point where I don't even have any pictures of it because I couldn't even look at myself. Even today, I still have scars all over my face and body from years of scratching, popping and picking at pimples.
To try and help clear up my skin, I tried so many different skin cleansers, anything I could get my hands on. I tried everything from Neutrogena to Clean&Clear;, I even got a Clarisonic facial brush so I would get a deeper cleanse and not have to use my hands anymore. I tried facial masks and toners, benzoyl peroxide based cleansers to target my cystic acne, vitamin E based everything. I probably changed my skincare routine every five or so months because it just wasn't working, I was still breaking out and I felt like I would never be able to achieve clear, flawless looking skin. At least not without layers upon layers of foundation. Eventually, I just grew tired of it all, I felt like I was doing more harm to my skin than good.
If you had asked me a year ago if I would be one to not use a facial cleanser every day, twice a day...well, I probably would've just given you a really weird look and moved on with my life. But now, it's almost ridiculous how quickly my skin cleared up. The number of spots that I get has reduced drastically, and my skin looks healthier than ever. All I use is some cool water, and a clean face rag. If I'm in the shower, I always remember to cool the water down and sit in the cold for about thirty seconds before rinsing my face and getting out.
Personally, I think the fact that I didn't really wear makeup or sweat all that often was a key reason why cleanser wasn't really helping my skin. There wasn't really anything for it to clean, so it irritated my skin more than it should have. Thus, causing acne.
If you're struggling with finding a perfect skincare routine, I would suggest giving this a try and cutting the detailed routine altogether. Maybe your skin is like mine and just needs a break. In fact, I highly recommend it! Or at least a water-based cleanser rather than a chemical-based one.
And if you already do only use water to clean your face, take a moment right now to appreciate the fact that we don't need that extensive routine. Some people just have the skin type where they don't need to do a whole bunch of stuff to clean their face, and we should be grateful for that because not everyone is blessed enough to be in that situation.
Note: While my routine has simplified, I do still keep my Clarisonic and face cleanser around for when I wear makeup since I know water is not going to do my skin justice in that situation.
Elizabeth Clark
