Healthy Skin

You know how some of us are extremely blessed with gorgeous skin? And some of us were blessed with pretty decent skin until we did everything to damage it. And by 'we'... I mean myself and probably some of you. There are days when we go to bed without having the energy to wipe off our makeup. There are days we don't moisturize. For me, it's been years. Kids these days are lucky because their parents tell them about waxing, shaving, taking care of their skin etc. But my mother didn't tell me anything while I was growing up. All she said was, let your skin remain in a natural state and don't do anything to it. I never moisturized my face until I turned 19. I have had black circles for as far as I can remember. But the fine lines under my eyes are something that showed up a year ago.

Then, I had really bad cystic acne for the first time in my life. It changed everything for me. It changed how I look at my skin and makeup. I always had really dry and flaky skin and as I was growing up, I was quite jealous of my mom for her amazingly hydrated beautiful skin. I always wanted my skin to be as moisturized and silky looking as hers. When I had acne, I realized I was doing all the wrong things to aggravate my acne even more. I was stripping my skin of its protective barrier and over-cleansing my face to keep it clean. DO NOT do that. Do not wash your face more than 2 times a day. Do not exfoliate more than once a week. Use a gentle daily cleanser that is pH neutral. If you don't know what I am talking about, you should definitely do some research and look into it. It will help you.

I've talked about this before, but this is what I did:-
1. Threw out all the crazy cleansers I had.
2. Stopped exfoliating as often.
3. Stopped scrubbing my face with face scrubbies and Clarisonic.
4. Stopped buying different moisturizers to experiment.
5. Having a daily routine that I have to follow, without fail every single night.

The good thing for oily skinned people is that they are less prone to fine lines because their natural oils keep the skin silky smooth and moisturized. But for a person with dry skin like me plus dark circles, the fine lines really started to bother me. My concealer would set in them and look horrible until I set it with powder or something. I just embraced mother nature. It's been about 3 months now. I've used nothing but oil. I haven't touched a single unnecessary product. And by sharing all this, I don't mean offense to those people who use over 10 skin care products a day. It is what suits you. It's trial and error. And not everyone wants to go the natural route. I am glad I did, even though it took me a couple of years. And I am so happy with the results. My acne scars have almost faded. Maybe, another 7-8 months for them to disappear. I know they say acne scars don't really disappear but I will be happy if they just look minimized. And I can tell you that my oil routine has made a significant difference in only 3 months.

The only skin care product I am using is Biotherm Pure-fect Skin Facial Cleanser because it is super gentle. My friend asked me if I go out wearing oil on my face. I do. It gets soaked up into the skin without looking too greasy if you use it tactfully. I use it under my makeup too (now that's tricky) because you don't wanna use a water-based foundation on top of that oil. But I've slowly learned how to manage it and pull it off. I think of oils as a protective layer and a defense mechanism against pollution and harsh weather. You just have to learn what is damaging for your skin and how you need to take care of it. Find the perfect balance for your skin and you'll be golden.

I saved $200 every month because I was using Tactuo as a prescribed acne cream. That little tube is damn expensive, and I am not covered for it under my health insurance. I am so much happier with a $20 bottle of oil that will last me at least 4-5 months! I just thought I would share this for those who have acne/eczema.

The skin care was just one part of it. There are 3 more things that are vital yet they go unnoticed.

Water? No shit. Drinking more water will do you good in every single way.

Supplements? Multi-vitamin and Vitamin C and Flaxseed Oil.

Green veggies. No elaboration needed.

I feel so good that I am making all these changes and seeing results. And I encourage those who are struggling to try the same measures that I took. Also, I am not a dermatologist or some beauty specialist. I just researched stuff and tried it and found it worked for me. It is all trial and error. Stay beautiful =)