My Skin Journey and Things I Wish I Knew

Six years ago, I was embarrassed to leave the house because my skin looked so bad.

I had hormonal acne, very typical of a teenager, as well as a lackluster approach to skincare. I wasn’t really sure what I should be using on my skin - everything I read online at the time talked about benzoyl peroxide over salicylic acid and kids I knew at school were heading to the dermatologist. I didn’t have the energy to ask my mom to take me to the dermatologist, but I knew that whatever it was I was trying to use was not working. At the time (somewhere around 2017/2018), I decided that I would beg my mom to splurge on Proactiv. That was the only solution that I could find that showed real, impressive results and I was determined to make it work for me. My mom agreed and I started off on my subscription happier than ever.

Looking back (and knowing what I know now) I can confidently say that Proactiv was NOT the answer to my skin problems. If anything, the product completely dried up my skin with the chemicals and was hardly proactive (lol) in hydrating my skin at all. While I began to see less breakouts with Proactiv, I did not feel like my skin was clear and it certainly did not feel soft or look the way that I imagined.

There is one thing that I will always give Proactiv credit for, which is also the advice hardly any teenager likes to follow, but Proactiv was the only routine that I used consistently. I felt really bad about making my mom spend so much money on skincare, so I was extremely diligent about washing my face day and night every single day. I am convinced that there was no other routine at the time that was going to make me excited about taking care of my skin, so in that sense, it was worth it. But it is not the only solution. It is not even the best solution. And in a world with so many influencers and companies competing for your attention, business, and money, I am here to tell you what you actually need to do, what you should spend your money on, and what is going to give you the skin that you are proud of showing off.

*I am not a professional or a dermatologist. This is not medical advice.

1. Like I mentioned, consistency is key.

As with anything that you want to change or make a habit in your life, the only thing that is truly going to get you there is consistency. We always want a solution in a day or a few hours, but we have all been cursed with the reality that is not how change is going to work. Luckily with skin products, unlike losing weight or cutting an addition, there is arguably less wait time to see results. If a skin product is not agreeing with you, you will be able to tell within a day or so of using it. And if you follow a consistent skincare routine, you WILL begin to see big changes in as soon as a week. It is often a good idea to try a new product for about two weeks and if you aren’t seeing any changes, you might want to consider switching to something new. With that being said, for some products you won’t see results that quick. You might not be able to notice a change in your skin tone or the minimization of scarring in such a time frame. But if you are using products that target those needs and they aren’t making the situation worse, they are likely working in ways that you can’t see.

1. There is no one right way to do something.

This is something that I could not comprehend at all when I was a teenager. I believed that there had to be a formula or something that I was missing and I didn’t understand why people would not tell me the products I needed to be buying and the order I needed to be applying. Health and beauty is constantly evolving and new routines and products are coming out ALL the time (this is how the companies will stay in business). You may see a new product that everyone is trying out that influencers, friends, and everyone online says you NEED to get. This is not true. They might just be a different version of what you are using, but they are not always going to have a drastic difference. Additionally, everyone’s skin is different. What works on someone else might not work on you. I’ll say that again because it is so important: What works on someone else might not work on you. And yes, this also means that even if it works on seemingly EVERYONE else, it STILL might not work on you. Unfortunately, a lot of beauty is trial and error. With so many products, you need to try out what fits best in your life and your budget. Please do not fall victim to the overconsumption or the one-size-fits all advice.

1. A “prevention” approach is always better than a “fix-the-problem” approach.

Stopping breakouts before they happen is going to pay off more than trying to clear up the breakouts you currently have. Of course, when I say this, you might think “but how do I stop the breakouts before they happen when my skin is already broken out?” Using the methods that take a “prevention” approach to skincare (eg. hydrating the skin) will clear up your skin better and faster than “fixing the problem” (eg. drying up the oils causing the acne). It may feel wrong to use creamy, moisturizing products on your skin that already feels oily, but when you dry up your skin by stripping it of all the oils, you are making your skin more prone to breakouts in the future. Your skin needs hydration in order to repair itself and while you might feel like drying up a problem spot is the solution at that moment, it will not properly heal and you will continue to see problems with your skin. Luckily, most of the skincare trends right now are centered around this approach, focusing on moisturizing, hydrating, and healing the skin barrier.

1. At the least, you need to cleanse and moisturize (and use sunscreen!)

People online will talk about toner, serums, essence, drops, exfoliants, retinol, slugging, face masks and anything else they come up with until they are blue in the face. Here is the reality of what you need to do: use a cleanser and use a moisturizer and finish with SPF. EVERYTHING else is just additional steps that will target specific problems. They will aid in anti-aging, skin texture, skin brightening, hydration, etc. but if you don’t have the money or the time (or the interest!) to mess around with all of those products, it is okay to focus on keeping your skin clean and hydrated. For the best results, I would recommend using a neutral cleanser (I use the word neutral to suggest that it does not need to be filled with specific acne clearing treatments or contain any type of exfoliant) and a cream moisturizer. If your moisturizer doesn’t contain SPF, make sure you are putting a good lather of sunscreen on your face as well. Below are examples at different price points of products I recommend.

*It is important to note when buying skincare products, there are so many unnecessary words that companies will use to convince you to buy more products or different, more expensive products. Try not to fall victim to these words that often do not do anything but explain what they are already going to do. Eg. “oil control,” “hydrating,” “renewing.”*

Cleanser: Cleanser can be a gel consistency or a foaming consistency. I prefer a foaming cleanser as opposed to a gel one but that is simply personal preference. (I just like the way foaming cleansers feel on my skin.) Here are my favorite cleansers to use, all below $20:

Gel:

Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser $11.97 on Amazon

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser $14.57 on Amazon

Innisfree Cherry Blossom Dewy Glow Jam Cleanser $13.00 on Amazon

COSRX Good Morning Gel Cleanser $7.10 on Amazon

Foaming:

Cetaphil Hydrating Foaming Cream Cleanser $12.74 on Amazon

CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser $19.13 on Amazon

Innisfree Pore Clearing Facial Foam $14.00 on Amazon

COSRX Calming Foaming Cleanser $18.39 on Amazon

Moisturizer: If you have dry skin, it is probably best to get a thick cream moisturizer - usually these are in a tub/pot as opposed to a bottle. For normal/combination/oily skins, it is okay to stick with a moisturizing lotion. Feel free to get a thicker consistency if desired (I usually use a lotion, but I have combination skin.)

Lotion:

Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Moisturizer $13.89 on Amazon

CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion $10.63 on Amazon

SoonJung Barrier Cream $14.10 on Amazon

Cream:

Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream $15.97 on Amazon

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream $17.78 on Amazon

1. The brands that are popular right now (and the brands that will be popular tomorrow) are ripping you off.

A lot of the skincare game is cutting through the bullshit. If you look at any of the trending skincare companies right now (Drunk Elephant, Glow Recipe, Tacha), you will notice all of their products are made in South Korea or Japan or are US based companies taking the ingredients and methods of South Korea and Japan. These countries are the pioneers and inventors of the hydrating, preventative approaches to skincare that are trending in the US because of the glowy, clear skin look that is desirable right now. While nothing is wrong with the creation of these companies, it does mean that you are paying a PREMIUM on these products that contain the same ingredients as their Asian counterparts. There is a difference between quality products and using a fancy bottle to put a $6 product and selling it for $65.

Take care of your skin and it will take care of you. It’s not a race but a journey and clear skin is closer than it seems.

My favorite products/The products I use

Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Oil $13 on Amazon

COSRX Calming Foam Cleanser $18.39 on Amazon OR

Innisfree Green Tea Cleanser $12 on Amazon

Holika Holika Smooth Egg Peeling Gel $15 on Amazon

TONYMOLY Wonder Ceramide Mochi Toner $23 on Amazon

A’pieu Milk Face Mask $14.00 on Amazon

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid $8.90 at Sephora

COSRX Snail Mucin Power Essence $20.77 on Amazon

Etude House SoonJung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream $14.10 on Amazon

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunscreen SPF 55 $9.58 on Amazon