*Googling tips to on how to clear acne fast at half past midnight.*
There is a reason why all these acne posts you've read include the word 'journey'. That's because it is and it can be really long, lasting anything between a few months to a few years. For me, my acne journey has been a 10 month battle.
I’ve finally reached the stage where I can comfortably look in the mirror and smile with confidence. My skin no longer looks like a battlefield and has been almost clear for a few months now. Yay! It’s not been an easy road and I’ve definitely made some errors along the way. By no means am I an expert but I thought I’d share all the things I wish I knew before treating acne.
Here are some do’s and don’ts I wish somebody told me on how treat acne:
DO be patient. The first thing your doctor of dermatologist is likely to tell you is, “it’ll get worse before it gets better”. When you’ve been prescribed topical retinoids, you’re skin often purges which will make it look a lot worse. The good news is that it’s actually pushing all the acne that’s under the skin to the surface. So, it does get worse before it gets better. Hold on tight!
DON’T let anyone tell you what to do. Your acne journey is personal to you. Everyone always has something to say when it comes to treating acne. I had a lot of people with perfect skin telling me what to do and what not to do. But like I said, acne is a personal journey and there are multiple reasons as to why it’s flared up. There is plenty of information around -I recommend following estheticians and dermatologists on Twitter- for you to see what works for your skin and doesn’t. You don’t have to follow all their advice and you can pick and choose what works for you. It’s also where I get a lot of my advice from.
DO look after your moisture barrier. I’ve mentioned it plenty of times before and you’ve heard it a million times everywhere else but hydration is key. And the key to healthy skin, is a healthy moisture barrier. Some things that can harm your moisture barrier include over exfoliating, washing your face with hot water and using harsh products. A lot of acne treatments are drying and I've found they're a lot more effective when you're using products to help retain moisture and rebuild your barrier. I've been using Cerave's foaming face wash and I love it!
DO wash your face with cool water. I remember reading that you should wash your face with hot water because it will help open your pores and leave your face cleaner. WRONG! I’ve found that washing my face with cool/ lukewarm water has been really good at not irritating my inflamed skin and helping it to retain moisture. I got this tip from @makeupforwoc on Twitter who specialises in inflamed skin conditions.
DO use SPF. Wearing SPF is vital to anyone but when you’re been on retinoid creams and antibiotics as your skin becomes more vulnerable to the sun and it’s rays. Even more reason to top up on the SPF. The sun can always cause red/ dark marks to darken even more so SPF is a really good way to help improve the appearance of scarring. It’s also essential even if you’re not on any medication. SPF protects your skin from harmful UV rays, which are still around on rainy days.
DON’T pick your spots. I used to be an avid spot picker but it was my spot picking habits that helped me to realise I was starting to get acne. These spots were deeper under the skin and never formed a head. Acne spots aren’t pickable and trying will only leave you with scarring. Knowing that whatever I picked would leave a scar helped me kick that habit to the curb. Post acne and my skin has a lot of pigment scarring from the inflamed acne. Any spot that pops up
Love, Aoife xo
*Googling tips to on how to clear acne fast at half past midnight.*
There is a reason why all these acne posts you've read include the word 'journey'. That's because it is and it can be really long, lasting anything between a few months to a few years. For me, my acne journey has been a 10 month battle.
I’ve finally reached the stage where I can comfortably look in the mirror and smile with confidence. My skin no longer looks like a battlefield and has been almost clear for a few months now. Yay! It’s not been an easy road and I’ve definitely made some errors along the way. By no means am I an expert but I thought I’d share all the things I wish I knew before treating acne.
Here are some do’s and don’ts I wish somebody told me on how treat acne:
DO be patient. The first thing your doctor of dermatologist is likely to tell you is, “it’ll get worse before it gets better”. When you’ve been prescribed topical retinoids, you’re skin often purges which will make it look a lot worse. The good news is that it’s actually pushing all the acne that’s under the skin to the surface. So, it does get worse before it gets better. Hold on tight!
DON’T let anyone tell you what to do. Your acne journey is personal to you. Everyone always has something to say when it comes to treating acne. I had a lot of people with perfect skin telling me what to do and what not to do. But like I said, acne is a personal journey and there are multiple reasons as to why it’s flared up. There is plenty of information around -I recommend following estheticians and dermatologists on Twitter- for you to see what works for your skin and doesn’t. You don’t have to follow all their advice and you can pick and choose what works for you. It’s also where I get a lot of my advice from.
DO look after your moisture barrier. I’ve mentioned it plenty of times before and you’ve heard it a million times everywhere else but hydration is key. And the key to healthy skin, is a healthy moisture barrier. Some things that can harm your moisture barrier include over exfoliating, washing your face with hot water and using harsh products. A lot of acne treatments are drying and I've found they're a lot more effective when you're using products to help retain moisture and rebuild your barrier. I've been using Cerave's foaming face wash and I love it!
DO wash your face with cool water. I remember reading that you should wash your face with hot water because it will help open your pores and leave your face cleaner. WRONG! I’ve found that washing my face with cool/ lukewarm water has been really good at not irritating my inflamed skin and helping it to retain moisture. I got this tip from @makeupforwoc on Twitter who specialises in inflamed skin conditions.
DO use SPF. Wearing SPF is vital to anyone but when you’re been on retinoid creams and antibiotics as your skin becomes more vulnerable to the sun and it’s rays. Even more reason to top up on the SPF. The sun can always cause red/ dark marks to darken even more so SPF is a really good way to help improve the appearance of scarring. It’s also essential even if you’re not on any medication. SPF protects your skin from harmful UV rays, which are still around on rainy days.
DON’T pick your spots. I used to be an avid spot picker but it was my spot picking habits that helped me to realise I was starting to get acne. These spots were deeper under the skin and never formed a head. Acne spots aren’t pickable and trying will only leave you with scarring. Knowing that whatever I picked would leave a scar helped me kick that habit to the curb. Post acne and my skin has a lot of pigment scarring from the inflamed acne. Any spot that pops up
Love, Aoife xo
Who remembers the Micellar water craze a few years ago? When everybody was raving about how amazing micellar water was. Or was that just me? I’ll admit, I was part of that craze. I loved sprinkling the holy water on a cotton pad and watching all my makeup disappear from my face. But what if there’s a better, more effective, way of removing makeup? Like, oil cleansing?
In the last month or so, I have been obsessed with Nay (@LABeautyologist). Her Twitter is filled with skincare advice, tips and tricks. As a licensed esthetician, she also provides scientific explanations so you can understand more about what each ingredient or step in your skincare routine does and make your own informed decision. One night, I ended up in a YouTube black hole and watched all her YouTube videos. I learnt about double cleansing, toning and all about oil cleansing.
The Results are in...I love that you can spend more time cleansing and massaging your face than with a face wipe or micellar water. The massage really helps me to unwind in the evening and is perfect for when I need to escape the chaos of my flatmates.
Who remembers the Micellar water craze a few years ago? When everybody was raving about how amazing micellar water was. Or was that just me? I’ll admit, I was part of that craze. I loved sprinkling the holy water on a cotton pad and watching all my makeup disappear from my face. But what if there’s a better, more effective, way of removing makeup? Like, oil cleansing?
In the last month or so, I have been obsessed with Nay (@LABeautyologist). Her Twitter is filled with skincare advice, tips and tricks. As a licensed esthetician, she also provides scientific explanations so you can understand more about what each ingredient or step in your skincare routine does and make your own informed decision. One night, I ended up in a YouTube black hole and watched all her YouTube videos. I learnt about double cleansing, toning and all about oil cleansing.
The Results are in...I love that you can spend more time cleansing and massaging your face than with a face wipe or micellar water. The massage really helps me to unwind in the evening and is perfect for when I need to escape the chaos of my flatmates.
What's the weirdest way of cleaning your beauty blender that you can think of? I'm pretty sure using a microwave is going to be on a list somewhere. The other day, I was browsing the internet as you do and I came across an article on Cosmopolitan of a new beauty hack which I felt needed testing. This is the third beauty hack test I've done and you can read the others here (shaving your legs with conditioner) and here (Korean nail bracelet). They were both really fun to do and I've been on the hunt for more hacks ever since.
BEFORE….
 |
| A few beige marks here and there. The lumpy bits are just wet btw. |
I've used the blender since the experiment and it works just as well. Although, I have noticed it's lost its firmness so it might be time to buy a new one.
With that said, the beauty hack is a PASS but I'm not sure if I'll be running to the microwave with my beauty blender again any time soon. It
What are your thoughts on the hack? Yay or Nay?
What's the weirdest way of cleaning your beauty blender that you can think of? I'm pretty sure using a microwave is going to be on a list somewhere. The other day, I was browsing the internet as you do and I came across an article on Cosmopolitan of a new beauty hack which I felt needed testing. This is the third beauty hack test I've done and you can read the others here (shaving your legs with conditioner) and here (Korean nail bracelet). They were both really fun to do and I've been on the hunt for more hacks ever since.
BEFORE….
|
| A few beige marks here and there. The lumpy bits are just wet btw. |
I've used the blender since the experiment and it works just as well. Although, I have noticed it's lost its firmness so it might be time to buy a new one.
With that said, the beauty hack is a PASS but I'm not sure if I'll be running to the microwave with my beauty blender again any time soon. It
What are your thoughts on the hack? Yay or Nay?
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