Skin | Growing Up

For as long as I can remember I have had sensitive and acne prone skin. I believe as a child I had a hormone imbalance that induced acne from a fairly young age and so I've been seeing dermatologists and using powerful prescription products for most of my life. Recently, thanks to a massive sale in Priceline, I purchased some products that I never thought I'd use. I've avoided anything that even sounded like hydration or oil in relation to skin products and here I am raving about it. 



In high school I was prescribed with the infamous acne drug Isotretinoin with a lot of success. I suffered very little from the side effects that are so widely known. I went from having to wash my hair every one or two days to once a week or less. It is recommended you don't wax for the period and six months after your completion of the treatment. The skin on my face was so dry I still can't get my eye brows waxed without fear of losing some skin. It has been quite a few years since I completed my treatment and even though a lot of of has worn off I still think it was a worth while, no matter how expensive, journey. 

I have also been using a range of skin products from Galderma for that period of time. I used an acne cream called Differin until a year or two ago which I finally separated myself from. Still to this day I use Benzac face wash and 2.5% acne gel and these are both products I highly recommend to people suffering from oily and acne prone skin. I only use the face wash once in the mornings but also use Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser twice a day. Another everyday and longtime-use product is Nuetrogena's Oil Free Moisturiser with SPF15. 

I had been pretty content with this routine for a long period of time but felt that my skin was not the best palette for makeup and no longer needed to be as dry as I made it. Recently, Priceline had an amazing 40% off all skincare products and Jess and I couldn't resist. I was in the mood to try some new products and could not be happier with the results. 

First two products off the rank have improved my skin immensely. Hydraluron by Indeed Laboratories is so unexpectedly amazing. Applying the tiniest amount on your skin before your moisturiser makes a noticeable difference. Of an evening I mix three drops of Sukin's Rose Hip Oil into my moisturiser and apply them both together after my Hydraluron. I have noticed a huge difference in the softness and appearance of my skin. Honestly, I had never thought that anything could make such a difference but the combination of these products really has. Surprisingly, my acne has also settled down a lot. I and unsure as to whether it is because of these products or because my hormones are finally settling down. 

The third product was a bit of a gamble and I wasn't particularly hopeful for. To me, eye cream or gel is just a placebo product that makes me feel like I'm doing something to combat my tired looking eyes. However, this product is fairly different from Clinique's All About Eyes and I find that Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel irritates my skin a lot less. 

All in all I am pleased as punch with my new skin care routine and can highly recommend all of these products. Of course, if you are allergic to anything or know that your skin is particularly sensitive do proceed with caution. I don't think that my skin would have been ready for this routine a year ago and it's definitely related to your skins maturity as well.

Let me know if you've tried any of these products or similar ones as I am now willing to be a lot more adventurous with my skin care.