For those of you who may or may not know, I'm very particular about my skin. My acne started around puberty and it's been rearing its ugly head ever since. Over the last ten years, I've probably tried every acne go-to and gimmick there is; Proactive, Murad, prescription topical and oral meds. Needless to say, I've done the light-work and these are currently the products that work for me.
Before I get into these, I want to first state a few disclaimers. Like I mentioned before, I've been dealing with acne for some years now so I'm very in tune with my skin and what makes it react. I've had my fair share of dermatologist visits so I've taken a few pointers from them, in addition to what I find generally works for my skin. Another huge factor to include is that I am currently on birth control. Since I suffer from hormonal acne like a lot of women do, birth control has helped ease my hormones, especially during that time of the month. So overall, I don't have a lot of cystic breakouts which makes it easier to keep my skin clear. Knowing my skin type, I make sure to include a lot of products that are mattifying or products that remove excess oil from my skin. Lastly, I made some changes to my diet which I found made a big difference in the amount of breakouts as well as the severity of them. I no longer drink milk and I try to stay away from foods that contain a lot of oil. For instance, I always found that whenever I ate Chinese food, I would breakout; I could literally feel the oil secreting from my pores while I was eating. I say all of this to say, that products aren't the only key to clear skin, it may also include modifying your diet.
1. CLEANSE: Sephora Cleansing and Exfoliating Wipes - I use these as I need them. If I've been wearing makeup, I use them to wipe the night away. Other times, I use them to cleanse my face if I'm feeling lazy. Don't judge.
2. CLEANSE : Ole Henriksen African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser - I've been using this for about two years now and I still love it. When I was younger, I had a hard time finding cleansers that got rid of dirt and oil without over-drying, which can ironically lead to more breakouts. It also includes loads of antioxidants and Vitamin C to brighten up and even out your skin tone.
3. CLEANSE: Clarisonic Mia 1 - I got this bad boy a year ago and it's the best investment I've made throughout my skincare journey. It's definitely a steep price at $129 but it has made a world of difference with my skin. It exfoliates while minimizing the size of your pores. It gets deep into your pores where a lot of the dirt you don't see hides. It was almost disgusting when I initially saw all the dirt that I wasn't getting from just using my hands. Gross.
4. TONE: Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil Eliminating Astringent - Like I mentioned earlier, I felt it necessary to include a toner in my regimen because it also removes whatever excess dirt or oil that didn't get picked up by my cleanser. It also is a must because it has salicylic acid in it which kills bacteria in pimples, especially cystic ones that lie beneath the surface.
5. SEAL: Ole Henriksen Truth Serum - Serums are to help seal all the goodness and moisture into your skin. They also give supplemental ingredients that may not be in your cleansers. This truth serum has collagen-boosting agents as well as vitamin C to help even out your complexion. As a person who suffers from hyper-pigmentation, this is key.
6. MOISTURIZE: Sephora 8 Hour Mattifying Moisturizer with SPF 20 - I find this moisturizer gets the job done without leaving my skin all greasy. I will say that I wish there was a higher SPF but for now, this is what I'm using. For women of color, I would suggest using something that has an SPF of 30 or higher.
7. MOISTURIZE: Clinique Pep Start Eye Cream - Nothing fancy shmancy, just something to wake up my eyes in the morning. You can put this under or over make-up, but I usually put it on after my moisturizer. It brightens and hydrates so no one can tell what kind of night I've had. (Which most times involves binge watching Gossip Girl--wild, I know.)
8. MOISTURIZE: Vaseline Lip Balm - Vaseline has been a staple in my beauty regimen for as long as I can remember. This balm leaves your lips so soft with the right bit of sheen. Most days, I wear it as lip gloss. This is the Rose flavor but I also own the Cocoa Butter one too.
My skin routine is pretty simple and I try my hardest to keep it that way. When it comes to your skin and hair, less is always more. If anyone knows of any moisturizers that are high in SPF but mattifying, please leave them in the comments section!