My Skin Type

Hi everyone, thanks for checking out my blog! I decided to write this post to give you a quick background on my skin. I love skincare products and I’m always trying different things to see what works and what doesn’t. This blog allows me to share my experiences with you. So, I figured I’d give you more information on my skin type.

Back in high school, I suffered from acne. Luckily it didn’t get to the point of becoming cystic or very inflamed, but it definitely wasn’t pleasing to the eye. There were moments when I didn’t feel confident going out without a full cover-up. I didn’t know a lot about skincare products back then, and make up to me was just foundation, powder, and lipstick. The only skincare line I knew about for acne treatment was Proactiv. I asked my parents to buy the TV advertised set for me. After the first time using the cleanser, my skin became itchy. It was less oily but it felt tight and dry. As soon as it all ran out I started breaking out again. To me, it felt like the products were only masking but not actually doing anything deep down. I know a lot of people who swear by it but it definitely just wasn’t for me. Not all acne is similar. Some people have really oily skin caused by overproduction of sebum (oil), while others have really dry skin due to lack of sebum. Both can get acne but this also means they have to be treated somewhat differently to address other concerns. Throughout my 20s and early 30s, my skin had been more on the oily side with occasional hormonal breakouts during those “times of the month”. My skin can become sensitive to dust, some oil-based makeup, and lack of sleep.

A couple of years ago I actually had a bad breakout and so I went to the dermatologist and I was prescribed Accutane. That was the worst experience ever. For someone who had oily skin, it did a complete 180 and my skin became too dry, looked sallow, lips were dry and crusty, and on top of that my immune system was completely shot. I was more prone to getting sick after taking Accutane when prior to this, my immune system was great, and can be around sick people all day and be totally fine and healthy. The dermatologist prescribed 3 months’ supply at a time and said I needed it for about a year. Probably after 4 months or so after, I caught a cold and coughed a lot causing me to have bronchitis. Seriously the worst experience ever! I’ve been sick before but having bronchitis made me feel helpless. I couldn’t go to the gym and had moments when I couldn’t breathe I thought I’d collapse and immediately went to a clinic to get an inhaler. So after all that, I had no choice but to stop taking Accutane. It just wasn’t worth all those problems and I figured with a proper diet and a good skincare regime then I can tackle this thing differently. It took a while to get my immunity back and I didn’t think I’d be happy to see my oily skin again. The advantage to oily skin is that you will look younger and longer because it prevents you from getting wrinkles and I have absolutely no problem with that. After this horrible experience, I would never recommend Accutane to anyone. Again, it might work for some but it’s just not for me. The side effects were more troubling than the issue itself. Now, I’ve tried out different skincare lines and there are some that I have loved, and some that do nothing for me. For product reviews, go to the skincare category on the reviews & posts menu above to read about them.