It always amazes me when people compliment my skin because it wasn’t always this clean and clear.
No, siree! I used to have horrible acne on my forehead. Nowhere else, just my forehead. In fact, it was so bad that I would wear bangs just to hide that area, and this continued from my teens straight into adulthood.
I tried everything on the block to get rid of it. I had gone to several dermatologists who prescribed a bunch of products that didn’t work. I changed my diet, drank more water, slathered on Neutrogena, toothpaste, Clean and Clear with salicylic acid, alcohol, basically whatever I felt would burn those suckers off. But, nothing worked. The products just dried out my skin and made me miserable.
Am I Cursed?
After so many attempts, I figured I would just be stuck with it forever.
It was only until about three or four years ago after being at my wits’ end that I forked over some money to see a dermatologist again. But, not just any dermatologist. I had heard terrific things about Dr. Juliette Hepburn of The Skin Centre. All of the reviews talked about her miracle hands and the great works she did. I didn’t have high hopes, but I said I’d give it a shot.
After our consultation, she explained that I was actually making things worse by having bangs, because the products I put in my hair were draining down to my forehead. Why didn’t I figure that out? She also noted that a lot of women use edge control and when they sweat, it drains to their forehead. Again, why didn’t I figure this out?
But, I told her that my situation started before edge control was a “thing” and before I relegated myself to wearing bangs. She explained that I needed the proper regimen and that’s what she put me on.
My Fave Face Products For A Healthy Glow
The products I got weren’t cheap, but my God, they worked and are still working to this day!
The first thing she gave me to start clearing up my skin is the benzoyl peroxide 5% wash. Ahhhhhhhhh. (Those are the angels singing). This is the John Wick of acne washes. It takes care of the bad guys and gets sh!t done. It doesn’t sting at all. It’s actually quite gentle. I heard that it stains washcloths, so you have to be careful. But, since I wash my face with my hands only, there was no issue.
It doesn’t take long for this product to get to work. I started noticing a difference after a few days. I also made sure to keep my hair off of my face.
As you can imagine, having acne for so long left more than a few brown spots on my face. To fade those spots, I got a prescription HQ plus serum. HQ is hydroquinone. It really blasts those buggers to smithereens. But, you have to be very careful not to overdo it. You don’t want to be out here looking like a bleached-out frog.
Dr. Hepburn believes very strongly in sunscreen. I had always hated sunscreen because they always had horrible smells, were thick and left streaky white marks all over my skin. But, she introduced me to the Holy Grail of sunscreens – the Elta MD Skincare UV Clear line in SPF 46.
This sunscreen has been a Godsend. It is incredibly light, has a faint smell that I have no issue tolerating and absorbs beautifully into my skin. The best part is, no streaky marks. I wear it every day as my daily moisturizer. I swear, I become a total crackhead if I start running low. It’s like nothing else will do if I don’t have any more sunscreen.
Celebs Love This Stuff
I later learned that many celebrities, including Kourtney Kardashian, absolutely love this product. Who can blame her. It’s the bomb.
I make sure to drink lots of water (I have to force myself because I am more of a juice drinker), but I get my drink on every day.
My regimen may not work for everyone because everyone’s skin is different. So, check in with your dermatologist if you have one and get on your way to clear skin.
