May 22

May 22 Clean Skincare || Winter Acne Update

*This post originally went live February 2018

Good morning loves. I hope everyone is having a lovely week! I wanted to quickly write this post as a general update to my skincare regimen as of January/February 2018. As you all know, I have been battling frustrating hormonal acne for the past 2-ish years, and it’s an ongoing journey.

I’m going to start off by saying that while it’s not really anyone’s business; I am currently on the pill. I have been on it for years. It’s not something I openly share because the general topic of birth control has been hot/controversial in the wellness world as of late. At the moment (IE before our wedding), I have no plans of going off the pill. Between planning a wedding, running a business, and just generally trying to figure my life out, I don’t feel like adding one more worry to my plate. I respect everyone’s decisions to choose a method of birth control that works for them, and hope you can do the same for me.

Anyway!! I have been dealing with hormonal acne for a couple years, and have been documenting my skincare process on here as I find products that work and don’t work for my skin. My hope is that someone who reads that might also struggle with acne can find a product here that works for them too. I also like to keep this skincare series up to date as my regimen changes (which it does every few months).

Currently, my skincare routine consists of a mix of natural and “conventional” (toxic, chemical, traditional…whatever you want to call it!) products. I’m fine with that. I haven’t found any “non-toxic” acne products that REALLY work for clearing up stubborn pimples. I’m all about finding what works for YOUR SKIN! Not what seems to be trending or using a product because a thousand bloggers you follow do so (been there too).

I hope this helps you. I have probably mentioned some of these products before, but I wanted to document them again as a general update.

PS. Here’s a picture of me that I took as I was writing this post. Sorry it takes up your whole screen...lol. Completely unedited, highlighting my lovely drying cream, and a scab on my head from forcing a pimple to pop before it was ready. Maybe this will be my reminder to STOP PICKING MY SKIN ALREADY!!!! And you may be thinking; "Allie, your skin doesn't look bad!". You're not wrong in that. But acne is not something I EVER faced outside of puberty, so spots in general are new(ish) to me. I'm lucky that my skin stays manageable, but its not ideal either way.

Here are the products I've been using. Many are linked below so be sure to read the whole post! xo

Vanicream Lite: I’ve mentioned this product before, but it really saved my skin after I had a bad reaction to the chia oil I was using on my face. It is suuuuper light as the bottle says, which I really like about it. I’m not a huge fan of products that just sit on your skin and don’t absorb. This stuff soaks right in and isn’t greasy, but leaves me feeling hydrated.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion: I think we all know and love this stuff. It saves me time and time again with those big, weepy pimples that don’t seem to go away. It is sitting on my face as we speak.

Mario Badescu Acne Facial Cleanser: I bought this product because I was looking for a salicylic acid face wash. This can definitely be over-drying, so I only use it in areas where I am breaking out badly or every-other day. However, I highly recommend it.

Josh Rosebrook Complete Moisture Cleanse: I bought this cleanser after my friend Leigh Winters (skincare goddess, overall incredible human) recommended it to me. I don’t use it everyday, but it does make my skin feel great. Since I don’t use it daily, I feel ok about its higher price. This product is definitely a luxury item (and their packaging is stunning).

Alba Botanica Acne Dote Invisible Treatment Gel: I have been using this product for a year and it works super well at drying little zits. I don’t usually put it on my bigger cysts, but it does a great job at stopping the little guys in their tracks!