My Non-Acne Targeted approach to Acne Skincare

From writing my previous blog post (my Acne Skincare Routine), it became apparent that I had lots to say in the way of products, brands or methods which really changed the skincare game for me. A lot of these, I noticed, seem to challenge the conventional approach to acne skincare. For me, it was stopping treating my skin as 'acne skin' which, somehow, improved my acne skin. 
I aim this post, therefore, to those stuck in a Skincare Rut. Those who have been suffering with acne for a while, treating it in the way you are "supposed to" treat it, but seeing no results. If this is you, I'd definitely recommend that you adopt one, some or all of these realisations which, for me, served as real turning points. 

 Enjoy! xo 

1. Moisturiser is not the enemy 



The narrative within the commercial market of acne, spotty or oily skin is often that the solution to these issues is one of drying out; sucking the moisture out of the skin to decrease oiliness, reduce the appearance of spots and improve the condition of this type of skin. When I first started struggling with acne, around the age of 12, I was completely sucked in by this - how could you not be? Anyone who hasn't looked into skincare (most people) just see adverts for Clearasil with blemish-free models and assume this is the route to follow. As you can imagine, then, I grew frustrated when a year down the line my skin was only looking worse. 
I'm not saying that products with drying properties are never appropriate; even now, when I have a large painful spot, I will pop on a bit of tea tree oil to sooth and try to reduce it. The issue here is that typical products aimed at 'acne' or 'oily skin' strip the entire face dry. For me, this meant that I had spots which looked worse as all that was happening was that they were becoming flaky, and so dry that they would break off and bleed. My mum has always struggled with the opposite issues to mine (eczema and dryness), and so when this over-drying occurred, armed me with something I'd always avoided: moisturiser. To me, moisturiser = increased oil = spots. But this was not the case. Instead, my skin calmed down; it was no longer being stripped and broken, but soothed and repaired. This taught me that perhaps products with 'acne' in their names just were not appropriate for the issues I was facing. After all, having acne is a type of skin sensitivity. As a result, using the ultra-harsh, stripping ingredients commonly used in acne-targeted products only irritated my skin more. Ever since, I have lathered my skin in moisturiser, and only seen improvements. When I do get breakouts, if they're small, I just ride them out, but if they are large and painful, I use pure tea tree oil topically, just on top of the area affected. So, if you are struggling with acne and seem to be getting nowhere with your typical spot-aimed products, consider investing in a rich moisturiser and see where it gets you. 

2. Simplification



My lesson in moisturisation therefore led to a complete simplification of my skincare routine. No longer was I using spot-targeting face wash, followed by spot-targeting lotion, followed by topical spot-targeters. I simplified my routine down to a plain and gentle face wash, a toner, and a moisturiser. This seems daunting; when you have acne, you feel in control by using harsh, acne-related products (that are often ineffective), so it seems scary to loosen the reins. Personally, I don't see the benefit of layering on product after product - I don't know the science of skincare, but there must be a point at which skincare steps become ineffective. So again, if you feel trapped in an unending cycle of acne, try stripping back your routine to 3 gentle steps: wash, tone, and moisturise - and only then go into topical treatments if necessary. 

3. The power of Vitamin C 



This one is probably the biggest turning point in my skincare journey, and only came relatively recently. My discovery of Vitamin C happened by chance; I really wanted microdermabrasion (a story for another post!) but I was too young at the time to have it done at my favourite beauty therapist (I was 14, you needed to be 16). My Mum, looking for alternatives, came across The Body Shop's Microdermabrasion Exfoliating Face Scrub, which was a part of their Vitamin C range. The scrub was fab (although I'm now favouring chemical exfoliants) and a few years later, after my moisturisation revolution, I looked into the range further and purchased the Vitamin C Glow-Boosting Solution. To my great dismay, this product doesn't exist anymore (so I won't harp on about how great it was) but in short, it transformed my skin. This then led me to try practically every other product from the Vitamin C range at The Body Shop. Again, I don't know the science surrounding the power of Vitamin C but, from experience, it is definitely responsible for a big shift in the quality of my skin - in any form, Vitamin C products would brighten my complexion, lighten my scars and, for some reason or another, eradicate my breakouts. Although this skin-epiphany began with Vitamin C, it seems to be extended to all products which claim to brighten the skin or use brightening ingredients. This is what led me to discover Mario Badescu, which I did through their Brightening Kit. So, again, if you have acne or scarring and feel stuck in a skincare rut, looking into Vitamin C would definitely be my recommendation, in particular: 

I think that I probably could go on for days, but I think that I have rambled enough. My main point for anyone suffering with acne is that you do not have to be confined to typical 'acne' skincare; rather, exploring beyond these confines may just be the solution that you need. 

Thanks so much for reading - again, I would love any feedback so please leave comments if you actually made it this far! Finally, my Twitter and Instagrams are now up and running, so I would appreciate some love on them! I will be posting extra bits on there so follow for some additional content!
Twitter: @sbeautydiaries
Instagram: @thestudentbeautydiaries

Have an amazing weekend 
xo


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