My new skin care routine

A while back, I blogged about my eight million kinds of moisturizer. I kept having skin issues, so I self-diagnosed myself with cystic acne last year. I have really strange skin: my T-zone makes the Exxon-Valdez look like a minor oil slick while my cheeks and chin are uncomfortably dry. I’ve dealt with acne pretty much since puberty, though my skin overall cleared up magically when I turned 18. I still deal with breakouts, but I no longer have the full-face blemishes of my youth (thank you, Lord). Instead, I have one or two painful cystic breakouts a month. Again, this is all self-diagnosis from Internet searches because my symptoms match exactly with the doctor-written articles about cystic acne describe. If you’re wondering why I don’t go to a dermatologist, I don’t want to deal with the Tricare referral system. And WebMD is the same thing, right? #sarcastica

I’ve tried a bunch of different cleansers and techniques to assuage the discomfort of these breakouts. My mom is allergic to the sunscreen in makeup and moisturizers, so I began wondering if I am, too. I did some more research on the Interwebs about dealing with cystic acne. I found two main strategies. The first is to use a Clairsonic-type brush with a cleanser several times a week. The bristles help get into pores and remove the bacteria and oils that get trapped and cause breakouts under the skin. The second was finding the right moisturizers and products for your skin. Most people have a fair amount of trial and error to find the least-irritating for their skin.

I use the Revlon spin brush. My mom got it for me last year for Christmas, and I use a standard cleanser (currently, Simple brand in the morning and Olay at night). I use the brush 2-3 times a week. I passed on my standard Olay sunscreen moisturizer and a BB cream with SPF in favor of First Aid Beauty moisturizer. The discussion boards about products all mentioned First Aid Beauty. It is pricey at $30 a tube, but I have had significantly fewer problems since making the switch. I use the SPF 40 moisturizer during the day and the oil-free moisturizer at night. I’m having to accept that the money is probably worth the improvements that I’ve seen in the past few months. I’m also trying to be better with cleaning my makeup brushes. I don’t wear makeup on a daily basis, and I forget to clean them as often as I should.