The road to healthy skin has been a long one for me. Don't get me wrong, my skin isn't perfect, but it damn sure is healthy. Four years ago my skin was so bad it was painful for me to even look in a mirror. I have barely any pictures of me and my daughter during her first year, and in the pictures we do have together, my face was caked in full coverage makeup. I never had the "pregnancy glow"; instead my hormones decided to bless me with terrible acne and, in turn, awful PIH.
After YEARS of trial and error, I've finally gotten to a place where I feel confident leaving the house bare-faced. And the journey was definitely worth it. If you told me four years ago that my skin would look the way it looks now I would've never believed you.
So I've decided to share some products and tips that have helped me, and could hopefully help you!
Tip 1: Exfoliate--but don't overexfoliate.
Pre-baby I had barely ever used an exfoliant, and then once I read that it was something that I needed to add in my routine, I did... with a vengeance. What I thought was helping my skin actually just damaged it even more. I use exfoliants 2-3 times a week tops, and on exfoliation days I go heavy on hydrating products. I prefer chemical exfoliants over physical ones, and some of my favorite exfoliants include: the cult fave Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, Krave's Kale-lalu-yAHA, and one that's new to me that I'm enjoying is Versed's Day Maker Microcrystal Exfoliator.
Tip 2: Double cleanse. I saw such a drastic change in my skin after I introduced an oil based first cleanse and I never looked back. Double cleansing was an important incorporation in my routine for me because for a long time I used to wear a ton of makeup on a daily basis. But I learned that even on days I'm not wearing makeup, double cleansing is important to just wash off all the day's impurities. Some of my favorite first cleanses: Farmacy's Green Clean, Cocokind's Organic Facial Cleanser, and Fourth Ray Beauty's BFD.
Tip 3: Wear your sunscreen! Every. Single. Day. This is non-negotiable. Sunscreen is hugely important in preventing hyperpigmentation. It will change your skin. TRUST ME. Some SPFs I can't live without: Black Girl Sunscreen, Supergoop's Unseen Sunscreen & Glowscreen, and Krave's Beet Shield. Unseen is the best as a makeup primer, Glowscreen is perfect on days that you want a little extra glow, and BGS and Beet Shield are both lightweight, never leave a cast, and give your skin a natural looking glow.
Tip 4: Use products specifically geared towards addressing hyperpigmentation. These treatments seem to be the most expensive products in my skincare routine, but they've been effective for my skin. A few products that I love: Urban Skin Rx Even Tone Night Treatment, Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum, and Dr. Brandt Dark Spots No More. Two new treatments that are slightly more affordable that I've added to my regimen are Topicals' Faded Serum (FYI, she is STINKY), and Hyper Skin's Hyper Clear Vitamin C Serum. I'll report back on how they fare.
Tip 5: Have patience. No product has magic powers and works overnight. Develop a routine with products that work for you and stick to it. It'll pay off--trust.
And that's my two cents! What has your skin journey been like?