Here are some simple changes that have been working out well for me. My genetically induced and hormonal acne-prone skin has never looked better.
- Increasing my water intake. I heard this a lot before but never really took it that seriously. I thought I drank a lot of water before, but noticed I would still get dry lips, especially when I just wake up in the morning and I realized lip balm doesn't actually do anything for them. I started tracking my water to 75 oz in a day (approx 9-10 oz every hour in a normal 8-hr work day), and the lips are look and feel noticeably more plump/filled out and don't require lip balm. I also believe it helps with skin by hydrating it, making the cells appear more 'plump' and thus smaller pores, and helps reduce oiliness. I have indented acne scarring on my forehead and the scars look minimized when the skin is hydrated. Go figure. I'd been wanting to use ablative lasers but water is working out well for me.
- I feel silly, but this next change was spurred by (1) wanting to go on various camping trips this summer and not wanting to feel like I look any different from my normal life (2) wanting to improve my complexion and (3) my lovely coworker who just doesn't wear appear to wear any makeup. Inspired at how glowing her skin naturally is and perplexed by my own false, manufactured radiance, I stopped wearing foundation, blush, and lipstick for the month – though I still enjoy eyeliner, eyebrow pencil/powder, and sometimes mascara. I look more or less the same, I think, and haven't gotten a single side eye or 'You look sick,' comment coworkers sometimes give to women who show up without makeup. At first I thought my skin looked dull, but it's been getting better and more naturally glow-y every day. It's a bit tricky when I wear mineral sunscreen, though, so sometimes I am tempted to brush on some bronzer to warm up the ghostly/ashy effect it has on my tan skin tone. Foundation is $40 a tube and may need to be purchased as much as twice a year, so I'm glad I can kick this habit. Bonus: Not wearing as much makeup is a major time saver.
- Hydrating my skin and using gentle skin care products = no more oily skin. I used to have very oily skin, so this is a pretty amazing change. I also didn't realize niacinamide actually reduces sebum production, but it does, and I have been using a niacinamide serum. Well, it works. I use The Ordinary brand. Super cheap. After I put that on, I also put on a hyaluronic acid and vitamin b5 serum by the same brand. Moisturizer is Cerave PM. Stopped using oil cleansers (since I think it still contributes to breakouts) as the first step in double-cleansing my skin and use micellar water instead to remove sunscreen before I go in for a secondary cleanse with Cerave foaming cleanser or Cerave hydrating cleanser. Speaking of skincare products, Cosrx 2% BHA liquid works really well to prevent breakouts because it's really gentle and doesn't dry out the skin.
- No refined sugars, period! And waaaaaay less sodium intake. I already eat a crap ton of vegetables, legumes, nuts, low-sugar, whatever, since I'm a plant-based eater. But my work has candy, and since I started working there I've sometimes scrounged around for a bag of sour patch kids (that shit is my kryptonite). Well, I get instant breakouts from eating stuff like that. We all know sugar creates inflammatory responses and so on but it's good to know that actually exacerbates skin issues.
- I've been doing this for a while since my hair is quite unmanageable and long but it's worth mentioning - braiding the hair. Helps tame the frizz. It's not perfect for the hairs around my face, which tend to be the frizziest despite my best efforts, but it's perfect for sleeping or any other time and results in some nice, heat-free waves. Also, just not even brushing hair after emerging from the shower and letting it air dry completely untouched = natural waves. If I even try to comb it, though, at any step = frizz. So, I do have to live with a bit of frizz but it beats spending time heat styling it and causing damage. I can't use any hair products because it'll make my skin breakout, and I don't like the idea of hair products being mushed into my pillow as I sleep, also exacerbating skin issues. (I never use fabric softener for the same reason.)