So, to continue my journey with my crap skin, I shall talk about something else that has really put a road block in my way: ACNE
Four letters, a ton of power that word has. Let me just tell you that my acne has been a part of my life for at least a good 11-12 years right now. There are some things in life you were headed for, and acne was not gonna let me hide it.
Bachi...or some say Karma
Growing up with two older brothers that boss you around, make fun of you, and get you in trouble, I was bound to take full advantage of them entering puberty. So when the oldest of us got his first pimple, that opened all doors for the pimple/crater face comments, laughing and pointing. There was a lot more laughing and pointing after he started seeing a dermatologist. My mom warned me of the concept of bachi (or karma, to the non-Japanese population), which I often confused with hibachi...two totally different things, but they sound alike when you're 7 years old! Anyway, the teasing continued on to my next brother who was fortunate enough not to have that bad of a case, and by this time my oldest brother was phasing out of his run as crater face.
When I turned 10, my mom and I noticed that my skin was starting to change, and that it was getting weird. It wasn't really acne yet, but I was starting to get sensitive to different things, especially fruit juices, like when I ate mangoes or watermelons and the juices got on my face. But this all faded away, and then...it hit me! From then on, I have not seen a clear face in the mirror. It is quite sad, here I am a 22 year old with acne from elementary school. I've had to deal with this skin for way longer than what my two brothers dealt with...probably put together. However, my skin has gotten substantially better since then, and my dermatologist has finally said that I'm on my own now...I still struggle with this disease...and to me that's really what it is! I actually do regret making fun of my brothers when I was younger, but really...who would I be today? haha...anyway, I think this is a great example of that saying: KARMA'S A BITCH!
Products?
As you can imagine, I've used a ton of products, over the counter and prescription, to help me balance my skin. Here's a slight breakdown of some of the over the counter stuff I've tried:
Cleansers/Scrubs:
Clean & Clear Morning Burst Shine Control
Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask
Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Power-Cream Wash
Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Power-Clear Scrub
Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Resurfacing 3-Way Cleanser
Philosophy Purity Made Simple
Ole Henriksen Aloe Vera Deep Cleanser
Ole Henriksen Walnut Complexion Scrub
St Ive's Apricot Scrub (regular & acne prone skin formulas)
St Ive's Green Tea
Boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel
Toners:
Clinique Clarifying Lotions 2, 3, and 4*
Clean & Clear
Ole Henriksen Grease Relief Tonic
Boscia Balancing Facial Tonic
And you guys know about my battle with moisturizers.
*So for the Clinique Clarifying Lotions, I recently seen an ad in a magazine that leads me to believe that they changed the formula on these, which makes me want to try them again.
Overall, I have never found that perfect skin care regimen, if you can't tell by the long list of stuff that I have tried. I
As I have mentioned, I've been seeing a dermatologist for quite some time. He has precribed me pretty much everything in the book as far as topical go, and even antibiotics. At the end of last year, he had told me that I won't need to come back for my regular appointments and that unless I have a major breakout I won't have to see him again. Now, that doesn't really say much, I am still breaking out, and I have pimples on my face, but it's like a million times better than what it used to be.
So to sum it all up: my skin is horribly oily, and I've battled my way through acne, but in the end, my skin is far from perfect, and hopefully I will end up looking oober young when I'm sol to make up for this monstrosity of a skin history I've been having for years.
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