How I healed my skin (WIP!!)

Growing up, I never had to work very hard to have nice skin. Most of my blemishes were self-inflicted due to anxiety induced skin picking. I had fun trying and reviewing all different types of skincare products without a worry.

Until.

In December of 2022 I tried a new cleanser. It was right before I traveled for the holidays so I just assumed my breakouts were due to stress, a change in my daily routine, etc. But my skin just got worse and worse. It was so bad that family members were asking me if I was okay. As a skincare “influencer” of sorts, it was wildly embarrassing. I cut out my products one by one and made sure to wash my face really well (big mistake) in case it was an environmental allergen.

Finally, with nothing helping, I stopped even washing my face. And that’s what helped. I was dumbfounded- a supposedly super gentle cleanser from a brand I used daily was what was breaking me out. I have no pictures from the worst days because I was so ashamed.

With that cleanser behind me, I started trying to heal my skin. Something in it had seriously messed up the chemistry and natural balance of my skin. I had deep, painful blemishes that stuck around for weeks at a time. Some of them would come to a head only to return again a few weeks later. Healing spots turned bright red and wouldn’t fade. It’s taken me over six months, but I’m finally getting things back to a good place! Here’s a super simple breakdown:

FOCUS ON RECOVERY. I kept my routine to a gentle cleanser and a nourishing moisturizer. I’d used both in the past so I knew they wouldn’t irritate my skin further. Ceramides were an ingredient I couldn’t get enough of! Once my skin was adjusted I slowly added in things like a hydrating ceramide serum, snail extracts, and facial oils to add more nourishment to my damaged skin barrier.

TARGET THE SOURCE. I’d eventually worked back up to using retinol, but now it made me purge like crazy. My skin always needed a few days to recover and it looked bad doing it. I finally picked up some Differin gel and haven’t looked back! This stuff cleared my skin SO quickly. It’s very strong so PLEASE do lots of research before giving it a try. But differin gel is 100% what saved my skin and finally broke the cycle of deep blemishes.

My skin is doing much better now. It’s definitely not perfect (and it never will be!), but I’m thrilled with how far I’ve come. Blemishes that do pop up heal much quicker and my moisture barrier is back to being strong and capable.

Skin is a living organ- it’ll have good days (or months) and bad ones. Remember to give yourself some grace and remember that healthy skin is a journey, not a destination! Progress isn’t always linear :) Thanks for reading this far!

Please let me know if you have any questions! I’ve learned a TON over the last six months of skin struggles!

#lemon8partner #lemon8creators #skincare