I Thought Acne Was a Teenage Thing?

Seriously, growing up you hear about awkward, acne-filled teenage years. You never heard stories about young 20-somethings with pimples covering their faces. Or at least I never did. I didn't have too many issues with acne when I was a teenager. So I assumed that I would never have to deal with it at all.

WRONG.

The last few months (4 to be exact), I've been battling every week with acne. I think it has to do with a change in my lifestyle/routine. I've been getting more sleep than I was in college (not complaining about that one), I was slacking on drinking as much water as I should, I started eating out more and working out less. I was struggling with a lot in my personal life. It just was a rough few months. And let me tell y'all...it showed all over my face.

I used to feel comfortable leaving the house without makeup on...I really could care less. But it got to the point where I didn't even want to go to the gym without covering my acne. That's when I know it's an issue, because I'm not a fan of make up at the gym. And to make it worse, this wasn't just the "oh look a zit, how ugly" acne, it was the under the skin painful acne. Not a good time.

I decided that it was time to revamp my skin care routine. I've been living these changes out for a little over two weeks now, and the difference is astounding. Like really, y'all...I'm finally comfortable in my own skin again...it's even better than it was before all this!


Outside of actual products, here is what I'm doing:

- Getting at least 6 good hours of sleep per night
- Drinking at least 53 ounces of water per day (I like to drink at least half of my weight in ounces)
- Limiting eating out to 3-4 times per week. And when I do go out I go for lean, clean & green options...steering away from fried food as much as possible
- Exercising 6 days per week
- Wiping off my makeup before I go to the gym
- Washing my face after I workout and before I go to bed...no excuses

And then these babies are my saving grace:

As far as what products I'm using, this is what I'm doing:

Every morning:
- When I shower I wash my face using the Purity Made Simple cleanser
- Every other morning, after using the Purity, I use The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash in the shower
- After the shower I moisturize with Hope in a Jar
- Apply make up

Before working out (if I have on makeup):
- Wipe make up off using Pond's original fresh wet cleansing towelettes

Before going to bed:
- Wash my face using the Purity Made Simple cleanser
- Wipe my face using Pond's original fresh wet cleansing towelettes
- Pat dry with a soft towel

Here are a few other tid-bits:
- I try not to use super hot water when I wash my face. I used to think that you were supposed to do that, but in reality, scalding hot water screws with the natural oils that your faces produces (and needs).

- I absolutely love the Philosophy product line. It's a bit pricy, but it's so worth it y'all...you only get one face, take good care of it!

- I love these products, because they actually get my makeup off (this is the only face wash that I've found that's been able to do that for me). My skin actually feels clean & soft after washing...there's not a filmy residue or a tight feeling like other products I've used have given me.

- I only exfoliate every other day so that it's not too harsh on my skin. The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash is awesome, because it removes dead skin without making me feel like I'm scraping my face off...always a plus in my book.

- And if you're wondering why I don't moisturize at night: I have combination skin (oily in some places and dry in others) and for me if I moisturize at night I wake up with a shiny face. Moisturizing once a day is plenty for me. I like to do it in the morning before applying my make up.

- When I moisturize I make sure to always apply it in an upward motion. And I always moisturize under my chin and my neck.

Here are the links to the specific products that I use:

Purity Made Simple Cleanser // $22 (for the 8 ounce bottle)
The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash // $26 (for the 8 ounce bottle)
Hope in a Jar // $40 (for a 2 ounce container)
Pond's Original Fresh Wet Cleansing Towelettes // I buy these at Target! Right now they're $10 for a 75 count.

Now don't get me wrong, I know that everyone's skin is different. And I'm not claiming that these products are some miracles in a bottle. I get the occasional break out (Thanks Aunt Flo), but overall these products have really made a difference for me, so I thought I'd share them with you :)