Meet my skin care dream team!
Growing up, all through my teens and early 20’s, I had the best skin. Rarely did I have a blemish, and there was never much thought put into my skin care routine. Wash my face when I wanted, with whatever I wanted, and it was all good.
Then I turned 24 and it all went downhill. Adult acne, people. It’s a terrible thing. My once smooth and fuss-free face had turned into a greasy, itchy, broken out nightmare – seemingly overnight. Nothing seemed to clear it up, and I tried everything. Proactiv, Proactiv for sensitive skin, antibiotics, this face wash, that face wash, trip after trip to the dermatologist. Trial and error, trial and error, trial and error!
One weekend, about a year into my adult acne journey, I was at a makeup/skincare counter at a department store. As I was chatting with the woman working about some makeup, she asked if I would be interested in hearing about their line of skin care products. I launched into my whole sob story about adult acne, and all the products I’d tried that never seemed to work – in fact, my skin was just getting worse and worse everyday. She took one good look at my skin and said the statement that completely changed the way I had been going about clearing up my acne.
Oily skin doesn’t mean moisturized skin.
It sounds so simple, but it completely rang a bell with me! She could plainly see that although my skin was greasy & broken out – it was dry as a bone. All this time I’d been trying to get rid of the oil and breakouts by drying my skin out with harsh chemicals and products, but little did I know that it was making everything worse, and making me break out even more. For me, dry skin = broken out skin.
I switched gears right then and there, and re-focused on HYDRATING my face with moisturizing products that wouldn’t gunk up my pores with extra oil. Here’s the dream team that’s worked miracles for me:
Cetaphil Face Wash: Effectively cleans my skin and removes makeup without over drying. I use this every morning and every night.
Dual Action Moisturizer: a moisterizer with salicylic acid added for breakout treatment. All the products I’d been using before had benzoyl peroxide in them, which I figured out was way too harsh for my face. Salicylic acid is much more gentle, isn’t as drying, and works much better than benzoyl peroxide. Win, win, win! I use this moisturizer every morning.
UPDATE: I now use Oil of Olay Fragrance-Free Face Lotion in the morning instead!
Cetaphil Advanced Moisterizer: For really, deep down moisturizing. I use this every night to re-hydrate my face. It’s a little too heavy for use during the day (read: too much shine) but is perfect for repairing at night.
Put together, I saw results in mere weeks. My skin was much less inflamed, it didn’t itch so bad and miracles were happening with the persistent acne I hadn’t been able to get rid of in over a year.
I still have some dryness around my mouth where I occasionally break out, but my skin is 99% better than what it was before I started using this trio of products. If you are currently, or have ever suffered from acne, you know how it can start to run your life. When you find something that works, you share it with the world. I hope my story has helped some of you!
Erica 08.19.2010
Thank you for sharing! My doc recently recommended Cetaphil lotion but I couldn’t find the one you use at Wal-Mart (live in a small town and that’s all we have)! I’ll have to look somewhere else for that lotion to try. Ah, I hate my 20-something-yucky-skin too. Wait til your preggo someday, they say your skin is awesome then, but that wasn’t true for me:( Anyway, thanks again for sharing this!
Itsy Bitsy 12.29.2014
Hey hon, if you can’t find certain drugstore products near you there’s always drugstore.com. I started ordering things from them over a decade ago and they’re great! They have everything that you can’t find in the drugstores anymore, lol.
Molly 08.19.2010
ah thank you for posting this! Adult acne nightmare is my life right now. I am trying this TODAY!
xo-molly
http://www.givinganythingbutup.wordpress.com
Alyse 08.19.2010
My skin was so bad when I was a teen I had to see a dermatologist. I’d been using stuff that had all these “super-chemicals” in them to help me, which didn’t work. My dermatologist said that stuff is toxic to your skin and basically causes more problems. She said the best thing for a face was just a mild, easy on your skin cleanser. I started using Cetaphil when I was a sophomore, nine years ago, and I’ve never looked back. I love it!
Jenna @ readwriteandlive 08.19.2010
I have been suffering from acne for about ten years now. I first got it in my early teens, and my skin has never been completely clear since. I’ve tried a lot of stuff – Proactive, prescriptions, store brands – and nothing seems to do the trick. I might have to try the Cetaphil you have, because I’ve heard good things but never tried it yet. But we do use the same moisturizer, I’m happy to announce! Target brand stuff is amazing!
sara 08.19.2010
Ugh – I totally hear you on the adult acne thing. I finally found happiness (I thought) with Oil of Olay daily cleanser, but eventually that made my skin red and blotchy, so I switched to the Loreal 360 clean that comes with the mini scrubber – LOVE it. I use the apricot one and love it!!
Faith @ lovelyascharged 08.19.2010
Salycyclic acid works wonders for my face too! Anything with benzoyl peroxide just plain out doesn’t work for me. I’ve tried all sorts of skincare lines from $ – $$$$ and funnily, the thing that works the best is Neutrogena! Better than Chanel, etc… You just have to play around until you find the products that are right for you.
Mellissa 08.19.2010
I have always had the occasional breakout and still do, being 29 I keep hoping it will get better. I have tried about every brand out there and have yet to find my perfect formula.
Liz @ Blog is the New Black 08.19.2010
I am the same as you! Near-perfect skin my entire life and could use whatever products whenever I wanted. In my early to mid-twenties I started getting BIG cyst like zits and finally went to a derm. I now use Acne-Free face wash (found at any store) and it’s cheap and it works!
Neen @ Broad Bean to Runner Bean 08.19.2010
Hey IGE, great post on skin care, i use Dermalogica and swear by, its mighty pricey but worth the tag for sure! it lasts forever and gives excellent results! breakfast looked epic!! as does lunch! hmmm
katielovespie 08.19.2010
Just had to add this too: Drink plenty of water! I’ve always heard what you eat does not affect your skin but I think what you drink does. I drink mostly milk (with meals) and water (throughout the day) and I definitely notice a difference as oppose to when I have a lot of soda/kool aid/sugary drinks. It makes an enormous difference and I have pics to prove it.
katielovespie 08.19.2010
Ugh bad bad horrible acne throughout my younger teen years (I’m 19 now, still struggling with it some) I went through every kind of face wash, cream, etc. I finally went to a dermotologist who started me on antibiotics and perscription acne cream. Those turned out to be too strong/harsh so I stuck with the antibiotics and nixed the creams. I’ve since switched to the Pill (amazing results!) and gentle face wash with a light moisturizer. I def agree that oily does not equal moisturized! I’ve seen such a difference once I started using moisturizer. Also, I def reccommend Cetaphil, it was rec’d to me by my derm and its great.
Maggie 08.19.2010
I had the exact same thing happen to me in my early 20’s. I tried every single harsh product (including many of the ones you used) because I thought I had to practically fry those blemishs right off. I use Aveeno Ultra Calming Cream Cleanser and Ultra Calming Daily Moisturizer with SPF. It has worked wonders and is so much cheaper than many of the heavier-duty products.
Jackie @ carolina_vogue 08.19.2010
I am getting that Cetaphil Ultra Hydrating Lotion STAT! I have the same greasy, yet parched skin problem. Thanks for sharing!
Daisy 08.19.2010
hey kristin – I have the SAME skin story. I was like, what the hell, i turn 24 and now I have acne? But you know what, cetaphil was my facewash all through high school, college and into adult life! So it worked wonders on my super sensitive skin THEN, but you know how sometimes you need to switch it up after so many years? Weird, right. Anyways, this was a great post and I think I will try that mosturizing cream!
Molly 08.19.2010
I’ve never had acne, but random zits here and there around a certain T.O.M. and I’ve always used Clearsil and love it. Although my sis has acne, so I’ll definitely tell her about this too! Thanks Kristin!
Leianna 08.19.2010
I’m turning 25 in two weeks and have had good skin so far. Those products you use are amazing, we use them at work and I love them!
Your breakfast is so fresh and tropical, I just realized I haven’t had a kiwi all summer now:(
Stephanie 08.19.2010
Where do you buy these???
AJ 08.19.2010
I know Walgreens has Cetaphil cleanser
Cat Girl 01.29.2015
Bed Bath and Beyond, Target…. are good places
Carolyn @ lovinlosing 08.19.2010
DEFINITELY, TGIAF!! I’ll be 30 tomorrow!! :)
I use Cetaphil cleanser and moisturizer plus some prescriptions. I think I’ll have to start using it the way you describe here, though.
Jessica @ How Sweet 08.19.2010
I have been so blessed that I never have had acne! But I do always wash my face before bed and moisturize. I use Clean and Clear and have for years!
Jodie 12.27.2015
What Clean & Clear products do you use?
Freya @ Brit Chick Runs 08.19.2010
I suffered from acne when I was 16-18, and I still get breakouts if I’m stressed :( my sister suffers from it though – I’ll tell her about this!