Hi there and welcome back to Wedding Wednesday! Today I wanted to share how I've been prepping my skin for the wedding. For starters... I feel like we need to backtrack a little to about a year ago when I made the first step in getting my skin to a good place. I have struggled with skin issues (oily skin, break outs, scarring, etc.) for years and finally just hit my breaking point after taking antibiotics and using harsh creams to try and fight it for years... Mind you my skin situation was never severe... it was just something that bothered me about myself. Your skin is the root of your appearance (makeup can only do so much) and having it in tip top shape is very important to me. When I finally hit that point where I had tried everything possible... I decided to take the plunge and begin taking an Accutane regimen.
This was an 8 month journey for me... and while it created amazing results was not the easiest thing I have ever done.
- Reason 1.: I have always been a tanner... and while using the medication could not be in the sun at all. Five minutes and I was red as a beet. That was super hard for me.
- Reason 2.: I have always had super oily skin, but when I was taking this I felt like a piece of clay. My lips were so dry they began to bleed from all the cracking and peeling. I also found myself incredibly thirsty all the time. There wasn't enough water in the ocean ya'll. The struggle was real.
- Reason 3.: I already struggle with getting down and sad... and taking this medicine contributed significantly to me feeling really sad. I would cry for no reason and really had to push myself to continue engaging in activities I enjoyed normally.
Another point I want to make clear: Accutane changed my life because it changed my skin, but it did not make my skin perfect! After the medication was completely out of my system I began to have small breakouts here and there. At first this made me want to cry because I had gone through so much while taking accutane and felt like it was all a waste, but it wasn't. I do have breakouts, but the way that my skin heals is completely different than before. I no longer suffer from cystic acne places, just the general breakouts that all gals out there suffer from. That's the difference.
Since completing my treatment with Accutane, I have started a new skin care regimen that I've had to tweak until I really found what works for me.
I really don't think I could survive without my Clarisonic. I went with the Mia2 since it helps better determine how long you need to spend cleaning each area of your face (it beeps when it's time to move on to a new place). I love that it is pink and especially love that I can use it in the shower. I often shower twice per day so having this little gem in there just helps to hold me accountable to really get my skin clean. I've never had smoother skin and because of that my makeup stays put so much longer. Clean, well-exfoliated skin is the key to lasting foundation ladies!
For cleansers, I've really tried just about everything. Since completing the Accutane... I really don't think my skin needs anything super fancy to do the trick. Pairing a good overall cleanser with the Clarisonic has been perfect and I don't feel the need to spend tons of money on facial cleansers anymore. This face wash from Bliss has been my go to the last couple months. I love that it is gentle, but doesn't have a weird putty smell to it. I love that it really just washes right off and doesn't leave a tacky residue that many often do.
Following up with a witch hazel toner has been life changing. I'm not going to lie to you and say it doesn't have a harsh smell... because it does. I can justify that because it deep cleans my pores but doesn't sting like most others I've tried. I can really tell a difference in my skin tone since I started using this and it is super cheap. Less than $4 for the huge bottle! Can't beat that!
If there is one thing I could change about the last ten years of my life in terms of skin care: sunscreen! I could kick myself for using tanning beds and not treating my skin well in the sun. I have so much hyper-pigmentation and I know is largely due to my sun exposure. (Listen to Mom ladies, she is so so right!) I use this sunscreen everyday! I never leave without it on. I can't undue the damage I've already done, but I don't want to let it get any more out of control. No more sunspots for this lady!
Secondly, eye cream. I don't care if you are 16... get a good eye cream. We pull so much on our eye area through makeup application and really need to keep them well treated. Start early and reap the benefits later. This bliss eye cream is awesome. I feel like it really wakes my eyes up in the morning and isn't too tacky. I can use my concealer afterward and rest easy that it will stay put.
This mask is a major staple for me. I've been using Mario Badescu products for years and can't speak enough to their quality. I highly recommend this spot treatment as well if you are in the market (perfection!). The mask helps with the hyper-pigmentation I mentioned before. It is also moisturizing and helps to balance out my skin. The smell isn't half bad either.
Not pictured is my prescription Retin-A cream. Out of every product I use... it is the one I could not survive without. My cell turnover is greatly related to this cream and It also helps to prevent wrinkles and fade marks. Like I stated, this is prescription which is why I didn't picture... but if you are struggling with a similar skin situation I highly recommend discussing this with your dermatologist.
My journey to better skin has been a long one and doing it when I did has made me a much happier person. I don't want to be dealing with skin issues during the wedding planning process.
Please let me know if you have any questions about my experience with the medication! I'd love to share with you guys. I have had several friends reach out to me after I started the medicine because my skin had really started to take on new form. I would hope for everyone to take the right steps toward better skin, whatever that looks like for you. Love the skin you're in.
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Xo-L
