The Mission to Improve My Skin #1

BREAKING OUT LIKE A MOFO

Most of you all know from this post, Updating My Skincare Regime, that I've had a lot more breakouts lately, and have bought products that were meant to help. They included ingredients such as activated charcoal, bentonite clay, and salicylic and/or glycolic acids. They were all gentle, oil and alcohol-free, and were meant to help reduce oil production and prevent pimples.

I've decided to do a monthly series in which I write about my skincare, to document my mission to improve the overall condition of my skin, to try and banish pimples and oiliness for good. I also have raised blackheads that tempt me on a daily basis to just squeeze them out despite the horrific bloodbath that ensues, not to mention the scabbing and scarring. Really, Steph, why do you do this to yourself?

Friday 15 July:
Today is the day that I decide that my skincare routine, full of acne-fighting products, are not helping my breakouts much and that they must be happening because of my diet. I looked up many, many face maps to try and connect the dots (pun intended) and came to the conclusion that my diet does indeed play a big part in how and where my skin breaks out. Ever since I came back from Japan, I've drunk far less than the daily recommended amount of water, and too many cups of sweet tea. Not only that, I have a horrid habit of constantly touching my face and picking at pimples and blackheads.

The pimples on the sides on my chin and along my jawline are correlated to hormones that are out of whack, lack of water consumption, and the introduction of dirt and bacteria. I've been on the same medication for years, so I know my hormones aren't going haywire. I do know for a fact that I've barely drunk a bottle of water each day as opposed to the four I used drink per day. And like I've mentioned, I keep touching my face. I would say that this area is the most affected by breakouts, so I'm going to focus on drinking more water, eating leafy greens, and keeping the skin clean. I'll also focus on reducing my sugar, caffeine and greasy food intake to help it along.

Wednesday 20 July:
I bought a notebook over the weekend to use as my skin diary. I write down everything I eat and drink, everything that I put on my skin, and the condition of my skin at the start of every day so that I can keep track of all the changes. So far, it's working pretty well. Aside from yesterday where I gave in and had two cups of tea as well as a small glass of cola for dinner (hello, pimple in the fold where lip and chin meet, I've been expecting you), I've been trying my best to up my water intake and to not touch my face. For some reason, to Sean, this means "touch her face at all times, by any means necessary." Well, Sean, you're gonna marry a pizza-face if you keep doing that. *deadpan stare*

Friday 19th August:
I'm not seeing that much of an improvement with my acne issues. But, then again, my diet hasn't really improved much since my last entry. My main areas of concern are the sides of my chin, where there's a new visitor every day or two. My Formula 10.0.6 Acne Treatment isn't doing much in terms of preventing breakouts, nor does it shrink pimples. If anything, it dries them out to the point where it gets hard and can be flicked off without bleeding. I find that I'm getting a lot of dry areas, and my blackheads remain stubbornly in place, teasing me every time I get too close to a mirror.

By going through my skin diary, I've noticed that a new pimple doesn't show up after a day of not drinking so much tea or consuming too many carbs and salt. I find that pimples happen less often when I'm not indulging in my horrible habit of attacking blackheads with my finger nails. It seems that being friendly to my skin does it a world of good, though I have a long way to go before I completely kick the habit and stop touching my face for good. My water intake has gone up to just under two bottles a day, which still isn't quite enough, but that's still an improvement. I've also noticed that milia show up around and on my eyelids, and I have a sneaking suspicion that it is because of either the night cream or the serum. I think I might lance them myself because I hate looking at them, and it really gets in the way of applying eyeshadow.

By the way, I've discovered a major culprit when it comes to pimples popping up, especially around my nose area, after wearing makeup and that is the essence Cosmetics All About Matt! Fixing Compact Powder. I figured this out after using my Face Of Australia Translucent Powder to set my base and realising that my face didn't break out for the first time in a long time. I really should get around to replacing that powder, though, it's a couple of years old... I'm really liking the Sugar Baby Vita+Skin Super Serum, because it seems to brighten my complexion and give it a more plump appearance. I think it's also filling in wrinkles so they don't look as papery or obvious anymore. It also has a hand in making my skin clearer.

Here's hoping next month yields better results!

Do you have any skincare recommendations for skin like mine?

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