From cleansers to exfoliators, consider adding something new to your skin routine this fall. With fruity concoctions or powerful strips from brands like Aveeno, The Body Shop, or Soap & Glory, I’m fighting back against my pesky acne.
I have no idea what’s been going on with my face lately, but I don’t like it. After a quarter-century, I thought I knew my skin by now. I’m aware of my oily T-zone. Blackheads, unfortunately, call my nose their home. And sometimes I get inflamed whiteheads right where my glasses rest on my face, which are totally painful and refuse to go away. For the most part, I’ve learned to deal with these issues. But this past month has not been pretty.
I’m not sure what the deal is. Is it because of the stress from back-to-school season? Am I suddenly eating worse, without truly realizing it? Am I just touching my face a lot more? Whatever the reason, I’ve been breaking out fairly consistently since August, and to put it bluntly, it’s infuriating. And at some point, even though this has helped me develop better ways of applying foundation and concealer—I look less pancake-faced, I suppose—I’m feeling infuriated, at a loss for what to do. Drinking more water isn’t helping, sleeping more isn’t helping. Maybe my face, right now, just hates me.
The last-ditch effort I’m making is to start swapping facial cleansers, every day, and see if something sticks. Maybe that’s a little reckless and impatient, but the situation is dire. And then every Sunday I’m going to try a new scrub, mask, or treatment, and similarly wait for results.
Will this rapid-fire product binge actually work? Who knows. But at least I’ll feel more proactive, and maybe that enthusiasm will help my acne. Maybe.
For the products I’m adding to my repertoire, read on!
