As far back as I can remember, my mom has always told me “It’s never too early to start taking care of your skin.”
Having good skin doesn’t come easy for me, let me be the first to tell you. I have struggled with acne my entire life. From as early as middle school, until just last year, it’s always something that I have to be on top of or else it can (and will) get out of control.
If you’re new here and don’t follow me on Instagram (@blakehealey) I am very vocal about my journey with acne and the steps and products that have really helped get me clear, and also keep me clear. But before we get into all of that, I want to remind you that even if you’re having the worst skin month ever, you are beautiful and your acne should not deter you from living your life. I struggled with this myself when I was going through a few month spurt of acne that just wouldn’t go away. I wouldn’t even go to check my mail without putting makeup on because I was so embarrassed. Now, looking back on all of the friends that I cancelled plans with, all of the time I wasted crying over my skin, I wish I could go back and tell myself that “You are beautiful. You are strong. Your skin does not define you.” With all that being said- I just want you to know that you are not alone, acne affects nearly 80% of people between the ages of 11-30 and it’s not something that should take over your life, BUT I get it if it does and we’re going to talk about a few simple lifestyle CHANGES? and one key product that has helped me!
WASH YOUR FACE (THE MORE THE BETTER)- I find that washing my face 3x a day has kept my skin clearer then when I was it 1-2x a day.
USE A NEW WASHCLOTH EVERY 2 DAYS- You’re going to be washing your face more often now, which means you need to change out your towel that you dry your face with more often. Bacteria and mold will start to grow on damp towels which can cause more breakouts! Yuck!
ICE!! Ice is your new BFF. After washing your face, grab an ice cube and roll it over your face for 5 minutes (or until the ice cube is gone). This will help with redness (not at first but when your face warms up) as well as inflammation of current breakouts.
ACNE FREE ADAPALENE GEL TOPICAL RETINOID- This has been a game changer for me, personally! If you’re not familiar with what Retinoid is, it is derivative of Vitamin A, Adapalene Gel 0.1% which was previously only available by prescription. Retinoids help slow down the accumulation of dead skin cells in the pores, which is a main contributor to breakouts. Retinoids also help prevent and improve white heads and blackheads because they increase cell turnover. Studies have shown that compared to other retinoids, Adapalene Gel 0.1% causes less irritation to the skin.
HOW I USE ACNE FREE ADAPALENE GEL TOPICAL RETINOID:
- After washing your face (and applying the ice) pat skin dry with clean wash cloth.
- Apply only a pea-sized amount ONCE DAILY at night- when I am having a good skin week I use this every other night!
- Let dry completely (30 seconds)
- Finish with your favorite moisturizer
Some skin irritation may occur during initial weeks of use, so be sure to follow up with a moisturizer and SPF during the day to protect your beautiful skin and also limit exposure to the sun!
It only needs to be applied once-daily, which is ideal for anyone who doesn’t want to spend a lot of time on their skincare routine. Acne Free Adapalene Gel is great for those looking to try a prescription strength acne-fighting ingredient without breaking the bank! The 15g tube will last for 1 month and is only $11.99! It’s currently available on Amazon.com, Walgreens and Walmart, and in CVS in January! This product does not contain benzoyl peroxide, which means it won’t bleach your sheets and towels!! That is a BIG one for me because I cannot tell you how many towels and sheets/pillowcases I’ve ruined over the years due to bleaching them with my skincare! Which brings me to my last two easy steps to help combat breakouts.
CHANGE YOUR PILLOWCASES/SHEETS EVERY WEEK- Many of you probably already do this, and I thought I did too, but when I started marking on a calendar, I realized I was doing this every 10-14 days instead of every 7 days.
DON’T WASH YOUR FACE IN THE SHOWER- This was huge for me. I used to get in the shower after working out, wash my face and then wash my hair/do the rest of the shower duties. It was only a few months ago where I realized that my shampoo and conditioner are getting all over my freshly washed face! Now I shower first, and wash my face when I get out.
And that’s all! I hope that you can implement some of these into your regular routine if you’re not doing so already, to help combat those pesky unwanted breakouts!
This post is sponsored by Acne Free and the InfluenceHer Collective. All opinions are my own
