Super September Day 11: My Acne Story

I'm not sure how to introduce this post, so I will just begin with the story.

I got my first pimple sometime in middle school. I think it was on my forehead and it went away quickly. Throughout middle school, I always had one or two pimples on my face, but it was never bad. As a matter of fact, this was the case through my freshman year and part of my sophomore year of high school.

Within the first few weeks of sophomore year, my skin began to get bad. Why? I think it was because I was using skin care products my skin did not like. I also think it was because I was more stressed out than I ever had been because of the usual angsty teenager problems. My normal skin became oily and the breakouts started getting worse. I won't pretend that my acne was ever the worst out of the people I knew, but my skin was bad. Every now and then I would try to simplify my routine and my skin would get worse.

By the end of my senior year, I was persuaded to go to a dermatologist. He prescribed me an antibiotic and Veltin gel (1.2% clindamycin and 0.025% tretinoin). It made no difference to my skin, so a month later I was put on a different antibiotic and Aczone. That particular combination kept me clear for 3 or so months. Unfortunately my body became used to what I was using, and I began breaking out again. After trying a few more things, my dermatologist told me that he thought my last two options were either spironolactone or the big, scary A: Accutane. I resisted both for a while, but in June, I finally decided to go ahead and try spironolactone. He first put me on a small dosage that ended up doing nothing for my skin. Then he increased the dosage and I started having a weird side effect... my monthly cycle was completely messed up. As in... every 2-2.5 weeks I was given my monthly gift. When I went to see him in August, he took me off spironolactone and asked again if I wanted to consider Accutane. I decided to take the plunge. I can talk about that process more, but I only just picked up my prescription.

I will say that somewhere in the middle I stopped taking antibiotics and tried eliminating foods from my diet that are known to cause acne. I posted a few times about no longer drinking milk, only to see no difference after a few weeks (maybe I should have gone longer), and then I would start using it again in my coffee and cereal. I have a few other examples, but the biggest one was milk.

I will say that my skin is loads better than it was 2-3 years ago. But the problem is that I am 21 and my skin is still consistently broken out. It is somewhere between where it was in middle school and high school, but I'd like for my skin to heal some. I hope that I can share my experiences while I am on Accutane. Soon I will be posting the skin care routine I plan to be on while I am taking the big A.

I wish I had a decent picture of how my skin looked a few weeks ago, but below is a picture of me wearing makeup in May 2011. You might be able to see the breakouts. Yikes.

Super September Day 10: Empties Part Three - Makeup

This is my last empties post for a while. This could be good or bad, depending on how you feel about empties ;)

As always, this has fewer products than the other empties posts. And as always, I'm finishing the same things.

• Physicians Formula Organic Wear Fake Out Mascara - I liked this, but it dried up within 3 weeks, so I might not buy it again because it is a little wasteful to be buying a mascara with so much packaging and so little product.
• Jane Iredale Longest Lash Thickening and Lengthening Mascara - I was sent this to review and I really liked it. It dried up, but I liked it while I had it. It's expensive, but I would buy the full sized one in the future because it has good ingredients and it looks like a luxury product.
• NYC Smooth Skin Pressed Powder - This is a translucent powder that is okay, but I don't think it is worth all of the raves I have heard. Then again, it is inexpensive.
• Maybelline Dream Matte Powder - This is one of my favorite powders of all time. I probably would buy it again and again, but I didn't repurchase it as soon as I was done. The only complaint I have is that both of the ones I have had would crack after I hit pan and I end up wasting a lot of the last little bits.
• ELF Complexion Perfection Powder - This was okay. Once I hit pan each color eventually fell out on its own. I'm not even sure if that made sense, but it cracked and didn't cooperate.
• Be a Bombshell Liquid Eyeliner Pen - I don't like thick eyeliner, so I had problems with this. I probably used it two or three times before it dried up.
• Benefit They're Real! - This mascara is great! I would definitely buy the full size in the future.
• Too Faced Shadow Insurance Candlelight - I have the full sized tube and I love the color and quality of this primer. I would buy it again and again.
• Not pictured: Maybelline Volum' Express Falsies Big Eyes Mascara - I really liked this, but I have great luck with most Maybelline products.

What makeup have you finished recently?

Super September Day 9: Empties Part Two - Skin and Body Care

Alas! I have finally sorted out my used skin and body care products and will be showing them to you. I hope you enjoy seeing the products I have finished since my last empties video in June. I do apologize for not making a video, but I forgot to take my camera home the last time I went.

• Alpha Hydrox Enhanced Lotion 10% Glycolic AHA - This was okay. I used it on my face at first, but I didn't love it, so I started using it on my body. It worked better on my body than my face to soften my skin, but I would rather use a different lotion.
• CVS Daily Moisturizing Lotion - I really like this, but it has pretty bad ingredients. I might buy it (or the Aveeno) version again.
• Tretin-X (Tretinoin Cream) - This is prescription ONLY. I got three samples from my dermatologist and they lasted me a while. I like it, but it's not strong enough to have a lasting effect on my skin. The first two months were great, though!
• Mario Badescu Oil Free Moisturizer (SPF 17) Sample - I hated this at first, but when my skin was dry from using Tretin-X, this worked beautifully. Sadly it has parabens, so I probably won't be buying it again.
• Noxzema Deep Cleansing Cream - I bought this because I heard it was great and I wanted to try something new. I liked it, but the packaging bothered me because the label would flake off. I think they repackaged it so the label doesn't do that anymore.
• Noxzema Triple Clean Anti-Blemish Pads - These didn't do anything for my skin, good or bad. I won't be buying them again.
• Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser - This is gentle, but it also doesn't really do anything. Plus, it has pretty harsh ingredients for being a gentle cleanser. I don't like it. I have some more samples of it, but I won't actually buy it again unless I have the urge to.
• Kiss My Face Olive & Aloe Moisturizer - This takes a long time to sink in. I like it, but I don't at the same time. I'm on the fence.
• Mario Badescu Orange Cleansing Soap - This smells like crayons and wasn't too remarkable. I wouldn't buy it again.
• The Body Shop Vitamin E Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes - These made my skin burn, so I definitely won't be buying again.
• Yes to Tomatoes Mask - I think this broke my skin out every time I used it. I don't really find that masks help much, so I won't be buying again.
• Evian Facial Mist - This was useful, but overpriced at the same time, so I don't think I will buy it again, but I will consider trying facial mists with more than water in the future ;)
• Several bars of soap - I haven't been keeping track, but I have finished at least one bar of Dial Gold (maybe two), all of my Lush soaps (Honey I Washed the Kids and Rockstar), and I am on the verge of finishing a bar of Ivory.

One more empties post! What skin care products have you finished lately?