Acne is damn well one of my problems as an adult. An unwelcomed partner living comfortably on my pretty face with sole intention of making me look and feel like a walking cultured agar plate.
As a teen, I barely had pimples, it was usually the occasional one or two on my forehead or chin that faded away just the way it came. I have an oily skin which experts say is prone to acne due to the excessive production of sebum that ends up clogging the skin's pores thereby causing acne. Not only does an oily skin cause acne/pimples, it gives your skin a really greasy look, like you used a cup of Vaseline on your face. I usually need to have a handkerchief on me whenever I'm outside to avoid the "why is your face so shiny" question. Greasy surfaces attract dirt and whatnot, so also an oily face attracts dirt from the atmosphere or your hands.
Over the years I have had different bouts of acne outbreaks on my face (I don't get acne anywhere else, thank God) which I managed quite well. I am very meticulous in caring for my skin generally and so I've always had a routine. It's a very basic cleanse, moisturize routine but then it worked just fine. Skin wasn't great but it wasn't bad either.
Tragedy struck exactly a year ago, I noticed several pimples scattered on one cheek. One, two weeks and these demons were there, staring at me, building a colony on my left cheek.
I was irritated, it was painful, the worse I had ever seen my skin. The pimples looked like they were ready to be popped so I gave them an assist, I popped gently and made sure to cleanse the area to avoid a spread. There were a few on my right cheek but they weren't as bothersome as that of the left.
I woke up the next day after popping, lo and behold, the pimples were back and the other cheek had gotten worse. They eventually got red, filled with pus, popped, repeat. This went on for months, I was worried, disgusted and hated looking at the mirror. I even was going through a breakup which made it all worse. Friends and strangers kept bugging me about it. "Wash your face morning and night" "use a separate towel on your face" "try this cream, it'll clear it up in 3 days" "you're eating too much oil". A lot of unsolicited advice and sales pitch from self acclaimed estheticians were all the food to my ears. I actually went ahead to try some of the 'magic creams' prescribed that only made the situation worse.
My self esteem was taking a dip, I was in actual pains and anxiety level had kicked a high. I knew it was time to do the needful. It was time to give my face a break. I stopped it all. No weird magic product, no extras. I did a little research and found out I was just experiencing adult acne. I was going to let my face breathe and heal itself.
Simple Acne Routine
Cleanse. I went back to using my face wash I had abandoned for bougiee products. It isn't pricey at all, just 1000NGN but it did a good job getting all the dirt off and not drying out my skin.
Mask. A face mask opens up your pores and draws out dirt. I let the mask sit in for at least 3 minutes before washing off. I make sure to use at least once a week and it's always refreshing. The clay mask I use cost me 800NGN.
Tone. I use a rosewater/glycerin toner. It keeps my face evenly toned, free from excess oil, super moisturized and balances my skin texture. Got mine for 1500NGN.
Moisturize. I used my body cream to moisturize my face until recently when I got a face cream.
So that's my really basic but helpful routine that has eased my acne journey thus far. I made sure to steer clear mentioning the brands I use because there is no magic product or routine to getting a clear skin, just stick with a basic routine and see a dermatologist if need arises.
Here's a picture I took yesterday, a year after my first major breakout.
