The Nauti Truth: My Skin Journey!

The Nauti Truth: My Skin Journey!

**with 5 tips at the end**

My face and I kind of have this tricky relationship. Sometimes it makes me happy, other times it makes me cry. Sometimes it's too oily, and sometimes it's too dry. Sometimes I want to show it off and let everyone see, other times I want to hide and pretend I am not me. 

I want to share my skin journey because I think it is super relatable. It is far from over, but I am happy about the path I am currently on. It is a little embarrassing to admit that I am almost 22 years old and I am still struggling with acne, but if some of the products I mention on this post helps you or if you can just relate to my story, then it makes it all worth it! 

It all started in high school. Ahh... beautiful puberty! One day you're skinny, clear face, not a care in the world and then hello mother nature!! Your life is changed forever.  Pretty much all throughout high school, I broke out similarly to the rest of my girl gang, in the classic T zone. I remember using Neutrogena Grapefruit Facial Cleanser and really not knowing a thing about what products to use or why the products you do use are so important. 

Towards the end of high school, I was pretty clear. I'd say borderline flawless. I remember thinking, "wow I really kicked that shit!!" thank you, next! 

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Oh young Madison, you were so wrong! 

Freshman year of college, I broke out the worst I have ever broken out in my life. This time it was different. This time it was painful. I went to the dermatologist and got prescribed Retin-A. For those of you that don't know what Retin-A is, it is a topical cream that is used to treat acne. Not to be dramatic, but these were some of the worst times of my life haha... My face was so dry and so red, it felt like the medicine was making everything worse. I would have to carry face lotions and makeup with me everywhere I went. I would stop in the bathroom in between classes to touch up my makeup. And worst of all I felt so insecure. It is hard enough being a college freshman and adjusting to a life so different from what I had known, dealing with acne was just the cherry on top! 

On Retin-A, my skin became very sensitive. This was so unlike me. My skin used to be so strong. I did not need to care about what skin products I was using. I literally did not even use face moisturizer. So this was a big change and I knew I needed to start looking into some high-end shit to help my face out. I started using Lush products because they make everything homemade and only use organic ingredients. Their face lotion helped a lot with my dryness and their face masks helped a lot with the discoloration. 

About 6 months later, my skin was looking and feeling better. When I ran out of Retin-A I did not even need to renew my prescription. I did, however, keep up with using better, cleaner products. I moved onto using Origins and H2O products, decided to invest in some nice serums, and continued trying new face masks. At this point, I'm thinking, "damn that was hard but at least it's finally over!"

             

Wrong again. So wrong. :(((

During this summer I started breaking out again! This time it was deep, sad, not fun cheek ones. The worst ones if you ask me. It came at a hard time in my life and I kind of attributed the cause to stress and was hopeful that it would leave when the stress did. My senior year of college started and the acne was still there. I can't even tell you how frustrated I was. I was so mad at my skin for doing this. So pissed at myself that I even let myself think I would be done with this. I went straight to my primary doctor and was put on birth control and Epiduo in hopes that it would clear my skin. For the first week, it was awful. My skin was drier, redder, sadder than it has ever been. I was back to packing face lotion in my bag because I was so insecure about the peeling. There was a time where I was literally at a bar and applied it right on the dance floor and a guy called me out on it. So embarrassing.  

I decided to splurge and get a Clarisonic brush and Drunk Elephant products. Huge hit to my bank account but I was desperate. The Drunk Elephants facial cleanser and the night serum helped me a lot with the overall feel of my skin, not so much the acne itself. I bought SandandSky's Austrailian pink clay face mask and that rapidly cleared my pores. 

Also with the weather turning colder, my face was peeling so much I thought I had some disease. I invested in Honest Beauty facial oil which I will recommend until I die. My skin feels so soft, so moisturized, literally glowing. It lasts all day and it smells so good :) buy buy buy. I have also started using Acnomel as a spot treatment. When I feel a pimple coming on I put some of the cream on the area before bed and wake up and it's gone. It's magic. (Thank you for the recommendation, dad!)

                  

So, now I am about 2 months in on this treatment and while the spots are still there, they are very minor. I will not say that I am completely cleared because I cannot make that mistake again but for now, my skin doing well! 

The things I hope you have learned from all of this:

1. If you are really struggling and you need help, go to a dermatologist and ask for some prescribed medication.

2. Look at the products you are using. Sometimes they can be the difference you needed. It sucks but you have to spoil your face and buy her some expensive products. It hurts your bank account, but it will help your insecurities.

3. Try different stuff! There are so many great products out there and a lot of them do sample sizes. That's how I got introduced to H2O, Origins, and Drunk Elephant. I bought a sample kit from those brands and then found out which products I wanted to buy.

4. Have patience. Healing acne takes time. 

5. Know that it will pass. Your skin will get better! Everyone's skin journey will be different and yours is so personal to you. 

If I had one wish, it would be that acne is not a thing for anyone. But it is :( Just know that you are not alone if you are struggling!! I've been there, I am still there, and I will probably be there some time in the future. 

For my very last time remember to...

Live Nauti!

With all my love, 

Madison