What’s your love story with your skin? Mine is – we work it out.

Skincare is rewarding, especially when you discover what works for you. I started my skin care journey two years ago with the goal of overcoming hyperpigmentation and achieving the glass skin I truly deserve. Now, I’m still very much hyper-pigmented and I don’t have glass skin but I have a healthy skin. I know it, my skin knows it, and when people see me–they know it. 

Although, you may be doubtful of how rewarding your financial and mental investment in skincare are, especially when you don’t seem to get results and your skin condition plays catcher catcher with your emotions. The way out are two words you are tired of hearing because no one practises them than you. Patience and Consistency. 

Your results might be immediate or it may take years, just stick with it. I spoke with a friend who describes her relationship with her skin as “toxic relationship”, she shares how she continuously suffers from acne and cannot relate with “glass skin” conversations. 

Your skin is supposed to be your best friend, I want to know your relationship with your best friend. So what’s your skin like?

My relationship with my skin is toxic. I have oily skin.

Oily? Give me more details on that. Asides oily, what’s your skin like, how does your skin treat you?

Oily and acne prone. You know how people have combination skin, mine is oily, acne prone and well very sensitive. I also have large pores. If somebody tried out a product, even if they called it holy grail, there will be an eighty percent chance that it will spoil my face back to back. So I always have to tread carefully when trying out new products. But I try out new products all the time because I believe there is something out there for me. I just haven’t found it yet. I can count like thirty different products without repeating one that I’ve tried and didn't work for me. 

I used to think that large pores were advantageous because the skin can easily absorb the products and have it work faster.

I won’t say that because for me who has large pores, if I use a product and I’m reacting really badly to it, it would just be because my large pores have taken up everything. Also, I don’t wear makeup very often even though I really want to but I can’t because my pores would get clogged by the makeup and even when I do my double cleansing, I might not have been able to get everything out, which is why every time I get my makeup done, I suffer it for the next two to three days. So having large pores in my own opinion is not entirely a good thing. 

How has your journey with acne been like? When did it start?

Like when I was twelve, thirteen– at the time puberty hit. I never have the big cystic acne that people get, its usually the small ones and they are always everywhere, tiny but plenty. 

Were you introduced to skincare then or it was just home remedies?

Remedies o, some ridiculous remedies. Turmeric and palm oil, lemon and this, some people said toothpaste. People really said all sort of things sha. So initially, it was those remedies. I think the first skin care product that I ever used which could at least count as skincare back then was skineal. My mum kept telling me it would go away because she didn’t want me to introduce too many chemicals into my skin when I was younger.

You’ve been into skin care for a while now, what products would you actually say are your holy grail products– products you can swear by?

I’ll say alpha arbutin for fading dark spots, ​​hyaluronic acid for hydration, I won’t say I’ve found anything for pimples, cause I still always get them and I’ve tried retinol, I’ve  tried lactic acid as an exfoliant, I’ve tried different aha’s and bha’s. Even matrixyl, of which a lot of people don’t even know about. 

Which is that?

Matrixyl. It’s supposed to give you the same benefits as retinol, but because retinol is apparently harsh for most people when introducing it, matrixyl is always considered a better option, but it still breaks me out, just as retinol does. So these days, people mention these products and I’m just like been there, done that, tried it, tried that. 

Is there any product that has never made you break out?

Well, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and maybe my sunscreen and my moisturizer, other than that, okay well, the alpha arbutin like I mentioned. 

What are things people say to you that you wish they’d stop saying regarding your skin care and skin?

Just recommending random products. I don’t know what to say sometimes. I know they are trying to help but it just makes me want to drag them to my house and show them the endless array of products I have and have tried. And like I said, they are trying to help, but if you know me enough, you’d know I’m not the type of person to spare any expense when it comes to skincare.  If it’s not for this skincare thing, how much is bitcoin that I cannot have 20?  But no, That’s why I said my relationship with my skin is toxic, eating all my money and still showing me pepper.

Do you think you’re doing something wrong in your routine or it’s just what it is?

I think that I just need professional diagnosis and medication because my acne is hereditary, it’s in my family.  My aunt has really bad cystic acne; like really, really big ones. But currently, ever since she visited a dermatologist – the sessions were very pricey though, as well as the products, but they’ve been working wonders for her, nothing like she has ever tried before–her skin is… In fact, for someone who has never been able to relate to having great skin for years, her skin is incredible right now. She has no pimples. She just has spots, so I feel like perhaps that’s what I need myself. I know for certain that when I see a proper dermatologist and maybe they recommend better products, I’ll get the glass skin I deserve but for now, some of the brands that are famous to be holy grail just don’t seem to agree with me.

Have you ever considered what a permanent solution could be?

That’s what I just explained, the whole thing about visiting a dermatologist and not just personal research, because a lot of what I know about skincare are, well, to an extent, personal research and hearsay of some sort. I just feel like maybe visiting a dermatologist like my aunt would help me too.