Baaabe! Look at my face!, I said to my husband. He came over with a slightly concerned look and studied my face as stared, forlorn, at the mirror.
‘Hmm, I’ve never seen it this bad before,’ he replied with a concerned look. And he was right. I was 33 at the time and I’d never experienced bad acne before. Occasionally, I would have a spot or random pimple, but it was never a full-blown break out, and certainly never on my forehead.
Before that moment, I prided myself in having good skin, even with my non-existent skin care routine (first mistake). I never needed to use foundation or powder when I went out. (That was how good my skin was.) I thought I had great skin genes that would carry me through life, and I didn’t need a rigorous skin care routine like other women. I washed my face at night (more like used wipes), which I later found out doesn’t even do much cleaning.
Sis, nobody tells you what bad acne can do to your self-esteem, but that’s a story for another day. My own experience was a wake-up call but I’m grateful I had it. Following my experience with the break out, I began to consult with other women, and from those conversations, I came to learn that adult on-set acne is somewhat a rite of passage for ladies in their early to mid-thirties. Apparently, there’s the effect of changes with hormones that tend to trigger them.
Either way, I didn’t want to be unaware a moment longer. I decided to take myself and skin health more seriously, and to do that, I had to rule out hormonal changes. So, I became more disciplined in washing my face with a proper facial wash, every morning and night. I stopped using facial scrubs because apparently, they can be too harsh on the skin and make acne worse. I started using a toner with salicylic acid instead, twice a week. And I use a sunscreen that is also a moisturizer, every day. I have also generally reduced my diary and sugar intake and been intentional about drinking more water.
All these are basic to women in the skin care game, but for a newbie like me, it felt like work o. But it was important for me to start with the basics, so that if the flare up persisted, I’d at least know it wasn’t due to my own oversight.
How does my skin look now? It’s so much better. It’s not yet back to its former glory lol but my support system (this is important to have) keep encouraging me that it will get back there. If not for anything else, I’m grateful for the lifestyle change I was forced to make.
Have you dealt with adult on-set acne? How did you handle it?