As I mature, I start to realize the importance of all those things I considered boring or insignificant. Most recently, I've come to terms with the fact that my mother was not being a nag when she urged me to look after my skin. Naive teenage me figured that since washing my face once didn't make a difference in my appearance, why would continuous washing work? Yeah, I wasn't very bright. Thank you puberty hormones for making me short-sighted during your tenure in my body.

Anyways, I decided that this year I'm going to start looking after my skin and putting more effort into keeping it healthy. Being 22, I don't have to worry about wrinkles yet but I do have some issues I'd like to clear up. Also, since I was diagnosed with PCOS a number of years ago, this may be extra challenging as my hormones will interfere with some results. So for the next year, or however long it takes to solve most or all of my problems, I will be trying different routine and products to improve my skin. Below are the issues that I'd like to solve:

• Acne
  - Clear up pimples
  - Prevent future breakouts
• Oiliness
  - Keep skin from becoming an oil slick by 5 p.m.
• Large Pores
  - Shrink pores
  - Eliminate blackheads
• Moisture Level
  - Find a balance between oily and dry so that skin is well-hydrated but not shiny

I will rate each product/routine out of 10 and discuss how well they worked for my skin. By the end of this journey, I hope to find a daily/weekly routine to maintain my skin's health and appearance. I plan to try everything under the sun, ranging from heavy duty cleansers to all natural organic soaps. My fingers are crossed that the best routine doesn't mean the most expensive, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Dana~


"What skin issues are you fighting? Have you found your skincare holy grail? Do you have any suggestions for me? Am I insane for even trying this? Leave your ideas and thoughts in the comments below!"