My Skincare Adventure Part VI: Routine Additions

by - 12/28/2017

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Previously, I discussed my new Kiehl's routine that replaced my Lush products. After a quick review, I also mentioned that I had a couple ideas of things I could do to improve my overall skincare and maybe boost the performance of my cleansers. Now, there's a bit of backstory here to explain why I chose to add one of these things to the routine. The second addition was more of a luxury upgrade. I felt this deserved it's own post simply because of all I had to say about why I'm going down this path. Either way, I hope you find this informative for you own skincare journey.

Way back in January 2017, I mentioned that I have PCOS, Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, which affects my skin as well as a bunch of other hormone-related things. It basically means my hormone production is really out of wack and I often have a lot more testosterone than I should. This leads to acne, facial hair growth and other problems. I'm on the lucky end of the patient spectrum in that my physical symptoms aren't super noticeable or if they are, my Fibromyalgia trumps all anyway and I don't really have the energy to sort out what is what. That bring me to July, when I was debating the usefulness of my Lush products, during which I decided to do some more reading on adult acne. The number one thing that came up on every page I read was "hormones". This was pretty disheartening to read, especially because every time it was mentioned it was usually followed by, "unable to treat without a dermatologist". Yay....

Source: dailymail.co.ukYeah, I already have enough doctors and specialists in my life. I don't need another, and I especially don't need one not covered by my government health plan. If you think cleanser is expensive, try seeing a specialist for five minutes. Anyways, I dug deeper into the hormone angle. This lead me to remember my PCOS and how I had been neglecting it for a while (2 years-ish?). Like I said before, the symptoms weren't really my top priority with my other health issues in the spotlight. It didn't seem like a really big problem, though maybe I was ignoring the obvious. So I took a step back for a moment. I cut out the extras in my Lush routine, and just observed my skin for a while. When only using a cleanser and toner, I noticed my skin was decent (not great, but not awful) for a few weeks at a time. Then, like clockwork, my skin would breakout terribly and get all inflamed for a two week period. The cycle would restart and I was keeping track of it all in my period app. This went on for a couple months and I had to come to terms with the fact that my hormones were contributing to my acne problem.

This meant it was time to go back on a daily medication, one I had taken before briefly, but not a task I was looking forward too. I have trouble taking medicine and vitamins every day (there's a reason I got an IUD for my birth control), and I hadn't been on a medication for anything since the summer because everything was making my Fibromyalgia fatigue worse. Still, I begrudgingly made the appointment with my doctor to go back on Spironolactone. It's original use is as a heart pill to lower blood pressure, but its biggest side effect is helping eliminate the nastier symptoms of PCOS like Hirstutism (I have a tiny blonde beard that I can wax or shave easily. Like I said, I'm a lucky patient really.) by lowering the amount of androgens in my system which are caused by my high levels of testosterone. The best part is that by lowering my androgens not only does my tiny goatee go away but so does my acne. It can take a very long time to work, from three months up to a year, but it was truly time to take this step. I may not see results for a while, but I can't keep ignoring my PCOS.

Source: wisebread.killeracesmedia.netdna-cdn.comThe second supplement I'm adding to my routine is a lovely little spinning face brush. Like I said above, this is more of a pampering item than a big decision. It's certainly an upgrade for my twice daily face wash. A lot of the well-advertised brands are super expensive, but I got a spin brush for cheap through a cosmetics company at which my mother used to work. You can get one on Amazon, or any drugstore really. All it really needs to do is have a soft brush and twirl it's little bristles. You don't need bells and whistles. Adding this to my routine has been great as I use far less product and still manage to lather my whole face. The gentle exfoliating is also quite lovely. It makes cleansing a little more fun too, which definitely makes me want to follow my regimen. I'm hoping to continue using it for the remainder of my Kiehl's routine and for any future products if I decide to switch it up.

My only real complaint about the spin brush is that it can take a few minutes of cleaning after use. The soaps really nestle themselves into the bristles and that can be a pain. I'm sure I'll get it down to an exact science after repeated use though. Fingers crossed that the new year brings me some relief in the skincare department! Shortly after my birthday next month, I will have reached the one year mark in my journey to achieve clear skin. Hopefully, I'll have some positive things to report by then.

Dana~

Do you have hormonal acne? Have you ever taken pills for your acne? What do you think of spinning brushes?  Am I nuts for trying so many things at once again? Sound off in the comments down below!


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