How I FINALLY Cleared My Skin

I have come to terms with the fact that I will never have perfect skin. I’m very fair, so I am pretty suseptible to sun exposure (I think I’m always a little bit sunburned even with my best sunscreen efforts). I also have sensitive skin so the littlest thing (a bad fragrance, a weird color, something rubbing my face the wrong way) will cause irritation. And… I have stress-related acne. (I was literally born with acne, so I should have known I would have been in for the long haul.)

My skin has been something that I have been working on since about sixth grade. I’ve had horrible bouts of acne, medium issues, and sometimes good periods of time. When things were bad, I would drive myself (and probably my skin) crazy with trying to fix it. And when things were good, I would knock on wood and try not to jinx it because I knew it was a temporary fluke.

Finally, FINALLY, my skin is under control, and I couldn’t be happier. I wear heavier foundation on “photoshoot” days for the blog, but on regular days I skip it entirely now. I would never have thought I’d be able to skip foundation and still feel confident with clear skin.

I get pimples here and there that are related to stress, but here’s what has gotten my skin clear.

All these photos haven’t been retouched in the slightest. Seriously the clearest skin I’ve ever had, and it’s not a fluke!

I know everyone has unique skin issues. What works for one person, won’t work for another. A “miracle” product may cure someone’s acne and cause acne for another. That said, here are some basics that I’ve always followed and then I’ll list the products that really have been the game changers for me. There’s a chance that something here might help you!

1. I wash my face in the shower every day and at night before I go to bed. Washing my face thoroughly after a workout though is probably the most important. The key is to use a gentle cleanser, so you don’t dry your skin out. I have friends who don’t wash their face before bed, and I don’t know how they function. I feel super gross if I even consider going to bed without washing my face and removing makeup. Not to mention, I know my skin would freak out.

2. New towels and sheets and pillowcases. I think it goes without saying, but changing out linens is so important for consistently clear skin.

3. Drinking a lot more water has 100% helped my skin. I’m not fully convinced that what I eat affects it (maybe it does for other people?), but increased water intake definitely helped my skin. When I get a little dehydrated, I notice a difference in my skin’s coloring and texture a couple of days later.

4. As I mentioned, I’m prone to acne when I’m really stressed. Which is, like, a lot of the time. BUT, meditating has significantly lowered my stress levels. I’m sleeping better and feeling calmer throughout the day, even on days that would have stressed me out before. I wouldn’t say I’m calm as a cucumber, but I’m feeling a lot better. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my skin has cleared up the year I started meditating! A great perk if you ask me.

5. Frequent facials are a bit of an expense, but overall worth it for me. I try to go every four to six weeks. It’s just nice to get a deep clean by a professional.

6. I clean my phone all the time. They’re breeding grounds for bacteria!!! Between holding a phone up to your face and touching the screen all day long… gross. I actually try my best to use speakerphone and headphones only when talking on the phone, so the device isn’t pressing against my skin.

These four products have been the best things for my skin. I can’t recommend them highly enough. In fact, if you read here every day, you know how much I love them. These are all 10/10, five-star, two thumbs up products!

SOY FACE CLEANSER // Some Fresh products irritate my skin (mostly the masks for some reason!), but this cleanser is THE BEST. If I try a new cleanser, even for a few days, my skin goes haywire. This one is truly the best out there. It calms my skin, removes makeup, and thoroughly cleanses.

DR. BRANDT MICRODERMABRASION // This one is a little pricier, but I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this! I actually received it first in the FabFitFun box collaboration I did this spring. I’m obsessed with this stuff. My facialist recommended an exfoliator, and it took me a bunch of trial and error before I found one that a) worked and b) didn’t irritate my skin. Because it’s a scrub, I try to limit my use of it to two (three times max) a week. It’s the product I reach for the most after a super sweaty workout!

MEGA MUSHROOM SKIN RELIEF // This face mask is the most recent addition to my arsenal. It CHANGED my skin. Whereas other products feel like they help my skin, this stuff really feels like it changed my skin. I’ve always had uneven coloring, and this mushroom mask is miraculous. It’s labeled as “skin relief, ” and I think it’s the most accurate description. I’m so in love with it that I’m going to try more products from the line.

Night-A-Mins Moisturizer // If you only pick one product from this list, definitely go for this one. This is the moisturizer that first started my journey to clearer skin. All this time I thought I had oily skin and that moisturizers would make my skin greasy and then break out. Nope. I needed more moisture! I put this on every night, and my skin is downright glowy when I wake up. My skin is not as great if I skip a few days of it!