cleanser

The Golden Rule

Never go to sleep without washing your face.

I know this may seem obvious to most people, but never have I believed in this rule more since moving to a tropical island in the Pacific Ocean. Let me give you the low down:

  1. I’m here for medical school. That means that I am stressed, spend a lot of nights awake and don’t necessarily eat three square meals a day. Problems.
  2. There are only two seasons here: Hot/Wet and Hot/Dry.
  3. The humidity here is unreal. It feels like it literally slaps you in the face. On a GOOD day, it’s 90% humidity. On a regular day, it’s 96% humidity. That, coupled with the actual temperature, means it’s hot and constantly feels like you’re in the triple-degrees Fahrenheit range.
  4. I spend a lot of time outside. I walk to school, I use public transportation – everything here is open air and that means the dust and smoke are real. You don’t want those bad boys in your pores.
  5. Heat means oil and sweat are magnified times 100.

NOT washing your face means that you break out – without fail – the next day. It’s instantaneous. And so, I’ve discovered that a few tweaks to my previous skincare regimen have helped a lot! Here’s my newest take on the nighttime routine:

  1. Pull my hair up into a small ponytail and out of my face with a wide elastic headband.
  2. CeraVe hydrating cleanser with some cool water (because warm sink water is not a thing in my apartment, sadly)
  3. Pat dry with a towel, and allow to air dry further.
  4. Apply acne treatment (AcZone gel is my current medication of choice)
  5. SLEEP as much as possible!

The only thing stopping me from bright, beautiful skin is…well, me! Happy adventuring, friends!

Love, PB

The Island Life

Since we last spoke, life (and my daily skincare routine) have changed drastically. 

For one thing, I received a Mary Kay facial which lead to my subsequent Mary Kay party and a complete overhaul of many of my favorite every day items. 

And the other thing?  I moved to the other side of the world. So my climate has basically gone from four seasons to two seasons: tropical wet and tropical dry. That’s right. I moved to a tropical island. No big deal. 

Any way, here’s the word on my skincare! Just before I left, I finally worked up the nerve to see a dermatologist about my acne (I break out a lot) and eczema (since childhood). My dermatologist completely blew my mind. First of all, the amount of product I was using to maintain what I thought was the ideal skincare regimen proved to be extraordinary amounts of the wrong thing.  I also found out that my skin is much more sensitive than I thought, which is why it often reacted so harshly to products that it found unfavorable. Hence the need to change what I was doing and change it fast. I set out from the office with two lists in my hand. One for the acne issues and the other for the eczema and was met with quite an amazing realization. My doctor literally changed everything from the soap that I use on a regular basis to what I use to moisturizer and wash my face to what I put on my body. 

Here goes, the new and improved skincare routine! 

  1. Facial Cleanser: CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, twice a day 
  2. Facial Moisturizer: Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin
  3. Sunscreen: (depending on my mood) Neutrogena Sensitive Skin SPF 60 or La Roche Posay Sunscreen Fluid SPF 60 for Face
  4. Bar Soap: Dove Sensitive Skin 
  5. Moisturizer: CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
  6. Acne Treatment: Aczone gel

And there we have it! What products do you all use every day? Let me know in the comments section below and as always, Happy Adventuring!