My Skin, My Story: Conquering Acne and Reclaiming Confidence
Roughly 85% of people will suffer from acne at some point in their lifetime. Although it’s often a problem amongst teenagers, during times where hormones are high and their body is developing. However, I struggled with adult acne from around the age of 20 for the past several years.My acne has ranged from cystic through to papules. On my face and on my body (Knocking my self confidence at a time where I wasn’t comfortable with my own image at all).I recall one specific time when I decided to go out and about to grab some bits for the fridge and fill up the car. Admittedly, because my acne flares would come and go, I was reasonably nonchalant about my appearance because I hadn’t planned on going anywhere special. Nevertheless, I soon sobered up to my reality when the cashier at the checkout desk almost gasped and took a step back when we made eye contact -and in a very brazen manner asked “what happened to your face?”. Albeit disheartened, I just replied with “oh… nothing, I just suffer with acne flare ups” and then swiftly returned to my car to drive my embarrassment home with me!For any young adult, I think self image is a topic that you hear about a lot when referring to body shape but not so much when it comes to different skin issues/ ailments or excess hair. With this in mind: I found that discovering other social media influencers and platforms that openly address these matters and bring more normality to different struggles really helped me embrace the body I have.There truly isn’t an answer and everybody’s skin type is different. Personally, this is the hardest fact to face when looking for a solution; I’ve visited countless healthcare professionals throughout my struggle and every time I was given a different “cleaning routine” alongside a new prescription cream/ antibiotic/ serum - you name it, I’ve tried it! None of it has worked as a long term solution and they all come with pretty dramatic side effects like psoriasis patches or headaches or even just aggravating the skin.I’ve been using Puremess products for a while but consistently for the past couple of years now and I really prioritise the ingredients I’m putting onto my skin and how I’m approaching my day-to-day self care.The face cream, face serum and nourishing oil all feature in my routine without fail and help me feel more at peace knowing that I’m only using a handful of natural ingredients that aren’t provoking my skin or causing harm. I will confess that I’ve also finished a course of Isotretinoin, alongside my Puremess products, as per my dermatologist’s instructions for a separate issue- which has contributed to my recent acne cleanup. Nevertheless, moving forward i will continue to use gentle, natural products to keep my complexion as youthful as possible. (One can only hope!)
