Hey, Girls! Happy Monday and HAPPY CHRISTMAS WEEK! I am teaming up with Tula today over on my Instagram (@nickyschmaderer_fit) to gift one lucky gal some best selling Tula products! Since we are on the topic of skin, I wanted to also write this post and get vulnerable with you all on my skin journey. I have always dealt with mild acne even into adulthood. My postpartum journey with Reina led to some pretty severe (and painful) breakouts. I have been proactive about tackling my acne issue and ensuring I am taking the proper care of my skin. After all, we only get one beautiful covering of it! This was the year that I really made the effort to put the health of my skin first. I quit tanning bed thanks to COVID, I started getting routine hydra facials, and I invested in some great skin products.
My (im)Perfect Skin
I started noticing that I had acne-prone skin around Junior year of college. I always (always!) had a breakout of some kind. It was rare that I had a clear face. My Mom has always been such a great support whenever I had an insecurity. She would buy me face washes and creams to help me battle the breakouts but nothing ever seemed to work. It got to the point where I was so insecure about my breakouts that I went to a dermatologist and got an acne facial along with a prescription for a skin pill to help. It was so long ago that I cannot remember the name of it but I am sure it was Spironolactone. Into college, my breakouts seemed to calm down. I never had perfectly clear skin but the harsh breakouts were rare. Fast forward to motherhood and boy has my skin changed! It is now even more sensitive and more challenging to conquer a string of breakouts. I realized after having Reina that my skin just wasn’t the same. I have always battled with oily, acne-prone skin but after Reina it was like I couldn’t get on top of any breakout. I constantly had clogged pores. I was buying nose/facial strips left and right, picking at my face, covering blemishes, and feeling extremely insecure. I breastfed Reina until she was about 15 months so I was very limited on what I could do for my skin.
Not too long after I had Reina is when I decided I wanted to invest in my skin. I started getting routine hydra facials at a local day-spa called Tres J. I noticed a dramatic difference in my skin and how clean it felt! My skin girl, Grace, also recommended to me that I start a skin routine using Epionce products and I am a huge fan of them. I go back and forth between the Epionce Purifying wash and the Tula Cult Classic wash at night. I truly love my facials but I often deal with a week of breakouts after them. I believe it is due to the stimulation on my skin and the blue lights used.
My Tula code is NICKYS if you are looking to try their line!
This past Spring I filled you guys in on what products I was using at the moment. You can checkout that blog post HERE.
This past November I went to the same dermatologist for Botox (praise be!) and he put me on Minocycline and Spironolactone to help with my skin. Minocycline helps combat bacteria and Spironolactone helps with hormonal breakouts. I used it for almost 2 months and have seen a drastic change in my pores and overall appearance. I still get occasional breakouts, especially on my right side, but it seems to be better. I am still not satisfied and am continuing to educate myself and invest in my skin to find the “answer” for the breakouts I still deal with. Skin is always changing, especially for women in my opinion, and is a lifelong journey to find the perfect mix. I want to be able to one day have an all natural approach and be off pills completely.
My Current Skin Routine
AM: In the morning I always cleanse my skin with a facial toner and apply Neutrogena Hydro Boost. If I am not wearing face makeup I apply Tula’s Face Primer to give a no-makeup look.
PM: I wash my face with Epionce Purifying Wash or Tula’s Cult Classic wash. I apply Epionce’s Lyctic Plus cream followed by Tula’s 24/7 day and night cream 10 minutes after. I use Tula’s Acne Spot Treater on any new breakout I feel coming.
I have also realized using a facial scrubber multiple times a week at night in the shower helps keep my pores happy! I love this one by Vanity Planet. I also use the NuFace occasionally and am looking into investing in the Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite Mask that uses Red and Blue light technology.
Are you an avid Pinner?! It would mean the world to me if you could Pin this image below! Xx
