Back in the day, before I educated myself in all things skincare, my primary routine consisted of applying rubbing alcohol & dial soap to my pimples. My logic, which of course originated from my mother, was drying out pimples would get rid of them, as well as prevent them. I often wondered why I still produced so much oil & why day after day the pimples would not budge.

Fast forward to today, I've eliminated the rubbing alcohol & dial soap from my routine for many reasons. The only benefit that came from using these products was they removed a large amount of the bacteria hiding in my pores. Hormones are a major contribution to oily skin, but when there is too much dryness, the skin tends to overcompensate by releasing more oil. This explains why more oil was produced. Washing my face twice a day was enough to get rid of bacteria and freshen the skin, so rubbing alcohol surely was overdoing it.

Too much change

A question I come across often is how can one have acne and dry skin? You'd think the acne wouldn't have enough moisture to form. I, myself have combination skin, so I still produce a lot of oil, but have several dry patches around my t-zone. Sometimes when the skin undergoes too much change, for example if you notice you've had an especially harsh breakout, it's time to deduce what changes you or your skin has been going through lately and this includes any changes in products. Hormone levels are constantly alternating, due to the inconsistency that is life, so it's challenging to uncover the mystery of why our skin continuously breaks out.

Trying new products

If you have dry skin, you might pack on the moisturizer. If you have oily skin, you probably feel the need to scrub it constantly. Having a combo of these has me switching from product to product, in an effort to get rid of my pimples once and for all. Sometimes, I might not give my skin time to adjust to a certain product. I recently switched out my moisturizer to a more sensitive one. In general, I just love trying new things, but it can be traumatizing for the skin. If you try a new product and it doesn't work out right away, don't just write it off. Instead, give it a few weeks to a month and if it's still not working, scrap it. If you've done your research and it seems right for you, your skin will most likely adapt to it.

Stress 

This goes along with what I mentioned earlier about life & too much change. Our skin is constantly aggravated by the fluctuation in hormone levels caused by stress & our normal biology. Sometimes it just has to run its course because stress is inevitable & there will always be variables in life. I find the more time I spend outside, the less stress I feel, but that's just me. Obviously this wouldn't work if you live in Antarctica, but any encounter with nature is scientifically proven to relieve stress. Tips on relieving stress is a whole other topic that I'd love to get into another time. To give an overview, meditation does wonders or any quiet time away from technology & any stress-initiators. 

Diet

You could do all the research in the world & still not have a clue about whether diet affects your skin. Some experts say there is no correlation, but others claim otherwise. To some extent, the skin is a good indication of your overall health, but does eating junk food really contribute to acne? The only way to know the truth is to try it out yourself because our skin varies in its reaction to certain conditions. The facts are that acne is caused by clogging the pores and hormones & genes contribute, as well. I notice more breakouts and skin irritation when I pig out on McDonald's or Burger King, but that's just my own skin's reaction.

The bottom line is to make an effort to get to know your skin, even if you are not affected by acne. Although it takes a great deal of patience & invested time, it'll get you one step closer to a clearer complexion!

-Mars