back to skincare
Hi. We say simplicity is best policy. But nature offered me an acne-prone combination skin (dry cheeks and oily T-zone basically) and eczema—one of my father's gifts along with myopia. Long story short: I have been battling with those two since 2-3 years, which flared up due to immense stress and bad coping habits. Well, that's one lesson learned for me. It is quite a tedious science: non-linear breakouts, multiple and interconnected factors, and, to each their metabolism.
But I hope I can at least provide some insight about my good and bad experiences—non-bullshit, non-sponsored way.
For skin in general:
The good
- Double cleansing helps, especially if you live in a polluted environment (which is, unfortunately, the case for most of us)
- Moisturization is key, especially if you have dry skin and/or live in a dry environment
- So is fabric (linen, cotton, wool, naturals...), as the skin should breathe
- Lukewarm (or cold if you are brave) water for protecting the skin
The bad but inevitable
- Hormones: too much or too little can cause breakouts, especially on the chin area
- Changing sheets often, that is right—yet another repetitive task on adulting 101
- Stress: depends on your level of control but still a hard factor to beat
For eczema, the ordeal is different. You often need prescription and medical advice. But basically, from my understanding, it is dry skin issues x1000. Right now, I am suffering itchiness from tacrolimus—an immunosuppressive ointment which works wonders if you can go through the first painful weeks. If I had to give my past self some advices:
- Moisturize. Moisturize. In the 30 seconds your skin has dried, moisturize. You will thank me later.
- It can be chronic. It helps to learn identifying the flare-up pattern.
- No scratching ever (especially with your nails) no matter how it itches, no friction—the most unforgiving trial, yet very rewarding. Apparently moisturizing prior or ice packs can help.