This is a look back on how I got started on my skincare journey and the ways that my skin has changed throughout the years. I know this story is long past due, but if you read my About Me page, you’ll understand why I am telling it now.
How My Skincare Journey Started
What really jump-started my skincare journey was in 2008 during my second year in university. The stress and sleepless nights of studying and taking mandatory math-type courses (yes I defy the Asian stereotype of being good at math) the past two years caused my skin to breakout – often. Even when I was in high school, during pubescent years, I was lucky enough to not have acne prone skin. But oh boy did university stresses get to me. Not only did I start to break out, the stress almost caused me to have an ulcer.
Finding My Skincare Solution
Since this was my first time getting breakouts – and it clearly did not seem to go away anytime soon – I went hunting for a solution to get rid of it. As my school was literally within steps of the mall (Toronto Eaton Centre), I would go to Sephora to browse for skincare products to solve my problem. Thankfully, the skincare consultants there were extremely helpful and recommended many possible acne solutions and products to choose from. A nice perk that Sephora has, is that you can get 3 free samples (sometimes more depending on the consultant) to take home and try out before you commit to buying.
So there I went trying almost every acne product under the sun (mostly from Sephora). I had to see what worked for my skin, observe how my skin reacted, and make the best buying decision. I never had severe acne nor did I have to go on Accutane, but I had pimples here and there which would unpleasantly grace my face as soon as the other was healed. Occasionally my skin was clear, but never for long.
The Blemish & Acne Treatments I Used
The first major step of my skincare journey was actually looking for an acne spot treatment to target the problem at its core. Here are some of the best acne spot treatments I’ve tested from Sephora at the time.
Dermalogica Clean Start Bedtime For Breakouts $27 CAD
The Clean Start Bedtime for Breakouts was one of my absolute favourite blemish treatments I tried and continued to purchase. It worked so well – almost overnight. I always overdo putting on blemish treatments because I want to make sure it works (bad habit and leads to dried skin, I know), but you really only need enough to cover the spot. A thin layer as they always say. If you’re looking for this particular acne treatment, it’s been discontinued, but is now replaced with the Dermalogica Clear Start skin care line for teens to get healthy and clear skin.
Active ingredient – salicylic acid which naturally unblocks your follicles
Benefits – purifying and exfoliating
Scent – light cucumber scent, surprisingly natural and calming
Bonus – free of artificial fragrances, colour, and mineral oils
When to use – night time after your usual skincare routine
B. Kamins 5% Blemish Gel $32 CAD
The B. Kamins 5% Blemish Gel was probably my second favourite acne spot treatment that I used back in the day. This one also worked well but it was a little stronger as the active ingredient percentage was higher. It also contained benzoyl peroxide instead of salicylic acid. It was milky white with a somewhat grainy consistency that disappeared quite quickly. You really only need a very small amount.
I should note that it would be wise to spot test whether salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide will cause an allergic reaction on your skin before using it on something as sensitive as a pimple. My brother also had acne which was a bit more severe than mine and had the unfortunate incident of using this product (under my recommendation and excitement of its effectiveness), without knowing he’s allergic to benzoyl peroxide. His face turned flaming red the next morning and he wouldn’t leave the house for a few days. Guess he was allergic to it and he never used products with benzoyl peroxide again – lesson learned!
Active ingredient – benzoyl peroxide which clears blemishes, blackheads, and spots and is anti-bacterial
Benefits – the Bio-Maple compound helps prevent skin from over-drying and flaking
Scent – barely any that I can remember, B. Kamins says it’s fragrance free!
Bonus – free of oils and colour
When to use – apply twice daily at any time. For those with fair skin, start with once a day.
Fresh Umbrian Clay Treatment Bar $54 CAD
The Fresh Umbrian Clay Treatment Bar doubles as a detoxifying treatment and a mask for normal to oily skin. And it literally lasts forever so it’s well worth the money. I still have mine from 2011-ish, it’s lasted a decade already! Just wet the clay bar, rub some on your fingers and put it on the blemishes and pimples you are having trouble with and leave it on overnight as an acne spot treatment. It will have mostly dried up by the morning and you’ll just have to wash the residue off and continue with your morning skincare routine. Another option is to use it as a mask and let it dry before you wash it off and then continue with your next skincare steps. The clay dries very quickly so you can store it away easily. So what’s so special about this clay? It’s an exclusive ingredient found only in Nocera Umbra, Italy and has a high mineral content that helps extract impurities and toxins while soothing your skin.
Active ingredient – literally just Umbrian clay!
Benefits – natural, clarifying, soothing, and detoxifying
Scent – very little to no scent – what clay smells like I suppose
When to use – anytime you’re at home, free to walk around with gunk on your face!
Keep in mind – store in a dry place! It’ll disintegrate in wet areas.
Murad Rapid Relief Spot Treatment $30 CAD
My fourth choice for blemish treatments is the Murad Rapid Relief Spot Treatment. It has 2% salicylic acid, which is on the higher end before you get to behind the counter acne treatments, so don’t overuse it. This gel treatment is for when you need your blemishes fixed fast. Although it helped reduce my pimple within a day or two, and had it disappear in a few days, I wouldn’t say that it worked in 4 hours as it now claims. But then again, I used it in 2008/2009 and I’m sure they have greatly improved this spot treatment since then! Get $15 off your $50 Canadian purchase here. Get $15 off your $50 US purchase here.
Active ingredient – 2% salicylic acid to exfoliate pores and smooth the skin
Benefits – reduces blemish size and redness, has pine and thyme extracts which is a patented complex by Murad that fights irritants while maintaining skin’s balance
Scent – barely any that I can remember
Bonus – Works well under makeup, no parabens, sulfates or phthalates
When to use – morning and night
5 Tips In Starting Your Skincare Journey
I had normal/combination skin all my life and as I went through university with the stress and workload (and probably boy problems too), my skin became a bit problematic. It was also becoming more on the combination/oily side. Looking for an acne solution was the first step of my skincare journey as I really had no other problems prior to that.
Here are some tips I’ve found useful for those of you who are just getting started on your own skincare journey, no matter what type of skin you have:
- Do your research! There are tons of reviews, forums, and blogs where you can start narrowing down a few things you want to try. It’s helpful to see what others are saying and get some insight before splurging. I know I’ve backed off from certain purchases because of bad reviews even though I really wanted to try the product!
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions in store! Sephora is an amazing place to get a free consultation or to get product recommendations. After all, that is where I started my quest and the skincare consultants there have helped me plenty over the years. It’s one of the ways I learned so much about skincare. They also don’t make commission so there is less pressure on them to sell to you and I found that their responses are quite genuine. Sometimes I asked them questions I knew the answer to, but they truly want to help and never tried to push a product on me and had no qualms about me leaving without purchasing that day. Shoppers Drug Mart’s Beauty Boutique, The Hudson Bay, Holt Renfrew, Sak’s Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom’s cosmetics departments are also available but they do try to sell to you a bit more! So if you’re shy, those might not be the first places you want to visit.
- Get samples if you can! Most cosmetics and beauty stores provides samples whether they have to make it for you, or if they have pre-packaged sample packets available. Depending on the brand and if they’re higher end, you may have to try a little harder to get a sample. A lot of times you may even have to give your contact information in exchange so they can call you to come back and purchase after trying their sample out. Always try to sample a product first. That way you don’t have to waste money and have it not work out for you if you can’t make returns, or have to go through the hassle of returning a barely used item that can’t be resold/reused, or test for any allergic reactions before committing to buy.
- If you’re not sure, ask a skincare practitioner or a doctor for advice. Depending on your skin problems or type, you could either go crazy like me with the product testing or if you have sensitive skin, it’s better to ask a specialist. You don’t want bad allergic reactions or side effects like my brother!
- Use sunscreen! Especially if you are using any skincare product that is acid based like the ones I’ve listed above. Acid causes skin sensitivity and can burn when exposed to UV light. (But it’s general good practice/habit to wear sunscreen anyway to protect and prevent skin damage and aging!)
To continue reading about my skincare journey, my beauty work experience and how my skin changed over the years, go to The Past Decade – My Skincare Journey – Part 2.