[Personal] 10+ years later, finally found a routine that keeps my skin clear

Beauty Tips For Body Care
A little background on me: I have extremely sensitive and reactive skin that breaks out with almost anything. On top of that, it's very, very dry. That if I'm not careful, it'd peel and I would have stop all products for a week or two. This would lead to more break-outs, and add on to the never-ending cycle of never having clear skin. Sound familiar? I had really bad acne in high school, which got me started with ProActiv, then Murad, which completely ruined my skin at the time. Began using retinoids + sunscreens at age 16. Since then I've tried countless prescription formulations (Retin-A gel, cream, micro, Tazorac gel, cream, Atralin, Differin, Benzaclin, Azelex, others I'm forgetting), over-the-counter actives, and sunscreens (US, Canadian, Japanese, European).It's been a journey, and a pricey one at that, and throughout this process my skin has been various degrees of clear but never completely, if only because of persistent red marks that don't fade before new breakouts come in. Looking back, I probably should have gone on Accutane. But the important thing is, I've finally found a routine that doesn't break me out, and I would like to share it.The one product that's been the biggest game changer is the new Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion with HA. Because my skin is very dry, a moisturizer is a must. And I have always felt whichever one I used, in conjunction with the SS, were the culprits for my breakouts.Morning:"Cleanse" with Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera GelMoisturize with Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion with Hyaluronic AcidSunscreen: La Roche-Posay Hydraphase UV 30Make-up I don't wear foundation everyday. Only when I need to for work or nightlife.Night:Pre-Cleanse with 80% Safflower Oil/20% Cromollient SCE mix (thinking of phasing this out, as the Hydraphase is not waterproof)Cleanse with Alpha Hydrox Foaming Cleanser (this has been a constant for years, as it's the only one that doesn't leave a slime-y film behind AND doesn't dry me out)Moisturize with Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion with Hyaluronic AcidActive: alternating every other day Retin-a Micro 0.04 / Finacea (Azelaic Acid 15%)Lesson I wish I would have learned sooner #1: Be EXTREMELY gentle, especially if you have reactive skin. There have been times when friends thought I was on drugs because my face looked so awful, and it was usually because I was piling on 2 or 3 actives at the time. I thought, the more actives the better. Nope. When it comes to skin, less is more, and stronger is not always better. Oh and alcohol is an absolute NO. Just no.Lesson I wish I would have learned sooner #2: One new product at a time. I know this is hard, because there are constantly new products coming out promising miracles. And I see people posting about their Deciem/The Ordinary Hauls and starting 2 or 3 products at the same time. Some people can put a million comedogenic products on their face and still look amazing, while other people like myself have extremely reactive skins that breaks out in clusters from just sleeping on the wrong pillow case.Anyway, I've been sticking with this routine for the past two months and I currently have no active pimples and my red marks are finally almost completely gone. Yippee!
Girls Blog 2015
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