Acne: an endless spiral of annoyance, frusturation and inconvenience. Many students here at Osbourn High School have to fight with their skin daily. Although acne is a normal thing that most teens deal with, it is not always an easy thing to go through.
Having acne comes with more than just irritating little bumps. When you have acne, it can almost feel like a great deal of baggage comes along with it; one thing that could be classified as “baggage” could be your lowered self-confidence. Self-confidence is defined as the belief in your own ability, skills, and worth.
How can something as little as acne have an effect on something so crucial? “My skin definitely plays a part in my confidence, I guess it’s because when I’m talking to people, it’s the first thing people see when they look at me, so I feel like when I do have a pimple or two, it’s the only thing people see when I’m talking,” said Karissa Madison, a sophomore. Another view comes from Adriana Rich, who stated, “If I’m being honest, I do feel like my skin determines my confidence, most of the time it is negatively. Although I try to remember that having acne is normal and doesn’t determine how beautiful I am.”
Acne comes from many things, such as certain foods or stress; it all depends on the person. Adriana Rich said, “What triggers my oily acne is when I eat sugary foods and drinks, and also when I don’t exfoliate my skin twice a week.” While Leslie Gomez, a freshman, said, “Stress is what triggers my acne for me, like when I have a lot of school work or when a test is coming up, I always begin to break out.” These two quotes display how acne triggers can range from things in your control to things out of your control. As aggravating as it is, unfortunately, it’s true. But thankfully, there are various ways to deal with all kinds of acne.
To find your perfect skin savior, you would have to find out what skin type you have. Common skin types are: oily skin, dry skin, combination, and sensitive skin. Figuring out your skin type will aid in finding the perfect skin regimen for you!
The easiest way to recognize what skin type you have is the “bare-faced method.” This method requires you to wash your face with a gentle cleanser, and wait around 30 minutes after washing without applying anything to your skin. After waiting, your skin will feel one of a few ways. If your skin feels tight or flaky, you most likely have dry skin. If your skin begins to feel greasy and oily, then you clearly have oily skin. If your skin is oily in the t – zone (forehead, chin, and nose) section, but your cheeks feel normal or dry, you have combination skin.
With all the products on the shelves nowadays, nobody ever knows what to pick, especially with social media trying to influence your every purchase! What are the students of Osbourn High School using to keep their skin under control? Adriana Rich stated, ” The products I use to prevent breakouts are two CeraVe cleansers, one containing salicylic acid and one containing benzoyl peroxide.” These products have been proven to be very helpful in preventing acne, with salicylic acid deeply exfoliating your skin, unclogging pores, and minimizing inflammation. Benzoyl peroxide is a topical medication that helps remove cutibacterium acnes. Cutibacterium acnes are bacteria that is a trigger for acne.
To go along with those two products, Leslie Gomez said, ” I actually don’t put anything on my face, I just let the pimples be when I get them. I do use a moisturizer, though, Nivea moisturizing cream. Nivea is a thick and versatile moisturizer. You can use the intensely hydrating cream on your knees, elbows, and even the bottom of your feet!
What products do you use on your face? Talk about it in the comments!
