Fast-forward to after the delivery, when my skin calmed down, but I was left with red spots where all of my blemishes had been that would not heal. I tried several things, including Proactiv+ (hated it--dried out my skin even when used every other day), and finally went back to my old standby, Lancome. But, still the red spots. I got some samples of products from Sephora to try, but didn't have much luck with any of them, which is actually fine because of the hefty price tag attached. I hoped that it would just get better, but I was so tired of feeling so icky in my own skin.
Here's a before-bed before picture. So many spots. Also I'm tired.
Then, I stumbled upon this blog post by a Harvard Medical School grad studying to be a dermatologist about this exact problem, and I was so excited! I love how she explains the science behind these products, and why things like exfoliating scrubs can exacerbate the problem. I decided to try it in its entirety because it's a really affordable group of products and YOU GUYS.
It's working! I don't have ANY makeup on in these pictures! I took these in the morning so the light was different, but, man. For reals.
Dark spots take a long time to correct, but two months later, I can tell SUCH a difference in my skin. The spots aren't completely gone, but they're definitely faded a lot. I've tweaked the regimen just a little bit, but still use all the same products and I'm totally a believer.
What I do:
AM--Wash with my Lancome cleanser, moisturize with my Ponds dry skin cream and a layer of the Cerave SPF moisturizer (it's very important to wear sunscreen in general, but especially when using retinol products, and I add more if I'm going to be outside a lot), and eye cream. Every other day, I add a layer of the dark spot corrector under the moisturizer.
PM--I use coconut oil to remove my eye makeup, and switch between cleansing with the Glytone exfoliating cleanser and my Lancome cleanser every other night. I put on the Retinol ResQ treatment and dark spot corrector every night. Sometimes, my skin feels dry enough to use a little Ponds, but not always. I also use an eye cream, and blemish zapper if needed.
I have been noticing that the Lancome has been leaving my skin feeling just a little tight after cleansing, so I'm going to try Glossier's milky jelly cleanser once my Lancome bottle is up because it's gotten rave reviews from dry-skinned bloggers like moi.
For eye cream, I've been trying different ones and am LOVING this rose eye gel. I got a sample from Sephora because I was having a hard time finding one that worked for me under concealer. It's a bit pricey, but it's heavenly so I think I'm going to save up for some, or wait for it to go on sale, or ask for it for Mother's Day. But it smells awesome and is so refreshing that it's worth it!
The best part about all of this, other than the return of my self-esteem and not having to spend a half hour on makeup? It's been two months, and I still have all of the original tubes of everything! The exfoliating wash was the most expensive component of the program, but it's such a big size and you use so little that I anticipate having to replenish less often than every six months. I have at least one month left on both little tubes, and another couple of months left of the moisturizer. I am so happy to have a found such an effective, inexpensive way to feel better about my skin!
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