Witch Hazel

I want to talk about a product I have finally gotten around to trying and so far have been pleased with: Witch Hazel. 

Okay, so witch hazel is something I’ve always read a lot about/heard about in people’s vlogs that was supposed to be some kind of miracle product for acne-prone skin.  I never bought into it until recently because I figured I’d seen enough about it from so many others, I should at least give it a chance.  I picked up Dickinson’s Witch Hazel Pore Perfecting Toner at Walmart for something like $4 or $5 for a 16 fl oz bottle.  It says it’s 100% natural, but some people make a big deal about it containing alcohol since that is very drying/irritating for difficult skin types.  Let me just say, I know a lot of people think rubbing alcohol is great for cleansing/toning zits, but it’s really not a good idea.  It’s too harsh and actually does the opposite of what you are looking for.  It dries out the skin too much, causing it to overproduce oils to compensate, and for acne-sufferers, that can cause more pimples in turn.  Because my dermatologist gave me this info and told me to keep alcohol off my face, I was kind of worried about the Witch Hazel toner.  However, the ingredients lists that it contains “Natural Grain Alcohol 14%,” which I don’t know the difference anyway, but somehow that sounds better to me.  The bottle also says that this product is “oil-free” and “non-drying for all skin types,” as well as having “NO HARSH CHEMICALS.”

Sorry about the quality of my pictures. Just have to deal with it for now, or for ever.

This product is supposed to gently cleanse and condition your pores to maintain clear, smooth, and balanced skin.  It says it will “refine pores, remove and control oil, soothe irritation, and lock in moisture,” and it is supposedly dermatologist recommended, but what bottle doesn’t say that anymore? The directions say you can use it daily after cleansing and before applying any treatments.  For best results, it says to use it in the morning to “prepare” and in the evening to “repair.” 

I have been using the witch hazel for a week, which is still a little soon to be sure, but I really feel that it has been a big help for my skin’s outbreaks so far.  I originally wanted to try this product because, although I have dramatically combination-type skin, it has been more oily than anything lately and it feels disgusting.  I seriously have to blot more times than I can count in a day.  Since this was supposed to remove and control oil, of course I wanted to see for myself because every so-called “mattefying” product I’ve ever had my hands on has been a LIE. 

After using this product up to this point, I wouldn’t say my oil issue is completely under control, but it has made a difference in the shiny appearance of my face.  I’ve noticed that the shine shows up a lot later in the day now since using this product, whereas before my face would be shiny just an hour after getting up and ready for the day. I want to attribute that result to this product, but I started using Olay’s Foaming Face Wash for combination/oily skin at the same time, so maybe the two together is what does the trick.  Before I had been using the same face wash, but for sensitive skin.

Anyway, when I began using these products a week ago, I had at least two cystic bumps on my chin and one on the side of my nose (that had been resilient for at least a week prior), along with a couple normal zits on my cheeks, and a lot of those tiny goosebump type pimples pretty much all over my chin/mouth area.  Those aren’t a big issue since they aren’t usually too noticeable, but they are more annoying than anything because they never seem to go away.  The tiny bumps were the first to disappear, then the normal non-difficult ones, and the cystic bumps on my chin and nose are completely gone. It’s been a big surprise for me and very satisfying.  My skin isn’t 100% clear or anything.  It’s that time of the month that I should be breaking out pretty badly, but I have one bump on my temple and maybe a tiny pimple on my cheek and that’s it.  It’s awesome how quickly I’m seeing such significant results and I hope it keeps up.  I still have dark spots from old pimples that need fading and I heard witch hazel helps with that, but I’m sure it takes more time.  I don’t mind using a little foundation for those spots though—much less of a pain than trying to cover actual acne.  If I only have to put up with a bump here and there, I’m happy. 

Acne Struggles

I  haven't posted in a while because I've been very consumed with school and summer plans the past couple of weeks. Last week was finals. I'm on my first week of summer now. I go back to class next week for one day a week before I get another break in late June. So now that I have time to post again, I want to talk about my past with acne. It's been a problem for me for years and it's something people who struggle with it don't really talk about because it's embarrassing.  But I think it helps, no matter what the issue is, to keep a healthy, open dialogue about it and not try to hide things away.

I don't know when my acne started. I feel like I've had it forever, but it was never much of an issue until high school, around my sophomore year.  I went through just about every acne-prone skin product on the shelf. For a while, a certain line of products would work well, but eventually I would begin breaking out again. I used Neutrogena products for the longest time consistently, but even they began to wear off in effectiveness.  I would say that acne has definitely contributed most to my poor self-esteem because it's hard to maintain confidence when you can't have one day of clear skin. Everyone looks at your face. It's one thing you can't hide while still keeping up relations with people. I will admit, I got pretty good at using makeup to hide my acne. It never looked as bad as it truly was because I could cover most of it up.  It felt disgusting to have to paint on a new face every day, though, and I got very tired of that routine.  It added an extra hour for me getting ready in the morning.  At my worst stage of acne, make up wasn't enough to cover the mess anyway.

At the end of my freshman year of college, I went home for the summer and immediately experienced the worst breakout of my life. It was relentless throughout the entire month of May. Nothing was helping and it only got worse each day. I became a shut-in and refused to do anything but stay home alone. I had nearly 12 cystic pimples along my jawline and cheeks and more moderate acne all over my face. Finally, I was able to see a dermatologist in June.

My dermatologist said I had moderate to severe acne that probably never would have gotten that out of hand if I had seen him to take care of it sooner. He said that for many acne-prone women, changes in hormones around the late teens & early 20s can mean that the old products that used to work in our early teens will no longer be effective. I needed stronger medications. So he gave me a prescription for Solodyn, an oral antibiotic (minocycline), & a different topical treatment for day & night-- Acanya and Atralin.  I was on Solodyn for 2 months, and by the end of the first month, my existing acne had cleared. By the end of the treatment, I had no new pimples and only some dark spots leftover.  It was amazing.

I was weary of side effects from the antibiotic, but I was willing to try anything at that point. I didn't end up experiencing any horror-story side effects, maybe slight headaches/fatigue, but nothing unbearable.  I also had to stay out of the sun entirely, so that made my summer pretty boring, but sooo worth it. It's been almost a year, and since then I have kept up with using the topical gels. I have had basically an entirely acne-free year. I've been so happy with the results. I never thought I would get to know what it's like to have consistently clear skin. I'm sorry this sounds like such a proactiv infomercial. I'm not trying to get you to go on Solodyn or buy any products. I'm just saying, true life, this worked for me and I'm so glad I went through with it.

However, recently I've been noticing my face beginning to break out again. I got kind of stressed out during finals for whatever reason.  When I get anxious, I pick at my face, so that only made matters a lot worse. Right now my skin is at the worst it's been since it cleared up on the Solodyn last year. It's no where near as bad as it was before I was on the medication, but I'm afraid if I let it go and wait around again, it will come back full force. I never want to go back to that kind of acne. It's painful and it makes life miserable. So I've contacted my dermatologist again asking for another round of Solodyn. I figured when I started this a year ago, if I did end up getting results, they wouldn't be lasting. It lasted a lot longer than I expected though. It was nice being able to get through a year of school without worrying once about my gross skin. I had a nearly flawless sophomore year of college and I'm hoping my skin will clear up again before junior year!