It’s been a little while since I dedicated a post to my skin and especially my cystic acne. My last post about where I talked about my cystic acne was back in October of last year, where I shared my autumn skincare routine with you. That’s still pretty recent as I still use most of the same products. Anyway, my skin recently has become much better and I feel super happy that I don’t have cystic acne as much as I used to have it before. I am pretty sure that I will have a breakout after publishing this post as I always seem to jinx it but I have made a few changes in life and they have really changed my skin, which leads to me only having the occasional pimple now. Anyway, I thought it might be fun to share a couple of adjustments that have changed my skin for the better over the last few months. I hope these tips might help you too, but every face is different and not everything I mention might help you get rid of your cystic acne either.

Get on an 8-hour sleeping routine

This first thing might seem completely obvious to each and every one of you. I have always known what the biggest cause of my acne is. It’s stress and not getting enough sleep. My sleeping pattern at university is super messed up. I didn’t really have a routine as I didn’t have to go to university most days and spent my nights awake until two in the morning. I tried to change things up and create a day and night routine for myself. It’s funny because as soon as I start to adjust my sleeping routine and am in bed by 10 and wake up early, I already noticed a lot of difference in my skin the first month I adapted this. Everyone needs their beauty sleep and it’s best to get 8 hours of sleep every day of the week. My skin looks better now and I also notice I look a lot healthier in general now that I am getting enough sleep. I now also don’t need an under eye concealer anymore, goodbye concealer, hello to getting enough sleep!

BHA exfoliants

I was always a bit hesitant to use acid exfoliants on my skin. It’s mostly because I was afraid of the reaction I might get from it. It turns out that salicylic acid doesn’t give me any sort of reaction at all and is the perfect contender to combat my cystic acne. Like Caroline Hirons explains in this blog post, BHA exfoliants are extremely helpful if you’re treating a breakout or have clogged pores. Paula’s Choice also mentions that it contains properties to reduce discolouration on your skin, which means it helps with the scars that can sometimes be left on the skin after a breakout. I personally found that the Paula’s Choice BHA exfoliants have been super helpful in clearing up my cystic acne as well as all the discolouration I have had from where the acne used to sit.

Finding products for dehydrated skin

Here’s a funny story, my skin is always described as oily, I am fully aware of that. But I have always been told at the counter that because I have oily skin, I should use products that strip my skin of oil. It’s funny because my skin actually always used to feel super tight if I came out of the shower or washed my face. After some reading I did on Caroline Hirons blog again – she is the actual queen of skincare! – I actually found out that my oily skin actually is dehydrated. Read all about dehydrated skin on Caroline’s blog here. Anyway, I actually found out that my skin is dehydrated and that’s the cause of my breakouts. So as soon as I had a reality check I went on the hunt to find all the products for dehydrated skin.

Avoid cream makeup products

And finally, I had another skin revelation this past month. I have noticed that my skin does not react to cream makeup products well. I had been using a cream contour stick on and off for such a long time. I actually discovered that this led to me breaking out. That’s why from now on, I am going to try and avoid cream makeup products as much as possible. I also tend to avoid putting on heavy makeup such as foundations. I like to wear tinted moisturizers and powder bronzers and highlighters instead.

So these four adjustments in my life, makeup and skincare routine have improved my skin massively over the last two to six months. It’s crazy to think that just a few lifestyle and skincare adjustments can actually improve your skin so much. I hope these tips were helpful for you! I’m not sure if these things might help improve your skin like they did with my skin, but it’s always good to share your experiences with acne online to try and find your own solution for acne.