2nd puberty, more boy androgens, acne. Seriously.
When I first started hormone therapy, I couldn’t believe how fast the acne crept up in ways and places it never had before. First the bacne, then the tingling nerve tissue a week prior to clusters of swollen zits surfacing. Finally, I cracked and began using benzoyl peroxide for the first time in my life out of sheer acne-ridden desperation. The pro? It cleared up my acne - significantly. The cons? Have to pile on moisturizer like crazy, otherwise my skin gets all red and flaky. My skin has also become 80xs more sensitive to sunlight.
After a year of the acne.org regiment, I’ve decided to take my light-sensitive clear skin for granted and ween my tender flesh off the benzoyl - and on to a new hippie regiment I hope will work.
So my new regiment, per a friend’s suggestion and passed down via her face doctor mom: 1. Rinse face with gentle cleanser. Let air dry. I’ve been using Dr.Bronner’s gentle castile baby soap.
2. Apply witch hazel. I use little cotton pads to do this, gently. I’ve been using Nature’s Treatments Witch Hazel. This is an astringent, which should help clear my skin. Witch hazel helps to minimise facial pores (less gunk in pores = less acne). It also removes excessive oils from skin, which helps get rid of current acne and prevent future acne. The natural anti-inflammatory properties of witch hazel should also help reduce the swelling and redness that comes with massive puberty zits.
3. Then a thin layer of aloe vera! I use Aloe Life Skin Gel. Apparently there are bundles of soothing properties and antibacterial and anti fungal activities in Aloe Vera. It helps to reduce infection and inflammation and also acts as a moisturiser. Aloe Vera also apparently aids in regenerating damaged tissue, but isn’t an acne solution to cure acne by itself.
4. I let this dry. Then spot treatment with tea tree/lavender oil. I found a combo of the two at Whole Foods from Desert Essence. Basically, spot application of tea tree oil to blemishes can help reduce irritation and bacteria - and lavender oil is a more soothing, healing oil. Double win!
5. Then I apply gentle moisturiser (currently my leftover acne.org moisturizer, then I’m switching to Vanicream Lite Lotion) with a couple drops of jojoba oil.
~FIN~
We’ll see how this goes. I’m hoping that this will work without making my skin all insta-burn sensitive to the sun all summer long. Didn’t enjoy that not one bit last summer. If anyone has any input on the above, let me know!
When I first started hormone therapy, I couldn’t believe how fast the acne crept up in ways and places it never had before. First the bacne, then the tingling nerve tissue a week prior to clusters of swollen zits surfacing. Finally, I cracked and began using benzoyl peroxide for the first time in my life out of sheer acne-ridden desperation. The pro? It cleared up my acne - significantly. The cons? Have to pile on moisturizer like crazy, otherwise my skin gets all red and flaky. My skin has also become 80xs more sensitive to sunlight.
After a year of the acne.org regiment, I’ve decided to take my light-sensitive clear skin for granted and ween my tender flesh off the benzoyl - and on to a new hippie regiment I hope will work.
So my new regiment, per a friend’s suggestion and passed down via her face doctor mom: 1. Rinse face with gentle cleanser. Let air dry. I’ve been using Dr.Bronner’s gentle castile baby soap.
~FIN~
We’ll see how this goes. I’m hoping that this will work without making my skin all insta-burn sensitive to the sun all summer long. Didn’t enjoy that not one bit last summer. If anyone has any input on the above, let me know!
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