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What I Wish I Had Known

The advice I wish I had been given when I was 18 about the best way to create healthy, glowing skin.


I was recently asked a question by a client: “What skincare advice would you tell your 18-year-old self?” I love this question and have not been able to stop thinking about it.


When I look back at my 18-year-old self, I see that my love for treating skin already existed. While I did not have access to the internet to watch videos or google information, I was making DIY face masks, saving all my money for a facial, and reading everything I could on skin.


However, what I would tell my 18-year-old self is, “You are doing it all wrong!”


Back then I was drawn to all things harsh, pore purging, and stripping. I was always oily, so I remember having those oil blotting papers in high school and searching for any product that would strip all the oil off my face. Again, wrong! Everything I was doing was only making my problems worse, creating inflammation, and making my skin incredibly vulnerable and unhealthy.


So below are some of the things I would tell my 18-year old self today.



What I Would Tell My 18-Year Old Self Today

Skin

The skin, our largest organ, functions to protect our other organs. That is its job. Our job in caring for our skin is to keep our skin strong and resilient and focus on not breaking down the barrier our skin provides, but instead feeding it ingredients that help strengthen that barrier.

Sunblock

Balance

Moderation

"Skin Cycling"

Stop Picking

Treat Skin Internally

Inflammation

Stress

Medications

So, in summary, I would tell my 18-year-old self to remember that skin is your largest organ and it functions as part of your whole body. To create your healthiest, strongest, most resilient skin, treat it from the inside to the outside. When your skin is not behaving, look at what you are eating, your stress level, and your sleep schedule. Be gentle on your skin. Focus on keeping your skin’s barrier strong and healthy and not destroying it, but instead nourishing it. Cycle in skin treatments to help the skin turn over dead skin cells some nights, take in nourishment some nights, and just rest other nights. Try to not pick! And oh, wear your zinc sunblock everyday!


A Few Favorite Products for Teenage/Young Adult Skin

Below are some of my favorite products for young adult skin. Click on any product for more information.


Products for Repairing the Skin Barrier

If you are taking a strong prescription such as Accutane, the three products that are the absolute best at repairing a compromised skin barrier are:



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