I'm like any other girl, I love makeup, I could spend my entire fortune on Sephora, because I just like playing with makeup, I like making my eyes "pop", my lips seem prettier, etc.
But makeup has made me more self-conscious about my acne/PIH! I used to wear makeup sometimes to hide them, but now, I don't go out even for ten minutes without a layer of mineral makeup on and concealer. I don't allow my boyfriend to see me without makeup and when my family says ANYTHING (good or bad) about my skin if I'm not wearing makeup, I cry, because, I think "Damn, they say it's better, but it's still THERE!".
Well starting today I'm going to start not wearing makeup. I'll start slow, first not wearing it while doing small errands, but I hope to be able to attend uni without makeup. I'm tired of depending on makeup to have an ounce of self esteem. I'll keep doing the eye makeup and such but NO foundation!
I'll make this some sort of log.
Anyone else want to join in going makeup-free? Maybe you don't want to entirely get rid of makeup but to once a week give yourself a break, or wear a little less, something?
P.S. I'm not AGAINST makeup, I actually love it, but I'm convinced that weeping in front of the mirror if I have no makeup on isn't healthy, which is why I'm doing this.
. Good luck!
Wow goodluck! 
I'm going to try harder at not wearing make up......
I've succeeded in showing some workmen where our electricity meter is without any make-up on, but I still pretend no one is home when I'm home alone and there's someone at the door 
The next step is the grocery store I guess, haha
OMG GIRL. I'm prettty much in the same boat as you.
Well i'm deffenetly younger, a freshmen in highschool, and in the beginning of the year my acne really wasn't bad, pretty much no scars, perfect young face.
but slowly throughout my freshmennn year my skin has gotten soo bad, i'd say about 4 months ago my hormones went WACK.
i legit could not LEAVE my house without wearing foundation. I remember one weekend where i was fucking congradulating myself because i didn't wear ANY face makeup out in public..to a soccer game where nobody would see me.
starting the acne.org regimen i made a pact to myself to not wear any foundation or anything for as long as possible..of course being an everyday wearer of foundation it was extremely hard to goto school with no foundation, it left me feeling very vulnerable and no confidence.
it's pretty much where i'm at now.. I'm clearing my acne slowly, but the redmarks are there.
I hope this summer i will achieve perfect skin so i won't flinch under the lights at school!!!
goodluckkkkk, know your not alone, i'm currently going through the same thing..
but the deeper we fall, the higher we climb. the harder it is to go out in public with no face makeup and feeling like shit, we will feel 10x better when we are clear.
don't give up hope!! <3
Good luck girl! I've been doing a similar thing with that, by giving up one piece of my makeup each month (yeah I'm lame and need to space it out that much)
April I gave up bronzer
May I gave up liquid foundation
June I'm giving up eyeliner
July I'm giving up powder
August I'm giving up mascara
and then I will be makeup free.
Right now I don't even want to put on makeup because before I wore it to make myself feel pretty...and now I wear it to cover up something emberrassing. My PIH marks have gotten to the point I can still see them under the makeup....and I am sick of washing my face at the end of the day and crying because of how upsetting it is to see it makeup-less.
Afew months ago when I was still in college I went to school with no makeup on and a friend said "you look, like how i'm feeling." - I felt terrible after that comment.
Right now I don't even want to put on makeup because before I wore it to make myself feel pretty...and now I wear it to cover up something emberrassing. My PIH marks have gotten to the point I can still see them under the makeup....and I am sick of washing my face at the end of the day and crying because of how upsetting it is to see it makeup-less.
Afew months ago when I was still in college I went to school with no makeup on and a friend said "you look, like how i'm feeling." - I felt terrible after that comment.
Sounds like a crummy friend. Or maybe you were dressed messy and that's what she/he meant?
Anyway, if the comparison between made up/not made up is that stressing for you, I'd say don't wear the makeup. Do something else to make yourself feel good. Get a manicure, put on some fun earrings, do whatever you need to feel gorgeous. We all have a hard time seeing our beauty, but it is there. Surround yourself with good energy and you will see it, too.
I stopped wearing makeup (for the most part) a few months ago. I stopped because I am trying to heal my skin and I know makeup cannot be helping the cause. I still have worn it of course for "special occasions", like going on a date, my birthday dinner, being in a friend's wedding, etc. But on an everyday basis, I go totally bare faced.
I felt very self conscious the first few days, especially going into work without makeup. Most people I work with are much older than me so their acne days are well behind them, I'm one of the very few people there who has problem skin. But here's the thing. No one has ever mentioned it, no one treats me any different... actually if anything I would say certain female coworkers are now a little bit nicer to me.
Sooo two days with no makeup.
First day, people did notice 
( I had some a-holes tell me things like "What's with your face?" or "You need to stop picking". My sister said I looked gross, etc. I got home and cried for an hour.
Today, a friend of mine said "hey, your skins's looking real soft and just so much better. Your marks are going away real fast" and asked me what I did to fix them ) It was nice I guess.
I had some a-holes tell me things like "What's with your face?" or "You need to stop picking". My sister said I looked gross, etc.
🙁
I know the reactions. When I once mentioned how bad my acne was getting to my best friend, he said something like 'How come? Haven't you been washing your face??' 
But really, don't let stupid comments from people who don't know a thing about acne stop you from going out barefaced. I'm starting my summer job as a waitress at a 5 Star hotel, and I don't think I can go to work without any make-up on.... 
but I'm definitely going to wear as little as possible.
Keep going! 
I'm like any other girl, I love makeup, I could spend my entire fortune on Sephora, because I just like playing with makeup, I like making my eyes "pop", my lips seem prettier, etc.
But makeup has made me more self-conscious about my acne/PIH! I used to wear makeup sometimes to hide them, but now, I don't go out even for ten minutes without a layer of mineral makeup on and concealer. I don't allow my boyfriend to see me without makeup and when my family says ANYTHING (good or bad) about my skin if I'm not wearing makeup, I cry, because, I think "Damn, they say it's better, but it's still THERE!".
Well starting today I'm going to start not wearing makeup. I'll start slow, first not wearing it while doing small errands, but I hope to be able to attend uni without makeup. I'm tired of depending on makeup to have an ounce of self esteem. I'll keep doing the eye makeup and such but NO foundation!
I'll make this some sort of log.
Anyone else want to join in going makeup-free? Maybe you don't want to entirely get rid of makeup but to once a week give yourself a break, or wear a little less, something?
P.S. I'm not AGAINST makeup, I actually love it, but I'm convinced that weeping in front of the mirror if I have no makeup on isn't healthy, which is why I'm doing this.
I feel the same exact way. Makeup made my family and friends think my acne wasn't as bad as it really was. I feel like I'm hiding a secret sometimes. I would deliberatly go out without make up just so that the world could see the truth! But then I would wind up looking in the mirror and thinking "wow, I really should be wearing foundation right now. I'm definitely not one of those girls who can go out without foundation!"
Now I promise though, that as soon as I'm clear, I'll go out without makeup all the time. Even if the red marks are still there. I don't care.
Good for you! Maybe one day I will be that brave!
I'm like any other girl, I love makeup, I could spend my entire fortune on Sephora, because I just like playing with makeup, I like making my eyes "pop", my lips seem prettier, etc.
But makeup has made me more self-conscious about my acne/PIH! I used to wear makeup sometimes to hide them, but now, I don't go out even for ten minutes without a layer of mineral makeup on and concealer. I don't allow my boyfriend to see me without makeup and when my family says ANYTHING (good or bad) about my skin if I'm not wearing makeup, I cry, because, I think "Damn, they say it's better, but it's still THERE!".
Well starting today I'm going to start not wearing makeup. I'll start slow, first not wearing it while doing small errands, but I hope to be able to attend uni without makeup. I'm tired of depending on makeup to have an ounce of self esteem. I'll keep doing the eye makeup and such but NO foundation!
I'll make this some sort of log.
Anyone else want to join in going makeup-free? Maybe you don't want to entirely get rid of makeup but to once a week give yourself a break, or wear a little less, something?
P.S. I'm not AGAINST makeup, I actually love it, but I'm convinced that weeping in front of the mirror if I have no makeup on isn't healthy, which is why I'm doing this.
I feel the same exact way. Makeup made my family and friends think my acne wasn't as bad as it really was. I feel like I'm hiding a secret sometimes. I would deliberatly go out without make up just so that the world could see the truth! But then I would wind up looking in the mirror and thinking "wow, I really should be wearing foundation right now. I'm definitely not one of those girls who can go out without foundation!"
Now I promise though, that as soon as I'm clear, I'll go out without makeup all the time. Even if the red marks are still there. I don't care.
I'm like any other girl, I love makeup, I could spend my entire fortune on Sephora, because I just like playing with makeup, I like making my eyes "pop", my lips seem prettier, etc.
But makeup has made me more self-conscious about my acne/PIH! I used to wear makeup sometimes to hide them, but now, I don't go out even for ten minutes without a layer of mineral makeup on and concealer. I don't allow my boyfriend to see me without makeup and when my family says ANYTHING (good or bad) about my skin if I'm not wearing makeup, I cry, because, I think "Damn, they say it's better, but it's still THERE!".
Well starting today I'm going to start not wearing makeup. I'll start slow, first not wearing it while doing small errands, but I hope to be able to attend uni without makeup. I'm tired of depending on makeup to have an ounce of self esteem. I'll keep doing the eye makeup and such but NO foundation!
I'll make this some sort of log.
Anyone else want to join in going makeup-free? Maybe you don't want to entirely get rid of makeup but to once a week give yourself a break, or wear a little less, something?
P.S. I'm not AGAINST makeup, I actually love it, but I'm convinced that weeping in front of the mirror if I have no makeup on isn't healthy, which is why I'm doing this.
hey, I know exactly how you feel! I went through a time when my acne was so bad it was just impossible not to go out without thick liquid concealer and foundation. My confidence was badly affected and I would never let my boyfriend see me without makeup. There were even days back in uni when I missed out on really important classes just because I thought my acne made me look so ugly. There were lots of tears and thank goodness I've gotten through that. My acne isn't very bad now but I still carry on wearing concealer and foundation.
I'm going to give what you're doing a try but not completely stop wearing makeup. Instead, I'll try using lighter makeup, going for powder concealer instead of thick liquid foundation, which I know never looks very natural if overdone.
Just know that you're NOT ALONE and you can get through this!
Ok. So, today was my first day without any concealer or foundation at all!! And worse than that...my face is more broken out this week than it has been in months. I am at WORK. Usually, I don't even go to the store without at least a swipe of bare minerals foundation. I am 33 and suffered from adult acne for over 10 years. People who haven't experienced it have no idea how hard it is do deal with and they chalk it up to being vain. While there might be some truth to that statement it is much deeper than that. Along with my lovely cheek acne I am Italian and dark complected so, I have dark circles under my eyes which I would normally use concealer on. But since I have decided not to wear foundation I can't use the concealer because there is nothing to blend the color or even out the skintone:( I was prescribed Solodyn yesterday and took one pill but am afraid of the long term side effects. Anyway, if anyone else out there is brave enough to go without makeup-and actually has bad skin...please post. I loved going without it in the summer when my face was even and tan...but this...this is depressing.
I normally don't wear makeup. Only for pictures, videos I make, special events, etc.
Other than on camera (where it helps hide the acne) I actually have far worse anxiety over my acne when wearing makeup than without. This is because I have yet to find anything that can cover my cystic acne nodules. You just can't hide a massive lump coming out of your face because you make it the same color of your skin,
Here is how it works in my mind (regarding how people see me).
Me without makeup: Look at that poor girl with horrid skin.
Me with makeup: Look at that poor girl with horrid skin--and her pathetic attempt to cover it with that caked on makeup.
I feel ugly either way, but at least I don't feel pathetic when my skin is bare.
During times my skin has been clear, I loved playing with makeup. I miss that.
I normally don't wear makeup. Only for pictures, videos I make, special events, etc.
Other than on camera (where it helps hide the acne) I actually have far worse anxiety over my acne when wearing makeup than without. This is because I have yet to find anything that can cover my cystic acne nodules. You just can't hide a massive lump coming out of your face because you make it the same color of your skin,
Here is how it works in my mind (regarding how people see me).
Me without makeup: Look at that poor girl with horrid skin.
Me with makeup: Look at that poor girl with horrid skin--and her pathetic attempt to cover it with that caked on makeup.
I feel ugly either way, but at least I don't feel pathetic when my skin is bare.
During times my skin has been clear, I loved playing with makeup. I miss that.
I can understand that-but at the same time I still felt better with the makeup. It's not even JUST the acne (although that is the worst) but I feel like I look weird and sickly without my undereye concealer. I KNOW I do. Two people asked me if I was ok today!!! LIke I am so disgusting I must be ill or something. I guess I am always self conscious about it but now I can't even look people in the eye. There is something wrong with me obviously. 
You go girl!!! That's huge bravery on your part. I am proud and it's not even my decision. I wish I could get to that point, I'm just too dreadfully obsessed with my appearance to allow myself to go out in public looking the way I do. I have quite a confidence that a lot of my acne is aggravated by makeup though, so you might actually notice a lot of improvement!!!
I normally don't wear makeup. Only for pictures, videos I make, special events, etc.
Other than on camera (where it helps hide the acne) I actually have far worse anxiety over my acne when wearing makeup than without. This is because I have yet to find anything that can cover my cystic acne nodules. You just can't hide a massive lump coming out of your face because you make it the same color of your skin,
Here is how it works in my mind (regarding how people see me).
Me without makeup: Look at that poor girl with horrid skin.
Me with makeup: Look at that poor girl with horrid skin--and her pathetic attempt to cover it with that caked on makeup.
I feel ugly either way, but at least I don't feel pathetic when my skin is bare.
During times my skin has been clear, I loved playing with makeup. I miss that.
I can understand that-but at the same time I still felt better with the makeup. It's not even JUST the acne (although that is the worst) but I feel like I look weird and sickly without my undereye concealer. I KNOW I do. Two people asked me if I was ok today!!! LIke I am so disgusting I must be ill or something. I guess I am always self conscious about it but now I can't even look people in the eye. There is something wrong with me obviously.
I totally understand that feeling. That was one of the things that led me to believe I have some form of body dysmorphic disorder. The acne is just the easy thing to focus on. But as a teen, before I had acne, I felt completely terrible about myself. I couldn't understand why my eyes looked so tired and awful all the time. People would always ask me if I was tired, or say things like "you look like you had a hard day." And I'd be like WHY? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? It pisses me the hell off when people make comments like that.
That's why I'm working more on my self esteem and anxiety/bdd issues now. Because I'm working hard to make my skin better but I realize that once I do, I'll be hit with the other things that I think make me ugly--many of them that I cannot change.
I have also gone makeup free about a month now! Before I was using mineral makeup as well just to smooth it over. Then I got this horrible dermatitis all over my
Face and the more makeup I'd wear made it look worse.
So I cut the make up out and the first few days where tough wth co workers asking me all these questions. But now my dermatis is gone I just have some light scarring, and no more makeup.
You go girl!!! That's huge bravery on your part. I am proud and it's not even my decision. I wish I could get to that point, I'm just too dreadfully obsessed with my appearance to allow myself to go out in public looking the way I do. I have quite a confidence that a lot of my acne is aggravated by makeup though, so you might actually notice a lot of improvement!!!
Thank you! I appreciate the encouragment and I certainly need it. I cried so much yesterday that now my eyes are puffy and swollen:( Not a good combo when no concealer or foundation!! But I assume it can only get better. I too am very obsessed (to the point I am ashamed) with how I look. I always knew it was a big part of my life but never realized it could cripple me emotionally in this way. I have been taking photos....not sure if I am brave enough to post them-but we'll see. Thanks again for the post. We are so much more than our looks-I talked to a student over the phone yesterday (I work for a University) I had obviously had a rough day being in public with my gross acne all day and she just put a smile on my face the entire 30 minute conversation. I had no idea what she looked like but in my head she was beautiful...wish we could see in ourselves what we see in others.
I decided that enough was enough more than week ago - I wasn't going to live my life covering up my skin with tinted moisturisers, foundations. Ever since using tretinoin and going through a nasty period of purging, I have been using skin makeup to cover my skin on bad days. Now that my skin is better, I've decided that I'm going to stop using all this makeup.
Well I succeeded not wearing any makeup AT ALL for the past 10 days
Which is a personal milestone for me, considering that I went through a rather traumatising initial breakout for the first 4-5 months or so. It's like my skin was so bad during the IB that I still have haunting memories and images of that whenever I look at my face in the mirror. Now that I'm heading towards 8 months, I've decided that I'm not going to use makeup anymore at least for the month of December through all the festivities, activities, socialising and celebrations. It's really going to be a big step for me. It's like I'm going all bare-faced and I feel naked and insecure - well it's time for me to face my fears head-on!
During weekends for the past few months, I always wore foundation whenever I'm meeting groups of people but today, I wore none. It was a little nerve-wrecking. But I managed to have a decent time with my friends. Just came back home from the meeting and I'm typing this.