I just wanted to pass along some knowledge Ive gained from having acne for 30 years and the failures and successes Ive had with certain products.

When I and my family went on a vacation to a very dry part of our country, the air on the long flight added to the 10 days we were in super arid air caused my skin to freak out like never before. My skin was both very dry but oily on the surface and my facewas covered in acne. Cysts, pimples and whiteheads everywhere. Although I had been on Retin-A for over a year at the time, I was still experiencing regular breakouts but this trip made my acne worse than anything I had experienced in my later teens.

I didnt want to go out and do anything while on our trip with my face looking so red and angry. Even the water from the hotel taps burned my skin and each day my breakouts became worse and worse. Of course I couldnt use any Retin-A at the time and I was at a loss at how to try to resolve this. Because I didnt want to go anywhere, I sent my husband to the nearest drugstore to get me some Vichy products. I figured the sensitive skin line would help. I was so wrong. It made the situation worse. I wondered why and concluded that it had to be from the perfumes that Vichy added to almost alltheir sensitive line products. Ok, no perfumed productsthen. One product that seemed to help from Vichy was their Mineral 89 hyaluronic booster. I kept using it. My skin was a touch better the next day and we were on our way to a city. I figured I might be able to find more products there. I went into a Sephora with my dry, peeling skin, greasy t-zone and my crazy breakout and started looking for products with ceramides. I knew enough about my skins natural moisture barrier to be quite sure I had not only compromised it, I had destroyed it. Ceramides are part of a healthy moisture barrier so I searched. I found Dr. Jarts Ceramidin liquid and cream. A lovely Sephora employee offered to help me and she agreed that I needed to repair my moisture barrier and avoid any harsh ingredients, including acids (hyaluronic acidis notreally an acid) and fragrances. She also gave me samples of Dr. Jarts Cicapair serum and cream, a large deluxe sample of Drunk Elephants LaLa Retro Cream with Ceramides and a couple other things. I then asked her about acleanser. I have always felt my cleansers were perhaps a little too harsh so she recommended Rens Evercalm Cleanser and I also picked up their EverCalm Anti-Redness serum. The cleanser hasno soap or surfactants and leaves skin feeling clean but never dry. Ok, I had my arsenal. With my new products I started a new routine. It felt so gentle but boy was it effective. A fewdays before we were dueto returnhome, my skin was feeling so much better, I was amazed.

I continued mynew routine at home and never added back any product with perfume or might be too harsh. The lady at Sephora has suggested that I not even think of exfoliating my skin for at least two weeks and although my skin was peely, I stuck to her advice.

Fast forward to now, I am using my Retin-A and still only using those same products. My skin has NEVER been better, clearer, more comfortable my entire life. Even my in-laws, who notice nothing, commented on how much healthier I looked. I agree. I look healthier without the angry, red skin I always had pre-trip. My skinnow is clear with no redness. The only redness I experience now is when someone comments on my skin and I blush a little 🙂

If you use Retin-A, Differin, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, AHAs, etc, etc to treat your acne, I highly recommend that you get yourself a gentle cleanser (no lather), and try to find a product with ceramides to replace products you were using. I am now convinced that you must have a healthy skin barrier to fight acne. The irony is that most products geared towards acne have the very ingredients that break this barrier down, and the cucle of acne continues. I paid a crazy amount for the products I found but that was because I was so desperate to calm my skin. You can find ceramides in products that wont break the bank. CeraVes products have ceramides and switching to their products wont break the bank. They also have no fragrance added (fragrance seems to damage our skinsmoisture barrier, that includes essential oils...they are so damaging) so theyre perfect products. Using them along with whatever you use to fightacne will help so, so much. I recommend,after your skin has healed and you no longer feel irritation or have redness, exfoliating once a week with a very, very gentle scrub or enzyme product without scent. If you can find a rice powder exfoliant, that works very well and doesnt irritate skin (if it does, you arent ready for it yet, continue using ceramide products longer before trying again). If you prefer a non-physical exfoliant, find a maskthat uses papaya, pineapple, pomegranate enzymes. If that irritates your skin, remove immediately and see if you can leave it on longer the next week, or cut it with a gentle mask that doesnt bother you.

I wish I had before and after pictures but I try to stay as far away from cameras as possible....or I did. With my skin now clear and comfortable, maybe Ill just have to photobomb a few pics here and there.

I hope this helps!!