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Happy first day of spring! It’s probably the weirdest first day of spring ever thanks to COVID-19 / Coronavirus, but here we are none the less. It’s supposed to be sunny in Los Angeles, so at the very least, hopefully I can catch some vitamin d when I take Dino out to go to the bathroom. I have SO much to update you on since my winter skincare routine. Maybe not product-wise, but just information wise!

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Rolla’s Dress (pink version) | Dolce Vita Slide Sandals (old, updated version)

The biggest change for me is that I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. Guess what? IT CAN CAUSE ACNE. I had a hunch that my breakouts were related to gut issues, because 1) my gut was showing weird symptoms and 2) if you look at Chinese face mapping, my place of breakouts are in the gut and intestinal regions. I had me to saw a gastrointestinal doctor at the end of December, who then wanted me to get a colonoscopy asap. I got that done early January and was then diagnosed with UC. I was put on medication around mid-January and have been taking it ever since.

I do think that a huge reason my face has begun to clear up is that my gut is finally healing; however, I don’t think that is the only reason. I’m going to do a whole blog post on adult acne (and one on UC late summer), but I’m not ready to do that yet. Until then, here’s some things I’ve been implementing to help my face and skin.

Strip back your skincare routine to the basics. I mentioned this last time, but you don’t need a big, complicated skincare routine. I cut back on my serums and oils and only recently started adding one back in. I do see the benefit of them, but am slowly working my way back from an insane season of breakouts. More on that another time. If your skin is going crazy, try just cleansing, icing, and a moisturizer. Don’t forgo the moisturizer, because dry skin can actually encourage acne! Keep it plump and moisturized at least once a day - nightly may be your thing, if you don’t want it under makeup.
Watch what you consume. It’s no secret - if you consume a lot of sugar, etc then your skin will most likely show it. I focus more on what to include in my diet vs what to exclude. I love adding lime to my hot lemon water every morning, as it is supposed to help with skin. I also try to drink bone broth at least every other day, as it is a natural producer of collagen. I also seed cycle which is suppose to keep your hormones from going crazy, which is often why you break out in the first place. Seeds also contain vitamins and minerals that are great for you! I also usually eat half an avocado daily, which has good fat and great benefits for your skin + entire body. I do eat sugar, though I try to really consider it before doing so. I have cut sugar out for 6 weeks before and it impacted my skin so well!
Use working from home as a time to treat your skin. If you’re lucky enough to be able to WFH during this COVID-19 / Coronavirus time, use it as a time to invest in your skin! Do face masks, actually cleanse your face, don’t wear makeup, use a jade roller, and so on. I’ve been working from home for almost a year now, so it is definitely something I have taken advantage of.

Here are the routines I have been following:

AM ROUTINE

One Love Organics Easy Does It Foaming Cleanser. Still using this! It is gentle and I love it.
ICE. I just grab an ice cube from the freezer and continually move it around my face, making sure to hit the troublesome spots extra. Don’t leave it on one spot for too long, or it will burn you. I have an ice roller, but use this, just to keep it clean and such. (per my esthetician.) I use my cute BKR ice trays!
Corrective Skincare LA Peeling Lotion. It is an acne medication made of a benzoyl peroxide like mixture (doesn’t actually have it) that helps with resurfacing. I rub a pea sized amount of all of my face. Note that I started using this only a couple times a week and at night only, to build up to using it daily.
Ursa Major Golden Hour Recovery Cream. If I feel like I need a moisturizer, I’ll put this on after the peeling lotion has dried.

PM ROUTINE

One Love Organics Vitamin B Oil Cleanser. I only do this if I wore makeup that day, otherwise, I just use the foaming cleanser alone vs double cleansing.
One Love Organics Easy Does It Foaming Cleanser. Same as AM!
ICE. Same as AM!
Corrective Skincare LA Peeling Pads. These are a mixture of Salicylic Acid (2%) and Glycolic Acid (10%) formulated to improve texture, fade discoloration, reduce the appearance of fine lines and help fade scarring caused by acne by promoting skin cell turnover. Note that I started using this only a couple times a week and at night only, to build up to using it daily. I still only use these at night. I did not start out using them on the same day as the peeling lotion either! That’s a change I made in the last 6 weeks.
Primally Pure CBD Serum. This is new to the lineup! I first started using this every day, but love it so much that use it nightly, after my peeling pad meds have dried. I’ve seen it drastically discolor my redness and reduce angriness of my blemishes. I probably use around 7 drops total a night, so it can last a while. A little goes a long way.I plan to have a blog post out on this in a monthish. Because of this, I never really feel like I need to use a moisturizer, but if I did, I would use the Ursa Major Golden Hour Recovery Cream BEFORE this, as it acts more like an oil than a serum.
Primally Pure Palmarosa and Mint Beauty Cream. If I have an open wound zit (one that has popped), I spot treat it with this moisturizer. It does have oil in it, so you don’t need a ton. I feel like it helps keep the area quarantined and not spread the acne bacteria. I featured this on my November Favorites. Use code ELLEMULENOS for 10% off.

EXTRAS

See an esthetician. Or your dermatologist. They are different, but I prefer derms for things like skin cancer and estheticians for acne, mainly because I don’t want to be put on medication or crazy topicals. I see Maddie at Corrective Skincare LA in Santa Monica every 3 weeks and have been doing so since November. I love going there, because she gets out my clogged pores and closed comedones, which can turn into acne. She also has been doing light peels on me, which helps with lightening scarring and getting medicine deeper into my pores.
Ice regularly. I ice morning and night, but if I have a pimple that is bothering me, I ice it a couple times during the day too.
Wash your face before working out. This may not be right for you, but my esthetician recommended it to me, to keep my face clear of the bacteria that was breaking it out. I usually wash it when I wake up, after I work out, and before I go to bed.
Change your pillowcase at least once a week. I clean my entire bedspread / sheets every 2 weeks, but my pillowcase once a week! Sleeping on dirt and bacteria you don’t even know is there is no fun!
Sleep on a skin happy pillow case. A soft, 100% cotton or silk pillow case will do, but they also satin pillow cases and even some with silver, called Silvon. When I wore a back brace, I had to wear shirts with silver woven in, as it is a natural anti-microbial.
Drink enough water. Seriously do it. I is good for your body, but also your skin. I begin the day with warm water + lemon and lime wedges. I drink from my BKR bottle all day long. Aim for your weight divided by 2 in oz. So if you weigh 100 lbs, you should aim for 50 ounces a day. You need more than that if you are consuming caffeine, alcohol, or sweating/exercising. Water helps flush toxins out of you and keep you hydrated, which directly affects your skin.
Prioritize sleep. Seriously. I have been trying to get 8 hours a night. Your sleep is when your body repairs itself, including your skin.
Use facial tools. I LOVE using my gua sha at night with my CBD Serum. If you have acne be sure to roll over it gently. I try to really work my trouble spots though, not only get the serum in, but also try to drain the area. I also still love to jade roll in the morning! Get 10% off my fave roller here.
Try Nu Derma High Frequency Wand. I spot treat my trouble areas at least once a week, every other day max. It decreases the lifespan of pimples in my opinion! See my review of the product here.
Do Face masks. I use Primally Pure face masks around once a week. My current favorite is the plumping mask, but I reviewed them all here. Get 10% off with discount code ELLEMULENOS. I also still love the Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel. , but am currently out of it.

Here’s a video of everything I just talked about! My LA Tie Dye Shirt is linked here.

As we officially move from winter to spring, there will be a lot of mixed weather, so be sure to tune into your skin and see what it actually needs, not what some article tells you it needs for spring. It will be very interesting for me, as I move into the driest summer my skin has ever known. Hopefully that is a good thing, as sweat has caused some interesting break outs for me ;) Don’t forget to moisturize and know that no matter your skin, a smile can brighten someone’s day. They aren’t looking at your acne or blemishes. They are truly looking at you. If anything, this horrific season of breakouts has made me soft and more kind. MORE LOVE PLEASE!

P.S. My lips have been super chapped lately. I love using BKR Paris Balm and Primally Pure Lip Balm. (Don’t forget to use code ELLEMULENOS for 10% off any Primally Pure product!)