Saving Face: Winning the Battle Against Adult Acne

Something interesting has been happening to me lately: People have actually been commenting on how good my skin looks. Suggested Reading Suge Knight Claims Tupac’s Mother Made This Shocking Move in His Final Moments Spoilers: Black TikTok Has Theories on Whether Taraji’s Daughter in ‘Straw’ The Unbelievable Reasons Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Got off…

Something interesting has been happening to me lately: People have actually been commenting on how good my skin looks.

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Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?
Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?

Iโ€™m not saying this to gloat; not in any way. In fact, Iโ€™ve been struggling with acne for the majority of my life. And as a soon-to-be a member of the Jackie Robinson Club (read: turning 42), my pimples were defending their reign, just as new fine lines started to etch themselves onto my face.

Any product marketed for acne, Iโ€™ve tried. Everything from Noxzema to acid peels, Iโ€™ve used it. At the very best, some of these products worked for maybe two weeks. Most times, these products not only didnโ€™t work but made my acne worse. At the very worst, I had to resort to getting corticosteroids injected into my most painful pimplesโ€”the ones that almost felt like welts underneath my skin.

In truth, this caused me to feel depressedโ€”it even jump-started my depression at times. And although I thought it was all in my head, as a psychiatrist, I also know that there actually has been a link found between acne and depression.

Many frequent trips to my aesthetician and the dermatologist later, I discovered that prescription Accutane worked wellโ€”but only after two different trials of taking the medication. And taking this medication also meant that I had to have monthly blood draws to make sure that my liver enzymes werenโ€™t elevated and that I wasnโ€™t pregnantโ€”since Accutane can cause birth defects.

Within the last year, things thankfully seemed to finally calm down a bit, but Iโ€™d still notice that I would always get at least one large pimple right before my period. Thatโ€™s when I decided to give oil cleansing a shot. The oil cleansing method is a natural, organic method that has been around for centuries and has its roots in Ayurvedic medicine.

Pimples are caused by excess oilโ€”or sebumโ€”that the seborrheic glands underneath your skin produce when your skin needs more moisture or when theyโ€™re overactive. As counterintuitive as it may sound at first, oil cleansing seeks to restore this balance by providing the oil or moisture that your skin needs, thereby reducing the amount of sebum that your glands are compelled to produce. In theory, oil cleansing should decrease the amount and frequency of breakouts. In my experience, itโ€™s been a godsend.

In keeping with the natural and Ayurvedic route, I recently stumbled upon incorporating turmeric masks into my daily skin-care routine. According to my aesthetician, celebrity skin expert Tina K, when applied to your skin transdermally, the turmeric in the mask calms down any inflammation that your skin may want to manifestโ€”and there can be a lot, since weโ€™re constantly pounded by environmental toxins day in and day out.

The result? On several days, Iโ€™ve actually been able to leave the house and go to work without wearing a lick of makeup, aside from my beloved lip glosses. And for all of you who want to make sure you truly are what you eat, the best part about turmeric masks is that theyโ€™re actually edible, and an ingredient you can use inside and out.

Weโ€™ve extolled the benefits of honey before here at The Glow Up, and adding honey to my masks keeps my moisturized levels at their peak. An extra added benefit is that as a proud, bald black woman for the past 20-plus years, I find that applying honey-and-turmeric masks to my head after I shave has eliminated my razor bumps. (Take note, fellow baldies.)

In my experience as both a patient and a doctor, Iโ€™ve always found that utilizing a combination of Western medicine and more-natural treatments has given me the best success when it comes to any conditions or ailments I might have. Acne can be a real pain to get rid ofโ€”literally. But with a new year nearly upon us, itโ€™s always in your best interest to start thinking about new ways to let your inner glow come through so that the world can truly see you glowed up!

Straight From The Root

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