I was staring at my scarred, bumpy skin in the mirror and I can legit remember the moment that I prayed, "God if you give me clear skin, I promise I won't wild out and I'll sit down and be humble!" That was literally the prayer and it's high key working. My SKINspiration Transformation started way before quarantine (initially April 2018, keep reading) but that's about the time when I noticed how much it was really flourishing. I was bored and heavy on my self-care. I perfected my skincare routine and made sure if there was anything I did, it would be to take care of myself and my skin.
My Why
Before I tell you what products I use and what I continue to have great skin, I want to share the three things I decided before I even developed a skincare routine and stuck with it. The first thing I did was decide that I'm committed. I made a commitment to myself and to my skin that I would try my hardest to work on making it better and not be lazy with my routine. No excuses. The next thing I did was decide that I would look in the mirror and come to terms with the state of my skin and love it regardless of how it looked. I assessed my skin and knew that the main thing that bothered me were the dark spots. So I started there. That was my main focus. I also knew the texture of my skin was a problem for me so I had to work on that as well. The third thing I decided was that I would be consistent. I didn't care if I was tired or lazy, my skincare routine had to be done, morning and night. Eventually, it became something I looked forward to instead of something that I dreaded.
My Support System
The day I initially turned it all around was in 2018 when I had just finished getting a facial from Kay at Skincraze. She literally spoke life into me and treated my skin with TLC. She made me feel beautiful just by sharing how to take care of my skin and how to see myself in a whole new light. She was one of the many people in my support system. My family and close friends were the main ones who held me down and were supportive, non-judgemental, and helpful during my level up which made it easier to simply be me: makeup or not. I'd be remiss if I didn't shoutout my friend Sherita who basically told me to stop wearing makeup and to just let my skin breathe. The day I did this (I had just gotten back to work from a facial on lunch break) I walked back into the office and I was shaking in my boots. The gag is, no one was concerned about me wearing makeup except for me. It even took Sherita by surprise when we chatted that day! And I can't forget when my sister Ericka told me to love myself and record self-affirming affirmations and to say them in the mirror. I took that to a whole 'notha level and recorded myself speaking highly of myself to myself and I even wrote a blog post about it. Even my BFF, Lovah aka Dee Blanc, made a light joke that I had leopard spots to put me at ease with embracing my skin and not feeling so overwhelmed and anxious about how I saw myself.
My Skincare Rules: Do's & Dont's
- DO pray or say affirming words over your skin as you do your skincare routine. This helped me keep a positive outlook and stay encouraged to keep going. You gotta speak it into existence while doing the work.
- DO assess the situation. Coming to terms with the state your skin and making the decision to try to figure out a way to make it better will work once you pinpoint what your skincare concerns are.
- DO document your journey, Don't expect overnight results. You will see the results overtime. I promise I didn't really realize how much my skin changed until I compared it to my pictures from a year ago. Try to focus on how your skin looks overall instead of pinpointing certain parts. For example, you decided dark spots are the main problem that you want to target. Target all darks spots not just the ones on your cheek if you have them all over your face.
- DO stay committed AND consistent with your regimen. It is imperative that you do both.
- DON'T touch your face with dirty hands. I used to pick my skin as a nervous and anxious habit. I'm not sure what I did to not do this anymore but I only put my hands in my face to do my skincare routine. That's it. Every now and then I'm tempted to pick but the less I touch my face the less bumps I get. That's what helps me remember it's a no go.
- DON'T hold your phone up to your face. Use headphones, AirPods, or talk on speakerphone. I also clean my phone as often as possible. Pre-COVID I was already cleaning my phone almost everyday.
- DON'T listen to everything everybody tells you about what to use on your skin. The reason I tried so many things is because I listened to what everyone said worked for their cousin/auntie/mom. Everything ain't for everybody. Skincare included. Stick to a couple of trusted sources from a skin expert, esthetician or dermatologist. Maybe a friend that has similar skin type or the same problems, but definitely not just because someone just has clear skin. The reason I say this is because everything might not be good for your skin. You will know what works because you will use it and apply it daily. Give it time. Do what's best for your skin.
- DON'T wear makeup unless you absolutely have to. A lot of people told me this but the one person I finally listened to was my friend Sherita. She had suffered with similar skin problems and told me that my skin needed to breathe. I finally took heed and one day just stop wearing makeup unless it was absolutely necessary. I used to hide behind it and never gave my skin a break. Now, you can barely get me to wear anything but sunscreen and lip balm! I love makeup but now I love my skin even more. I challenged myself to love my skin just how it was and look at me now!
Skincare Products That I Use
Beautycounter
Counter+ All Bright C Serum
Counter+ Overnight Resurfacing Treatment
Bio Oil
Multiuse Skincare Oil
Black Girl Sunscreen
Dove
Beauty Bar
La Roche Posay
Vitamin C Serum
Retinol B3 Serum
Hyalu B5 Serum
Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum
Natural Glo (Not Pictured)
Rose Toner
Glo Facial Bar
Creamy Aloe Bar
Urban Skin Rx
Even Tone Cleansing Bar
Clear Skin Cleansing Bar
Pumpkin Pore Detox Mask & Scrub
Acne & Blemish Control Mask
Retinol Rapid Repair & Dark Spot Treatment
Ole Henriksen
Glow2OH Dark Spot Toner
Peter Thomas Roth (Peptide 21)
Lift & Firm Moisturizer
Amino Acid Exfoliating Peel Pads
Tea Tree Oil
for breakouts and to dry out bumps
My Skincare Routine
Morning Routine (Cleanser, Mask (2/week), Toner, Serum, Sunscreen)
Nighttime Routine (Cleanser, Mask (2/week), Toner, Dark Spot Corrector, Moisturizer or Bio Oil)
Skinspiration Gallery
Scroll through and view my skincare journey. Remember it takes time but it all starts with the decision to make the change you want to see for yourself.
Photos by Month/Year: Current- January 2021, December 2020, October 2020, March 2020, December 2019. August 2019, January 2019, August 2018, June 2018, April 2018, August 2017
Right now, I love the skin that I'm in but that wasn't always the case. It has been such a long and arduous journey, however, I'm very grateful to be in this current phase of my life. I remember when I hated my skin and let my acne scars and hyperpigmentation define who I was. At that time, I hated myself and hated looking in the mirror. It took a while to come to terms with it but when that shift happens it is ah-mazing! Please note, I did A LOT of internal work. Yes, my main focus was outside (my skin) but I'm here to tell you what most people won't: Healing almost always starts within. So be encouraged, stay positive, trust the process, and be kind to yourself and your skin. You wont regret it!
Shop the Post
Beauty Counter, LeeLuu Cosmetics, and Natural Glo all linked here!
Q&A
Q: How to look like a glazed donut?
A: Moisturize. Black Girl Sunscreen has the best sunscreen moisturizer formula, hands down!
Feel free to comment on this blog post and ask any questions you may have!
Thank you Shalanda and LaToya. I cannot reply directly but I am grateful for your stories! I’m here to let you know you can do this! I’m so glad that I can inspire you. Please keep me posted on your journey and let me know if there’s anyway I can help! ❤️🥰
Thank you so very much for sharing your post and being so vulnerable. I have always admired your spirit since our days at Align. Last year, I got so fed up with my skin that I started researching more and had some come to Jesus moments as well. I have done some of the things you suggested like, pray, affirmations, being consistent and committed and let me tell you, the love and confidence I have for myself has gone through the roof. My hubby also has been my biggest support and it made the journey much more worthwhile. I currently break out once per month and if and when I go outside because what's outside without a mask 😷. I…
Thank you so much for sharing! The pandemic forced me to come up with a skin routine once I stopped wearing makeup. I mean what was the point when I was home all the time. I’m back at work now and mask acne is real and now I have to adjust my routine again! plan to incorporate Bio Oil at night because of its great for scars. I’d also forgot about Urban RX. I want to try one of their cleansers.