facial care routine - for acne prone skin

Ever since I can remember, my skin has had issues. I felt I was never without a breakout or two or three. my skin got a little better in my early twenties, but adult acne hit full force by my mid-twenties. hashtag unfair. I had some hormonal imbalances that led to quite a myriad of issues; one of which was borderline cystic acne. I read every article and tried (nearly) every trick known to man to clear up my skin, but nothing seemed to help. in october/november of 2014, after spending $200 on the latest "acne banishing skin care line" which just made my skin worse, I decided that something had to give. so I stopped washing my face. yep. within 1-2 weeks, my skin began clearing up. I held my breath for months expecting my breakouts to return, but they didn't. and they haven't. my skin is so not perfect, and yes, I do get a breakout here and there. but it is absolutely nothing like the constant acne I had had most of my life. 



over a year later, my routine is still very similar to what I started back in late 2014. I have changed up a few things here and there based on my skin's needs as the seasons change. 

my facial care routine for acne prone skin: 

// gently remove makeup with a warm, soft cloth (i use these or these). remove eye makeup with a cotton pad + jojoba oil (or other oil).

// apply some thayers rose petal witch hazel to a cotton pad to finish removing any leftover makeup and to tone the skin. this witch hazel is a wonderful toner sans alcohol, so it isn't drying like most toners. I really feel that this is a key step. 

// moisturize with a simple, non-comedogenic oil. because my skin had so many breakouts, I chose jojoba oil (there are many others that would work just fine) and I added a couple drops of oregano essential oil to 2 ounces of the jojoba oil. oregano essential oil is antiviral and antibacterial - perfect for helping clear up breakouts. it is also considered a "hot" oil, so please use caution when applying to the skin.

the key with this regime is to give your skin a break from chemicals and comedogenic oils. many people use coconut oil because it is cheap and trendy, but it does clog pores for most people. 

in addition to this routine, I also lead a fairly healthy lifestyle. I eat clean most of the time. I have eliminated all parabens from my skincare and makeup. I drink a decent amount of water every day. I avoid soy products. blah blah blah

I will share more about my current skin care routine at another time. a lot of it is the same, but i've changed a couple of things as my skin doesn't have as many breakouts and tends to be dry now (especially post baby). for those of you battling skin issues like I have or for those searching for a simple and clean skincare routine, I hope this has inspired you.