She said our first step would definitely be to calm the amount of inflammation in my body. To do this I took an antibiotic for 30 days and was prescribed Soolantra for rosacea on my face. She also said that I should switch to simple facial cleanser, body wash and laundry detergent.
The antibiotic worked and the inflammation is gone. I was afraid that after the 30 days of antibiotic it would all come back, but luckily my skin has remained clear. While some of my acne has returned, it's so much better than it was in the past. Soolantra has helped manage the redness in my face, too.
So what else have I done to heal my skin?
1) Cetaphil Gentle Skin CleanserIt doesn't strip my skin but still leaves it feeling clean. I used a small amount in the morning when I wake up to wash my face and I use it at night in the shower after I work out.
2) CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion
I thought it had a funky smell when I first started using it but now I don't even notice. I apply this on my face and neck every morning and night. I also use it on my arms and legs.
My dermatologist had also prescribed a strong hydrocortisone cream for the inflammation on my neck but she said that once it cleared up to not use it every day so now I only use it around once a week and then the rest of the time I use CeraVe.
3) Dove Bar Soap
I haven't ever used bar soap before but I love this one. Just like my face wash I don't feel like it strips my dry skin, but it still leaves it clean and fresh.
4) Significantly Less Stress
I seriously believe that chronic stress played a role in my inflammation this past semester. I'm nervous about going back to school, especially because the first 3 weeks are insanely busy. This summer I've worked really hard to practice meditation/mindfulness and journaling. While I've always journaled, I'm hoping to continue to give myself time to unwind and decompress while at school.5) Better Diet
I was extremely broke the last two months of school and I had a good amount of my school meal plan left. What does that mean? I ate a lot of french fries and ice cream at the Commons (Drury's cafeteria). When I wasn't eating there I ended up eating a lot of pizza or going to Sonic. Obviously this isn't good for anyone, especially someone like me who is used to eating healthy.
I bring my lunch to work every day, 80-90% of what I eat every day is whole foods during the week. On the weekend I'm a bit more relaxed but I still try to eat whole foods a majority of the time.
David's mom got me a Crockpot and a recipe book this summer so I've been highlighting recipes that are easy to make on a tight budget. I'm hoping meal prepping will help me maintain the balanced diet I've had over summer.
6) Vitamins
Recently I've been getting a lot more headaches than I'm used to. I drink ~100+ ounces of water a day so I know it isn't dehydration, so I blame the Missouri heat and humidity. I began taking magnesium supplements at night and a women's multivitamin in the morning. I haven't done this long enough to notice any long term effects but I'm hoping that over time I will.
I go back to the dermatologist in August and in the meantime I hope my skin maintains how it is or continues to improve. At this upcoming appointment she will look at the acne I do have and create a plan on how to treat it without irritating my skin. Overall I'm pretty satisfied but I'm excited to see my skin improve even more over time.
Until next time,
Taylor xx
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