Full disclosure: this is a silly post.
You know how occasionally people will say things like, “Make [x year] the year you get serious about your skincare regimen”? Well I decided to do that in July of 2019. I was in the middle of physical therapy for my degenerative disc disease and I was feeling like there was so much about my health and body that was out of my control, so at the very least I could do this one thing.
I renewed my commitment to drinking more water and I went out and bought facial cleanser and a decent moisturizer with SPF protection. May not sound like much, but you have to understand that until that moment my skincare regimen consisted of literally nothing. I stopped wearing makeup sometime in 2017 after my dog walking business picked up, because I was always just sweating it off anyway, and the only time I could ever remember to do anything to my face was when I would use a light floral toner to wipe my makeup off at the end of the day. No makeup => no toner wipedown before bed => no skincare routine at all.
It never mattered much that I do nothing to my face, because I always stayed out of the sun and I’ve generally just had quite nice skin — the one way in which I seem to have won the genetic lottery. However, by July 2019 it was definitely starting to show that I am a chronically dehydrated 40-something woman who now spends a fair amount of time outdoors.
So that was when I told myself I was going to be serious about skincare, as so many people constantly advised.
This may sound horrifying rather than like the triumph that it is, but I’d like to announce that on the very final day of 2020, I used up the last of that bottle of moisturizer. Only took me slightly less than a year and a half. That’s a big step up from previous attempts to regularly use a moisturizer, which have ended in the product drying out and having to be thrown away before I finished it.
I am beginning the new year with a new bottle of SPF moisturizer and the renewed commitment to drink more water. (And, you’ll be pleased to hear, I’ve actually gone through four bottles of the facial cleanser. I’ve gotten in the habit of using it in the shower.)
Thank you to everyone who is out here reminding the rest of us to take care of ourselves. It’s not only easy to forget, but it’s also easy to convince myself that I’m not worth the effort. You’re doing good work.
Autistic Wordpainter 
Are you pleased with the results?
I’m the same as you (fair skinned, not outside much), except I never wear makeup. Like maybe two times in my life. I never really have used any facial products at all. So my skin has been in pretty good shape, but I suspect menopause is going to affect things a bit. I have acne again from time to time and other parts of my body are very dry.
To be clear, even in my makeup days I was never wearing anything like foundation. Just a dash of eye shimmer, liner, and mascara. I’ve never been able to stand the feeling of makeup on my face. Huge sensory nope. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been a longtime resister against consistently applying moisturizing products. The literal very first thing I did after coming home from my own wedding was to clean my face off — still in my dress and everything. The priority was getting that shit off my skin.
I think I’m maybe not satisfied with the moisturizer I’ve been using, so I’m trying a new one now. It’s hard to tell though. I’ve developed a redness in my cheeks that I’ve never had before (people have always used descriptors like “porcelain doll” to characterize my complexion) and I’m not certain what’s causing it — sun exposure, hormone shifts, autoimmune inflammation, mild allergic reaction to the products I’m using on my face, etc.
I have had a bit less sun exposure this past year because I’ve had less work, so I feel like I can tentatively rule that out. Now I’m going to see if switching moisturizer does anything.
On the whole, the biggest skincare factor I’m still struggling with is hydration. No amount of water consumption seems to be adequate to keep me from showing dehydration symptoms, and it’s really manifesting in the skin of my face. So… the battle is ongoing, but I’m committed to keeping it up. I’m probably too old now to try to skate any longer on my good skin genes.
I inherited good skin from my mother but she encouraged me to use moisturiser from an early age because it is quite dry. I’ve used it every day since my late teens (I’m now 65) and I have to say, I have very few wrinkles and certainly less that most people my age. Just wish the rest of my body was as good 😉
Good for you for keeping up with a good habit for so long! I should have started earlier but here’s hoping I can avoid looking like the Cryptkeeper for a while yet. Like you, the rest of me certainly *feels* ancient!
I’ve always used moisturizer, ever since my sister did an esthetics course when I was a teenager. Now my skin is sensitive, so I use a sensitive skin moisturizer. It’s expensive, but it’s either that or irritated skin. Worth it to me.
Hi Alyssa, it’s Grace (from another lifetime). I’ve been thinking about you and glad to see you’re still blogging ❤
I'm trying to follow your blog, but it's not working; is there something I need to do first?
Oh wait, I was able to follow from this page. Never mind!
Oh Grace! How completely wonderful to hear from you!
I’ve thought of you from time to time and wondered how to reach you. Here you are! ❤