Reflections: Skin Changes

Looking back at my previous posts, I've realized that my skin is completely different from how it was as a teenager.

As a teenager, my face was oily and acne prone. I was heavily obsessed with anti-acne products, some more successful than others. Still, my skincare was relatively simple with emphasis on cleansing, toning and spot treatment. I was not very fond of most moisturisers since oil-free and gel variants weren't part of my vocabulary.




Now, while I still get some zits and thus use some anti-acne products, thanks to time and medications, my skin is now a combination of normal and oily skin. I also have the added concern of preventive anti-aging. While I began using retinoids in my early twenties, it was as an extension of my acne-prone skin. I've found myself layering more products for different purposes. I've gradually increased my use of make-up. I've also become a lot more concerned with how much happiness from a product, aside from its effects on my skin.

I'd never thought that I'd think beyond how effective a product is: I used to think how a product looked and felt was irrelevant. My younger self would be aghast!

Luckily, there are more choices out there for different skin types and problems at different price points. There are new things being developed and released every year. In the Philippines, more foreign brands are entering the market (though some are exorbitant compared to their home country) and local brands are stepping up. There is also the internet, which has made acquiring and appraising products more accessible.

Of course, now that my access to girl world isn't limited by subscriptions to glossy magazines, it probably has played a part in making me more vain. It's also made me more discerning. I spend time looking and researching things, a processes that is both enjoyable and time-consuming.

I know people who have used the same products with the same routine for years and years. While it may work for some people, it's something my current self cannot accept: why stick to the same thing when you have so many choices out there with the shining possibility that it can do better? Of course, experimenting comes with misses, but overall, I've had better skin and hair due to my experimenting.

My skin is changing, and the world is changing too. I'm changing along with it, hopefully for the better.