How Acids Almost Ruined my skin and what I did to reverse it

Acids have been nothing but life- changing for me. It was my last resort during a severe breakout last 2019, but it turned out to be the best skin care decision I have made. I was apprehensive towards acid usage because the word ACID alone scared me, but I had no choice because the skin care products I was using weren't yielding favorable results anymore. In just a week, acids restored my skin to its former glory and for nearly a year now, acids have been part of my daily routine.

However.

Maskne has been plaguing my skin for the last few weeks; it's a problem that doesn't seem to go away so I decided to up my acid usage. One night, I noticed two gigantic zits on my jaw area and I decided to apply a thick layer of Drunk Elephant Framboos Serum, one of my go- to acid products and spot treatments, and the semi-nightmare began: the areas where I applied the acids were burned; the areas looked reddish-brownish in color; they looked extremely unsightly and felt really tender; this was the breaking point of my skin due to excessive acid usage as weeks prior, I have already been noticing that my skin was pretty tender and sensitive even to running water and I had a handful of hives all over my face-those thick layers of acid just sealed the deal.

Initially, I thought that it was stress and mask usage that was wrecking havoc on my skin so I decided to stay at home for one week straight so I can rest my face and minimize the problem, but the problem was still getting worse.

I had a chat with a dermatologist friend and when I shared with her my routine, she pinpointed that my excessive acid usage may be the problem. I use acid everyday and 3/5 products I use on a daily basis have acid in them. Turns out, I've been abusing it.

Excessive acid usage can be bad for the skin even if the concentration per product is low. Because acid is meant to remove the topmost layers of the skin and daily usage can be likened to daily exfoliation. As my dermatologist friend had said, even if it's deemed safe for daily use, it's still best to keep acid usage between 2 to 3 times a week or as needed because of its resurfacing effect. Our skin doesn't need to do turnover everyday and doing so can remove even the healthy portions of the skin, thus leading to sensitivity.

How did I reverse the problem? Here are the steps I took:

1. I stopped acid usage for three weeks.

2. I pared down the skin care products I was using during that time frame; I only retained facial wash, moisturizer, and toner.

3. I used a low pH toner and facial wash during that time and only used a basic, hydrating moisturizer.

4. I even stopped using clay mask for a while because its powerful absorbing properties could suck the moisture my skin needed and could have exacerbated the problem.

5. Actually, I stopped using any form of facial masks that time.

It's been three weeks and I am so glad my skin has gotten better by a huge lot, like 80% better. The burn marks have subsided (I am applying a gentle brightening cream on the burned spots as well) and my skin is generally looking better; not perfect, but I'd rather take better than nothing.

Please take note that the steps I took weren't advised or endorsed by a dermatologist; I have just experimented with a routine backed by nothing but my experience in beauty and my complete knowledge of my skin's behavior. I strongly suggest that if you are having severe skin reactions, it's always best to seek professional medical advise first.

So the immortal life lesson "too much of anything is bad for you" has never been truer in my life and it definitely applies in skin care!

Always remember when using acids: use sparingly, wear sunscreen all the time, and most of all, use only as needed and intended!

I hope this helps you if you are experiencing the same problem!