My skin is A-LOT clearer than it used to be when I was growing up.

Normally, I wouldn’t speak on this, but because I understand the power and confidence of a clear face/clear skin, particularly for black women and men of lighter complexions, I’ve decided to share my experience and the struggle with finding good products.

When I say struggle, I mean to this day I still have minor issues with breakouts, but it’s nowhere near as bad as it was during my teenage and early adult years.

I have sensitive skin but I don’t get back acne, it’s mostly just my face. While I do have combination skin, my face is mostly oily in the T-zone area.

*Me at* *ABFF Miami 2017* *.... I had a few breakouts in this photo particularly on my nose.*

Sadly in Junior High School, I let a friend talk me into using toothpaste to get rid of acne and I ended up burning my face! I left the toothpaste on overnight. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS - EVER!

I now have a permanent scar on the the right side of my face, under my lip, as you can see in the photo above….

Chile… never again.

Luckily, God had better plans for me, and I was able to clear up the majority of scarring with Cocoa Butter and Aloe Vera Leaves. Today I would use African Shea Butter… as this could’ve been a disaster beyond repair.

Whenever I went to the dermatologist, they prescribed acne medications, made with Retinol and Benzoyl Peroxide.

I despise those medications, now that I know better. The last dermatologist told me I didn’t have an acne issue; I had a skin discoloration issue.

Um…. OK. I never thought I had a discoloration issue, but maybe this is the result of burning my face….

Anyway, before settling on my current skincare products, I used Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask and Purpose Gentle Cleansing Face Wash.

I liked Purpose more than Neutrogena (which had the same ingredients dermatologists prescribed).

But overtime, I felt like these products still weren’t good for my skin. I would get excess sebum and huge open pores after using them.

So I searched for a new product and remembered, in college, my French Professor recommended taking Flaxseed Oil and using Grapeseed Oil on my face. She also recommended Aloe Vera. These are great home remedies, but Aloe is best for healing not necessarily for getting rid of acne.

For instance, years ago, when I slammed my finger in a car door, I used Aloe Vera to heal it completely.

Aloe vera gel and juice can also be injested as a detox.

Flaxseed and flaxseed oil are good for the skin and inflammation. I love this smell of Grapeseed oil. It can be added to cereal or applied as a topical oil on your face and skin, but I wouldn’t recommend doing this every day.

Creams are better than oils and lotion in my opinion. I only use Grapeseed oil on my face, every few months after my Indian Healing Bentonite Clay mask facial.

I love a good facial or natural face mask. If money is tight and I can’t pay for a steam facial service, I’ll purchase a Yes to Cucumber Paper Mask from CVS or Walmart or when I go to the sauna.

My daily routine currently consists of washing my face with Simple Moisturizing Facial Wash and applying Earth To Skin Super Greens Day Gel Cream before leaving my house in the morning, and Super Greens Night Gel Cream in the evening.

I use Dickinson’s Witch Hazel Pore Perfecting Toner as a facial cleanser after work. Witch Hazel is good for healing minor cuts and outbreaks. The toner also gives your face a glow, specifically, when applied before going out in the sun.

EarthToSkin makes great products I love how the cucumber/kale creams, the Super Greens Cucumber Jelly Mask, and the Honey Manuka Day Gel (Face) Cream keep my skin moisturized. The products also last a long time, you don’t need to apply much. Cucumber is great for hydration and shine, puffiness and inflammation, blemishes and anti-aging. Here’s some more benefits.

If I breakout or have blemishes, I’ll use the St. Ives Blackhead Clearing Scrub with Green Tea or the Garnier SkinActive Blackhead Eliminating Scrub with Charcoal exfoliators below. I recently began to use the Freeman Japanese Matcha Cream Detoxifying Cream Mask as well.

However, like the Bentonite Clay and Grapeseed oil, I don’t use these every day. Only every few months when I breakout.

Those are all the topical products I use on my face. However, the major keys to having clear skin is to watch what you eat and not be overly stressed. Some would even recommend you watch how much oil you put in your hair, as oils can lead to buildup and breakouts on your face.

I don’t eat nearly as much junk or fast foods as I used to eat growing up.

I stopped eating chocolate for a long time, and only recently began consuming dark chocolate again.

I don’t eat meat or eggs as a personal choice. These foods stay in your system for long periods of time and lead to other health issues. Meat can cause painful menstrual cycles. Eggs, can lead to inflammation and blood clots.

Cava and Sweetgreen are my go to food spots now.

I drink lots more water - Alkaline. I don’t drink soda, I prefer juice - but not too much! Natural fruit juices are best especially when mixed with Flaxseeds or Chia Seeds.

Because you’ve stayed with me this long - you get to see how my journey’s going.

Here’s photos of me (almost) every year from 2017 to 2024.