The impact of good skin

[JMAngel1]

Just a musing really but I always had bad skin since the age of 13 - oily, broken capillaries, acne, rosacea.
The impact on my life bas been huge - zero self confidence, bad relationships, too much preoccupation with appearance, dropping out of sports, never swimming, thousands of pounds on products, projecting a certain glam image when I have only ever wanted to look girl next door pretty.
I'm 47 now and for the last week or so, I have left the house with just bronzer, mascara and lip gloss - I feel like I could fly with happiness!
It's been a long road but I finally have a diet/supplement/skincare regime that's working - I still have some scarring and redness in places but nothing major to cover compared to the red hot Vesuvius mess my face used to be.
To all of you who wake up without giving your skin a second thought, please understand how lucky you are.

Ah same age, had spots as teenager, now roscaea. Similar issues you describe and still hate the thought of people looking at my skin.
Just bought more heavy make up in fact, but trying to work on getting a sckincare/diet combo to work to get a nice clear face for once, although the wrinkles have now set in!!

Please could you share your successful combo?

Please share what's helped you

It's complicated!
The most powerful treatment has been DIM supplement - life changing ditto Soolantra.
No sugar, no dairy, loads of fruit veg minimal meat.
Water water water
1litre veggie smoothie for breakfast
yoga
African black soap
Lactic acid 10%TO this has been a gamechanger. used it every night for the last 2 weeks and need no foundation
Soolantra - amazing
Poppy Austin Retinol cream Amazon. no way is it 2.5% but it does work
Twice a week TO Alpha lipoic Acid serum at night even with the lactic and retinol - harsh but no pain no gain!
Etude House Airy finish spf50
Hado Labo HA serum - the only one that really hydrates

plus a few gadgets but they're more for sagging anti aging - dermawand, Nu Face, LED white light mask and microneedling twice a week.

I had 2 courses of roaccutane years ago that only worked whilst on them and then acne returned with a vengeance

Also I swear by magnesium and prune juice a poo a day keeps the spots away! I had always been terribly constipated prior to new regime.

Phew that is some regime, but thanks for sharing.

The only time I ever had a compliment on my skin was when I had being doing yoga and juicing so that bit makes sense to me. I'm using retinol and Soolantra has been on my list. Interesting what you say about constipation - again on my list to buy is some Probiotics and improve my gut health. But lactic acid and the gadgets are new to me, so off to google!

Well done! You can't put a price on the value of good skin. Only those who've had it bad understand how badly bad skin can knock your self-esteem, esp when young.

I'm 48 and my entire childhood and teenage years were blighted by the worst, worst eczema.. itchiness, pussing, peeling, redness, rashes, urticaria, allergic reactions, scarring, infections, you name it, I had the lot! Face and body. It was hell. I wanted to hide I felt ugly and shit. I was preoccupied with how i looked. It didn't help that I went to a girl's school that happened to have a lot of glamorous girls.

I now have relatively good skin, just very dry, and I'm still scared to ever take it for granted. The eczema disappeared when I was 17 (chinese meds) and since then I've always over-over-OVER-moisturised. I inwardly panic if my skin gets a little dry and starts to itch.

Upside of all this moisturising is that people tell me I look 28, so silver linings eh

Wavy, sounds like you got your head screwed on a lot earlier than me - chinese meds at 17 was clearly life changing for you. I listened for too long to the medical profession who just wanted to throw antibiotics and roaccutane at me and told me diet and lifestyle had no effect on acne - I could weep thinking about all those years of stress when the answer was within me all along.
I think like you though, that feeling of fear of return will never leave me.