My Skincare Journey Thus Far…

Because my following on both Instagram and Youtube has grown a lot this year, there are people who are new who don’t know me very well. A few months ago I wrote a post called Oh, You Think I Have Nice Skin All the Time, Huh? because I was getting a lot of comments either alluding that I don’t know much about skin because my skin is “perfect” or that I don’t have to work to get my skin to where it is now. Or that my genetics alone allow me to have great skin.

While genetics plays a part, I still have to work to get the results I want. And not to call anybody out (and get uninvited from Thanksgiving dinner) I have family members who don’t have regular skincare routines and don’t have amazing skin.

So I figured I’d give you a recap of my skincare journey of the last few years. My skincare journey obviously goes beyond the last few years, but my attention span doesn’t allow me to go back so far. Plus we didn’t document things as much back when I was coming up as we do now…lol.

Reoccurring Acne & Dark Spots 2015-2016

Back in 2015 I had this really crazy thing for wearing baseball caps. That coupled with makeup, sweat, and oil was a perfect combination for acne on my forehead. And then that mixed with hormonal acne elsewhere on my face erupted into a mess that took me about nine months to clear up.

Read: Adult Acne: Wrote a Post About It for more on my adult acne battle.

Also read: My Dark Spots: Everything I Did to Get Rid of Them

Under Eye Hollows and Filler Birth-Present

I was born with under eye hollows and as I got older they became more apparent. No eye cream will create the type of volume that I got with filler. I got it for the first time in 2018 and got it again each year after that. You can watch the videos below for details.

Under Eye Discoloration + Botox

So I always had discoloration under my eyes (and on my eyelids). My eye area has always been darker than the rest of my face. But the discoloration under my eyes became more apparent after I got the filler. I talk about it in the video below.

I also tried a little bit of Botox for the lines under my eyes. But because Botox wears off after a few months, being in quarantine made it not much of a priority for me. I’d try it again for sure though. Just didn’t want to be out in the streets as often with a whole pandemic going on…lol.

Getting Rid of Under Eye Discoloration

Dr. Michelle Henry (she also did my filler and botox) gave me a prescription cream that really helped to fade a lot of the discoloration under my eyes. You can watch the video below to learn more.

My Current Skincare Routine

My routine now is pretty basic—you can watch more about it in the video below!

So that’s that! Now if you didn’t read any of those posts or watch any of the videos, it’ll seem like that was a cinch. But it was not. That was over FIVE YEARS worth of skin yo.

Moral of this story: skincare is a marathon, not a race. Also, while I’m here, I’d like to add that many things cannot be done with a simple over the counter product. There are times when you need to call in the pros—but make sure those pros have lengthy RECEIPTS that show they know what they’re doing when it comes to Black skin. Don’t let these jokers jack your ish up—skin of color can be particularly prone to hyperpigmentation, keloids, etc. and using the wrong type of treatment can make your condition even worse.

Check out this post for some directories on where to find skin of color professionals near you. Just note that sometimes you may have to travel depending on your area.

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? I talk about seeing a dermatologist ????? and an esthetician ????? a lot in my posts, but I realize some skincare newbies may not know the difference between the two. That’s ok, I’m here to break it down as much as I can ?????? ? SWIPE THROUGH ABOVE TO READ!? ? ?? Some resources for finding skincare professionals who work on darker skin tones include @skinofcolorsociety @brownskinestie and @blackskindirectoryuk. You can also search dermatologists via the @aadmember site.? ? ? ALWAYS do your research because anyone touching your skin needs RECEIPTS that they can work on skin of color. Even when you get a referral, you still need to research to see if that person can work for you (is the location convenient, do they take your insurance, etc). It also may take setting up a consultation with a few to see if they’re right for you.? ? ? If you want to see what it’s like getting a @pcaskin peel with an esthetician—head to my Youtube channel to see @simplykura’s experience and results! ? ? ? You can also watch videos of my visits to @drmichellehenry when I got botox, filler, and laser hair removal! Swipe up links are in my highlights on my page or head to youtube.com/styleandbeautydoctor? ? When outside opens back up, I plan on continuing showing different types of procedures offered by estheticians and dermatologists on my Youtube channel! Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss it (link in bio) ?????? ? #dermatologist #esthetician #blackdermatologist #skinofcolorsociety #skinofcolor #derm #skin #acne #darkspots #hyperpigmentation #nycblogger #skincare #skincareblogger #glowingskin #blackesthetician #nycdermatologist #nycesthetician #hydration #moisturizer #dryskin #oilyskin #beautyblogger

A post shared by Danielle Gray (@stylenbeautydoc) on Apr 17, 2020 at 10:25am PDT