It wasn’t really anything I thought about when I was younger. I would just wash my face with whatever soap was around, and then I’d remove all the suds with a washcloth… Pretty standard stuff for an elementary and middle school-aged girl. I don’t think I even used face lotion (GASP). And sunscreen? What the heck was that?
But when I was 12, I started breaking out, and that’s when I started a skin care routine.
Granted, it wasn’t great! I remember going to the dermatologist and the doctor giving me a really drying benzoyl peroxide soap called PanOxyl bar, which was so stinky and drying, and it bleached all of my t-shirts and towels… That was pretty much the extent of my first skin care routine. ?
My routine finally got “official” in high school when I started doing the Clinique 3-step process.
Do you remember the light green plastic soap case that came with the bar soap? I remember taking that thing everywhere — on band trips, to sleepovers. That soap was my jam back in the day. I wonder if it still comes with the soap. Hmm…
Anyway, I continued that routine through college, which was when I *finally* started using a sunscreen. It was one by Oil of Olay. I used it because that’s what my mom used, and it was affordable for my student budget.
How about you? At what age did you start having a skin care routine?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Didn’t we all have Clinique 3 step routine lol! It was so drying and made my skin feel awfuuulll. But I thought that’s what skincare was so I used it for years! A friend of mine had given me some ponds cream when I was about 21 and I loved it at the time. I felt so fancy!
Oh my goodness you look like a pinup model! I think in my 30s I finally started washing, toning, moisturizing and trying masks. Oh how I wish I took an interest sooner…
I think around 13 I started having acne issues— my mom had me start with noxzema astringent pads and Buff Puffs, which was basically like using a Scotch Brite on your face. I had a dermatologist cream or two after that as well as taking antibiotic pills for acne, and I also dabbled in the Clinique three step and a Mary Kay set as well. It’s so interesting when I stop to think how skincare has evolved! I too used the apricot scrub, but thankfully I stopped at one container. Those Buff Puffs didn’t do me any favors though, I’m sure!!
I definitely see Connor Claire in this youthful pic of you.
Us acne gals were forced into an early skincare routine, but I don’t recall much, just that it involved Noxema and Bonne Bell or Seabreeze.
When The Body Shop was catalog-only, I think that’s when I started; early college. I used the ground adzuki bean scrub and a clay mask and some kind of moisturizer (after the Noxema makeup removal). I got really sick once in junior high school and had to take Prednisone and holy crap my skin was like an angel’s bum! I wish I could’ve kept that up as part of my skincare routine.
Couldn’t afford Clinique. 🙁
I agree with Christine – that’s the first thing I thought when I saw your pic. I definitely see Connor! 🙂
When I was young, I used Noxema (the cream in a jar) because that’s what my mother had. Then, at about 12 when the acne hit, it was Phisoderm, Buff Puffs and Sea Breeze. I don’t think I got on the 3-step Clinique bandwagon until after college and didn’t start wearing a tinted sunscreen until my mid-20s.
I think I was around thirteen when I started using a routine, mostly Avène products, but I became serious about it when I was fifteen wearing sunscreen everyday (or at least moisturizer with sunscreen).
I started at 11. Avon had a naturally based line they discontinued after a few catalogs in the early/mid-80’s. I was so disappointed. Almay had a counter in large J.C Penney stores and I used their 3-step cleanser, toner and moisturizer until they stopped making it.
I also used Buff Puffs, Sea Breeze, Aapri apricot facial scrub and Stri-dex.
I think I was in junior high and my mom tried to get me to use her Noxema, which I just hated! So I went to Walgreen’s and brought home Phisoderm and Buff Puffs, later used 10-0-6. When Clinique came out with their 3 step routine I followed it for many years, until my skin began to really dry out as I got older. Really didn’t get serious about sunscreen until I was 45 or so…yep, definitely late to that party!!!
My early skincare routine was about sunscreen! I started doing moisturizer with SPF in middle school – it was by Eucerin, they reformulated it over a decade ago and I’m still salty. I think I cleansed with Cetaphil? My skin was dry and sensitive.
Started REALLY taking care of my skin in 8th grade! I’m now in 12th at 17 year old and never leave the house without spf for my hyperpigmentation and have a daily skincare routine while doing a mask every other day to clean out any cloged pores since I have mild acne!