Skincare Routine Makeover

I had a baby 9 months ago.  I was pregnant for 9 months before that.  Which means that for the past 18 months my skincare routine and face have been a wreck.  I literally feel like I have a roadway map on my face.  I had spent years building a skincare routine that I felt was perfect for me.  I was on birth control that helped my hormones balance out which in return reduced my teeny bopper acne to a minimum.  If I happened to get a blemish I religiously used my Philosophy spot treatment and within days I was back to normal.  I have used Bare Mineral makeup since high school and my pores rarely got clogged.  So what gives now?  Where do I go from here? I just know with 30 right around the corner that I need to be proactive in my skincare routines instead of scrambling to fix it later.  But with all the products out there and them all claiming to be best of the best its ridiculously overwhelming!

So I broke down and contacted my old dermatologist who treated my cystic acne in high school.  She took one look at me and decided that between the birth control that I am on [the unforgiving mini pill] and the fact that I am still breastfeeding that my face is simply just going to break out.  My pores are ridiculously clogged which in turn has caused these massive pimples... ok maybe that's an over reaction but they're pretty bad.  I can't just accept that.  I have seen plenty of breastfeeding moms that have gorgeous skin.  I am definitely not going to stop breastfeeding just to get my skin back on track and I don't know how much longer I will be doing it so here I am...

I did buy a retinol face wash from the dermatologist, refused to spend $52 on the prescription face cream and decided I didn't want the oral antibiotic either since I wasn't comfortable taking it while breastfeeding Bug.  After a disappointing visit to the dermatologist I broke down and called a highly recommended esthetician.  After a session with him I now have several more scheduled in order to get this breakout under control and hope to have bi-weekly/ monthly facials to keep everything at bay.  He also suggested I try Clearskin moisturizers for AM and PM to help keep everything in check between visits.

With all that being said I am still a loyal Philosophy and Bare Minerals girl and I swear by my Clarisonic daily.  Here is what my routine looks like now: