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I just might have the worst possible skin-care routine ever. It goes a little something like this: Come home tired after a long night out, forget to take off my makeup, rub it off in the morning, and then throw new stuff on top. Occasionally I'll mix it up with a good face wash in between showers, but it's definitely not something I feel guilty about skipping (sorry, mom).
But there's an exception to my skin-care laziness. One thing I definitely make sure to do is moisturize, because of having discovered my holy grail moisturizer: Zyderma HS clarifying cream, the only thing I ritualistically use day and night. It's lightweight and doesn't feel greasy, and doubles as a base for makeup (so, in between taking off last night's look and putting on a new face, I can do one thing right).
The major key here is that the moisturizer is for acne-prone and problem skin, so, instead of using a moisturizer and an acne product separately, it's all in one. My acne problems definitely didn't subside after high school, and it's not like my skin is thanking me for my shitty routine. Whenever my period hits, regardless of how much I take care of my pores for that week, my face is a hot mess. Not to sound like a corny late-night television infomercial, but moisturizing my sore, pimple-ridden and picked-at face before bed with Zyderma leaves me with significantly less redness in the morning, and my breakout seriously settled down.
When I'm not on my period? Ha! The pimples that come from the myriad of factors I seem to encourage via my own actions—drinking, chocolate, having a penchant for anything greasy after 10pm, oh, and having the worst skin-care routine known to mankind—literally have no chance once I break out this moisturizer.
I feel a little guilty when people compliment my skin, knowing that I found my secret weapon without adding on a complicated series of serums and masks to my routine. When I first started using it, I couldn't even believe the results and would take harshly lit bathroom before-and-after selfies to confirm that, yes, it was working just as well as I thought it was. Which is why now, whenever a friend stays the night at my place, I shove this little turquoise blue bottle into their hands and convince them to use it, even just this once, because everyone deserves a secret weapon like this in their skin-care routine.
Zyderma HS, Clarifying Cream, $38, available at Amazon.
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