Dealing with Acne and My Current Skincare Regime

Oh how I wish I could return to being a small child. Looking back at old pictures, I'm envious of my former self...how weird is that? When I was younger I had natural bleach blonde hair, a beautiful tan that never seemed to fade since we used to go abroad once a year and it would always be topped up, and, of course, clear, soft skin. That's what I miss the most. 

I must have been around the 14 years mark when I started to develop acne and it's been there ever since, to varying degrees. Like most people, I think, I go up and down like a yo-yo concerning how I feel about it. One day I'll decide I don't care, people should love me for who I am, etc., etc. Then, the next day, I'll be really upset and spend the entire day googling, hoping to find quick and easy solutions. 

I know I don't have it anywhere near as bad as some people but I think it's silly to say you can't be upset because others have it worse. I'd say I'm somewhere in the middle in terms of severity and that's enough to make me feel really self-conscious and ugly. People can tell you you're being stupid but that's not going to change how you feel and you should be allowed to feel however you want to feel. If someone really cares about you, they'll support you and help you through whatever you're dealing with it. 

So, like I said, over the last few years my attitude to my acne has been all over the place, but that ends now. I'm 19 and I want to be able to go out bare faced and still feel like I look okay or wear make up and see smooth skin in the mirror, void of blemishes. Is that too much to ask? No, I think not. Time to crack down on a good skincare regime and stick to it until I can see results. I think that's always been my problem, if I don't see results after a week or so I get annoyed and change my routine. Even though I've read a thousand times that it can take over 3 months before a new routine will work. So this time, I'm going to persevere.

First of all, I'm completely cutting dairy out of my diet. I've read about this tonnes online and every article says that there is no conclusive research to say that dairy causes acne. However, I've lost count of how many blogs I've read and videos I've watched on youtube where people swear by the no-dairy diet and have seen dramatic improvement in their skin. Surely that's evidence in itself? Well, that's what I'm taking from it for now, I'm on day 4 of the no-dairy diet and so far it's proving surprisingly easy. I thought it'd be much more difficult but there's a crazy amount of alternatives out there and raspberry flavoured sorbet is my new favourite thing!

Secondly, I've read lots about hygiene being a major culprit in the accumulation of nasty zits. Ergo, I am now going to change my bedsheets once a week, my pillowcase once every two days, properly clean my room (dusting, sweeping, etc.) once a week and wipe down all my gadgets once a week (e.g. kindle, phone, laptop). 

Finally, as for my actual skincare routine, I wash my face every morning and night. Twice a week with an exfoliating scrub (at the moment I've got into the routine of doing this Thursday morning and Sunday night...not sure why but yeah) and a regular cleanser the rest of the days of the week. After each wash I splash my face with cold water (apparently closing your pores is good) and then pat dry. Next I use a refreshing toner and then, if it's morning, I'll use a light moisturiser. I've only been using a moisturiser once a day because I have extremely oily skin and moisturising only seems to make it worse. However, I don't know if this is the way to go about it. I really need some good advice from a former acne sufferer or skincare expert! I've also started using a face mask once a week to try and get rid of any residue or impurities but I'm yet to find a really good one. (Suggestions?) 

Anyway, that's the plan for now! I know it's not full proof, I might never have completely clear skin and I'm probably doing nowhere near enough to try and gain it but hey! It's a start! If anybody reading this has gone through the same things and has some good advice, please tell me! I need all the hints and tips I can get! 

Thanks!