Back in the day, I was able to do just about anything to my skin without any crazy side effects. In fact, I actually used rubbing alcohol as an astringent (eeeek!). No big deal — until I turned 22. For whatever reason, my usually clear skin began breaking out with cystic acne and was super sensitive to even specialty face washes. At one point, it got so bad that a stranger came up to me and asked, “Have you ever heard of Proactive?” Needless to say, I felt pretty horrible and continued my search for healthy, clear skin. After talking with my dermatologist, I discovered most of my cystic acne was probably due to stress and hormones, which I was able to manage and (for the most part) clear up. The sensitive skin issue, however, has remained. Continue reading →