Dryness

I had oily skin pretty much from the time I was about nine or ten years old. My fourth grade photo shows evidence of acne and that continued straight through my teen years although I think the earliest problems were the worst. Or perhaps they just stand out in my mind because I was the only kid with acne at such a young age. When I reached my twenties, I still had occasional breakouts and very oily skin. I kept reading that this lessens considerably as you reach your twenties and thirties but I never saw it happening much. During my thirties, I just accepted the idea that I was going to have oily skin forever. I did look on the bright side because my skin never needed much in the way of moisturisers.

That seems to have changed over the last few years. My body has gradually gotten dryer and dryer. My eyes have been dry for several years and I require tear replacement drops on a regular basis. My mouth goes through bouts of dryness for no apparent reason. Fortunately, this isn’t a constant problem. The dryness now seems to be firmly fixed on my skin now. I realise this is age-related but it comes as a bit of a shock that I really need to use a moisturiser daily now. I’ve found a low-cost cream with vitamin E that works quite nicely for me. When I remember, I use it right after washing my face in the morning and I am good for most of the day. The difficulty, though, is making it a habit, like brushing my teeth and washing my face. I keep the jar of cream next to the basin but I hardly notice it. I wonder when it will become a matter of course to use it each morning.

Despite the dry change to my skin, I am still getting those breakouts on my face. I think I will still be getting them well into old age.