July 22, 2024

The Worst Thing I Did To My Skin as A Teenager

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What’s one of the worst things you did to your skin as a teenager? I want to say scrub it raw with St Ives Apricot Scrub but that probably isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever done! This post is inspired by a Tiktok trend that’s going around saying how Millennials look so much younger than they really are. And I gotta say, I don’t think I look my age at all and I started my skincare journey very late in age. Nowadays, kids are scoring Drunk Elephant hauls at Sephora and learning SPF is the most important start of your day! I wish I could say I was blocking harmful sunrays, hydrating, and putting eye cream on by at 10-12 but I was more concerned about with Barbies, stickers, and being outside riding bikes with friends. But maybe I owe my youthful skin to the really bad drugstore skincare I used to use!

When I did start my skincare journey I remember I was using Olay Total Effects Moisturizer. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t an ideal pick but what did I know? Later on Clean & Clear became a staple in my routine! How I used that foaming cleanser and they’re tingling moisturizer is beyond me! I’m lucky because my skin is pretty resilient even back then and I never broke out or had major skincare issues. And lets not forget that tingle we all got from Nozema…! Noxzema was truly that girl when I was a teenager. My cousin used to put it on her face and SLEEP in it. Yes, SLEEP in it. Like, a night mask! Who did we even think we were back then?!

But by far the worst thing I did to my teenage skin was this…

I will absolutely admit to you that I wish I could see Seabreeze as much as I did in my teenage life. There is something so satisfying about wiping your face with an cotton ball saturated with alcohol and seeing the dirt and grime that comes off your skin. Ugh! It’s almost as good as ripping off a Biore Nose Strip and looking at the gross bits on it.

I swear I used Seabreeze way too long in my skincare life and journey. I’m pretty sure I stripped away essential layers of my skin with all that alcohol. No wonder I was so tight, dry, and flaky for most of my youth! Like most people, I really did buy into the, “If it tingles it’s working!” deal! I’m actually shocked and amazed that Seabreeze in still on the market and out there for a new generation to ruin their skin with!

What’s the worst thing you did your skin as a teenager? Which product did you use that was likely stripping layers of collagen from your poor face?

Do share!

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About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Ruth

    PHisoHex!
    https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/1/0721/11/vintage-phisohex-sudsing-skin_1_cede2c2eb36913c21545472316b1dc02.jpg
    Strong disinfectant. Smelled bad, felt bad, didn’t work for acne.
    (Dis)honorable mention: Bonnie Bel 10-0-6 toner, and Seabreeze.
    We slept in Noxema, too….I thought you were supposed to??
    P.S. there’s an extra-strength Seabreeze at Sally’s, in an opaque white bottle. If you use it to clean and de-grease your bare nails before polish, your manicure will last and last!

    • Isabella Muse

      WAIT WHAT? That was a thing? I thought my cousin was nuts LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I never heard of Phisohex! I’m curious now! and LOL extra strength seabreeze? Does it remove skin too?

      • Ruth

        Now you’re bringing back memories…..as a teenager in about 1974 I went to Merle Norman for a makeover, ie. “glow up.” They had a hot pink gel mask that they slathered all over your face. You had to sit and wait for it to set up into a brittle, plasticky shell. Then you cracked the shell and pulled it off in chunks with your fingers. I’m pretty sure that DID pull off skin! No wonder we went for the “natural look” as the treatments and products were so sketchy!

      • CL

        Phisohex was my older brother’s acne standby (late 60s, early 70s). They took it off the market because the active ingredient was actually hazardous to ones’ health.

        • Isabella Muse

          omg seriously? Back in the 70-80s no one cared LOL! Now we’re scared to breath the air and drink the water! 😀

    • Lori

      Ruth we must be the same age! We did the same terrible stuff. I was going to add baby oil for sun tanning too

  • kjh

    To be fancy, used Charles of the Ritz Dual Lotion. Put menthol higher on the list than alcohol. 3-4X the price of SB. Paid dearly to destroy the barrier and deter!

    • Isabella Muse

      LOL I laughed at this sorry! The “I paid dearly to destroy the barrier…” killed me!

  • Alison

    I am 50 now, but as a kid both me and my bro used noxema once a day in the evening. I think the reason we both had great skin and rarely got a pimple was because we both took a shower every morning and a bath every night. Also, our sheets got changed twice a week so I think it was a real benefit that our pillowcase was changed often. As an adult, I worked at Clinique counter and often told people suffering acne to go and buy 7 pillowcases cheap at Walmart and change it everyday. I ran into someone who had been a customer who told me she did that because I told her to and that she planned on doing it for her own kids when they got old!

    • Isabella Muse

      this is absolutely the best advice ever! People literally make fun of me because I change our sheets three times a week and switch the pillow cases out daily. I shower everyday and I take a bath to relax in the evenings and take a quickie shower the bath before bed. It feels icky to get into bed with the day on your body if that makes sense!

  • Kristin

    Peels at the derm’s office. Back then those things STUNG and while they had the peel on they’d use Q-tips to pop all your zits, so I’d leave the office a red bloody mess and it would leave scars, cause you’re not supposed to pop zits like that!!
    Oh, and rubbing alcohol to get rid of excess oil. (Oops.)
    Other than that, I actually take really good care of my skin- I’m in my 40’s and get mistaken for 20’s consistently.

  • Jamie

    Definitely picking at my pimples until they bled and left acne scars on my face -.- Also scrubbed the heck out of my face with St Ives apricot scrub and used some atrocious Neutrogena toner/moisturizer combo that made my skin sting for what seemed like hours.

    • Isabella Muse

      LOL! I can relate! St Ives groupie here! I still sort of miss it but tell anyone I said that!

  • Roberta

    I’m older than you, so you might not know what I’m talking about. I used Bonne Bell astringent because I had very oily skin (still do), it burned like crazy!

    • Isabella Muse

      I do remember Bonne Bell but don’t remember them having skincare just lip balms! It’s till available?!

  • Bo

    Hi Isabella!
    I use to use Neutrogena bar soap on my face because I had oily skin as a teenager. I also tried Clearasil face wipes that were too intense for my skin. I used to buy the jumbo size of the Bonne Bell 10-0-6 Toner. It was my jam when I was in 7th grade! I switched to Clinique 3 Step system when I was 19. I used to save up my babysitting money to buy it. I used that for a few years but the toner had a lot of alcohol in it and I had to stop using it.

    • Isabella Muse

      I must be leaving under a rock Bo because I never heard of the 10-0-6 toner! I need to go look up and see if they have old commercials for it LOL!