I thought texture meant exfoliate more… turns out it was mostly irritation

For years now, my first response when feeling anything other than soft smooth skin has been to exfoliate. More acids, stronger acids, more frequency – all just trying to get a better base to work from. It would work for a bit but then I'd be back to irritation and starting all over again.

But eventually, enough is enough, and I cut back. No more of the exfoliating products like The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution and Paula’s Choice 2% BHA. I started really focusing on nourishing my skin barrier, using simple products like La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 and Dr.Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass. Additionally, I added the LED Light Therapy Mask for an extra soothing element to my skincare routine without throwing in more active ingredients.

Now I'm not claiming perfection, but my skin does no longer feel like an overexposed, overstressed mess. Which makes me believe the cause of the texture problems wasn't necessarily the build-up I thought. More likely it was irritation.