Mid-30s Skin in Crisis: Clearasil to The Rescue?

Lately, my skin and I seem to be headed in opposite directions. While I'm hurtling ever closer to my mid-thirties (sob!), my skin, on the other hand, has regressed to its teenage years. And then some.

Gone are the days when the only thing I had to worry about was the odd hormonal breakout – for the guts of a year, I’ve been battling a legion of blocked pores on my chin and not a day has gone by without some manner of spot or pimple to fret over. In the immortal words of Crystal Gale, “don’t it make my brown eyes blue” – and my chin a mottled palette of purples and reds. Sexy.

To combat all this I’ve switched out my usual moisturiser to Effaclar K from La Roche-Posay, €15.75, enforced by a liberal layer of Effaclar AI where needed. This is a localised treatment for breakouts or individual spots, and is €13.25.

They’ve definitely helped but, because my skin is also dehydrated, there are layers of dead skin to be shifted before everything can come to the surface. And so I’ve reintroduced a brand that hasn’t seen the inside of my bathroom cabinet for almost 20 years. Clearasil!

The brand, a market leader in teenage skincare, has recently come of age with the launch of its Daily Clear Vitamins and Extracts range, marketed as being gentle enough for daily use. There’s a two-in-one wash/mask, a scrub and wipes - all are €5.49, and feel just a tad more grown-up than the Clearasil products I remember. The vitamins and extracts of the name are vitamin A and E, along with avocado and pomegranate seed.

I was sent the wash and scrub, which come in handy squeezy tubes and are a nice pale green colour, with a fruity scent. After a week’s use, combined with the La Roche-Posay products, my skin is definitely de- clogging and things are slowly coming to a head. I’ve noticed a couple of tiny dry patches appearing so will need to up the ante with my night cream, but overall, I’m pleasantly surprised.

Have any of you lot experienced similar issues with your skin? I’d love your advice on how to make mine start to act its age!