Understanding our skin shouldn’t be as difficult as it is. I can’t even count the number of different products and combinations of products I’ve tried to work into my skincare routine, and it was all because it took me so long to even be able to identify what was happening with my skin.
The older I get, the more I realise that I’ve never been alone in this. In fact, it’s so common for us all to be a bit confused about how best to look after our skin, we decided to ask people to share their own skincare journeys, because hopefully the more we know the better our own journeys will become.
Matty Ferg
PTV: Tell us about yourself?
Matty: I love surfing, making music, playing gigs, getting creative when I can and enjoying the ocean. I also don’t mind a boogie here and there.
PTV: When did you first realise that you had sensitive skin?
I first realised I had sensitive skin pretty young. I feel like I hit puberty kind of early and was getting breakouts as soon as I hit high school. I noticed dryness, blemishes and some pretty gnarly pimples. My skin would feel tight and scaly.
PTV: How do you feel about your skin?
As a teenager, I was always super self-conscious about my skin. I have a couple of scars to this day from hacking into pimples that weren’t ready to go.
Now I love my skin, I’ve learned to love my blemishes and freckles. I used to be embarrassed but these days I can’t wait for my summer freckle face.
PTV: What’s your skincare routine?
It’s pretty basic, to be honest. I just wash my face with Cetaphil after sport and rinse off after time in the waves. I first started using Cetaphil when I was a teenager, like 15 or so. Since then it’s always been a mainstay of my bathroom.
PTV: What hasn’t worked for your skincare routine?
It’s super embarrassing but Mum used to take me for facials when I was younger and I’d get these UV light and pimple popping sessions. Honestly, that irritated my skin more. I’ve always found that just keeping it simple has worked better for me.
PTV: What would you tell your teenage self about your skin?
Don’t stress! Everyone has good and bad days with their skin. Stay hydrated, wash your face and keep healthy.
PTV: How do you practice self-love and acceptance?
During this lockdown, I’ve been getting into meditation and self-love more than usual to cope with the repetitiveness of life. A good surf always picks me up, I love the salty feeling on my skin.
Courtney Farrell
PTV: Tell us about yourself?
Courtney: I’m a free-spirited 25-year-old who recently moved to the city from a regional town. I love being around my friends and finding the adventure in life.
PTV: When did you first realise you had sensitive skin?
After high school. It would get oily, irritated, acne-prone in t-zones and I was definitely not using the right products to counteract it. I was actually making it worse.
PTV: What’s your skincare routine?
In the morning I apply sunscreen, then every night after a shower I cleanse with Cetaphil, then use serum and moisturiser, plus tea tree oil and pimple patches for spots. It’s a pretty good skincare routine, I definitely suffer without it.
PTV: How do you feel about your skin now?
It’s a love-hate relationship. I can’t say that I’m extremely confident 24/seven, but I can say I’ve learnt to just cut myself some slack. The stress isn’t worth it, and imperfections are a normal part of life.
Swarnaa Rajalingam
PTV: How would you describe your relationship with your skin?
Swarnaa: I grew up loathing my skin, neglecting it and as a result, damaging it. Fast forward to now and I’m on a self-love journey to embrace my skin and do everything in my power to love it.
PTV: As a content creator, how do you practice self-care on days when you might not be feeling your best?
Over the lockdown, I’ve learned to harness the power of writing. I love to journal my thoughts as it allows me to self-reflect, look inward and guide myself on the days I feel directionless. I also have specifically curated music playlists where the messaging is all about self-love and empowerment which really helps boost my energy. I also keep in touch with a close group of loved ones who have my best interests at heart and I can lean on when not feeling my best.
PTV: Tell us about your journey learning to embrace your skin?
It’s been quite a journey for me. I experienced colourism, which is discrimination by my own community for being on the darker spectrum, and also racism from society overall. This led me to grow up loathing my skin, whereby I fell into the trap of using skin lightening and bleaching creams which was severely damaging on my skin.
A combination of a lack of love for myself and my skin coupled with the lack of representation in the beauty industry was deafening. It hindered me from envisioning the possibilities for my skin and ways to take care of it.
As a teenager, I never prioritised the health of my skin as I was not equipped with the right knowledge and didn’t recognise the importance of doing so. I experienced high levels of skin damage from not wearing sunscreen, and hyperpigmentation as a result of being a melanated woman. I also dealt with dryness, flaky skin and an oily t-zone as I was not keeping hydrated or following a skincare routine catered to me.
Over the years I have had to do a lot of inner and external work to embrace my skin, work on healing it from all the physical damage and emotional trauma I had faced.
PTV: What’s your current skincare routine?
In the morning I use a double cleanser to wash off any grime, dirt and bacteria build up on my face. I follow up with a vitamin C serum to help tackle my hyperpigmentation. I then apply a hydrating eye cream and hydrating moisturiser. I finish my routine off with sunscreen and sometimes a face oil to lock in all the moisture.
As for my night-time routine, I cleanse and follow up with serum. I then apply my eye cream, night cream, face oil and a lip sleeping mask.
PTV: What have you learnt about dealing with sensitive skin?
It takes time and patience. You are not going to get overnight results. Remember your skin is your largest organ and it’s important to take a holistic approach to treating it. It requires a combination of a healthy diet, a good lifestyle, using sun protection and following a skincare routine.
Scott Bruce
PTV: Tell us about yourself?
Scott: I’m a photographer and surfer from Sydney’s Northern Beaches. I also DJ and love yoga.
PTV: How has your skin impacted your life?
As a teen, my skin got pimples and acne a fair bit and I didn’t look after my skin. As an adult, it’s way clearer. I still get pimples but not as much.
PTV: When did you first realise that you had sensitive skin?
Probably when I started surfing about 20 years ago, the salt and sun make it very dry.
PTV: What’s your skincare routine now?
I like to go in the ocean and [feel] the salt and sand [on] my face — it feels really nice. Then I always have a shower and moisturise straight after.
PTV: What advice would you give to anyone else with sensitive skin?
Always moisturise after showering and wear sunscreen when you’ll be at the beach or in the sun for extended periods of time.
Eloise Jones
PTV: What’s your definition of “good” skin?
Eloise: Good skin is when it feels good and it’s not irritating me. A good skin day is better than a bad skin day but I just learn to live with both.
PTV: Tell us about your journey learning to embrace your skin?
Growing up I had super oily skin and got stretch marks pretty young, which freaked me out. However, with maturity comes perspective and I decided to focus on more important things in life. Now I love my skin — she’s a combination of sexy, soft and scaly and hairy.
PTV: What’s your current skincare routine?
In the morning I wash my face and put on a moisturiser with SPF in it. In the evening, I cleanse my face and put on a serum and sensitive skin-friendly face moisturiser. I also use hypoallergenic cream on my hands, like Cetaphil.
PTV: How do you capture skin in all its types in your photography work?
I mostly shoot on film and focus on portraits, which I love because it really captures people in their truest form. I think the rawness of skin on film is quite beautifully flawed and I like that there isn’t as much movement for edits.
ALWAYS READ THE LABEL. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR USE. Limit sun exposure and use protective clothing, hats and eye wear. Keep out of eyes. Reapply sunscreen regularly.
