Getting my “grown-up” on

As a fan of PBS, Oprah and the whole self-help movement, I have a heightened awareness of all things relating to my “inner child.” While I value and treasure that part of me, I am still so freaking happy that I am a “grown-up.” Even though it’s tax day.

Yeah, being an adult has responsibilities and baggage and what not -- but remember when you were a kid and everyone told you what to do all the time? Remember when you were legally compelled to learn? And the asking permission…and the hoping not to get caught…and the getting caught and then getting in trouble. And…okay, you get the picture.

Today I slept in and had spaghetti for breakfast.

So many cool things came to pass after the age of consent. One thing that did not come to pass, though, was clear skin. Sadly, even though my teen years are far behind me (far!), I still suffer from breakouts. A dermatologist once “joked” by saying “Don’t worry! This will only be a problem until you reach menopause!” There was an awkward pause while he waited for me to laugh along with him, then seemed really surprised when I didn’t. (Tangent: this is one of the many reasons to practice your “I-am-irritated-and-not-amused-but-I-am-keeping-silent-out-of-politeness” look. You just never know when it will come in handy.)

Different products/methods work for different people and I’ve tried way too many of them. In the end, the only thing that gives me dependable results is benzoyl peroxide. The good news is that BP is pretty widely available. The challenge is that once you get to a 5% or higher concentration (I need 5%), the formula can be gritty, hard to apply and/or leave a white film. Bleh. What’s the point of clearing up my skin if it’s going to be all gritty and filmy? Well, yours truly went all “beauty detective” and found DDF Benzoyl Peroxide Gel.

Blurb: A 5%, benzoyl peroxide, water-based gel with the added advantage of tea tree oil. Antiseptic and healing properties make this gel ideal for oily skin conditions. Actively works to control pimples, blackheads, and other forms of acne.

DDF (Doctor’s Dermatologic Formula) is a great line. And I have been using this gel for about a month and LOVING it! It’s still a little gritty (I guess I can’t avoid grittiness completely), but it goes on smoothly in a thin layer and is absolutely clear under makeup. A little goes a long way, so the 2oz. bottle lasts a long time. It also has a bit of tea tree oil. Oh, and there’s that other thing: clear skin!

Remember: benzoyl products can be drying, so use a good moisturizer that won’t clog pores, and absolutely use a sunscreen. (for a great moisture/sunscreen combo option, see yesterday's post about DDF Organic Sun Protection).

Available through the DDF website as well as Sephora and Beauty.com. I can’t recommend this stuff enough (ergo, all the links).