Hello Silas! Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey in skincare?
I grew up in Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro. The climate has way more moisture and is much hotter, more similar to Miami than where I live now, in Brooklyn. So, part of my skincare story has to deal with immigration, the brutal cold, and then the humid, wet summers where I would get more and more breakouts. My skin wasn’t used to these dramatic changes. This is my skincare story: a lot of trial and error, a lot of learning, and a lot of travel.
What were some of the key moments in this journey? How did you evolve your skincare routine?
For many years, I did not know how to prepare my skin. I had breakouts regularly, and my skin would often go from being clear to going through another new set of breakouts. I really did not know how to approach my problem and would kind of look for solutions using random products from stores and pharmacies. I was just winging it. So, not really knowing what I was looking for, I would buy acne products for my face to treat the problem individually. I thought attacking the problem one on one, little piece of skin by little piece of skin, would help me clear up breakouts whenever they occurred.
But, of course, this solution did not work. And I gave up, coming to terms with these breakouts as a part of my life, something I would have to hide or minimize whenever they came around.
I am sorry to hear you had that experience, Silas. Can you give us an update on what happened after this? Any challenges or issues that made you continue your journey?
Well, giving up also seemed like a poor choice. I was in my twenties, not really sure where to start, but I began looking at what I was doing that may have been hurting my skin, leading to these unattractive breakouts. And guess what I learned? I realized that two things were a contributing factor in my skincare: my diet and my water intake. After taking a good look at my daily regimen, I realized that my diet wasn’t the best and that I wasn’t drinking enough water to keep myself hydrated. Once I focused on a healthy diet, staying hydrated, which means eating a lot of greens and drinking a decent amount of water every day, I noticed that my breakouts naturally diminished. That was an eye-opening moment for me.
Then there is the other stuff. Growing up in Brazil, I wasn’t really focused on skincare products as a young guy, and I mostly just used the regular stuff we commonly buy. I was so excited with the changes in my skin and face that I started looking into skincare products that focused on my specific needs. I started using facial cleansers, special soaps for the face. Realizing that those items helped a lot, I started seeing that my face was dry and its lack of moisture had contributed to these breakouts. I highly recommend the use of quality moisturizers and specialty soaps. Some people underestimate these things or dismiss them, but I think they make a big difference in the quality of your skin, the way it ages, and the way it reacts to the air and the sun.
Do you have any skincare needs you still want to address?
Yes, there’s always room for improvement. Right now, I’d like to erase my marks from the old breakouts, and to get rid of dark circles around my eyes. The circles are something I’d like to clear up. I know it’s a family thing, something I inherited, but I don’t think it’s necessary to have them, or at least to help minimize their appearance.
Any final thoughts or suggestions for others looking for skincare solutions?
I also think that talking to experts is a legitimate option. I would look for a dermatologist, if you really need medical help with your skin, maybe just someone to help you better understand why you may have breakouts or dry skin. It helped me. Besides drinking more water, eating healthier, and using specialty products, I visited a friend who is a dermatologist. I mean, they’re specialized in skin and they can tell you what to do, right? So why not go to an expert. My dermatologist guided me through my skincare process, she told me to drink lots of water (which I was already doing), and use sunscreen every day, even if it’s not hot outside. This was something I hadn’t considered: the sun’s rays and its effect on our skin. The sun will make your skin age faster. It’s not really healthy to take in too much of it without using a protector like a sunscreen with an SPF best suited for your individual skin.
