Come on in, sunshine...
Can I ask you something?
Has your skin ever seemed perfectly happy one week and completely different the next?
Maybe you've thought, 'I finally had it under control. What happened?'
If that sounds familiar, please don't blame yourself.
One of the biggest things I've learnt over the years is this:
Teenage skin isn't meant to stay exactly the same.
Changing is part of what it does.
So let's put the kettle on and unpickle what's happening.
Your Skin Is Growing With You
When people talk about growing up, they often think about getting taller, changing shoe sizes or their voice changing.
But your skin is changing too.
During the teenage years, your body is learning, adjusting and changing at an incredible pace. Hormones send messages around the body, and some of those changes can encourage the skin to make more oil.
At other times, your skin may feel more sensitive or suddenly seem dry. A breakout might appear just when you thought everything was settling.
That doesn't mean you've done anything wrong.
Your skin is adapting, just like the rest of you.
Life Changes and Skin Changes
Your skin doesn't live in isolation.
It comes everywhere with you.
It meets changing weather, sunshine, sweat, new products and busy days. Stress and hormonal changes may also affect how it feels.
Some changes are linked to what is happening around you. Others simply happen as your skin moves through its own natural pattern.
Your skin is part of your story, not separate from it.
Some Days Are Simply Different
Have you ever noticed that some mornings your skin feels comfortable, then a few days later it doesn't?
That can happen.
Skin may respond differently to:
NOTICE Hormonal changes
NOTICE Weather and temperature
NOTICE Sweating and friction
NOTICE Stress or a change in routine
NOTICE A new skincare or hair product
NOTICE Your natural skin type and family history
That's why comparing your skin with somebody else's can feel so confusing.
Nobody else's skin has lived your week.
So What Should I Do
Rather than changing everything each time your skin feels different, try becoming curious first.
Ask yourself:
NOTICE Have I introduced anything new recently?
NOTICE Has the weather changed?
NOTICE Have I been sweating more or wearing something that rubs this area?
NOTICE Has life felt a little busier or more stressful than usual?
NOTICE Is this a brief change, or is it continuing and becoming uncomfortable?
You don't need to solve the mystery immediately.
The more gently you notice patterns, the easier it becomes to understand your skin's language.
If You'd Like a Little Extra Help
If your skin has changed and you're not sure what it needs now, that's completely okay.
Our skin doesn't come with an instruction manual.
The Skin Pickle Routine Builder looks at how your skin feels today, rather than assuming it still feels exactly as it did six months ago.
It is there to help you think through what has changed and find a manageable routine that can grow with you.
If you would like some individual help understanding what your skin may be telling you, you can book a Skin Pickle Discovery Call or a deeper 1-2-1 personalised Teen Coaching Consultation.
Before You Go
Can I tell you something I find quite wonderful?
Your skin is never standing still.
Every day, it is repairing, protecting and renewing itself - working quietly without asking for applause.
Perhaps we're a little like that too.
Growing, even on the days when we can't quite see it.
A Little Note from Skin Pickle
Sometimes we expect ourselves to have everything figured out.
But growing up doesn't work like that.
Neither does skin.
There will be days when everything feels settled and days when it feels as though you've gone backwards.
Please don't mistake change for failure.
Change is often a sign that something is still growing.
Your skin.
Your confidence.
Your life.
Be patient with all three.
I'll always have a chair waiting for you.
Love,
Skin Pickle
Before You Wander
If your skin seems to be changing because of hormones and you're wondering why they have such a big say in everything, there's another conversation waiting just around the corner.
Hormones... They're Busy!
I'll pop another teabag in the pot.