I've been in a three-decade-long situationship with acne

As a child, I was the proverbial pimply preteen. My acne was an inheritance from my paternal grandmother, whose later-in-life porcelain skin was of little solace to me. As an 11-year-old, I struggled with sebaceous glands, and, to my spotty disbelief, apparently so had she. While my sisters had to deal with occasional spots here and there, it seemed the bulk of pustules had found a forever home on my face. The remedies I tried unsuccessfully included a laundry list of dermatological products, litres of Safi, Lacto Calamine lotion, Retino A, a double-cleansing routine, and my grandmother’s homemade karela juice that I drank for months. Hormonal tests didn’t reveal any clear problem, nor did the dermatologist.

Finally, my grandmother, full of compassion, summoned me and revealed the equivalent of an Infinity Gem: a sea-green ayurvedic stone called jahar mohra, belonging to the serpentine mineral group. It is said to be antibacterial and detoxifying, and was what she had also used 60 years ago on her inflamed skin. I would rub it against our marble chakla along with water, and apply the solution on my face. And I believe it really worked. Eventually, by the time I reached my 20s, with a lot of patience, the zits faded away, leaving just a few scars.

My 20s welcomed me with reasonably clear (though unreasonably oily) skin. Then life stepped in. Thrown into adulthood and the tumult of emotions that came with it, I was only armed with my viscous Anne French Deep Cleansing Milk and a face wash. The stress of studying to become a bean counter, then a career pivot, a city change, and the entire process of starting a new life began to show up on my skin. But it was also a period of new friendships, a lot of eye-opening travel, and an entire smorgasbord of vegetables and fruits I’d previously shunned. I remember Safi and jeher mohra making a comeback, but not for long. We prevailed.

Fast forward to my 30s, a decade of glowing skin and bouncy hair—the decade I felt and looked my best. I was exercising, work was smooth sailing, my good genes had kicked in, and I was applying sunscreen sporadically too. I really thought I was done and dusted with acne.

The comeback zits

By my late 30s, as my travelling work peaked along with my partying, late nights became the norm, and so did that extra glass of wine. And as I was creeping home after the milkman, so were some zits; my chin was suddenly a fertile ground for new angry pink peaks (trying to figure out your adult acne, too?). But they disappeared almost as suddenly as they appeared, without much intervention, and left behind no trace. My nervousness dissipated and I felt invincible again; my skin, despite the lack of hydration (both inside and outside) and save for some enlarged pores, was pretty flawless.

Then I turned 40, and it all changed again. Officially, you’ve crossed the threshold of your youth, but you’re not quite middle-aged yet. And peri menopause, and its mysterious moodiness, would soon rear its head. My body had transformed. It was harder to lose weight and an assortment of aches began to make themselves known. And the zits returned—not many this time, but they left their mark. While previously acne scars faded rapidly, now they lingered for a long time. It was a journey that I did not want to relive.

The cure

Luckily this time around, I was better equipped. Having pretty much fixed my diet (no aerated drinks and minimum fried food), I added Aurospirul’s wheat grass powder to my morning breakfast routine and popped the occasional Evian Vitamin E tablet. I also started regularly applying sunscreen, even when I didn’t step out of my house. My favourites are the Biorè UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence that glides on so gently, the Innisfree Hyaluronic Moist Sunscreen for drier environments, and the Put Simply Ray Away sun stick for the beach.

I had also noticed that my holy grail, double cleansing, was stripping my skin of its natural oils, and leaving it stretchy and dry. So I just switched to a single wash, and currently use Biologique Recherche Lait E.V., a moisturising and lipid restoring cleanser, formulated for dehydrated and mature skin. Now, I rally the troops whenever I spot even a smidgen of bumpiness by applying just a small amount of Caudalie Vinopure Salicylic Spot Solution, which I find gentle. And I keep a tube of Glyco 6, a glycolic acid cream, which is a more aggressive spot treatment for scarring.

All of this, plus exercise, hydration, and patience, have brought me to a point where I can live with the occasional bump or faded scar on my skin. Of course, I’m treading uncharted territory, where wrinkles will eventually meet breakouts. But having lived with acne, in some form, since my pre-teens, I maybe better prepared to accept and grow into my changing skin.

When I look in the mirror, I see skin that never played by the rules while growing up, but has now somehow received the memo to stay supple for just a little bit longer. My grandmother, even in her 90s, had soft, supple, and glowing skin, thanks to her overworked sebaceous glands and consistent skincare routine and I hope I have this glowy inheritance to look forward to. But until then, I’m sticking with my step-by-step skincare routine.