Feeling Kind of Zitty

This post is part of the HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® 2014 program by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. and The Motherhood, who sent me a box of products and compensated me for my time. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are all my own. 

I am too vain to post a picture of Mount Vesuvius that erupted on my cheek. By the luck of the Pore Gods I missed the acne prone stage in my youth. Who knew it would only come back to bite me in my 40s? My late 40s. Karma and Mother Nature are clearly in cahoots.

I have never bought acne products. Ever. For decades I have danced through life with clear, wrinkle free skin. I sauntered past the acne med aisle in the drugstore. Oh, was I smug. I chalked it up to genes and sunblock. Being a lifetime devotee of Oil of Olay did’t hurt. Now here I sit, weeks shy of being 46 years old, and I’m facing an outbreak.

I’ve been schooling my middle schooler on various grooming issues that will plague him in the coming years. He’s still cute and all, but the smelly boy stage is coming. Prepping for middle school is about more than homework, bullying, and grades. We recently spent a lot of time in the deodorant aisle. One of Bird’s friends was with us, chiming in on his favorite scents. It was all rather cute in an awkward middle school boy way. Then we talked about stuff that dries out your skin versus moisturizing it. And my son told me point blank that fruit scented or character emblazoned body wash is a no-no. I’m not sure how I could cramp his style from the shower, but apparently that’s a thing. What do I know? I’m just the 46-year old mom. 

I was prepared to hand over the Aveeno facial scrub and Clean & Clear acne spot treatment. I figured my son could tuck those away for future. I was going to be there to comfort him and try not to be cocky about how I had no acne when I was a teenager. Let’s just say I was feeling pretty great and thankful for the box of goodies Johnson & Johnson sent to me. “Hurray for Healthy Essentials!,” I thought to myself. 

Karma reared her pockmarked face and laughed at me. 

I snatched back that Aveeno and Clean & Clear. And let me tell you, that stuff is magic. It’s like Harry Potter incantation poof magic. Vesuvius never erupted. Sure,a faced a couple days of zitty humiliation, but my large chic sunglasses covered it up for the most part. Crisis averted. Vanity intact.

I hope this isn’t a “Welcome to Your Mid-40s!” thing now. I was sort of  hoping for a different kind of fanfare.

 

You too can cheer for Healthy Essentials. Check out the printable coupons, tips & tools, and so much more. Sign up for program offers to save more than $40. The only thing you’ll be smug about is the money you save.