Star Donaldson

Having sensitive or reactive skin can be a tricky. On one hand, you want to slather your face with products that promise to hydrate and soothe, but there's always the risk of exposing your skin to sneaky ingredients that could cause stinging, sensitivity or worse-even more irritation. Throw in the fact that my skin is also super acne-prone, and it's been a struggle to perfect my routine, especially in the winter.

Star Donaldson / Byrdie Acne is something that I’ve been combatting for what feels like forever. I was one of the first people to get acne in middle school and continued to have serious breakouts until I got on hormonal birth control at 16. Fortunately, the pill kept my skin relatively clear for 10+ years—but when I recently went off of it, my acne came back with a vengeance.

From journaling to calendar blocks. By Star Donaldson Published on 12/15/23 11:33AM This past year, so many things were out of our control. Even simple freedoms like going where we wanted, when we wanted, was limited. Feeling powerful in our everyday lives was difficult, if not seemingly out of reach. But, things are starting to look up.