My Face Hurts and I Still Don’t Feel Clean

It’s 1 a.m. and my cheeks are burning. I stare at the bathroom mirror, red patches blooming across my skin, and wonder if I’m just allergic to being seen. I bought the face wash because someone online said it made them glow. Now I’m slathering on petroleum jelly, desperate for relief, but all I feel is sticky and exposed. I keep rinsing, hoping the sting will fade, but it lingers—like the feeling that I’m always doing something wrong. Every product is a gamble. Every morning, I wake up hoping my skin will look normal, and every night, I go to bed with regrets and a new layer of moisturizer. I wish I could stop caring, but I don’t know how to exist in my own skin without fighting it. #BareFaceAnxiety #SkinStory #BeautyBurnout #Beauty