We’re Getting Older


Posted on September 14th, by Helen in Blog, Skincare. No Comments

We’re Getting Older

Photo by Wandering Eye Photography

Three years ago, I started this blog as a creative outlet for my pursuit of better skin. It took four months of noodling and doodling before The Skiny went live in September of 2012. I would rush home from my day job to my tiny single-girl sized condo in downtown Toronto, and type away into the wee hours of the night about my biggest insecurity: my skin.

Little by little, and with the help and patience of some good friends, I figured out the mechanics of building a website and how to use social media. In the beginning, the only people reading were my girlfriends and curious family members who were just wondering what the heck I was doing with my life. Slowly over time, I gained a small audience who were also looking for help for their own skin struggles. People from as far away as Singapore plus friends of friends came out of the woodwork asking for advice on treatments and products or telling me that they could relate to something I was talking about. Our little tribe was born. In the Fall of 2012, we were reaching an audience of 800 per month, today our monthly visitors average is 25,000. Happy dance!

If you’ve been reading since the beginning, then you’ll know that I’ve struggled with adult acne and all the nasty effects of sunbathing and sunscreen negligence during my twenties: large pore size, hyperpigmentation (brown and red spots left behind from pimples), scarring, and milia bumps. The struggle is real, but since candidly opening up about it for the past three years, my skin woes have gotten a lot easier to deal with.

I cannot thank our panel of experts enough for making The Skiny a reliable source for science-based skincare advice. To our cosmetic chemist, Louise; and our go-to dermatologist Dr. Lisa Kellett and her wonderful team at DLK on Avenue and all of the skin-savvy contributors over the years – I am forever grateful for your help. Without your expertise, this site would just be me nattering away about my crater-sized pores. And the Internet does not need that!

From moles to pimples, we’ve covered it all. Wondering what were the most popular stories over the years? Per our stats, here are the top ten posts:SkinyCake

  1. Retin A vs. Retinol
  2. My Photofacial
  3. Botox Gave Me Cheekbones!
  4. Vitamin C Showdown
  5. Milia Removal
  6. My Lip Mole Removal
  7. 10 Things I Learned
  8. Bitchy Resting Face
  9. My Wedding Day Face
  10. 4 Acne Myths Busted

Those who know me well know that I love to give. Periodically I’ve been able to offer our readers a 20% discount on our derm’s line, Kellett Skincare which are the products that radically changed my skin and have given me the confidence to leave the house barefaced. Taking a #nomakeupselfie is one of the most liberating feelings, and I’m happy to hear from so many of you via email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest that you feel the same way about Kellett Skincare too. Which is why when I approached the folks at Kellett Skincare, I begged them to offer a deeper discount this time around. I told them not everybody can drop $250 for their bespoke retinol serum or $220 for their Clear line, a cult fave in Toronto. But once they do, they won’t go back because theses products simply work.

As we continue to grow our team – with the addition of Samantha, our new social media manager – we welcome your feedback on how to make The Skiny better as we continue to bring you content that helps you become a better version of yourself by taking care of your largest organ. After trying so many things, I’ve come to realize that if you take care of your skin first with the right stuff, you won’t feel the need to wear much makeup to cover up, your confidence will sky rocket, and everything else will fall into place. Promise!

Thanks for reading.





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