THE 3AM PIMPLE
I deserved
By Jules – 25, impulse shopper and professional skin overthinker
There’s a special kind of chaos that hits at 3AM. Some people text their ex. Some spiral on LinkedIn. I, unfortunately, try new skincare. It’s always the same setup: one rogue TikTok, one too many “you need this” comments, and suddenly I’m applying something that smells like regret and promises to “zap” my breakouts overnight. Spoiler alert: it zapped my dignity instead. Because that 3AM pimple? It wasn’t an accident. It was karma. It was the ghost of skincare past reminding me that impulse + active ingredients = chaos.
When glow turns into gamble
Let me be clear: I wasn’t breaking out. I was fine. But I wanted flawless. That dangerous in-between where your skin isbehaving but you decide to “push it.” I layered on an acid I didn’t need, skipped my barrier cream (because who needs balance when chasing glow?), and went to bed thinking I was That Girl.
At 7AM, I was not That Girl. I was inflamed, blotchy, and one step away from writing an apology letter to my skin barrier.
Skincare is not a drunk text
We don’t talk enough about emotional skincare decisions. That serum you bought during a breakup? The clay mask you used three days in a row because your date canceled? We’ve all done it. But our skin? It remembers. And unfortunately, itdoesn't accept apologies — only ceramides.
What I learned: my skin isn’t a trend cycle
I went back to basics. No more 2AM miracles. No more “just trying” things because they looked cute in someone else’sshelfie. I gave my face what it actually wanted: a cleanse that didn’t sting. A hydrating jelly that felt like aloe and amends. Sunkiss Remedy? A redemption arc in a tube.
So what now?
Now, I check the clock before I check out. I remind myself that not every late-night craving is worth acting on. And whena pimple does pop up — I ask myself, “Did I deserve this?”
If it happened after 3AM? The answer is probably yes.