You know how people say they get addicted to chapstick? I laugh at them cynically; I wish I had that problem. If all I did was wipe a stick of the stuff across my lips a few times a day, I’d be all right. No, my problem is much more grim-I am addicted to moisturizer and the daily (hourly) skincare routine that goes along with it. It may not sound all that awful but trust me, it is.

I wake up in the morning and without even opening my eyes I’m stretching for my bottle of moisturizer. My hands are the obvious first things that get moisturizer, but my whole body gets a morning dose as well. After that, I jump into the shower. Yup, it makes zero sense, but I’ve found that if I don’t lotion before I shower, it makes me want to use moisturizer three to four times more in a day. So I shower, shave, and immediately moisturize yet again. It gets even crazier for my skincare schedule from there.

I drive the half-hour to my job, and I’m practically itching to get there just so I can use moisturizer on my arms and legs in the parking lot. I also do my face, trying to stay away from my eyes so I won’t smudge my makeup. I sit at my desk for probably an hour before my skin feels dry, and I try to subtly slather my moisturizer on my arms and legs in my cubicle. I can’t wait to eat lunch (in my car) just so I can do it all over yet again. By the conclusion of the day, it could be a good 25-30 applications. Why I feel so bound to do so is even a mystery to me. I surely didn’t set out to be so obsessed with my skincare.

Although it sounds comical, my moisturizer addiction has actually hurt my relationships with people. My family and friends don’t get it, my husband can’t stand how I’m constantly thinking about it, and my co-workers (the ones who’ve noticed) think I’m just simply weird. I can’t help the compulsion, but I also can’t deal with the feeling of dry skin. So I reach for my bottle more often than some alcoholics reach for theirs. Who knew you could even become addicted to skincare, or moisturizer. Or that it would even be an dilemma.

So far, I haven’t done much to cease my addiction. I’ve of course tried to moisturize less, but I can’t. My husband has tried to throw away my bottles, but I will inevitably just go and buy more. There seems to be nothing I can do myself to end it. And until I discover a way, everyone around me will be mad, my husband will threaten to take more bottles away, and I will be probably the most moisturized person in the world.

Is there anything else you would like to know about skincare? If you want to learn more about skincare tips and how a moisturizer can help you, contact Likewise Skincare now!. Also published at Skincare Files: I am Addicted To Moisturizer.