15/07/2025
WELCOME TO THE PIMPLE PATCH ERA
(A Gen X Mom Tries to Keep Up... But Fails Slightly)
So there I was… just trying to stay sane at the mall. My husband was living his “running era” dreams, hopping from one shoe store to another like Nike ambassador. Me? I clutched my hand bag like it was my emotional support item while mentally teleporting to an ukay-ukay stall somewhere quiet and judgment-free. 😅
And then it happened. My teenage son casually pulls out a pimple patch from his pocket like he’s about to cast a spell… and BAM! Sticks it right on his forehead.
IN PUBLIC. No mirror. No shame. No “Ma, okay ra ni?” Murag accessory lang. Murag part sa drip. Murag wala’y pimple crisis—just skincare confidence in sticker form.
And I stood there beside him—unsure kung mag-walk out or mag-apil na lang ko—and whispered to myself: “Is this the future? Is this my karma for hiding my Eskinol behind my diary?” 😂
✨ Throwback Time ✨ Back in OUR era—the glorious Gen X years—we had a very different ritual for healing skin drama:
• Mag apply calamansi sa nawong with hopes and prayers.
• Use Eskinol until our pores cried for help.
• And if we were feeling brave… mag-ChinChanSu under the moonlight like a ritual offering to the skincare gods. Bugas meant character development. And if you had one? You either hid it with a hanky (whole face coverage, ayaw tando!) or just accepted your fate.
Fast-forward to now: My friend tells me her Gen Z daughter wore a pimple patch to a fine dining dinner. White tablecloth. Candlelight. Fancy food. And there she was—glowing in hydrocolloid elegance. High fashion? Nope. It’s not Chanel—it’s “Patché by Watsons.” 💅
Lahi na jud ang mga batan-on karon. They’ve found freedom in expression. Freedom to heal in public. Freedom to wear their struggles like art. While we used to hide our breakouts like state secrets, they now flaunt theirs like stickers from a wellness campaign. And you know what? There's something empowering about that.
Me? I’m still adjusting. Still blinking. Still unsure if I’ll ever wear a pimple patch while sipping pasta under dim romantic lighting.
Will I ever be that brave? Murag di gyud. Unless it comes with dessert and emotional support. 😂
PS
And just this morning—while peacefully sipping my coffee—I told my son, “Naay hugaw sa imong nawong.” His reply? “Pimple patch yan, unsa man ka oi.” Murag ako pa’y na-lecture-han. 😅