How I Finally Cleared Up My Cystic Acne

I went to the grocery store makeup-free for the first time in 20 years a few weeks ago. Granted, it was before my state lifted the mask mandate, so I was still comfortably hidden. But, there was no way I would have done this a year ago. My acne got really out of control in my mid twenties, after having experienced mostly clear skin throughout my teenage years. I tried all the major hitters in the acne space: Curology, Proactive, pretty much every product Clearasil makes… but, nothing worked long term. Some of them would have incredible results that would only last a few weeks before it seemed my skin would become resistant to it. Others just seemed to piss my skin off more. Now, I think I finally have the secret sauce down. Here’s what I did:

The Obvious

First of all, the obvious. I actively avoid touching my face, popping pimples, and make sure I never skip my twice daily skincare routine. Non-negotiable!

Diet

When I started working with my esthetician, Stephanie in March of last year (more on that later!) she gave me a list of high iodide foods that could be exasperating acne. What’s an iodide? No idea. But they include salt, seafood, and dairy. This was a tough one for me because I love all those things. So I decided to start slowly reducing them one at a time. I started with swapping my half and half in my coffee with oat milk Which is actually just as delicious. Between my coffee at home and my Starbucks runs, coffee was probably my biggest source of dairy in my diet so I wasn’t surprised when this made a huge difference. I am now starting to explore other dairy free options like cheeses and ice cream.

Supplements

After Stephanie suggested I research pre and probiotics, I learned about how your gut health can be linked to all sorts of dysfunctions in your system like depression, weight gain, AND acne. I discovered Rae’s line of supplements at Target and I really liked that they were vegan, gluten free, non GMO with no harmful fillers or colorants & have no artificial preservatives. They are also incredibly affordable. I began taking Pre + Probiotic Dietary Supplement Capsules for Gut Health and within a month, I noticed my acne was starting to recover at a quicker rate. Stephanie also suggested I look into a Zinc supplement as it has anti-inflammatory properties. Rae’s Complexion Dietary Supplement offers 5mg of the recommended 8mg in each daily dose. Zinc also assists in wound healing which I hope will help clear of the residual scarring years of breakouts have left behind.

Face Reality Skincare

After years of struggling with my acne, in March of last year, I finally connected with my Fairy God Esthetician, Stephanie on Instagram. She invited me in for a consult and I couldn’t resist. Stephanie made me feel so comfortable and I ended up doing my first Face Realty treatment right then and there. Face Reality is a line of skincare that works in conjunction with specially trained estheticians to fight acne prone skin through at-home skincare products and facials and peels every other week or monthly.

I started out with biweekly peels with Stephanie which I always look forward to. She starts with removing my makeup (I really try to go in bare-faced when I can!) and gently cleansing the skin. She then proceeds with the peel (which stings a tiiiiny bit but really doesn’t hurt), extractions, LED light therapy, and finishes it off with a soothing mask, moisturizer, SPF, and lip balm. It’s such a relaxing experience, plus it doesn’t hurt that the Plumb + Pine space is absolutely gorgeous.

Some Face Reality products are available for purchase through their website, however the products with actives can only be purchased from an acne specialist, so getting a consult is definitely worth it. You can view all the Face Reality products I use in my daily routines in this video.

Click here to book your Face Reality consult with Stephanie!

Noncomedogenic Makeup

During my first meeting with Stephanie, she suggested I completely overhaul my makeup, and switch over to noncomedogenic, acne-safe products. It sounded so overwhelming, but actually turned out to be pretty easy. She shared an app with my called Acne-Safe. A no-frills search engine that finds acne-causing ingredients in makeup and hair products as well as specific birth controls. I used it diligently to create a daily makeup routine full of safe products and now whenever I find something new I want to try, I just copy and paste the ingredient’s list into Acne-Safe before I buy to check if it’s “safe” for me to use. You can find all my favorite Noncomedogenic makeup finds here!

Toothpaste (no, seriously!)

Okay, I know this sounds weird, but I swear it’s true! Did you know that your toothpaste could be causing acne? We often get toothpaste around the outsides of our mouths and chins and if the ingredients in that toothpaste are acne-causing, then it’s no wonder it can lead to acne around the mouth. This is how I accidentally fell in love with Quip. My husband brought us each home a new toothbrush from Quip a few months ago and I noticed that they had a subscription program. We happened to be at the end of our current toothpaste so after confirming that Quip Toothpaste’s ingredients are acne safe, I signed up. Now for less than $20 every 3 months, they send me a fresh head and battery for my toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste. Within a few weeks of using it, I noticed a dramatic difference in the frequency at which I have acne pop up around my mouth.

Weekly Brush Bath

I’ll admit, I have not always been great about washing my makeup brushes regularly. It can be a big problem because so much bacteria can build up in the bristles which can lead to more acne. I found a great brush bath that is not only noncomedogenic, but also super affordable. I use it weekly to give all my brushes a scrub, and daily to wash my beauty blender. I figure since the beauty blender needs to be wet anyway, might as well wash it daily! I also swap out my beauty blender monthly and my brushes every 3 months,.

My skin still has a ways to go. It is absolutely the clearest it’s been in years, but consistency is going to be the goal in order to keep moving forward. Next step is to work on the scarring. Stephanie already has a plan in place to start working on lightening the scarring and I can’t wait to see where we’re at in a few more months,

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