How I Cleared My Acne

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Acne is such a bummer, plain and simple. It’s frustrating, especially when you don’t know what’s causing it. I’ve struggled with it for a pretty long time now. I have finally gotten my acne under control but before I tell you how, I think it’s important for you to know the back story of it all. Stick with me here, guys.

Before/After

(Both photos are unedited)

Throughout middle school I would get the occasional pimple or two but it was never that bad. Come high school around junior/senior year is when it started to get worse and was leaving acne scars. I tried using creams to get rid of the scarring but ultimately it went away on its own with time.

Then the year after I graduated it was the worst it’s ever been. I had been taking birth control pills for a few years and I ran out at one point and didn’t get a refill right away. When I stopped the pills, it seemed like all of my skin problems really started. It started with breakouts on my neck, forehead, and back. I thought it was due to not taking the birth control pills so I started them back up but it didn’t fix anything. I tried Mario Badescu and Paula’s Choice products and they did actually help but not enough. Then I broke out into itchy, tiny bumps and pimples around the areas my hair touched and I immediately thought it was due to a new shampoo I was using. That was when I decided to go to the dermatologist because I needed it gone.

The dermatologist immediately started me on medication for the breakouts (Doryx if you’re wondering) and it cleared up my acne completely within 3 months, which was the amount she prescribed. I also started using a BPO cleanser that my dermatologist sells that had benzoyl peroxide and aloe as ingredients. For my neck where the reaction from the shampoo was, she gave me Aczone, a cream, to put on after cleansing. I was amazed at how well the Doryx worked! It cleared up everything, the only downside was that it made me very sensitive to the sun while I took it. If I was in the sun all day, I would feel a bit sick and my hands would get tingly. It was a very weird sensation, like my hands would fall asleep but only when I ran them under water. I was so glad to be done with the Doryx.

BUT, about a month after I stopped the medication, my breakouts started to come back. It was on my chest and face mostly this time. My dermatologist said this could just be adult acne and started me on the Doryx for another 3 months. I hated having to take medication and did not want to have to take it for the rest of my life just to have pretty skin. One thing that really made me second guess my dermatologist was how she didn’t ask what my diet was like. I know for a good majority of people dairy and gluten are main causes of acne. After the Doryx was done, I was still breaking out on my forehead pretty bad but my chest and back were clear. That’s when I decided to make changes to my diet.

I cut out dairy almost completely, with the exception of ice cream although Ben & Jerry’s makes some delicious dairy-free alternatives. I used to eat bagels and english muffins loaded with butter pretty frequently. I would have bagels for snacks! So I stopped eating butter. I don’t consume a lot of milk to begin with so that was an easy one to cut out and as for bread, I try to stay away from it. I now eat avocado with hemp seeds on ezekiel bread (which isn’t real bread) for breakfast every single day. P.S. this stuff is delicious and actually fills me up AND fuels me up.

My diet has helped keep my skin more on the clear side and I notice when I do eat more dairy or fast food that it has a direct correlation to my skin. Although eating better helped, my forehead was now the main area of concern as it still had those tiny little whiteheads and pimples.

Enter, Clarisonic.

Ohhhh my goodness I love my Clarisonic so much! I’m being completely honest when I say that it helped clear my face acne. After using it for a few weeks in combination with the Acne Brush Head and Pore & Blemish Gel Cleanser my forehead cleared up completely. I still get some breakouts, don’t get me wrong, but it is a huge difference and it’s due to the Clarisonic and gel cleanser. I wish I had before and after photos to show the difference but you’ll just have to take my word!

The Clarisonic I have is the Mia 1. It has one speed, it’s waterproof, and it provides sonic cleansing that cleans skin six times better than hands alone. The cleanser contains 2% Salicylic Acid to fight acne breakouts, as well as micro-exfoliating Lipo Hydroxy Acid to gently provide precise cell-by-cell removal of debris and dirt. So it gets rid of all the leftover makeup, but it also wakes my skin up in the mornings. I get puffy face in the mornings and the vibrating effect makes that go away and makes me look alive, which is helpful because I am not a morning person at all.

I use my Clarisonic in the morning and at night every single day. I love how easy it is to get clean skin and how my skin feels afterwards. The bits of acne I have now are my own fault, from just eating bad and not drinking enough water. But I now have control over it and know why and when I will most likely breakout. It’s not a mystery anymore.

You can get 15% off all devices featured at http://www.clarisonic.com/hercampusinfluencer using the code HERCAMPUS. If you are on the fence about getting one because of the price, Clarisonic offers monthly payment plans upon credit approval. I can’t recommend Clarisonic enough. If mine broke today, I’d be going out and buying one to replace it that same day. It works!

Thank you to Clarisonic for providing me with a device for this review.