#acnetreatment

(Images from Pinterest)

My mom had it, my dad had it, and pretty much everyone in my family struggles with it to this day. Blackheads, whiteheads, pustules, papules, large pores, scars, the kitchen sink. These are my most honest, tried-and-tested techniques, split up into low-effort (AKA low budget) and high-effort (AKA expensive) tips that help my skin remain healthy against all odds.

꩜ Low effort techniques

~ Water. If you're not hydrated enough, your skin WILL reflect that, no matter how many k-beauty products you own. Let's face it. Water also helps with your overall health -> your mood -> your body image, so either way it's a win. ~ Eating foods that suit your skin: Vitamin C from citrus fruits or paprika, vitamin E from sunflower seeds and almonds, Lycopenes from tomatoes, polyphenols from black tea, Omega-3 from flaxseed and fish... Let me know if I should make a dedicated post! ~ Avoiding dairy: Unless they're 100% organic, most dairy products are filled with oestrogen that they gave the cows to produce more milk. Skipping these products makes *such* a difference. ~ Rice water: Wash some white rice and put it in a bowl of water for 20-40 minutes. Drain out the rice and put the remaining cloudy liquid into a spray bottle. Rice water has been used for centuries to brighten skin, tighten pores and fight acne, especially in Asian cultures where rice was abundant. Use it as a toner after washing your face. ~ Green tea toner: Boil some pure green tea, let it cool and pour into a spray bottle. Green tea is anti-inflammatory and soothing, and is great for clearing up skin. ~ Protecting your face from bacteria: Use a separate towel for your face and body, and avoid touching your face and picking at pimples at all costs! If you want to be really diligent, change your pillowcases every second night (I only do it weekly, but different people have different skin). If you have ADHD and need to fidget or pick at something, get a fidget toy like an infinity cube or a wacky track to keep your hands busy and away from your face. ~ FOR BODY ACNE: Avoid using soaps with any sort of fragrance. Get yourself a hypoallergenic soap, even better if sulfate-free, as fragrances and sulfates dry and irritate sensitive and acne-prone skin.

꩜ High effort techniques

You looked up in the mirror, seeing only one thing...Acne.

It was always there, taking prey of your insecurities, no matter how much money, product, or just begging you had. It never went away.

These past two days have been more difficult by the second, the ongoing pain of not feeling pretty.

The blemishes and the other forms of scar were like open wounds, but they never healed.

You turned away from the mirror and sat down on the bed. Your eyes are puffy from crying constantly...You were just...tired.

Grabbing your phone, you open it right to Instagram, like a pattern. Your thumb is already hovering over the app like second nature.

You scrolled, seeing all these pretty women, skin clear and beautiful. Feeling your own skin, rough and full of something you didn't want to see in the mirror.

You threw your phone, angry that you couldn't be like that. Grabbing your pillow and crying, but no tears fell.

You tried talking to your mom...surely she must understand. It quietly, but gradually, shifted to a discussion about her.

Not about the feelings you were bottling up inside, waiting for them to burst out. You could only sit and listen, occasionally nodding once or twice.

How was it so easy for everyone else to feel pretty and confident when all you wanted to do was curl up into a ball and never leave your bed again?

Hello, my darling

I don't know why I decided to write this, but recently, I've been having a lot of feelings and insecurities going on, and if any of you would also like to comment on any insecurities you've been having, please go ahead.

Or really anything you want to comment on.

Cystic acne deserves to breathe just like everyone else’s skin. It doesn’t need makeup making it worse. It’s part of your body and it’s beautiful. People love writing about roses blooming in people’s cheeks, well, you’ve got that. You’re beautiful with it, not in spite of it, and it gives you character and texture.

Hormonal acne is a sign that your body is working hard. If sweat can be romanticized into a glistening sheen from a hard day’s work, why can’t we romanticize that your body is working so hard to keep you functioning on your hormonal cycle or to help you grow and literally transform your body that it clogged a pore along the way?

Stress acne? Other types of acne? Thank God you look like a human. The only people with totally clear skin naturally are cartoon characters and some babies. Congratulations on being human, we love humans here.

Going back to cystic acne again beside I get so much crap for it, it’s not dirty. It’s not gross. It’s also not something you should pick at and try to scar away. It’s natural, a natural part of your body. Let it breathe. It’s delicate, so play nicely with it, you deserve to have your skin taken care of gently. People who tell you to wash your face more (you can actually irritate the skin from over washing) or just eat only lettuce and water for a year or go on expensive skin-damaging drying treatments, they can go to Hell. They have different genetics and are trying to apply what works for them to you and failing miserably. You’re not them, and thank God you’re not.

Acne Tips

(Take all of this with a grain of salt. Try and find out what works best for you!!)

drink lots of water

see a dermatologist

wash your face

wear moisturizer with spf

put retinol on at night

get all of the recommended daily vitamins

have a balanced diet

wear a toner

apply a treatment serum

use pimple patches for spot treatment

stay consistent with skincare

avoid touching your face and picking your skin

you can extract blemishes, but you need to make sure everything is sterile and that you put the right products on it

ice your face

make sure you go to sleep with clean hair and a clean pillowcase

have silk sheets and bonnets

try your best not to let hair products get on your skin

go on prescription medication if your dermatologist deems it necessary

do red light or high frequency facials

find out what kind of acne you have and figure out what is needed for that specific kind

wear primer when doing a full face of makeup

always wash your makeup off and give your skin lots of time to breathe

be sure to clean your makeup applicators, as well as tweezers, extraction tools, e.t.c.

dont be too hard on yourself! acne is incredibly common, and it is a struggle that many can relate to. you are beautiful, loved, and the furthest thing from dirty, no matter how extreme your acne may be <3

Ngl though I wish they had these when I was a teenager! Ours were like... Tiny beige bandaids. Boring af!

I saw a commercial for a psoriasis medication and the entire sales pitch was,

Young woman at the pool with her friends who clearly like her, no one else around:

Her internal monologue: "I see their stares, I hear their hateful comments, and I am tired of it"

*She cowers* (literally cowered)

"But I can be free!"

*she pulls back her cover-up to reveal a very small patch of psoriasis on her leg that then magically disappears

*cut to title card of the medication and all the other associated nonsense*

Like I got thinking about it, and my very first interaction with the idea that psoriasis, acne, obesity, cellulite, stretch marks, incontinence, menstruation, etc, should be changed or hidden was through advertisements that specifically framed these as "embarassing", not from actual people who I met that made fun of those things.

And sure, I know that there's also the angle of models, where they are literally photo shopped to be perfect and a lot of people feel pressure to look like them, but I never personally did, because I understood that it was their job to look that way and that wasn't how normal people looked. If you do feel this pressure, I'm sorry, and I don't want to diminish that either.

But these other types of advertising are different. They are specifically targeting individuals with those features/bodily happenings and saying "people are judging you for this, you are being judged and you should be embarrassed. This IS embarassing" rather than addressing literally any other angle.

And true, there are people who are made fun of for these things and who feel self conscious about them, and that is a problem which should not be as societally tolerated as it is, so I'm not saying that if you are being bullied you should just wake up one day and decide to not care that people are cruel, but what I am saying is that this Is Not Helping.

The idea that you might be made fun of being reinforced by a company selling you a product, is emotional manipulation, and doesn't even address the actual issues with these features/occurrences.

Where's my advertising that talks about how psoriasis and acne are Painful and this can help? Where's my advertising that's framed as inspiring for someone to live in better health with less risk for high blood pressure and heart issues due to obesity?? Where's my pad commercial that advertises "discretion" because its means the pad is Thinner and therefore More Comfortable for the user???

Disclaimer: It's based on my personal skin care experience, and I'm not some skin professional

1. Gentle cleanser: It should be really gentle and not stripping, just to clean the face, because you are already using chemical exfoliation (bha/lha ). I personally recommend the moisturizing face wash from Simple. Though the micellar gel wash is also good if you want a better cleanse specially at night when you are removing the sunscreen.

2. BHA/ LHA serum: Yeah, it must be a serum, not a cleanser, trust me, I also used a cleanser, but it doesn't clear acne much, and the acne keeps coming back fast. If you have sensitive skin, then start with LHA as it's a gentle version of BHA, but if you can't find it, then use BHA ( I started with 2% BHA serum from Cos de Baha, and it's still the best for me ). Not only that, but it also reduces whiteheads and blackheads. This is the part that cleared my acne for real. Start with 3 nights a week.

3. Toner: Now this step is optional, but a rice water toner really helps calm your skin, specifically if you face chronic skin dehydration and flakiness. I keep mine in the fridge for an extra cooling effect, though you should do whatever you feel better with. For example, you might like cantella/madecassocide soothing toners ( to calm burning sensation or irritation ) or Hyaluronic acid toners ( to focus solely on skin dehydration ). I like rice water toners because they do both with an added brightening/glowing effect.

4. Moisturizer : Now this , again , is a compulsory step . Picking the right moisturizer was the hardest part for me, girl. Fragnanced moisturizers are definitely out of the wish list. I mostly recommend gel-cream texture, which has niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and cantella, and is mentioned to be for sensitive skin. My moisturizer has ( hyaluronic and niacinamide as I couldn't find 3 in one ), and this is again from Cos de Baha as well ( The HG gel cream ). If you have too hot weather, then you might be fine with hyaluronic gel moisturizers instead of gel-cream. If you pick a hyaluronic acid toner, then a simple cantella gel should be enough , it depends on how dry or oily your skin gets. Remember, the moisturizer should be lightweight and make your skin comfortable.

5. Sunscreen (SPF 50): Bha makes your skin sensitive to the sun, so there is a risk of sunburn, so it's a must for every day morning, even indoors. It must be consistent. Sunlight also increases melanin production, so acne scarring becomes more pronounced. Personally , I prefer ( lightweight , no white cast , gel-like, hydrating ) sunscreens .

6. Spot correction serum: This is optional if you don't have brown/dark post-acne marks or existing scars from acne ( PIH ). The best option is an azelaic acid serum ( 5-10%). The one from Nineless is really beginner-friendly as it almost feels like water on the skin. Now, you should know that azelaic acid works really slowly and needs a very consistent use, so patience is important. You should wait for results for at least 3 months of consistent use. Now, if it still doesn't show much improvement, then you might consider tranexamic acid or niacinamide ones. You may start with 3 days a week, then gradually shift to every day if your skin allows.

Artists and TOA community please make your Lester's art with his acne . I think it can has such a positive effect in our spirits . It's a proper way to normalizing. Thank you❤️