I am a 25-year-old girl who has been struggling with acne for about eight years. My acne started when I was about 15 years old. At the time, I felt my acne was the worst acne anyone ever saw. But now, when I look back at the pictures, it wasn’t even that bad. But, when you are the only person experiencing acne in your class, it can feel very isolating, especially in the teenage years.
I’ve tried numerous products, but nothing seemed to help. I went to the dermatologist, and their recommended product didn’t help either. The whole experience felt very impersonal – like they were only trying to push products they were getting a commission on. So, I continued my quest of trying to find something that would heal my acne. Spoiler alert – there isn’t such a product. Shocker, I know.
After getting a job in a health store, my focus shifted from drugstore products to natural ones. I also started investigating the causes of acne and learned how to heal acne from the inside. That resulted in me ditching everything I had tried before and swapping them for their natural alternatives. I have to admit that not all natural products worked for me, and some even caused more problems. I’ll never forget a reaction I got from putting tea tree oil directly onto my acne. I felt like acne exploded all over my skin. The experiments with DIY skincare were probably my low point.
The worst acne I ever had
Another thing you need to know about me is that, at some point, I decided to shift my focus from my skin and start taking care of my body. That seems like a good idea, right? Well, I bought a meal and workout plan from a fitness influencer and started going to the gym for two hours a day, five days a week. And the meal plan she gave me was full of chicken and dairy products as protein sources. Now that was when my skin was absolutely the worst it ever was. My acne was so painful that I couldn’t sleep on my sides.
And the customers in my shop (where I am supposed to advise them) have started telling me to try this and that. One lady even said I had a gluten allergy, and that’s why I have so many breakouts. Plot twist – no, I do not have a gluten allergy. I’m still eating all the gluten I can find, and I don’t have any breakouts. Woohoo! Anyway, it took me so long to make a connection between my awful acne and the meal and workout plan I was following. Actually, only when I stopped the regime is when my painful cystic acne started disappearing.
Here is What cleared my acne | my painful acne journey
The other side
That whole situation did bring one positive thing. After that big breakout of painful cystic acne, I decided to get extra education and enrolled in the beauty therapy course and am now ITEC and CIBTAC certified.
Also, my whole acne journey taught me so much more. It taught me that there is an underlying reason for everything, and once we find it, we will be able to deal with it. It also taught me not to give unwanted advice to anyone with acne because it’s not only rude, but it can also make the person feel awful. Lastly, it taught me that people see your beauty beneath your acne and are the ones we need to keep.
Lastly, having acne for so long and spending countless hours researching everything I could have brought enormous love for skincare and skin health. And that’s the reason why this blog exists. I want to be a big sister to all the girls struggling with acne. And I want to show them that their acne will get better.
Today, I’m grateful for my acne journey because I learned so much about my skin and how to take care of it. I still have a lot of scars and skin sensitivity that I’m working on, and an occasional pimple I get every so often. But, the knowledge I gained will help me keep my skin looking young and healthy for much longer had I not had that knowledge.