I would like to preface this article by saying that I am in no way an expert when it comes to skin treatments, and the methods that I took to clear my acne may not work for everyone. But if my story and advice can help just one person, then I would feel honored.
Not surprisingly, in middle school, I started to notice acne forming on my face. In high school, it became super prominent and I was very self-conscious about myself; some days I couldn’t even imagine leaving the house without applying concealer all over my face. In my early years of college, my acne had passed the peak of its severity, but I just accepted that my skin was bound to have a “textured” look to it forever. But today, as a junior in college, I have never felt more comfortable in my skin.
If you’ve never struggled with acne before, you may not even realize how powerful it feels to have clear skin. Sometimes, even after struggling with my skin for so many years, I forget how amazing it feels until someone points out how clear my face looks. In those times, I reminisce on the days when it consumed a lot of my thoughts and lowered my self-esteem; I am instantly flooded with a wave of gratitude for how far I’ve come in my journey. So, how did I get here?
Even though middle school was when I first started noticing my facial acne, it did not weigh on me too heavily. I remember buying over-the-counter acne creams and washing my face with bar soap. The acne persisted, but in my mind, it was just a hormonal phase and I figured I was handling it in the best way possible.
Once high school rolled around, however, my acne got increasingly worse. I remember talking to my primary care physician about it, as she had also noticed the increase in bumps and redness. She prescribed some cream to me, which may have made minor improvements but it also burned and dried out my skin. I figured that this was my best option since my face looked a little bit better and because I was using a doctor’s prescription. Eventually, when I ran out of that I did not refill it because I became determined to find a stronger method for clearing my skin. This was when I stumbled across the skincare brand called Proactiv Plus. I ordered it online and gave it a shot. Proactiv Plus was a three-step process, used in both the morning and nighttime, that involved an electric brush to exfoliate the skin. Similarly to my previous prescription, this seemed to help my skin while simultaneously making it dry and tingly. I stuck to this treatment for a long time but eventually realized that all the work I was putting in did not seem to be equal to the benefits that I was receiving.
Upon going into college, my acne had naturally lessened, but it had not fully disappeared. I was tired of looking for solutions and it no longer bothered me to the extent that it did in high school, so I stopped using any treatment. The concept of changing my skin slowly slipped from my mind, as I became complacent with being able to ignore the flaws.
Then, one day in my sophomore year of college, I was talking to my brother’s girlfriend. She mentioned that she used a skincare brand called Curology, which customizes an acne treatment based on a personal survey that can be taken online. This caught my attention because each treatment plan was customized to your particular type of skin. That, and the fact that they offered a free trial before committing to a recurring payment. I was not actively looking to change my skin, but I figured that a free opportunity to enhance it was worth a shot.
I began using my customized Curology treatment in March of my sophomore year, and by April I had already seen significant improvements. By June, my skin looked the best it ever had since before I had acne. I am now a junior in college and I continue to use Curology because I have never felt more confident in the texture and color of my skin. I feel so happy to have finally found something that is sustainable to use every day and effective in making my skin look and feel as healthy as possible.
With that being said, I realize that everyone is on their own journey and what works for one person may not work for another. I am not sponsored by Curology, but I would totally recommend it to anyone struggling with acne. No one is perfect, but everyone deserves to feel confident in their own skin.
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