I stopped getting rid of my acne and started caring for my skin

It may sound like I’m saying the same thing but it really isn’t.

Hey guys! Thanks for visiting Acne bloom. I’m sure you’d enjoy this read.

I spent a great deal of time and money on getting rid of my acne. Some of the products were just too harsh on my face. They made me breakout so much, it was indeed frustrating. I knew I wasn’t doing something right and I needed help.

What exactly did I do?

1. I got a reply from Michelle 💡

I complained to anyone who could listen, my friends, my coursemates, my family, anyone.

I finally tweeted about it and got a reply from Michelle. She had gone through a terrible acne phase.

She told me basic products I should get but one thing she said particularly stuck in my head:

“Less is more”

It makes a lot of sense. I had used a lot of products that ended up doing more harm than good. Layering your face with 10 different products will not help you. Your face is delicate and should be treated with care, love and fewer wholesome products.

(The country is very bad. There’s no money anywhere).

I couldn’t get all I needed at once because of financial reasons. So I did what anyone in my situation would do, I got a few products from the ones she listed. I’d talk about them as we go on.

2. I stopped the offending product.

Flashback: I started the year with a resolution that I’d invest in my skin. So, I got a kit from this popular Organic Skin care brand in Nigeria. My face started getting lighter, I thought my skin was improving. Shortly after, I started developing cystic acne. That’s something I had never had before. These new acne lesions were painful, itchy and red. I couldn’t take a picture of my face at that time because I wasn’t happy with the way I looked. It was so embarrassing that I was deliberately trying to hide from people.

In Med School, we’re taught that whenever there is a reaction, the very first thing to do is STOP. And that’s exactly what I did.

3. Youtube

Short story: One time I was experiencing a burnout and I received a YouTube recommendation on “How to manage and recover from a medical school burnout”. It was helpful but it’s mostly white people stuff, my university doesn’t care about me. What I’m trying to say is YouTube might just be the answer to your problem.

…………………… Back to skincare …………………….

So here I was surfing through YouTube and I see Thebudgetdermatologist. Hmm catchy name! I’m a Nigerian on a budget, of course I clicked. It was so insightful and relatable. I will list out some of the things I got from the video:

First thing is that It’s not enough to treat acne, you must prevent the formation of acne lesions. How do you do that?

• Change your pillowcase every single day. Your pillowcase is a repository of bacteria.

•Wash your bedsheet every week.

• Stop touching your face.

• Get a separate towel for your face, wash it everyday and let it dry. (I don’t dry my face with a towel, I just wait for it to air-dry).

• Reduce your fatty food intake ( Not going to lie, I love fatty foods so much).

• Manage stress.

For more information, subscribe to Thebudgetdermatologist on YouTube.

4. Now let’s get practical

Aside the money problem in Nigeria, I was kinda scared of getting new products because I didn’t want to go through that depressing phase again.

So I got these bottles of magic:

• Cerave Renewing SA Cleanser.

• Missha Essence Sunscreen.

• Pei Mei Vitamin C Serum.

• Astymin: I bet you didn’t see that coming. I actually got the Astymin for something else but it turns out it’s helpful in stress management and acne. Win win!

In just a few weeks of using this Vitamin C serum, I have noticed changes in my face. My pimples don’t hurt like they used to, my spots are fading, my skin looks brighter and I’m much happier.

These 3 products and the Astymin supplement have done wonders for me and I’m truly happy. There’s still a lot to be done on my face. It’s obviously not magic and I won’t get glass skin in 2 weeks. The important thing is that I’ve made progress.

Subsequently, I shall be adding some more products to my routine. Products like:

• Mandelic acid.

• Niacinamide Serum.

• Toner.

• Hydraulic acid serum.

It’s not been an easy process, it has taken time and motivation but I’m happy my skin is a lot better.

Thanks for reading.

• Have you reacted to a product before?

• What did you do?

• Did you find this post helpful?

Let me know in the comment section and don’t forget to share 💕