MY ACNE JOURNEY.

I was a little bit hesitant about writing this post, but I decided to do so regardless. I am going to be sharing  my acne journey, how it all started and products I  have used so far.

If you know me personally then you already know this, but for those who don't know then I have acne and hyperpigmentation as a result of post acne scars.

Prior to my massive breakout which started in 2010, I have always had a smooth skin with the occasional breakout on my nose which was usually around 'that time of the month'. Concerning my skincare; as at that time I pretty much had a functional routine that worked because my skin was and is still oily lol! so the routine just helped reduced shine and unclogged my pores.

Currently

2010 - 2011

Initially when I started breaking out (which was during my A Levels in Enugu), I thought it was going to last for some weeks and then my skin would return to what it used to be. Before I knew it, it graduated to months. Then people started asking me: "what is wrong with your face?". I became worried because my face was beginning to look like something else. I went from a pretty much flawless skin to a skin filled with acne and dark spots.

Gradually, I started feeling a little insecure. Apart from the occasional 'what's wrong with your face?', I also noticed that almost everybody I came in contact with/spoke to just kept staring at my face which made me really uncomfortable. I found a temporary fix which was Foundation and concealers which I  applied occasionally & at the same time still searching for a permanent solution. You would agree with me that nothing beats a flawless skin.

As regards my skincare, I stuck to my usual skincare routine because almost all the products I used then either fought acne or prevented them. I added Nixoderm to my routine (this was really popular  in effectively fighting breakouts back then). My routine comprised of Dudu Osun soap, Eskinol toner, St Ives Apricot facial scrub and Nixoderm. So instead of using it once a day, I would use twice or even thrice. I kind of thought that the more I used it, the more it will work. But it still didn't change much.

My breakthrough came when I started taking antibiotics(tetracycline) which I used for a month together with Clearex 10 (which I used on my dark spots). This cleared up my face for good, there was no more discolouration and hyperpigmentation. Now looking back, I can attribute my breakouts to the water in my school. It wasn't very clean.

2013 till date

So in 2013, I started breaking out again and this time it was more than my previous breakout. It was not only on my face but on my arms, on the sides of my neck, chest and back. They started off small then later they became really big and painful, localized more on the sides of my cheek. Although it was more serious than the first one, I felt more at ease. I guess I had the "been there, done that" kind of mindset lol! so this too shall pass. 

This didn't make me relaxed because I learnt from my previous breakouts that the key to effectively clearing out my black spots was to start on time. We all know that the acne would eventually go but the dark spot is the real issh!!! With the help of YouTube, google and friends I started trying out products. I became a product junkie in search of the perfect one.

 These are some of the products I used in no particular order:

Clean and clear (toner, scrub & acne treatment): I didn't see any improvement on my skin.

Garnier (toner and scrubs): It worked a little.

Oriflame acne treatment (toner, scrub & spot treatment): I also didn't see any improvement on my skin.

Retinol : It made my skin feel tight, painful and really uncomfortable.

Zinerit (combination of zinc acetate and erythromycin): This made a huge difference on my skin....my acne started clearing up and they were no longer big.

Love nature tea tree cleansing gel: No significant change.

 So I  eventually went natural because I had finally had enough of all the chemicals:

Rose water toner : It worked really well with lemon and honey mix.

Shea butter: It reduced the inflammation (swelling and redness) on my skin but it later started clogging my pores.

Lemon and honey mix: It worked for some time.

Baking soda: It irritated my skin leading to more breakouts.

Aloe Vera: I was impatient with it hence, no result.

Charcoal mask for black heads: It was too painful that I had to discontinue it. I wonder how people use this though.

I also made some lifestyle changes which were;

-Cutting down on my sugar and carbohydrate.

-Removing dairy products especially milk from my diet. This has made a huge Impact on my skin. It's not as if I don't break out, it's not just as serious as before.

-Completely removing soda from my diet. I only take it on rare occasions.

-I started adding more fruits to my diet. I am not really a fruit person but I am making conscious efforts to do so.

-Drinking more water: I  used to add lemon to my water but right now I just take only water.

-Drinking green tea.

           This picture was taken when I hadn't yet made the lifestyle changes. Cutting dairy               products(especially milk) was one of the best decisions I ever made.

                                                    What my face looks like now.

My acne is due to hormonal changes, I was told not to mess with my hormones so I resorted to using products and a few lifestyle changes.

Finally, I  am fully aware that acne can have some psychological effects on you; but that's if you let it. True beauty comes from within, so don't let something as superficial as acne affect your self esteem .

It's been a long journey so far, cheers to getting that perfect skin.

Do you have acne or have you had it, what was your experience like and what worked for you?

If you enjoyed this post, then share with your friends and family.

Ps: The pictures here were taken when my skin started getting better. I don't have pictures of when I was seriously breaking out.

Thanks for stopping by!