2. WHY DO I STILL HAVE ACNE?

Cloudy with a chance of fresh pimples.
If your acne journey looks anything like ours, there’s a good chance you’ve felt overwhelming levels of frustration. Will I wake up with a fresh pimple the day before that big meeting? Will my skin be as clear in the PM as it was in the AM? Despite your genuine efforts, the acne cycle gets you. Why nothing seems to have worked yet? See our checklist of things we learnt the hard way.

1. Are you using the right active ingredients? 
Acne is a multi-faceted journey, and it’s a constant balancing act. Perhaps you’re using a serum that exfoliates the dead skin layer but not balancing increased sebum production. Perhaps you are not using actives at all that your skin needs to get back to a happy place.

2. Are you being gentle with your skin barrier? (and yourself?)
We are sensitive beings (skin included). Throwing too many active ingredients on the skin can upset the skin barrier. So, treat your skin with care, don’t overdo it with too many products and trust the process. While the acne treating ingredients do their thing, it’s equally important to replenish the skin with supportive ingredients so that your skin barrier can function properly.

3. Are you being consistent? 
Acne is a trickster. It can be visible and invisible at the same time. Because acne can take up to three months to reach the surface, give your skincare routine time to work. As your skincare routine is working on preventing new acne, already formed microcomedones will also come to the surface. It doesn’t mean your skincare isn’t working. The purging cycle is real and prevention is the name of the game. Be patient. Be consistent. Be kind. And clarity will follow.

4. Are you aware of your personal acne triggers?
These can take many forms from pore-clogging makeup and skincare products to acne-loving foods and lifestyle habits. Part of acne prevention is a targeted, consistent home care routine. An equally important part is understanding and managing your personal acne triggers. Put on your detective hat and take our acne triggers diagnostic to get started.