Secret Arts to Defeating Acne

Perhaps people may have the impression that I am blessed with “clear skin” , “perfect complexion”or “pimple-free skin”. But this wasn’t always the case. I was never one of those people, naturally blessed with problem-free skin, I had my struggle once as well.

I used to have many pimples spread all over my forehead and cheeks. This really affected my self-esteem and I had a lot of insecurity whenever people would stare at my face. Being an influencible youth at that time I started to blindly buy products without educating myself about these pimples; how they came about and how to prevent them. As a result, the products I bought were unsuitable for me, leaving my face with more pimples than before.

It took a lot of trial and error to finally find the one skincare series that truly helped my skin. I will say that I do not believe in the existence of miracle products, but i believe that there are good, effective and suitable products.

I would love to share this life-saving product line with you. If you are struggling with acne at this point in time, you may find this post useful.

Before I introduce this skincare line, allow me to explain the how a pimple comes about. In layman terms, Acne forms because our skin’s natural oil/sebum, dead cells and other dirt gets trapped in the pores of our skin to form a plug. This plug may eventually get infected by bacteria(such as P. Acnes) and this would trigger an inflammation leading to swelling and redness in the form of a pimple.

As such, the best way to prevent the formation of pimples is to inhibit the formation of these plugs(aka comedone). This can be done by using an effective cleanser that can thoroughly cleanse your skin and follow up with a BHA exfoliant regularly.

Paula’s Choice Clear series is my preferred choice of products to treat acne and pimples.

This cleanser is very effective in clearing out the impurities of the skin and it can also be used to remove make up. I expected it to be very harsh and sting when I first used it , but it is surprisingly soothing and my skin really felt cleaner after I switched to this cleanser.

A BHA exfoliant, is able to exfoliate the surface of the skin and also inside the pores to remove the debris trapped inside. BHA is oil soluble, so it can penetrate the natural oil/sebum found naturally in the pores and clean the pores from inside out.

Following the exfoliant, I would use the this targeted acne treatment containing Benzoyl Peroxide over the spots to kill the bacteria that is causing the inflammation. I personally like to use this BP on the “soon-to-be pimples”. Sometimes you feel a little ache over some spots on your face and this could mean an impending pimple, you can then use this cream over the spot to try and prevent it from turning into a full-blown pimple!!

But wait a minute, it wasn’t a simple smooth transition to clear skin…

The Clear Series truly helped me to defeat my arch nemesis Acnes but it did not come instantly.  During the initial 6 weeks, I actually experienced something called the “purging” effect. I actually had more pimples than before I started on the products!! I was very shocked and terrified in the beginning and I thought I just bought another wrong product again. But I did some research and I found out that this was a common occurrence among first time BHA users. I learned that the BHA could actually bring to surface the pimples that were already brewing deep within the skin before starting the products. The dead skin cells and debris may have been trapped beneath the surface and formed whiteheads. The BHA exfoliant increases skin cell turnover rate and this results in pimples and acne coming out to the surface quicker. As such, I decided to be patient and continue using the Clear series. Thankfully, it was the right bet, I personally took 8 weeks of using these products to truly achieve the clear skin I desired. I still use the Clear series today in combination with the rest of my skincare routine to keep acne at bay.

Warning:

Do not rush to get results and harm your skin as a result. Initially, I was anxious to get results and I started out using the exfoliant twice a day right from the start. This put my skin in shock and my skin could not adapt. As a result, my skin started flaking and peeling. Please ease into your new skincare routine by initially using the exfoliant only once a day/every other day and slowly increase the frequency as your skin adapts. Do not apply the exfoliant around your eyes as the skin here is much thinner than the rest of your face and is very fragile!

In summary, the Paula’s Choice Clear series was one of the best purchases I have made to date, with careful and consistent use, it helped me solve one of my biggest issues!

I hope this post has been helpful to you, stay tuned to find out more about my journey to healthy skin.

You can check out Paula’s Choice Clear Series to find out more about this line! It comes in 2 levels of strength: Regular and Extra. I personally use the Extra Strength but you may also choose to start with the Regular strength version.

Use this referral code to get $10 of your first purchase with Paula’s Choice:

$10 off First Purchase

Leave any comments/questions for me below, I will get back to you as soon as I can 🙂