The Struggle: Sensitive Skin and Acne

Before & After, Circa 2017, 2019

All my life I've struggled with having super sensitive skin, I am allergic to fragrance. So, my whole 24 years of life I've used brands like Cetaphil, Dove or products infused with natural ingredients such as Shea Butter or Cocoa Butter. As a child, Cetaphil and Dove I used constantly and sometimes Aquaphor and Eucerin, but those products aren't for acne.

Once I hit college, I paid closer attention to the ingredients on the back of skincare and hair care products. I'd really gotten into skincare, shopping at places like Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Wal Mart and Target because they sold products I did research on that were marketed and promoted to "detoxify pores", "eliminate blackheads", "brighten or even skin complexion" and "reveal healthier and clearer looking skin" when they did the exact opposite.

I used several Charcoal Detoxifying masks, Bamboo, Honey, Ginseng, Willow Bark, Tea Tree Oil infused masks, cleansers moisturizers and acne treatments. These are all things that were "safe for sensitive skin" and that were supposed to work, but they contained a lot of herbal or fruit extracts and every one of them had "fragrance" listed. They gave my rashes on my entire face and or neck, left my skin inflamed (flaky, dry, burning or itchy) for 1-2 weeks at a time or I didn't see results for the months I was using the products.

I even went through using various topical medical prescriptions or drugstore products, but my problem was I'd use too much or use it everyday when my skin isn't built for that kind of usage.

I'd tried Clean & Clear's Acne Advantage Spot Treatment and their Persa-Gel 10 Acne Medication and well as Clearasil's Rapid Action Treatment Cream since high school. The Spot Treatment contains "salicylic acid" which eliminates pimple redness and swelling, and the Persa-Gel 10 and Rapid Action Treatment Cream contains "benzoyl peroxide" which goes deep within the pores to target breakouts. This stuff works overnight and after about 3-4 days of use my breakouts are gone!

Anytime you are looking to fight acne, always be on the lookout for those top two ingredients, both have helped improve my skin over the last 10 years. Tip: If you are eager to treat your acne and you have sensitive skin, DO NOT USE THESE EVERY DAY 3 TIMES A DAY, use day and night, but use every 2-3 days, give your skin time to adjust and the product time to work because they may cause burning or irritate your skin. TRUST ME, it's been a long journey...

In September of 2019 I decided to make a Dermatologist appointment and it changed my skin for the better. My Dermatologist took one look at my skin, gave me his assessment, told me I had "cystic acne". I immediately showed him all the products I'd used over time in a plastic bag and had him read the ingredients. He told me what to stop using and what to continue using.

He recommended I stop using all the masks, cleansers and moisturizers that I spent months purchasing with tons of extracts, oils and fragrance, and recommended I use products that openly display "dermatologist tested", "fragrance free", "salicylic acid" and "benzoyl peroxide". He told me to continue using sensitive skin approved products like CeraVe and La Roche Posay because those won't dry out my skin, and he told me to try Differin and PanOxyl both containing maximum strength Benzoyl Peroxide.

Then, he wrote me prescriptions for "Tretinoin"(daytime) which treats dark spots and speeds up skin-cell recovery and "Clindamycin and Benzoyl Peroxide Gel"(nighttime) which fights the bacteria that causes acne (clears it up). Also, I had to take a pill twice a day called "Doxycycline" which is an antibiotic that treats infections and severe acne. I've used all 3 for 3 months per his instructions and haven't been back for another appointment since!

Over the last 6 years, friends and family constantly ask me, "How did you get your skin so clear?", "What do you use to fight acne?", "What's something good to use for removing dark spots?" and I do my best to give everyone the same information because I know through tons of trial and error what products work and what doesn't.

My skin still isn't 100% perfect weeks to months at a time. I have my days where I have a random, painful, single, growing pimple/whitehead on my forehead or jawline or a few blackheads in my chin or my nose.

For the most part, all 3 prescriptions gave me the best results (for a long period of time) I've ever had. I wish I would've made the dermatologist visit a lot sooner in life. I would've saved so much money, avoided a lot of future acne and irritation/inflamed skin situations.

To anyone struggling with sensitive skin and mainly acne, I advocate for the products I've listed as well as for a derm appointment, the stuff works!