Since high school, I had suffered from severe acne. It was mentally exhausting to constantly think that people were staring at the spots on my face.
In my desperation to stop the pimples, I’ve tried every imaginable wash, soap, scrub, peel, mask, and lotion. My bathroom cabinets were a graveyard of high end and on-trend products claiming to give me “perfect skin.” Most of these products made my breakouts worse.
After years of visits to the dermatologist and 3 rounds of prescription oral medication, I got wiser.
Here’s some advice in regards to products that I wish I could have told to my teenage self as it would have saved me a lot of time, money and heartache:
Clay masks, peels and scrubs are not effective at stopping acne.
When it comes to acne, don’t waste your time or money on these products as they do not penetrate deep into the pore before they are washed off¹.
Choose products that can be left on overnight so that the ingredients penetrate deeper into the pore. For example, the Clear Out has made a big difference in keeping my pores clear.
Don’t over invest in washes or soaps.
Opt for a simple, gentle cleanser, like Cetaphil, and skip the fancy ingredients in soaps/washes since they are rinsed off before they penetrate into the pore.
Avoid washes that are harsh as they will strip away natural oils, forcing your skin to over-produce oil.
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When it comes to acne, retinoids are the gold standard.
If you look at the algorithm that dermatologists use for acne², topical retinoids are the first option for virtually all types of acne. Prescription topical lotions have been too harsh to apply to my skin (overdrying and forcing my skin to go into overdrive to produce oil, leading to more breakouts).
However, Clearly Basics’ Clear Out is a must-have in my routine. It pairs retinol³ with AZA⁴ in order to flush out my clogs with less side effects and without overdrying my skin. Many of my peers who could not use retinol in the past did well with this formulation.
Be it pimples or blackheads, all acne starts with clogged pores. Clear Out attacks the root of acne by flushing out the build-up of dirt, dead skin, and sebum which causes these clogs. Why CLEAR OUT? Loaded with medical-grade retinol + AZA - two ingredients proven to clear clogged pores, View product.$49.9Finally a product that deals with my post-acne red marks!
I’ve spent endless nights looking for a product that could fade the appearance of my post-acne red marks and the Lighten Up has worked wonders for me.
It is important to fade the appearance of these red marks quickly as it reduces the chance that these marks would get exposed to UV light and collect stubborn brown pigmentation. A post-acne brown mark is significantly harder to get rid of as compared to a red mark.
What is my routine to keep clear skin?
A gentle cleanser, Banish’s moisturizer, the Clear Out, Lighten Up and Clearly’s Toner. Yes … that’s it! Introducing too many products in my routine increases the risk of a reaction and these products were designed to work together.
The Clear Out keeps my pores in the clear, while the Lighten Up uses multiple pathways to reduce the appearance of red marks on my face.
Here’s to cutting out the clutter and putting our focus on effective products worthy of our #shelfies.
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It took many years to find the right formula and routine to get my skin to where it is now and it’s boosted my confidence so much. I hope my experience can inform yours and save you the money and time.
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How I Kept My Acne at Bay Post-Oral Medication
I have a lot of people always sending me DM’s about after care post oral medications.
Since being off it I use@clearlybasicsclear out to keep acne at bay and honestly it’s been a game changer for me!
I have used many topical retinol creams which have either overly dried my skin out or just made me break out but ever since I started using Clear Out it hasn’t caused no issues, it’s gentle and works so well.
A lot of people as me also do I worry about acne coming back and yes I use to all the time but now I know I can rely on@clearlybasics to help with my skin.
Alisha Kalsi, 25, from Berkshire,developed severe acne when she was 15-years-old. She has gone through three rounds of prescription oral medication before finding out about Clearly Basics. Alisha’s Instagram page @skinwithak is dedicated to help those who struggle with acne and promote skin positivity.
Recently I had a small but upcoming company contact me to help me with my acne/acne marks. I definitely don’t think this company get enough credit as their products have changed people’s lives! 🙌
@clearlybasics had kindly sent me the ‘Clear Out’ cream and waiting for the ‘Lighten Up’ cream to arrive to help me get rid of my red marks which have been left behind from 7 months on oral medication 👎
I wish I came across Clearly Basics before starting oral medication as I would have purchased these and wouldn’t have had to put my body through so much! (FYI, I would never stick by a brand that did not work as an acne survivor the purpose of this page was to help others in their journey as I know how hard and mentally destroying it is to deal with acne/scars so I’ll give you the best advice I can to my #acnefamily🥰)
As you know I was originally using diferin which was prescribed by my doctor however in such a short period of time my face become super dry and I was breaking out which was worrying me as I heard mixed reviews about the product but then with the help of all the staff at @clearlybasics they had educated me with their product.
If you have come off oral medication there’s that worry of your acne coming back therefore some derms will provide you with a retinol cream however they can be harsh on the skin 😑
With @clearlybasics ‘Clear Out’ it does not over dry your skin as it isn’t a high does on retinol which allows your skin to adapt and clear active acne aswell as fade the red scars.
I’ve spoken to several people in the acne community about their experiences with clear out as I wanted to compare them to mine and we are all in the same boat, a boat with clear skin! ❤
What ‘Clear Out’ is designed to do is penetrates deep into the pores to clear clogs, reduce the appearance of red marks and foster healing.
Have a look on their website and see the results for yourself.
#RealResults
See what others have to say about Clearly Basics.
Michaela Holzhuter I’ve struggled with adult acne for years. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars trying to grab at the next promise for clear skin. Clearly Basics is the first brand that actually worked for me! It’s simple (it actually decreased the time I was spending caring for my skin), it’s scale-able (buy one product or by seven!), and it works. I couldn’t be happier with this product and the continuous progress it has provided!
@megdaviesx I’ve suffered with acne since I was 12 years old. Now at 25 I just accepted that I’d always have acne prone skin. When I came across Clearly, I had pretty much run out of hope, thinking ‘well why the hell not give it a go!’.
Only 2 months into my new routine, and I can’t believe this is my skin!! I am happy to go out of the house without makeup on but doing makeup isn’t a chore anymore either. My confidence has grown and I can’t believe I didn’t find Clearly sooner!
@mimandskin Thank you @clearlybasics for being on this journey with me for the past 5 months.
No more green concealer or green primer! My skin tone is so much better, I don’t use as much foundation as I once did, I don’t constantly worry I look like I have chicken pox and I feel much more confident within my skin!
The power duo really has been an absolute game changer for my skin and I’m so glad I’ve shared my results day in and day out so we could all see this progression.
@deannaskin Over the past month and a half I’ve noticed a massive change to the appearance and texture of my skin since using @clearlybasics. Honestly the most effective products (vegan of course) I’ve used all year. Not only has the redness of my spots reduced, but I rarely get painful under-the-skin bumps or huge whiteheads anymore. My scars have also faded so quickly 👀
If your skin is similar to mine I’d 100% recommend that you implement these products into your skincare routine.
I’m only a few weeks in using these products but the results have been so positive🔮🧚🏽♀️
@pimpledgirl The 1st week was amazed! Fascinating skin texture, there were no stinging. The 2nd week were pretty same. The 3rd week – purging starred – bumpy skin, redness. The 4th week – same but I added #ProtectiveMoisturiser either from @clearlybasics and in three days redness was reduced. The 5-6th weeks – skin smoother, less red, breaking out badly. The 7-8th week – is it my skin? not red (even after washing as it used to be).
I’d say the amount of pustules has been reduced in 85%. I still have some tiny-tiny pimples and will keep going with mu treatment. • Honestly I’m very grateful to Clearly Basics • I’ll keep you updated.
Individual results may vary