In previous posts you may have seen me talk about my journey struggling with acne and the years it took me to get rid of it.
Acne took a major hit at my self esteem and at times I would lose hope of it ever clearing up. Once my skin finally started to make a change for the better I thought the battle had finally won. Until I realized it wasn’t over just yet. It turned out I still had a long way to go. I was still left with post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, aka dark spots, that made it look as though I still had breakouts.
I tried endless amounts of products, researched for days and now am happy to say (fingers crossed) majority of it is gone. Unfortunately, I do not have good before and after photos to show you as those who struggle with acne know the last thing you want to do is be in front of a camera.
If you are currently going through it with your skin I sympathize with you, I’ve been there trust me it’s no fun. Skin takes a lot of trial and error and everyone’s is so different. Of course so many factors play into how skin is and reacts, including age, genetics, ethnicity, hygiene and so much more.
I am no dermatologist nor do I plan on becoming one. These are simply my experiences dealing with my own acne dark spots and the ingredients and products that I have found to be helpful for me and my skin. It may be worth paying a visit to your local dermatologist to help address some of your skin concerns. But for what it’s worth here are a few things that worked for me that may work for you.
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Retinol
This is the so-called secret to anti aging apparently but also can be a great help for those with acne. Retinol helps speed up cell turnover resulting in getting rid of all the build up faster. It often comes at 0.5 to 1 percent over the counter or you can get it even stronger with a prescription from your dermatologist.
The drugstore has made big strides not that long ago with its release of Differin gel. It’s the first over the counter Rx-strength retinoid intended for fighting acne specifically. I personally haven’t tried this particular one but I have heard it works wonders. Retinol can be pricey and I’m happy to see something on the market that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
Please please please be careful when using retinol. Start out slowly with a low percentage using it once or twice a week and then work your way up. When I started I did not and I quickly learned why they say this, my skin was fried. Like laying in the sun for 5 days straight type fried. My skin has recovered since then but I learned my lesson.
Vitamin C
Great for brightening and lightening dark spots, vitamin c is an all around skincare staple. It’s an antioxidant easily found in the skincare world and is known for its ability to fight free-radical damage from the sun. You can easily incorporate it into your routine via serums, masks or even peels. Depending on the amount, vitamin c can be quite potent so I don’t recommend overdoing this one either and try sticking to no more than three times a week.
As with any skincare products you do not want to double up on active ingredients on the same day. For example, try to avoid using retinol and vitamin c on the same day. Not only could it irritate your skin but chemically they don’t work well together. Same goes for others like retinol and AHAs. Try switching off days so you can get optimal benefits from each skincare product.
AHA/BHAs
I learned the hard way how damaging physical exfoliants can be to your skin, St Ives apricot scrub anyone? Now I resort to chemical exfoliants for something a little more gentle yet effective. AHA and BHA are both acids (Alpha Hydroxy Acid and Beta Hydroxy Aid). They work similarly and are often grouped together as a little power duo. AHA works more on the surface of the skin and BHA enters deeper. Regardless they both help strip away dead skin allowing to speed up the natural shedding process.
Microneedling/Peels
If you have a little money to spend, this med spa treatment is the way to go. The procedure uses tiny needles to create small punctures that help spark an increase in collagen and cell turnover. The pain is minimal and the procedure is relatively quick. You’ll most likely be red for the remainder of the day but nothing like the downtime you’d see with something like a Fraxel treatment. I’ve tried it and have seen great results although keep in mind it may take a few sessions.
There are also a variety of med spa peels intended for dark spots and brightening the skin. I have tried my fair share of them, none of which worth ‘writing home about’ but I have seen it make a big difference for many so I wanted to include it as a potential possibility for some.
Lasers
I would go about lasers as one of your last resorts simply because they are pricey. Clearing up your acne can be an expensive process. Arming yourself with the right knowledge is key to know what you are getting yourself into.
I tried a few lasers in the beginning stages of my acne. There are many different kinds so really it is a personal preference and good to consult with an expert. Again like with peels these helped slightly but were not a permanent fix for me.
In my personal experience retinols worked the best. My acne ended up being a hormonal issue so I advise you to try to get to the root cause before shelling out on laser treatments.
Sunscreen
I want to scream this from the rooftops because I am such an advocate for wearing sunscreen. I may have gotten it from my mother who slathered it on me growing up as a kid. As much as I used to hate it, looking back she was right. Like they say Mama always knows best.
Please wear it, I’m begging you. Especially if you end up trying any of the ingredients listed above, the active ingredients make your skin more sensitive to the sun. Meaning all that hard work you just put in will go to waste due to sun damage.
Sunscreen has come a long way since the thick Coppertone and Banana Boat days. Don’t get me wrong any sunscreen is better than no sunscreen but there are incredible sunscreens now on the market for everyday use that are lightweight and don’t leave no white cast. My personal favorite is made by Supergoop.
Face Towels & Silk Pillowcases
Using a towel exclusively for your skincare routine is a small and easy change that can make a big difference. Same goes for a silk pillowcase. I started using one for my hair but found it felt much nicer on my skin as well.
Others
I decided to include a few products I never got around to trying but that many recommend. Red light therapy being one of them. The red light therapy face masks that make you look like some sort of star wars character look fun to me so I might actually give this one a try at some point. From what I know it helps kill acne causing bacteria. How effective it actually is at doing that I’m not sure. Dermabrasion is another. This one makes me a bit nervous due to my experience with harsh scrubs but considering I was willing to do microneedling it probably isn’t that far off from that pain wise.
Thanks for making it this far, I hope by sharing some of the things I learned through my experiences that I am able to help others get on a path to clear skin.
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