Women of Elegance

ACNE-PRONE SKINCARE, MY PERSONAL STORY

If you’ve ever felt embarrassed by acne-prone skin, this one’s for you

Acne-Prone Skin, My Natural Skincare Journey (2020–2023)

Dear Reader,

I can honestly say the treatments I’m about to share were the first natural ingredients that actually worked for my acne-prone, adult skin. But to understand why they meant so much, you need to know what came before them.

The Prescription Years

From 2017 to 2019, I went back and forth to my doctor’s practice for acne treatment. The prescription was Adapalene 0.1% combined with Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5% gel, along with an antibiotic. That was the year my skin broke out badly — itchy, painful, covered in cysts, nodules, whiteheads, and blackheads, leaving hyperpigmentation in its wake.

The gel worked. But three years is a long time to stay on an antibiotic- based treatment, and eventually the worry outweighed the results. I didn’t want to depend on something I suspected wasn’t sustainable long-term.

When I Stopped, It Got Worse

At the start of 2020, I decided to come off the gel. I paid for that decision almost immediately. My skin broke out with a vengeance — worse than before. Pain under the skin, sensitivity, whiteheads, itchiness, blackheads, redness, scarring, and skin that seemed to be ageing before my eyes. I felt embarrassed even around my own family.

Looking back, the timing was strange: the start of the pandemic, and masks were mandatory in public. Meant to protect others, it ended up protecting me from having to explain my skin to anyone.

The Turning Point

Later that year, God guided me to look into salicylic acid — an ingredient I believe I was guided toward at exactly the right moment. I started researching it properly: an active ingredient that exfoliates the skin, controls excess oil production, keeps pores clear, and helps blemish-prone skin.

I kept digging on YouTube and found Dr V Rattan, a skincare educator who spoke specifically about acne-prone skin of colour — and made the point that mainstream skincare advice is built around Caucasian skin, with different needs for skin of colour. That distinction changed how I shopped for products from that point on.

Building the Routine:

Armed with that research, here’s what I brought into my routine: The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Masque; Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
CeraVe Moisturising Lotion, CeraVe Moisturising Cream, CeraVe Salicylic Acid Smoothing Cleanser (for bumpy skin)

The Timeline

I started this routine on 22 September 2020, and I took photos before I began so I’d have something honest to compare against later.

Within about two weeks, I noticed a shift — not that the acne was gone, but that the itchiness, pain, bumpiness, and whiteheads had started to calm down. By November 2020, the photos showed real progress, though the hyperpigmentation was stubborn. I already knew, realistically, that fading would take months — maybe years.

Proof of picture below

By 2023, I took another photo. The acne had cleared. The hyperpigmentation had faded. I still get the occasional blemish, sometimes tied to hormones — but nothing like what I used to live with. Proof of clear skin below.

If You’re Reading This Mid-Struggle

If you’re in the thick of it right now — self-conscious, tired of trying things that don’t stick, wondering if your skin will ever calm down — I see you. It took me three years to get from that breakout to clear skin, and most of that time didn’t feel like progress at all. It felt like waiting.

But the ingredients, the research, and patience got me here. I hope reading this gives you one more thing to try, or at least the reminder that it can change.

This is my personal experience, not medical advice — everyone’s skin responds differently, so it’s worth checking with a dermatologist about what’s right for yours.

Women of Elegance

ACNE SKINCARE · MY PERSONAL STORY · Part 2

Coming Next: My Full AM & PM Acne Routine (The Exact Products