I’ve wanted to do this post for long time, but it never felt right. I’ve struggled with adult acne for years, which is crazy considering that I never had it growing up. Since I was used to clear skin, the imperfections were intolerable. I usually acerbated the problem with my attempts at trying to get rid of them. I went through hundreds of dollars in products, until my wedding was months away before finally going to the dermatologist’s office. I saw a nurse practitioner who definitely knew a ton about adult acne. It took a few visits to finesse my skincare routine, since I have a sensitive, acne-prone, dry skin. Quite the combo, right?

I was put on a low dose of spironolactone to help with my hormonal acne, with good results. I was also prescribed Epiduo and Acuzone, which I continue to use today. They can be drying, so I like to use Acuzone in the morning and Epiduo at night. Sometimes I use them together, but they can be pretty strong and irritate my face. I also use a gel cleanser for oily, blemish-prone skin and skin recovery moisturizer for hypersensitive and irritable skin both from Avene. These products were recommended and purchased at the dermatologist’s office, but they can also be purchased at Dermstore.com. I’ve tried tons of products and they all cause breakouts, except this moisturizer. I put my skin through a lot trying to get rid of and prevent acne and it really does soothe the skin. I know these aren’t the greenest products available, but I personally feel better when I exercise more, which I do more often with clear skin. Plus, when your face looks like the walking dead, you get less picky. I know I don’t have before pictures for you guys, but there was no way I was letting a camera near my face when I had a bad case of acne. Seriously, I didn’t want to leave my apartment it got so bad at times.

Even with these products, I still had a bad habit of picking at my face. I feel like I’ve finally been able to overcome this bad habit I acquired. It’s been a month and a half and I haven’t picked my face! A while ago, I decided I needed a reward system that wasn’t too far into the future. Currently, I reward myself with a lipstick every week. Why this? I’ve tried other reward systems in the past that didn’t work. I’m convinced they failed because 1) I didn’t reward myself soon enough. You need to start enjoying your reward right away, and look forward to the next one in order to get emotionally invested. 2) Lipsticks are fun and something I don’t consider a makeup necessity, like foundation or concealer, which is mainly used to cover up imperfections like acne. Lipstick also comes in an infinite about of colors and variety, so you’ll stay motivated to get more. It is also a product that goes on your lips, not your face, which means you won’t have to worry about new makeup causing you acne. I’d love to be able to go out with just lipstick on and clear skin, and this reward reminds me of that. 3) There is a big variety is price. If your budget doesn’t allow expensive rewards, drugstore lipstick is can be found super cheap. There are also brands that are a little more expensive than drugstore makeup, and of course, luxury brands. Compared to the amount of money I used to spend on skincare products, even luxury lipstick less expensive.

As far as my diet is concerned, sugar makes my hormonal acne worse. That’s why I prefer low sugar diets, such as the paleo diet. I’m not trying to lose weight, and I am not strict about my diet, except when it comes to dairy. That will make me feel congested and sick. I usually cook paleo food and eat gluten and dairy free when I go out, but I don’t try to be perfect, just healthy … ish. This lets me maintain my weight, indulge in my cravings when they get out of control and still eat mostly healthy. But, everyone’s body has different needs and diets should be customized to your mental and physical well being. Just like skincare routines, what works for me might not work for you.

Disclaimer: I’m not being paid, nor have I received free products for anything mentioned in this post.