For the last two years, I suffered from the most intense and painful zits. Wow what an opener amiright?! I feel like nothing helped them and once they started coming, they were here to stay for weeks. It was only in the last two months that I realized that I haven’t been getting … any. I stepped back and reflected on what has changed and what I’ve been doing differently so I could share it with you all.

For one, I got Crohn’s Disease. I’m guessing the random outburst of cystic acne that I got two years ago might have had something to do with my gut starting to flare up. What you’re eating and how your gut bacteria is balanced plays a huge role in your skin. For example, when I started taking probiotics about six months ago, before my Crohn’s diagnosis, I noticed I only was getting cysts around my period and they were much less painful. In addition, Crohn’s symptoms might suddenly come on, you’ve most likely had something going on in your gut two to even five years before your first flare. Now that I’ve been diagnosed and treated with an initial round of antibiotics, I’ve noticed my cystic acne and migraines have taken a backseat … perk of having debilitating stomach cramps??

When I started getting cystic acne, I was going through a lot in life. I lost three people really close to me all within nine months and at the same time was trying to navigate my second year of college and find a place to live off campus. When my anxiety flared up, which was pretty much all the time, my skin got worse. Having bad skin meant my confidence plummeted and I was in constant pain. It was a vicious cycle. Flash forward to November 2019, and I finally sought out help for my anxiety and started talking with a therapist. I can talk more about this in a later blog post, but it’s safe to say my skin started calming down when I started looking after my mental health.

So to recap, treating my Crohn’s with diet, that initial round of antibiotics, and caring for my mental health were the key things that helped my cystic acne to clear up. When I stopped eating sugar when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s, I stopped getting cysts all together. This all being said, my skincare routine also played a big role. When I was getting cysts frequently, I would try absolutely everything out on the market to try to get rid of them. It got to the point where my skin was angry not only deep down where the cysts were, but on the surface as well. My skin was always raw and angry, which only made me more embarrassed. Over time I learned that less is more. When I did that giant clean out that I talked about in a previous blog post, I also went through my skincare. I can now confidently say that I have a regime that is simple, but super effective. I listed it below for you guys and included some photos for reference! FYI I have what my dermatologist calls “resilient” skin. It takes a lot to get a response from any product, so if you have sensitive skin, run these products by your derm first! But other than The Ordinary mask I mention, most are very gentle products.

 

 

AM

First Aid Beauty probiotic cleanser with charcoal – great for preventing breakouts.

Kiehl’s Toner – Gentle and milky on the skin – great for prepping skin for serums.

Caffeine Eye serum – I haven’t been able to find a refill of the brand I am currently using, but I bought The Ordinary’s caffeine serum to try and will follow up on Instagram!

COSRX pimple patches – work amazingly to reduce cysts and draw out white heads.

The Ordinary Niaminicide and Zinc – super affordable, reduces redness and scarring, and prevents breakouts.

(If I’m not going outside for most of the day, I will usually add in a Tretinoin cream from my dermatologist here. This works as an exfoliant and helps prevent cysts and works to reduce scarring. It can be very drying on the skin until you build up a tolerance.)

Kiehl’s SPF30 – SPF is so important to prevent scarring from turning into dark spots and preventing aging. I wear this year round and alternate with Oil of Olay SPF15.

• Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi – adds a beautiful glow to my sunscreen so I don’t have to wear makeup!

PM

The Ordinary BHA + AHA exfoliating mask – I use this every three days. It’s only recommended that you use it twice a week, but like I mentioned, I have very resilient skin and lots of scarring that I’m trying to clear up from the cysts. Be very careful with this product as it can cause chemical burns.

The Ordinary Vit C in HA spheres – Do not use any Vitamin C with Niaminicide. They will cancel each other out. Also, if using vitamin C in the morning, be sure to use sunscreen.

Vitamin E oil/Coconut Oil – Vitamin E is really soothing on the skin and helps to heal scarring. I use a combination infused with coconut oil when my skin needs an extra boost.

Paula’s Choice Vitamin C spot treatment – Expensive, but the single most amazing thing on earth for diminishing cystic acne. It doesn’t take a lot to do the trick. This also fades new scarring literally overnight. If I have a completely popped and dried out pimple on Tuesday, you won’t have known it was there by Friday morning. The tiny tube lasts me several months. FYI this does make my skin itch and tingle, especially with new scars. Patch test first.