Me
My fight with acne goes back a very long time…
I’m one of the ‘unlucky people’ who are:
1. Acne/congestion prone.
2. Can’t easily get rid of it (Hormones?)
3. Just generally sensitive to everything.
Even eating certain foods would make me breakout! Told you – unlucky.
Raise your hand if you’ve used just about every drugstore brand, Proactiv, Murad and any other ‘get rid of acne promise-land’ brands. They either make it worse or do not work or work just a tiny bit for you to keep the hope alive. Neither good enough. Or as in case of Benzoyl Peroxide – bleach everything around you and you’re talking to a girl who dresses mostly in dark clothing. For so long I was one of those people. I was wondering what was wrong with me… I even went for deep cleaning facials and ‘Acne laser’ with little to no results. Visited a dermatologist too… Is there such a thing as acne curse? Let’s hope the answer is no. I’ve also tried Tea tree and Basil Oils which were too strong for my finicky skin even with a carrier oil. And only took care of some types of blemishes… I was already eating incredibly healthy and even attempted going off coffee/alcohol completely…
The Start
I kept on seeing the adds everywhere and at that point, September 2017 I really wasn’t happy with my skin. (See a photograph bellow!) I’ve had quite large red spots on my cheeks and chin and those skin color ones that resemble milia.
Signing up for Curology was very easy. After the necessary information you are asked to take photos of every angle of your face where the acne persists.
Very important :
DO NOT use any make-up when you take those photos. You need the professional to see how your skin really looks!
Within 12h I had a very helpful Emily contact me with my custom formula. I couldn’t wait to start using it crossing all of my fingers.
The shipping was about the standard USPS free shipping timing, about a week or so. First you get a one month supply and then afterwards every two months.
The Ingredients
It is quite likely if you choose to use Curology your formula will be different but just in case here are the breakdown of the ingredients.
Niacinamide a form of Vitamin B3. Strengthens the outer skin layer thus having an anti-inflammatory effect.
Clindamycin An antibiotic used to prevent bacterial infections.
Azelaic Acid kills the bacteria and loosen skin cells to prevent pore blockage
My formula was updated once. Azelaic Acid got the higher dosage. It might be updated again if I decide to add a Retinoin. I am still on the fence about this as I am terrified of the possible ‘purge period’ or certain side effects strong Retinoids bring.
The Process, Progress and Side Effects
I am currently 8 months with Curology. And one thing I will repeat to myself on and on and remind myself when it comes to anti-acne medications/creams the key is PATIENCE. You must have it. Nothing happens overnight. But one good thing with Curology is the ‘Before’ photos to always remind you how bad it was. When I’d start thinking I’m not doing so good or not getting enough Progress I’d go back to my ‘before’ photos and cringe. Because the truth is my skin is much better than 8 months ago and this should make me happy. Or at least happier. I am not going to say ‘good enough’ just because I am a perfectionist. 😀
So it is very incredibly helpful to keep on going back to that and also updating your progress! Yes you can compare in their photo-booth, that is how you know it is working.
This is mine. Looking at the older one I still cannot believe how bad it was. All swollen and inflamed… :'( Still makes me want to cry…
As for side effects with my current formula I had NONE. Just follow the very simple instructions and make sure to tell ‘your Emily’ about any allergies and/or health conditions.
Price
It’s $20 for the first month and then $40 for two. Considering how much I’ve spend on things that did not work it’a great deal. Curology currently offering trial bottle for all new members for just the price of shipping! ($4.95)
Acne Prone skin tips
Exfoliation has been the key for me. I even use stronger scrubs (larger grains) when I feel I need it. Use with caution though, everyone’s skin is different. Or a gentler kind. Also peels! (Here is my favorite peeling solution: Beautylish. I am also thinking to try a much stronger TCA peel on an advice from a friend. (Take caution and research if you do as well!)
Korean peel-off masks have also been very effective. Make sure the product you are purchasing is free of Parabens though. And to calm the irritation and just to cool my skin after Sun exposure or after a stress pervaded day I use Korean sheet masks (Collagen, Snail, Gold etc) Keep them in the fridge to be extra refreshing and to diminish any swelling.
The key of course not to overdo it and if your skin goes ‘crazy’ give it a break and just use Curology at night and Micellar water and Sunscreen in the day. I also found that lotions with Niacinamide like La Roche Posay help me heal.
New Designs and Products
Curology has come out with the new design for their super bottle a little while ago. Check it out!
And there is finally a cleanser and moisturizer as well to supplement your routine!
I’ve been using these two for a about a month. The texture of both the wash and the lotion is very light, gel-cream type. I use oil cleanser first but the cleanser washes off all the remaining make up residue, oil etc The moisturizer is gentle and non irritating, very light and pleasant. I think it would be the best for the humid summer season, In winter my combination skin will need more help. The price for this new set is $60 it ships every two months. I am not sure it will last me until my next ship date however. Perhaps I always use two much, but will see!
The Setback and Plateau
Almost two months ago my bottle ran out earlier. (Read more bellow.) So I ended up for two weeks without Curology superbottle. My skin went crazy… It looked (and I am still not happy) almost as bad at my begining Curology more than a year ago. You’d probably say it’s the proof the bottle really works but I was concerned. When I finally got that bottle I didn’t wait another minute to slather it all over my face. Large pimples went away within a several days however something still wasn’t right. My skin tone is messed up and I still have certain imperefections that persist. (Extremely clogged pores, milia…)
Good thing with Curology you always have support, (And bunch of helpful articles!) I have contacted Emily and she explained that it is hard to tell why my skin reverted, perhaps two weeks without the bottle, or additional stress, pollution etc affects hormones. She advised Spearmint tea to potentially aid hormonal balance (Interesting!) and Vitamin B6. She also mentioned Birth Control pills again, which was a hard no for me.
While I have just started drinking the tea and taking the Bs let me explained why I was concerned. I used to take Spironolactone, a high blood pressure medication that took care of my hormonal acne, but I was told to take it indefinitely. I wasn’t ok with that. Same reason I say no to bc pills. So if the pills help my acne doesn’t that mean something is wrong and has to be fixed internally? (I had success in the past with homeopathic medicine) Also the fact that my skin regressed so much just within two weeks adds to that concern. While we do have to take care of our skin on daily basis I resent the fact of being on certain pills or using a cream my entire life with fear of missing a few days and falling on my back.
The Smaller Bottle
I wanted to mention this. In relation to my bottle running out sooner. (Just another one did finish last night and the next won’t ship for another month! I admit I did use it twice a day a few times when feeling particularly bad about my skin) Maybe I do use too much but Curology did reduce the size of their bottle from 13.5ml to 12ml for the 1 month bottle. basically 10% decrease. I am not even sure how that affects my 2 months subscription… They claimed a lot of people would throw out unused product at the end of the month… Really? Why? Who would do that? Not even a good excuse to be honest. Why would you throw out the same formula with a little bit left in the bottle for a new bottle with just the same thing in there… Perhaps they should make bottles fully transparent. I don’t know but I am very glad I got an extra bottle this time because I would probably regress once again. Looking back now I received the e-mail on June 8th and didn’t pay it much mind… But now that two bottles in the row ran out too quickly it made me remember. I sincerely hope it won’t be shrinking any further.
The Conclusion
I will continue using Curology with big hopes just like I did in the begining and will be updating you on the progress. 🙂 Why? The hope’s still alive. It did work before. And better than any other cream I’ve tried. At least perhaps I can get it somewhat under control while I find out the culprit (hope!) and work on the cause from the inside.
Have you tried Curology? What do you use to combat/prevent blemishes?
You are also welcome to bombard me with questions about my experience or anything else regarding skincare!
