Curology formula

I’ve struggled with acne since 7th grade (I’m 20 now). I have used a lot of products and there are a handful I want to share that have really helped me get closer to my clear skin goal. PAULA'S CHOICE - Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliator this is by far the best product I’ve ever used. My skin looks smoother and my acne has subsided tremendously. I can’t get enough of this. (I use it twice a week, working up to three). I really do believe this product is essential for clearer skin! CeraVe - Daily Moisturizing Lotion For Normal To Dry Skin this moisturizer has been my go to for about 5 years. It always keeps my skin hydrated and really helped when I was on acne prescriptions because my skin would always get really dry. Curology - Curology formula I have a whole post dedicated to this, but it really did help me a lot. I like having dermatologist prescriptions over other treatments. So, this was a great option for me and worked wonders! CeraVe - Hydrating Face Cleanser For Normal To Dry Skin I used to use the harshest face washed out there and strip my skin completely. This cleanser really helped me repair my moisture barrier and was gentle. My skin started looking really good after about 12 uses of this. The Ordinary - Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% this stuff is a miracle in a bottle!! My face is way less sensitive and my oils are under control. The redness from my acne subsides with the help of this product and I find it to help my acne heal and become smaller faster. Kate Somerville - EradiKate Acne Treatment this treatment really helped me when I had minimal breakouts. This dried out my pimples over night and helped them go away faster. This was a really nice treatment and I plan on using it again when my face is clearer and I no longer feel the need to continue curology!!

I‘ve struggled with cystic hormonal acne for years, but when I was diagnosed with breast cancer this summer, I didn’t imagine I’d experience the worst breakout of my 27 years of life... I was so overwhelmed and stressed, that I honestly forgot all about my skincare until it looked like this! And just like breast cancer, cystic acne hurts physically and mentally, but I had to regain control. I couldn’t control what was happening to me, but I could refocus, change my perspective, and restart my skincare routine 😅 Then I was gifted this medically personalized product to try and this is was my three month progress! 👏🏼✨ It’s different for everyone, but I noticed a difference in my skin after 4 weeks of consistent use. I’d say, it’s definitely worth a try, so I’ll leave a link to a 1-month trial for $4.95! http://curolo.gy/RebeccaSantos (No, I don’t get commission or any form of payment for this post or if you use my link.) Curology - Curology formula

It took me about a year to formulate and create a skin care routine that catered to my own skin perfectly. I must say, I have come a long way from using witch hazel and apricot scrubs and figured out what my skin needs. It’s amazing progress. Hopefully this year I will incorporate a retinol into my routine.

I’ve used these products consistently over the period of a couple months (not necessarily in combination with each other). I haven’t noticed a difference and realize I don’t particularly love the feel of serums and oils. Here’s my review of each product individually and one ordinary product that I do feel like makes a difference. PAULA'S CHOICE - Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliator I was super excited to try and love this product and was mainly wanting help with blackheads on my nose. I haven’t noticed a difference even when using the product twice a day for a couple months. The product is very oily and it’s easy to get all over the bottle. Not a toner that can be used without a cotton pad The Ordinary - Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% The Ordinary - Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 I don’t love the textures of these products and am disappointed not seeing a difference after using consistently and over half the bottle is gone. dear, klairs - Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Drop This product is very oily. I want to include vitamin C in my skincare routine but just didn’t enjoy this particular one. e.l.f. - Happy Hydration Cream I love all of elf’s products and bought this thinking I would love it. It leaves a white cast and I don’t like the feel when I put this moisturizer on, because of this I have been using it just at night I order to not waste the product. Elf has much better products than this one for sure! One product I do like: The Ordinary - AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution I’ve started using this once a week and believe it is helping with my blackheads. It is drying and I have sensitive skin so if you’re like me I would suggest only once a week for 8 min and consider a hydrating mask afterwards.

🌸 note: two of the products in my picture are prescription only, high grade retinoids. but i have tagged their drug store dupes that are the SAME product with a lower concentration 🌸 WHAT IS A RETINOL? in the most basic form, a retinoid is a form of VITAMIN A which encourages skin cells to break down and turn over faster, resulting in reduction of acne, wrinkles, dark spots and signs of aging. It promotes collagen production, unclogs pores, and reduces scarring. its actually thickens skin, preventing wrinkles from forming ☀️☀️ALWAYS USE AN SPF WITH RETINOIDS☀️☀️ because your skin cells are dying and regenerating so quickly, you are much more prone to sunburns. read @jensanti‘s comment below for more health cautions! they vary HIGHLY in strength (weak to strong list)  - retinoid esters: The weakest version of a retinoid, but is good for sensitive skin, surface level  retinol: found in a variety of products, works on the cellular level of skin - adapalene (differin): Used to be prescription only but can now be found in a low-dose age in most drug stores. penetrates deeper and slows the production of sebum with faster cell turnover - retinoic acid (Retin-A/tretinoin): works deeper in the skin, can produce overnight results in the form of dead skin peeling. Very advanced skin cell turnover, as it penetrates and stimulates cell death and production. Skin can become very sensitive, irritated , and red - isotretinoin (Accutane): essentially sebum production is very limited and skin cell turnover is dramatically increased. on ingestible medication that will make your skin peel, dry out, and really kill acne. It’s prescription only but very effective. 🌸 products i use! prescription only: ADAPALENE 0.3% dupe: DIFFERIN - DIFFERIN Acne Treatment Gel ADAPALENE is the primary form of retinol in this product. this has been my go to product for years, it makes me less sun sensitive then Retin-A 0.05%, while still giving me excellent skin cell turnover and anti aging benefits. It helped my skin go from absolute shiz to a much cleaner glowing face (see 4th pic) prescription only: RETIN-A 0.05% dupe: janssen - Retino-A 0.05% Tretinoin Cream TRETENOIN is the primary form of retinoid in this product. these two may actually be the same product, but the one that I have I know is usually prescription grade. it will make your skin peel overnight, so I use it as a spot treatment if I get any deep set nodular acne. i used this for a couple years but it made me really sun sensitive, it is very strong! luxury brand: SUNDAY RILEY - A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum RETINOL ESTER and CoQ10 are the primary forms of retinal in this product. this claims to have a 6.5% blend of stabilize retinoids and botanical retinoid alternative extracts. I think that it is incredibly overpriced for what it is. There are very similar dupes such as those from the inkey list and the ordinary