So you have acne and you’re ready to have clear skin – welcome! Along with fitness (looking and feeling good) other areas of interest include Skincare and thus having clear spot free skin! Which reminds me – NUTRITION!
Diet and Acne
Before we get into treating the acne – I know the research isn’t conclusive on the link between diet and acne but there is literally no harm in fixing your diet! Food choices that include sugar, trans fats and general junk isn’t going to help you – so fix your diet! Remove all that rubbish, drink plenty of WATER and get ACTIVE! You OWE it to yourself. I’d firstly recommend drinking Apple Cider Vinegar for it’s multiple health benefits. It can ever be applied topically (on the skin) too but dilute it before drinking and/or applying!
Now, lecture over, back to my routine…
My Skin and Acne Experience
I was OBSESSED with skincare. If you’ve got acne, spots, pimples and blemishes whether superficial or cystic – I feel your pain! It’s your flipping face and it’s on show – 24/7 – to everyone. There’s only so much filtering, photoshopping and avoiding social occasions you can do before it really starts to stress you. I’ve been there and – I have an answer so please – trust me and try this!
Acne ‘cure’ you say!? Well – yeah – I guess so! It ‘cured’ me! But here’s the deal – if you don’t try this and stick to this for AT LEAST TWO WEEKS then you’re not going to get results.
My skin is 100% clear and acne free. Trust me – this is after MANY YEARS OF TRIAL AND ERROR! So yeah, I’ve just saved YOU a bunch of time!
Is it really an ‘ACNE CURE’!?
The ‘CURE’ bit is because you don’t just do this just once or every now and then or ‘when you can remember’ – you have to keep the routine up. My routine takes 5 mins a day. Have you got 5 mins for clear clean skin? Yeah thought so. If not then it just doesn’t bother you nearly enough – lucky you! Go check out my courses and get that body in shape too then! 😉
Let’s talk Acne Treatments…
Benzoyl Peroxide Vs Salicylic Acid
Do some research and you’ll find the main two active ingredients in many products are Salicylic Acid and Benzoyl Peroxide. Well, in my experience – BENZOYL PEROXIDE is the one.
I’ve noticed over the years that Salicylic Acidtends to have a bit of a ‘purging process’, you know – where you breakout for a bit and you never know if it’s because it’s a new product, a purge of impurities or coincidence and end up bailing on the product! I’ve noticed this when the product makes a statement about it containing ‘Salicylic Acid’ which makes me think it was probably at it’s max 2% concentraion. Most products contain Salicylic Acid (in perhaps smaller concentrations) and don’t break me out, so I don’t hate it but it’s not a ‘wow’ ingredient, unlike the industry standard, ever faithful BENZOYL PEROXIDE! This stuff just works. No purging, no breakouts, it works from day one.
Before and After – Evaluate
Take a picture of your skin as it currently is and then do my plan and take another picture – compare your results! Comment below – How did you do?
My ACNE CURE routine for CLEAR SKIN
So here’s my routine. Did you just scroll straight to this bit!? Ha! You’re like – ‘I’ve not got time for this backstory blah blah just give me the routine like yesterday’! Well, it’s shockingly simple but gives those results you’ve been waiting for.
Before I get into the detail, let me break it down real simple.
1. Face Wash
2. Kitchen Roll
3. Benzoyl Peroxide
That’s it! Just 3 steps! I’m a genius I know.
Face Wash
You’re only looking to remove greece, oil, daily grime etc from your face so when it comes to a Face Wash remember that THIS IS NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT PART of the routine. Just get your face clean by using a product that does just that but doesn’t overly dry it.
Try to avoid Parabens, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS’s) in the ingredients list. If it states it’s ‘non comedogenic’ then great! I’d like to think that goes without saying in a face wash tho!
A well known ‘go-to’ face wash/clenser is the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, note it does contain SLS in it’s ingredient list but it is towards the end of the ingredient list and, like it’s name suggests is pretty gentle and could be a good place to start!
Kitchen Roll
Next it’s KITCHEN ROLL. This is the ONLY WAY to dry your face. Do not let it ‘dry naturally’ or dry it on your towel or t-shirt or anything BUT – KITCHEN ROLL. You’re going to dab your face dry with this. Let your face dry, 5-10 mins should be fine and then get ready to apply BENZOYL PEROXIDE.
Benzoyl Peroxide
Before applying the BENZOYL PEROXIDE wash your hands again, they must be clean. Then lightly apply the cream or gel as you would a mositiser. If it’s the first time using Benzoyl Peroxide then you might be sensitive to it so build up. I can literally use a whole tube (hypothetically!) and it wouldn’t cause redness or drying but i’ve used it for about 10 years. But anyway, you only need a little bit – especially in the day, that’s why I say apply it ‘like a moisturiser’ in regards to the amount. If you do this routine twice a day (morning and night) then you can apply more product at night and let it ‘sit on’ and ‘skink in’ before washing off any ‘product crust’ the next morning – it can dry a bit like toothpaste if you apply a lot.
For me I wash my face in the morning, dry with Kitchen Roll and get on with the day. At night, I’ll wash my face, dry with kitchen roll and liberally apply Benzoyl Peroxide as I only need one application. I used to require two applications per day to maintain a breakout free face. comes in three strengths – 2.5%, 5% and 10%. I used to use 2.5% and it worked fine, and then, it disappeared from the market! (UK) couldn’t buy it anywhere! So I now use 5% and it works exactly the same and doesn’t ‘seem’ any stronger, it works the same, results are the same but for YOU if you’re staring out I would suggest using 2.5% IF you can get it. If not just use even less 5% and build up to minimise any potential redness or dryness.
Conclusion
And that’s it! BOOM! DONE! Oh, just don’t touch your face unless you’re washing it! Dirty hands, touching inflamed spots etc achieves nothing!
Acne Brands
In regards to brands for the products I use, belive it or not after all the ‘cheap store own’ Face Wash brands, stereotypical known brands and high end very expensive brands I have for a while enjoyed using a clearasil sensitive wash!
For the Benzoyl Peroxide I use ‘Acnecide Benzoyl Peroxide Gel’ which works great, but again any brand will work. Oh and Kitchen Roll? Yeah any brand with that too and you’ll be good!
What’s YOUR experience with ACNE?
Now this is where you thank me in the comments below and tell me if you’re going to try it…and then come back and boast about how clear your skin is! Go!