InfinityMunchkin

Just a victim/sufferer of teenage acne.

MY STORY

by InfinityMunchkin

Back in 2009 I first started getting acne. It was just a few whiteheads. I would pick and scratch at them because I'm a little OCD. I didn't think anything of it. I remembered getting blackheads around my nose, too.

In early 2010 my acne remained stable. I don't remember having very good personal hygiene (which has since changed) I would rarely wash my face, and when I did I would scrub it very harshly with a wash rag. I would always have my hair covering my forehead which obviously didn't help. I wasn't very self conscious nor did I care about my skin at all. For what it's worth, my acne really wasn't THAT bad.

Later in the summer to the early fall of 2010, I remember my skin picking habit getting a little out of control. I picked every pimple I got just because I could. I felt guilty sometimes with all these scabs all over my face. My only "treatment" were Clearasil Alcohol pads. For some reason I thought this was helping, but it wasn't. It just discolored my face.

2011 rolled around. By this time I think I'd at least acknowledged the fact that I had acne. It was all over my face, just little bumps. It was on my nose, upper cheeks, T-zone, chin and forehead. It was pretty much everywhere, and it wasn't cute. I felt ugly. I didn't understand why anybody liked me, or HOW anybody could like me - who could like a dork with a pizza face?

I came to the conclusion that maybe if I washed my face more my acne would go away, so I washed my face all the time. I washed it 2-3 times a day, just soap, water and a wash rag. Classy, I know. I would also use my Clearasil face wash and Alcohol pads - for anyone reading this - please don't try Clearasil, they're crap.

Late summer/early fall of 2011 was when my acne was at its worst. People started noticing my skin and it made me feel very self-conscious. I was embarrassed. Who wants puss-filled bumps covering their entire face? Nobody. Nobody just walks up to you and says, "Hey, CUTE ZITS!"

I could sympathize with anyone and everyone suffering from acne... However, none of my friends were getting it. They were just baby-faced radiant goddesses whose skin glowed with healthiness, sunshine and all things lovely.

This of course didn't help my mental state.

At this time I was a freak about washing my face. I scrubbed it like there was no tomorrow. I continued using my Clearasil Alcohol pads and Clearasil face wash. By this time I also decided it would be a good idea to use RUBBING ALCOHOL on my skin. This made it dry and discoloration. Not a good idea. This made my skin produce more sebum, therefore more acne. I also used AcneFree's 3 step system from once in awhile. Piece of shit.

FINALLY I broke down and decided to start using Benzoyl Peroxide; which I'd put off for the entire summer because I was terrified of getting sunburned. Some family members convinced me that my acne was bad enough to where I needed to use it.

I of course stopped using all that other junk I was using. My skin DID improve, but I kept wondering, "When's my skin gonna CLEAR UP?" To my dismay, it didn't. I started getting these large red pimples that were very demoralizing. Soap and water wasn't going to cut it any more. I invested in some Burt's bees products. I got the cleanser and moisturizer. These products probably would've helped with my acne a lot more if I knew how to use them correctly. They did help, though. My acne still wasn't cleared up, and it got to the point where I would cry over it and pray to God that I would find something that helped. I felt more ugly and insecure than I ever had.

2012 HITS.

The search began. I stumbled upon Acne.org in March of 2012. A family member convinced me to just order it. It was way cheaper than my prescription BP which was costing a fortune and not doing anything. This was probably the best decision I ever made.

The Acne.org regimen had totally cleared up my skin. I couldn't be more pleased with the results.

Throughout the summer this was my skincare:

AM: 1-2 pumps of Acne.org Cleanser, wait 3 mins, apply 2 pumps of acne.org BP, wait 50 mins, apply 2 pumps of acne.org moisturizer + 5-6 drops of jojoba,

PM: Same.

For the first time in a long time I actually had clear skin - and I was absolutely loving it. I felt free, accomplished and confident... There was just a few  huge side effects. Dryness and time consumption. Oh, how my skin would peel. I remember being told that my skin was actually orange, by a friend, because of the moisturizer. It would take me forever to "get ready" in the morning, too.

I remember another time I was on vacation, with my younger cousins and one of them asked why my skin was peeling so badly. This was quite embarrassing, especially since a 5-year-old asked I couldn't blame them.

Countless times throughout the summer people pointed out that my skin was peeling. This happened every time I got in the water. Every time I smiled, my skin would peel. I was so happy to have clear skin, for awhile I didn't even care.

FALL OF 2012.