I created this account just to share with you guys what cleared my skin after having acne for 10 years (age 15-25). BP never worked that well for me as a teen, just dried out my skin. I had some success with epiduo when I was 17, but I was able to soak 10 of those blue oil pads a day, easily. I spent a bunch of years after that trying to find a natural solution. Apple cider vinegar, lavender, tea tree oil, coconut oil (holy shit that was awful), my own urine, epsom salt, visualization, the list goes on. Nothing really worked, and I'd break out moderately at least twice a month. I'm aware that this won't work for everyone, but I really hope that it helps at least one person, because having acne is such a damn confidence blow.

Disclaimer- this process was initially very unscientific... I didn't measure anything until after I realized it was working, and I wanted to find out how much water I was using so I could tell others.

I bought a bottle of 500 mg non flushing Niacinamide, 100 capsules, Nature's Way, from amazon for about $5. I read that niacinamide is water soluble, so what I do is I just open up the capsule and dissolve the contents in a little over 1/2 cup of filtered tap water. I put that in a container and leave it in the fridge so I don't have to worry about incorporating a preservative. Every night I shake up the container a little, use a cotton pad to wipe the solution on my face, shoulders, and chest, and let it air dry.

That is the entire extent of my skin routine now, and my skin has cleared 95%. I hate it when people post on here saying they've been trying such-and-such for 2 days now and they'll update us on how it works, because they never do. It's August 1st today and I started this routine on May 3rd. I started noticing within a week that I no longer needed to use moisturizer because niacinamide improves skin barrier function and my skin was no longer dry. Within 2 weeks my skin was maybe 60% clearer, and noticeably more plump and healthier looking. My skin never purged. Now I get maybe 5 very small, whitehead-like pimples a month and they go away within a day or two. Also, really big plus, I can wear sunscreen on my face now without breaking out. I always dreamed of some sort of miracle cure, and this is undeniably as close as it gets. Dirt cheap, natural, and actual improves your skin instead of creating more damage in the long run.

UPDATE:

This gradually stopped working about 9 months in! I think my skin became resistant to it somehow? Such a bummer. I'm now on the regimen though and my skin is clear again- fingers crossed this one lasts. Message me with any questions as I'm not on here often anymore.