Hi everyone,

Probably you are tired of posts entitled 'how I cured/cleared acne for good', but I didn't come up with a better title for my intervention in this forum. What I want to share is really what effectively cleared my skin and you may use it as a reference for your own skincare.

A brief context for my acne: I started having acne some months before my menstruation (12 years old) and the only thing throughout 18 years that controlled my acne was contraceptive pill (never did accutane). I left pill 2 years ago, when I was 30, because I got married and wanted to have children and so acne came back on force. I've tried many things, from skincare to diet, and what I will leave below is what gives me a skin nearly as good as before my first menstruation!

Things/Ingredients that work for me: niacinamide, azelaic acid, salicylic acid (not everyday - take care with over-exfoliation!), gentle cleansing, oils rich in linoleic acid, simple formulations.

Things/ingredients that do not work for me or can aggravate my condition: glycolic acid, essential oils, too rich/emulsifying creams, oils rich in oleic acid, mineral oils, silicones, chemical sun filters, vitamin C, alcohol, benzoyl peroxide, fragance.

Morning

Cleanser: Gentle Cream Cleanser by MV Skincare (2/3 times a week I use also the 9 oil cleaning tonic by the same brand)

Tonic: Coco Basil Clarifying Tonic by Garden of Wisdom

Serum: Either the Turmeric Facial Serum or the Synergistic Anti-Inflammatory Niacinamide and B-5 Serum by Garden of Wisdom (both have niacinamide which is a great ingredient for the skin) with 3 drops of organic Prickly Pear Seed Oil.

SPF (if needed - I live in Scandinavia): Josh Rosebrook™s Nutrient Day Cream with SPF 30 or Biosolis' Extreme Fluid with SPF 50.

Night

Cleanser: Manuka or raw honey (removed with a hydrosol - I use tap water on my skin only once a day as it can dry/irritate my skin)

Tonic: same as above

Treatment by prescription: Finacea gel (15% Azelaic Acid)

Serum: Pre-Emptive Strike Serum or Sulfur Clearing Serum by Garden of Wisdom with a drop of Old Man™s Beard (Usnea Barbata - very good antiseptic fungi)

Moisturiser: pure aloe vera gel with organic hemp seed oil or Tammy Fender™s anti-oxidant cream

Weekly: 3 times a week, alternating (i.e. don™t exfoliate and use clay on the same day) I exfoliate with salicylic acid (2%, no alcohol) and do a white or green clay mask with charcoal to detox and remineralize.

During winter, I also use red and blue light therapy as we don't have so much Sun where I live.

Diet and lifestyle: absolutely no milk (only k©fir or yogurt), avoid sugar and carbohydrates, eat plenty of fresh fish and vegetables (I eat soup twice a day - don't like green juices but they might work as well), drink green tea, lemon juice and ACV diluted in water, taking MSM also helps, but take breaks every two months so you don't get used to it, live life with no stress and lots of love