How I finally cleared up my skin after 15 years of cystic acne
I didn’t really want to talk about this on the blog since this topic isn’t really related to running, lifting weights or doing yoga. Although it’s related to eating healthy, it’s a bit more personal than I usually like to get. But I thought since it’s about self-care and mental health I may as well share my story. Plus, if it helps someone else struggling with the same issues, even better.
My battle with bad skin
I’ve had bad skin since I turned 15. Almost everyone has bad skin at that age, but mine was particularly bad. Not only did I get acne, but also cold sores (on my chin and nose, never on my lips) and eczema. Birth control pills never helped, and neither did dermatologist-prescribed retin A creams and other steroids. I’ve been to the best dermatologists in Victoria, tried Proactiv (which completely dried up my skin in a bad way) and took antibiotics. The only thing I haven’t tried was Accutane, because I’ve heard horror stories about how bad it can be for your liver and what it can do to your skin if you take the wrong dosage.
I’ve been dealing with problem skin for my entire teenage and adult life, finding relief only occasionally for a few days after a tropical vacation (my skin tends to improve after a week in the sun sans makeup and stress). And as anyone who suffers from bad skin will know, it’s pretty psychologically damaging to have problem skin. Not only does it hurt (cystic acne and cold sores), but you also feel so self conscious of your face. It takes me twice as long as most people to get ready in the morning because I apply make up like I’m creating a work of art or something. Because of that, I’m often late, which causes even more stress.
There would also be times I’d avoid social situations all together because I was feeling so self-conscious about my skin. And when I did feel confident enough to go out, I’d avoid going anywhere near a window or outside in natural light.
Those who know me in person and see me on a day-to-day basis always say it’s not that bad — but that’s because I do a pretty good job of covering it up. Only my close girlfriends, parents and boyfriend have seen me without make-up and at my worst. Obviously I don’t have “before” photos to share, because I could never bring myself to take a photo sans make-up during a particularly bad break out. But my skin looked similar to this beautiful soul’s skin, who was brave enough to show the world what she looked like without make-up:
Of course, I would love to say I learned to embraced my bad skin and could see past it to love myself as the beautiful model in the video was able to do — and I truly hope anyone suffering like I was could do the same. But it wasn’t just a vanity thing for me — my skin was also a huge source of stress and anxiety and caused a lot of physical discomfort and pain for me.
Seeking alternative help
Late last year, after my doctor tried to put me on Accutane for the hundredth time, I decided to contact a local skin clinic that uses laser therapy and naturopathic dermatology to help clients with their acne. I know, I know… that’s not science based. But when you’ve tried science based for 15 years and it hasn’t helped, you get desperate. And I was desperate. I’m 30 years old, for goodness sake — I should be worrying about wrinkles by now, not acne!
In November of 2014, I researched cosmetic skin clinics in Victoria and found one that had a treatment that helped heal acne-prone skin. I decided to bite the bullet (and part with $700 of my hard-earned money) to do laser therapy at Clear Skin Victoria every two weeks for four treatments total. The laser therapy helps to minimize pore size, gets rid of sun damage and reduces bacteria in the skin, all with minimal side effects. Along with the laser treatments, I met with the naturopathic dermatologist at the clinic to discuss lifestyle factors that may be contributing to my bad skin. She tested my cosmetics, tested me for food allergies and suggested some supplements I should take that might help.
What the naturopath found was this: I’m stressed out, my hormones are out of whack and my digestive system and immune system are struggling, hence why I keep getting cold sores. Is that true? I dunno. And at that point, I didn’t care and was willing to try anything.
My prescription: Meditation to reduce stress, therapy for my anxiety, a DIM and turmeric supplement to help with hormones, a diet similar to someone with IBS, the use of natural cosmetics only and daily probiotics.

Wearing all natural make-up from 100% Pure – just tinted moisturizer and a bit of compact powder on my skin.
It’s been a month since I finished my last laser treatment and therapy session, two months since I started taking the DIM supplement and meditating regularly, three months since I cut out all dairy and reduced my intake of wheat, and over a year using only natural beauty products and taking probiotics.
And for the first time in 15 years, my skin is clear.
It only took me 15 minutes to put on make-up this morning instead of an hour. I sat facing the window in a meeting today instead of with my back against it. I can wash my face at my boyfriend’s house before going to bed instead of keeping my make-up on overnight. I can talk to someone at a close range and not feel self-conscious. You have no idea how amazing it feels to be able to do this.
Of course, because I made several changes at once, I don’t know if it was the cognitive behavioral therapy, the DIM supplement or laser therapy that helped the most. Maybe it was the combination of all three. Right now, I don’t care. I’m just so happy to have more normal skin. I’ll get small zits now and again, but it’s nothing in comparison to what I had before.
Just in case you may be suffering from the same skin condition and have tried absolutely everything with no relief, here’s a breakdown of what I used:
- ESTROSmart supplement (four pills per day)
- Limelight (IPL) and Laser Genesis at Clear Skin Victoria (four sessions)
- Keys Island RX face wash and toner (recommended by naturopath)
- 100% Pure cosmetics (tinted moisturizer, face powder, eye liner, mascara, eye shadow, vitamin c serum, concealer, eyebrow gel)
- Saavani Acne Herbal Gel (apply morning and night after washing face)
- Indie Lee Blemish Stick (the best spot treatment I’ve ever tried… and I’ve tried them all)
- Escents Aromatheraputics cold sore gel (use daily for prevention)
- A clay face mask twice a week (using a mix of water, Now clay powder and New Roots Skin Lover’s oil)
- Daily exfoliation with a soft brush during cleansing
- No dairy and minimal wheat
- Lots of whole foods, fruits and veggies
- Warm water with lemon every morning
- Daily meditation (10-20 minutes)
- Mindfulness to help with stress
Of course, you should ALWAYS consult with your doctor first and seek help from medical professionals before you try any of this stuff. Remember, this is just what worked for me and is completely anecdotal and NOT backed by science. But I know what it’s like to feel like you’ve tried everything. I know what it’s like when treatment after treatment doesn’t work. I would spend hours searching the net for posts like this hoping maybe it would be the miracle solution I was looking for. As much as I put my trust in science-based medicine, sometimes you need to be an advocate for your own health and seek alternative treatment when nothing else seems to be working for you. And this worked for me.
Do you/have you suffer(ed) from bad skin in your adult life? What have you tried to help heal it? What worked for you?
February 17, 2015 @ 4:08 am
This rings so true to me! I’m finally coming out the other side of a decade+ of adult acne (I think!) and can only now see how awful it really felt. I sleep on my front and there were nights I couldn’t sleep because my face was so inflamed and painful.
I know what you mean about doing several things at once, and not knowing which one is the true cause. I’ve completely eliminated all dairy (I think this one is huge), clean my pillowcases once every 5ish days, am using a Retinol cream, and shell out $$$ for Dermalogica cleansers. And I don’t dare remove any of these, in case it’s the one thing that has ‘fixed’ me.
Unless someone has been through it, it’s hard to describe the impact that it can have on your life and the lengths you’d go to be cured. I’m so happy for you!
February 17, 2015 @ 4:31 am
Yes! So glad you found something that worked for you. I don’t even want to think about how much I’ve spent over the years on “solutions”. Right now it’s $40 a month for supplements and about $100 a month on my beauty products. It’s worth every penny to have normal skin!
February 17, 2015 @ 5:56 am
I am so happy you found a solution for your skin, there is truly nothing worse than feeling self conscious about your skin! I had pretty bad skin up until 7th or 8th grade. Then I took Accutane and at first it was a nightmare but then it cleared everything up… And things stayed that way. I also have to admit that my diet changed dramatically come Freshman/Sophmore year of high school which helped tremendously as well!
February 17, 2015 @ 5:58 am
Thank you! It’s funny, my doctor didn’t suggest accutane until I was in my late 20s even though my skin has been bad since I was a teenager. Glad it worked for you and you’ve been clear since!!
February 17, 2015 @ 5:59 am
as a Naturopathic Doctor I can tell you that a lot of what we use today IS science based 🙂 I know many people have different perspectives on natural or alternative medicine, but I’m happy to see that it’s gaining popularity! I’m positive it was a combination of all of the things you did that helped you clear your skin and I’m so happy you had such wonderful results. Your skin looks amazing!!!
February 17, 2015 @ 6:05 am
Thank you! I know people have opinions on either side so I wanted to preface it with this is what worked for me, and maybe if nothing from “western medicine” has worked for you, give this a try. I know the desperation you feel when trying to find a solution, and if naturopathic medicine helps and it’s not hurting you, then by all means use it!
February 17, 2015 @ 6:07 am
Definitely 🙂 Kudos to you for making changes in multiple areas of your life and finding a plan that works!
February 17, 2015 @ 9:49 am
My battle with acne is so similar to yours. I have been struggling since early middle school and it is still something I can’t seem to solve. I have tried everything and am currently on prescriptions from my dermatologist. It seems like those will help for a little while and then all of a sudden it will all come back. I think that the hardest part with dealing with cystic acne is what you mentioned about avoiding social situations and just not being confident. I have the hardest time going out in public sometimes because of how embarrassed I am about my acne and the fact that most people my age have had their acne clear up by now. It’s a constant work in progress for me but I will look into the products you are using!
February 17, 2015 @ 9:55 am
I feel ya completely! What are you taking from your derm? I find what works for some might not work for others, and it’s like years and years of trial and error. I’ve heard of lots of people having success with Estroblock, and I noticed a huge difference after taking something similar.
February 17, 2015 @ 10:43 am
I’m so glad you found something that worked for you! I actually just saw a dermatologist for the first time today. I was blessed to grow up acne free, unlike the rest of my siblings, until I turned 21 and got acne rosacea. I’ve been covering it up with make-up for the last 7 years, and finally went in (now that I have decent health insurance) to try and get a prescription for something that might help.
February 17, 2015 @ 10:54 am
Awesome! I hope you find something that works for you!
February 18, 2015 @ 11:19 am
Thank you so much for sharing this personal story Bri! You are beautiful {inside and out}, but regardless of how much one can tell themselves that, or be told that, of course battling with skin issues that are seemingly out of your control can be so frustrating and “why is this happening to me”-ing :). You have no idea how many women I have met at The Green Kiss that have been suffering with the same skin issues for years, who are often afraid of taking a holistic approach so I honestly can’t thank you enough for sharing this story! It is going to help someone else. You are one of my favourite customers and I feel grateful to have played a small role in this <3
February 18, 2015 @ 11:47 am
Aw thank you Megan! If it wasn’t for you and your little shop I wouldn’t have known healthy cosmetics that actually WORKED existed. So grateful for you and all you do!
January 15, 2016 @ 6:15 am
I think we have similar problem, Ive been battling cystic acne for more than 15 years,(almost half of my life) ., I tried everything including the IPL it clears up my skin but after my 10th session it all comes back after a few weeks but before that my Derma gave me a lot of medicines quite same to pro activ; Most of the time they injected my acne becasue its too big and almost everyday i have breakouts, I dont want to try the accutane eventhough it’s my last resort because I don’t want to damage my liver, I’m sick and tired already, oh god i will try your tips to quit eating dairy products, I’m an active person I exercise 5x a week also, maybe i do have a bad blood hahahaha, anyway i love in a tropical country maybe its one factor i have bad skin,
January 15, 2016 @ 8:58 am
I feel like it comes down to hormones and gut health – cutting dairy might help!!
December 28, 2016 @ 1:23 am
Recently brought this dermalmd acne serum and use it 2 days and my cystic acne around jawline has been healing!! I noticed a significant change and I can use it through the day too!!
March 22, 2017 @ 7:31 am
Dermalmd Blemish Serum has helped my acne a lot though it dries out my skin pretty bad. Took a little while to find the right moisturizer and method to go along with it but that’s no fault of the product that’s just my skin.