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Acne 101
5 Things I’d Do If I Had to Heal My Hormonal Acne All Over Again
Hormonal acne doesn’t play by the same rules as a random breakout. It’s tied to hormone levels, stress, and how your body moves through everyday life. I’ve been there — and if I had to start the healing journey from scratch, here’s exactly what I’d do.
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5 Things I’d Do If I Had to Heal My Hormonal Acne All Over Again
Hormonal acne doesn’t play by the same rules as a random breakout. It’s tied to hormone levels, stress, and how your body moves through everyday life. I’ve been there — and if I had to start the healing journey from scratch, here’s exactly what I’d do.
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How to Support a Friend Who’s Struggling With Their Skin
We all know someone — maybe a friend, coworker, or classmate — navigating adult acne or severe acne. Knowing how to be a supportive friend in a situation like this matters, because a strong support system can make progress feel achievable and their mental health a little easier to handle. First, recognize that acne isn’t the same for everyone, it’s usually deeply personal and individual to their own bodily makeup, hormones, and other factors. Adult acne and severe acne can obviously affect confidence, mood, and how your friend navigates the world. So your role? Offer empathy, not judgment (of course). A few encouraging words or simple check-ins can go a long way toward empowering them on their journey.
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Let Your Skin Just…Exist: Embracing Acne Neutrality
We’ve all had those mornings. Your reflection greets you with a fresh breakout, and suddenly every scroll on social media feels like a reminder that perfect skin is still the beauty standard. It’s exhausting. That’s where acne neutrality comes in: a mindset that shifts the focus from chasing perfection to finding balance and progress in your skin journey. Instead of idolizing “clear at all costs” or forcing constant self-love, acne neutrality creates space for something more realistic: acceptance and action. It’s about acknowledging that skin can have texture, spots, or redness and still be healthy. And it’s about protecting your mental health and acne by loosening the grip that social media’s highlight reels have on your self-worth.
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Latest Blog Posts
“Eventually, I realized the hard truth: there’s no real industry standard for what makes a product acne-safe”
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What Is Salicylic Acid and Why It Belongs in Your Skincare Routine
Let’s talk about one of the most proven, go-to ingredients in the acne world: salicylic acid. Technically, it’s a beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) — aka an oil-soluble chemical exfoliant that goes deep into pores to clear out dead skin cells and excess oil. Translation? It’s a total MVP for unclogging skin and calming breakouts before they blow up.
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PCOS and Acne: Here’s What’s Actually Going On
If your breakouts feel deeper, more painful, and always seem to land around your jawline or chin, there’s a chance it’s more than just your products. For a lot of people, acne is one of the first signs that something internal is off. And one of the biggest culprits? PCOS, aka polycystic ovary syndrome. Let’s break it down.
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Non-Comedogenic Isn’t Just a Buzzword — Let’s Break It All Down
If your skin breaks out easily, you’ve probably heard the term non-comedogenic. You’ve also probably Googled “pore-clogging ingredients” at midnight while trying to decode why your skincare might be backfiring. Same tbh. Here’s the deal: if you have acne-prone skin, switching to non-comedogenic products is one of the easiest ways to support your skin — without scrapping your entire routine or falling down a Reddit rabbit hole.
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So...Is It a Skin Purge or a Breakout?
You try a new product. A few days later, your face flips out. But before you toss it, pause: is this a breakout, or just a skin purge? And yes, there is a difference. They look similar, but they mean totally different things. One is part of the process. The other? A sign your skincare products might not be it. Let’s make sense of it all so you can move forward with clarity.
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Still Breaking Out as an Adult? Here’s Why (and What to Do About It)
Adult acne is SUPER common, and triggers shift with age, stress, hormones, and even the products you use. What worked during your teen years? Probably not cutting it anymore. Let’s break down why you’re still getting acne as an adult — and what you can actually do about it.
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Why Am I Suddenly Getting Cystic Acne?
You’re breaking out, and not in the usual way. These spots feel deeper, they hurt, and they stick around way longer than you think they will. Sound familiar? Welcome to the world of cystic acne — frustrating, yes, but manageable with the right approach. Let’s break down why cystic acne shows up and what to do about it (without wrecking your skin in the process).
