The Acne Journal

If you have acne, you've likely tried some version of the following to get your skin under control: organic skin products, essential oils, coconut oil, honey, oil cleansing, apple cider vinegar, "skin" vitamins and supplements, elimination or anti-inflammatory diets (no: sugar, dairy, caffeine, gluten), charcoal cleansing, body detoxification, fasting, juice cleansing, allergy testing, not using any skin products, etc.

In theory, some of these ideas make sense:...

"Does it matter what cleanser I use?" is a question we get asked often. Of all the products in your skincare routine, your cleanser is probably the most underappreciated. After all, it's only applied to your skin for a few seconds and gets washed right off, so how important is your cleanser, really?

My answer: very important. Using an appropriate cleanser is an opportunity to set your skin up for success and ensure the best possible results from the rest of your products. The...

Antibiotics are commonly prescribed for the treatment of acne and can be effective at controlling breakouts. When I met Annali (picture below), she had taken antibiotics for her acne on 4 different occasions, and each time they worked well to clear her skin. 

However, due to possible side effects and the potential for bacterial resistance, Annali's dermatologist wouldn’t prescribe her any more. Instead, they decided to try Yaz, a birth control pill thought to help...

It's a common assumption among acne-sufferers that Accutane (also known as Isotretinoin) is the ultimate cure-all for acne. And when you struggle with acne and have tried everything with little success, the idea of taking a pill and ending your skin problems is appealing. 

Accutane does indeed sound like a magic pill, but does it really work as well as it seems? We all know someone who's taken a course of Accutane and never had their acne come back. But are these results the...

If you have acne, it's likely you've used salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or retinol on your skin. But mandelic acid? You may have never even heard of this little-known, acne-fighting superstar. Mandelic acid works so well at fighting acne that it is easily one of the most important products in our acne practice. 

What exactly is mandelic acid? Derived from the bitter almond, it's an exfoliating alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that increases cell turnover and smoothes skin...

Before coming to our clinic, Hannah (photo below) had worked with a dermatologist for months to get her acne under control. She tried several things to help clear her skin: antibiotics, Retin-A, and various topical prescription products. When nothing worked, her Dr. recommended an IUD (a birth-control implant) in an effort to regulate her hormones and control her skin. 

The IUD didn't work. In fact, it made her skin much worse. Hannah's "before" pictures below show her skin...

Our clinic has been treating acne long-distance for over a decade.  

What exactly does "treating acne long-distance" mean? We teach clients step-by-step, through verbal and written instruction, how to clear their skin - without ever having to have a physical acne treatment.

Naturally, the biggest question we get asked about our long-distance acne program is "does it work?" The next question is "how do the results compare to your in-person treatments?" 

We have seen huge...

I have hormonal acne - can you still help me? 

This is a question we get asked often. It's hard to understand how treating acne topically can help breakouts that are caused by something internal, like hormones. 

Hormones definitely do play a role in acne flare-ups: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), high-androgen birth control, pregnancy, miscarriage, breastfeeding, fertility treatments, hormone replacement therapy, testosterone, and emergency contraception pills are some of the...

If you have acne, you’ve probably wondered (a lot) about when it would stop popping up and finally leave you alone for good.

You've probably always heard that acne was a teenage problem and would go away after you turned 18. Except that you’re 27… 35…or 56 and you still have breakouts? How frustrating!

This is one of the biggest concerns and causes of embarrassment among new clients I meet. I reassure them that adult acne is extremely common: some statistics show...

Reading over the questionnaires of our acne clients reveals some disturbing trends.

Most have seen dermatologists and most dermatologists prescribed antibiotics as the first course of action. I have clients, previous to being treated at my clinic, who took antibiotics for years! My question to them was, "if it was going to work to control your acne, don’t you think it would’ve worked by now?"

I understand the desperation of wanting clear skin and the dearth of information about...