5 Months of Custom Skincare Healed My Quarantine Acne

A Non-Sponsored Curology Review

I don’t like to be dramatic. So trust me when I say this. My acne during quarantine was horrendous. Atrocious. The absolute pits.

I know I’m not alone. Countless others have suffered skin issues during quarantine 2020.

I think the causes for my raging acne were:

1. Being indoors more than usual=less vitamin D.

2. New dietary choices (detox is real)

3. Mask requirements that lead to maskne (mask acne)

4. Stress

5. Only God knows the rest

One day, as I talked with my friend on the phone, I learned she was also having acne outbreaks during quarantine. We chalked it up to maskne, the terrible new acne phenom caused by masks creating a petri dish of bacteria, sweat, and grime on your face. We wondered how many other people were suffering from new skin issues due to quarantine. Then we gave each other our best acne busting tips.

Initially, I tried a natural route to improve my acne.

At home acne remedies like diluted ACV toner helped. Yet as the weeks rolled on, my cystic breakouts were still erupting, and hyperpigmentation scars accumulated.

The trial and error of homemade formulas had to stop.

Ads for Curology popped up more as I googled questions about acne.

Then I began to do the same research you have probably done too:

Why did God do this to my face?!!?

Is Curology going to work for my face?

Does Curology work?

How long does it take until this works?

The reviews were mixed. So, like any sane person, I got more “specific” with my google search and asked Reddit and Quora forums.

The forum answers were also mixed but leaned toward Curology being a winning product for acne.

After massive research about different ingredients and exploring a growing number of hand-tailored acne companies, I chose Curology because of the price and convenience (free trial month with $4.95 shipping).

December 2020 marks five months on my new regimen.

I want to offer a first-hand account for anyone curious about how Curology has helped with my skin issues.

There’s something you MUST know about Curology before you start: Curology is a long-haul acne treatment because of the active ingredients and ratios inside of the custom formula.

If you are going to use Curology you must:

1. Be consistent

2. Have patience-especially when trying to cure hyperpigmentation like me

3. Have the money (you can save a bit of money on their treatment packages, I’ll write how below)

My first custom formula contained three ingredients:

Tretinoin 0.01%: a topical form of vitamin A that is clinically proven through multiple studies to fight wrinkles and unclog acne, and treat hyper-pigmentation

Clindamycin 1% an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory

Azelaic acid 4% another antibacterial that helps with skin texture and hyperpigmentation

All formulas have three active ingredients. The ingredients vary. What added to your formula depends on you, and what you want to achieve.

Here are some things to be aware of before you purchase:

1. You are going to be assigned to a Dermatologist who is a Doctor. Your formula is a prescription

2. They’re going to start you off on the lowest percentages of active ingredients if you don’t request otherwise. So if you already know you do well with a certain percentage of tretinoin, niacinamide, or any other active ingredient, make sure you talk to your dermatologist first.

3. You only get a few “free” questions-after that it costs $10

4. Money-saving tip: They’re going to add in their lotion and cleanser ($10/month), and emergency acne spot patch treatments ($2.48/month)- but you can option out of that and just pay for the treatment (19.95/month)

5. You’re most likely going to purge, and it will look worse before it gets better. This is because ingredients like tretinoin squeeze all of the disgusting oil out of your pores making you break out in the process.

6. Don’t be afraid to talk to your dermatologist and tweak your formula. Eventually, you will find your sweet spot.

7. Depending on your formula and skin type, your skin may peel because of the drying effects. You’ll need to layer up on moisturizers (talk to your dermatologist).

8. They will ship you a new box of formula every two months, but you’ll be charged upfront for the two months with free shipping. Small monthly bottles are available, but shipping is not free.

The question remains, “Does Curology work?” :

Well yes, it has helped improve my skin a lot, but I still have a few breakouts. Originally, I took it slow with my treatment because I didn’t want all of the nasty peeling and dry skin side effects that come with a high percentage of tretinoin. Currently, I’m tweaking my formula with my dermatologist. We both agree that I’m ready for higher percentages of active ingredients.

But you don’t have to take it slow with low concentrations of active ingredients like I did-especially if you’ve used tretinoin before. Always talk to your dermatologist and utilize their expertise!

The Final Summary:

My face is 90% clearer. One side of my face is completely clear. The other side has one major breakout because I went on an ice cream adventure. (I had no idea I was sensitive to dairy before this).

And here’s the negative truth. I’m not completely satisfied, but not so unsatisfied that I plan on giving up. I’m happy to have a dermetologist who is listening and helping. It feels amazing not to have to guestimate what to do next with shotty research. For instance, recently I was recommended a benzoyl peroxide face wash and encouraged to continue leaving dairy out of my diet and observe the effects.

I don’t plan on using Curology for life:

I always want to support smaller companies. Eventually, I will use a facewash and lotion from a mom and pop shop. But before using any new product, I will speak to my dermatologist to make sure the active ingredients in my formula are not negatively affected.

Overall, I am super optimistic about my acne progress and can see I am rounding the corner. My face is smoother than ever. My hyperpigmentation is still very evident, but it has halved.

I am simultaneously practicing other holistic approaches to cleanse my body, build my immune system, and internally zap over-productive oil glands.

Oh yes, and as far as masks contributing to acne-I now have a dozen cloth masks that go straight to the laundry bin after one use. No more disgusting bacteria, and oils festering on my masks and skin.

Nowadays, numerous custom skincare companies treat skin disorders. For example, Apostrophe is the company I would choose if not for Curology. They offer antibiotics and other formulas that Curology does not.

Hopefully reading about my 5-month journey with custom skincare products helps your decision-making as you journey to better skin. If nothing else, I hope it encourages you to keep going. Acne does heal with time, trust me! Don’t give up.

And remember, a skincare product only works with a consistent regimen!