Hormonal Acne + Break Outs

In my teen years, I used to get a lot of break outs and acne but you know mother nature's hinting something at you when you gradually only experience acne around that time of the month (aka hormonal acne and you're getting old). For the most part, it hasn't been a big deal because I know it will go away quickly after my period passes. However in the past few weeks, a gigantic pimple is followed by another plus a few random smaller ones on my face which has left me unimpressed by mother nature's calling. I had no choice but to upgrade my acne game a little. 

I used to only use The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil and Spectro AcneCare for spot treatment. Tea tree oil contains natural antibacterial and soothing properties which serves to unblock the sebaceous glands, disinfect pores, drying out whiteheads, and blackheads. I find that The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil is especially great for calming cystic acne (those large evil red and painful bumps full of nasty things). For regular pimples and blemishes which is easier to get rid of, I just use the Spectro AcneCare which contains 2.5% of benzoyl peroxide. For the most part, these two bottles have served me well over the years. However, as mentioned previously, I experienced more break outs that were harder to treat and wouldn't go away easily recently so I knew it was time to change up my routine.

After reading Erin's post I was convinced and went out to buy the Clean & Clear persa-gel-5. I had suspected that my skin was probably too used to Spectro AcneCare and that's why it wasn't doing anything for my skin anymore. In addition, Clean & Clear persa-gel-5 is stronger and contains 5% benzoyl peroxide. I figured my stubborn acne breakout needed to be put in place with something much stronger and this worked amazingly. Whether it was my cystic acne, blemishes, or pimples-about-to-be, this diminished their appearance the following day immediately. On a side note, since this spot treatment is so strong I would advise everyone to use this sparingly as it does dry out your spots. The famous "less is more" really applies here. So I must say a big thank you to Erin! This was a great product recommendation!!

There was a while, where I was really on top of pampering myself every week with masks but I have fallen so behind as I got busier over my studies. I am now trying to get back into that habit of a mask once a week or at least once every 1.5 weeks. There's no doubt about how much good things we have all heard about the Glam Glow masks, and I was sworn to this particular one by my sister out of the rest of the series - the Glam Glow Supermud Clearing Treatment. This sh** is holy damn expensive....$76 CDN for a mask....say whaaatt?! The product claims to draw out dirt and congestion while brightening and softening your skin. I'm happy to say that my expectations were not disappointed. My skin does feel incredibly clean and soft after using it, however the one thing I hate about it is the intensive musky smell. How come no one mentioned this aspect of it? My first impressions were not great when I initially tried it, the smell was pungent and overwhelming. This has been the number one reason why it deters me away from using this mask religiously for optimal impact on fighting break outs, discoloration, blackheads etc. I would definitely enjoy this product more if the smell wasn't so strong, or if I have gotten some sort of warning ahead of time.

The second mask I've bought is The Body Shop Tea Tree Face Mask which was recommended by one of my besties. It claims to help remove impurities, absorb excess oil, and soothes the skin. When applied, the mask makes your skin feel cool and tingling which is quite refreshing. It's not over drying and it also leaves my skin feeling clean. It's not the type of product that would work wonders but it does make a bit of difference on blemishes and acne over time. Another plus is that this mask is more affordable ~$15 and The Body Shop always have sales and discounts every week.


What are some acne products that you use when you get break outs? I'd love to hear more recommendations!