The Routine That Changed My Cystic Acne

I (23F) have had painful cystic acne and combination skin since I was 16. This is the first time in my life that I've felt confident and successful in my routine without using Accutane/Isotretinoin.

The key to cystic acne is simple- less is more. My routine is as follows:

Morning- wash face with Vanicream cleanser, pat face dry and moisturize with Ultra Repair Cream.

Night- wash face (twice if makeup was applied) with Vanicream cleanser, pat face dry and moisturize with Ultra Repair Cream. Wait at least 30 minutes to 1 hour after moisturizer has soaked in/dried, then apply a thin layer of Curology custom formula right before bed.

This is not an add for Curology, just an honest review of their products. Using tretinoin or clindamycin by itself did not provide the results I desired, and it wasn't until Curology created a custom formula that combined both ingredients that I finally saw progress.

My curology treatment is as follows: 0.01% tretinoin 1% clindamycin phosphate 4% azelaic acid