Treating Acne with The Ordinary Skincare Products

How I track my skincare routine in my planner

For the Bloggers Like Us series this month we are talking all things health, skincare and self care. I have already covered a lot of this already in my Health and Fitness Journal post and in my Self Care in a Bullet Journal post, so I have decided to focus on something very much at the forefront of my mind at the minute: hormonal acne and cystic acne skincare and my skincare routine using products by The Ordinary that I have incorporated in to my bullet journal.

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My Acne Skincare Routine

I'm 43 and this year I have been suffering with a bad case of hormonal cystic acne complete with nodules below the skins surface. I never used to get spots, except for a few teenage pimples under the skin. However, this year my skin has been a wreck, so I knew I needed to do something about it.

​I have been reading up on hormonal acne and treatments for some time now, so thought I would ramp up my skincare routine. I have decided to track it and document it all in my bullet journal.

​I started using The Ordinary's Vitamin C 23% Suspension​ and wow I loved the way it was brightening my skin, however it wasn't clearing my spots, so I realised I needed something else to use alongside it to shake up my routine.

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Using The Ordinary Products to Clear Acne

The picture above is the original routine I adopted and documented in my journal. Nothing however seemed to be working to clear my spots. I then started using the Niacinamide 10% and Zinc 1% from The Ordinary for a few weeks and I'm sorry to say it broke me out big time! I wondered if I was just purging so I ditched using it for a few weeks and decided to reintroduce it in a few weeks time when my skin had calmed down.

Using The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion

​I decided to read up on retinols and retinoids as a way of treating my acne, they did sound scary, but I was determind to give them a go. ​

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I hadn't used a retinol before, so I decided to start with the Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion and I'm so glad that I did, it sinks in beautifully and my skin is looking plump and smooth. It is a much gentler retinol derivative and great for first time users and I didn't get the usual peeling skin associated with retinols. After a two week break from using Niacinamide I decided to try to introduce it again in to my nighttime routine.

​I double cleanse with a cleansing balm, cleansing oil or milk and then use either a salicylic acid cleanser, Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser or Garniers Charcoal scrub/mask. 

​I then apply a tiny amount of Niacinamide and follow it with a pea sized amount of the Granative Retinoid Emulsion. I let this dry for a few minutes and then apply Avon Anew Clinical Eye Lift followed by Olay Effects 7 in One or Clean and Clear Dual Action as a moisturiser. 

I only use the retinod at night as it does make your skin more sun sensitive so it's important to use a moisturiser with sunscreen the next day.

My results after 3 days from using The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid Emulsion 2%:

After 3 days of this routine I couldn't believe the results! My pores were closing, my clogged skin was healing, there was much less pigmentation and my skin texture was so much smoother, and bump free. The photo above is taken in the same light and both are unfiltered.

​I was so glad that I went back to the Niacinamide and the results from the retinoid are just wow! I was ecstatic that finally my skin was responding and improving. If only my skin had continued improving...

Tracking my acne in my bullet journal:

Unfortunately around the 'time of the month' hormones kicked in again and my skin took a turn for the worse again. I decided to keep a log of any patterns in my bullet journal. It was very telling. I marked a little P in a circle to track mother nature and it was quite clear that the hormones will not be beaten. I won't be defeated though and will continue with this routine for a few months and have now added in The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA Peeling Solution once a week and moved up to the 0.5% and then 1% retinol in squalene, alternating between the emulsion. 

​I am still using the Vitamin C Suspension in my morning or evening routine every few days with a sunscreen, alternating with the retinol if used at night. My skin (apart from around the mouth) is looking the best it has ever looked so I will be continuing with this for the coming months.  I now need to add my new routines in to my planner.

EDIT: For the few months I have been using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid as my nightly toner: OMG this is the best of the bunch - totally smooth skin, no oiliness and no pores. The holy grail! My skin is now 100% clear.

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What other products have I tried to try to beat acne?

Lots actually! Including and not limited to; Avon Spot On Clearing treatments, containing salicylic acid. This works some of the time, but not always.

​I've also tried a thin layer of Sudacrem, which works ok for papules, nodules and bumps when left on overnight, however, I have found that good old Savlon works much better when I have an angry outbreak, I just add a thin layer over the retinoid and it seems to reduce redness and swelling by the morning.

Have you tried any of The Ordinary products? I'm particularly keen to hear from any fellow hormonal acne sufferers who have a small budget, so do leave me a comment below about what has worked for you or how you track it in your journal / planner.

Related Posts:
Health and Fitness Journal 
Self Care in a Bullet Journal 

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​Don't forget to have a read of the other lovely bloggers health/self care related posts from the Bloggers Like Use Series:
Kelly from 
​https://mymessyheadspace.com,
Emma from the readwriteinspire.blog 
Sam from samalderson.co.uk

Take Care, Kerry xx​​
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Shop My Product Recommendations for Acne Prone Skin:

• The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
• The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% and Zinc 1% from The Ordinary
• The Ordinary Glycolic Acid
• The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA Peeling Solution
• The Ordinary retinol in squalene,​