Mim spent years and several thousands trying to clear up her acne to no avail before she found success with her current skincare routine.
Mim Padgham, 24, a primary school teacher had suffered from clogged pores for the past 8 years.
"It was a knock on my confidence to cover my marks with makeup everyday but it was necessary as young children didn’t understand what acne was. My students would often ask me why I was so dotty and mistaken my acne for chicken pox."
Source: Instagram (@mimandskin)
Mim spent thousands on masks, scrubs, washes, and lotions which claimed to be effective at stopping acne. When they failed to meet their claims, the fallback excuse would be due to “hormonal acne”, which can’t be controlled.
She starting taking contraceptives in an effort to regulate her hormones and she also took antibiotics and prescription topical medication but they did not have a lasting effect to slow down the breakouts.
In addition, the prescription topical lotion had an overdrying effect causing her skin to overcompensate by producing extra oil and leaving her face constantly with an oily sheen. She discontinued using the prescription topical lotion but remained on antibiotics.
“I had been to the doctors several times and was given antibiotics and prescription topical creams which were harsh and burnt a layer off my skin. The over-drying effect caused my skin to overcompensate by producing extra oil, leaving my face constantly with an oily sheen. I even tried cutting out refined sugars and dairy and it didn’t work.” – Mim P.
"For all the people out there where prescription medication isn't an option, you've got this! There IS something that can help you. It took me 8 years but I finally found that thing that helped." - Mim P.
Once she stopped using antibiotics, Mim started using Clear Out and noticed a difference almost immediately. Although similar to her prescription topical lotions, Clear Out contains retinol (a gentler variant of retinoids) and AZA that flushes out dead skin trapped inside the pore.
However, Clear Out is gentle and didn’t cause overdrying or stinging that she had experienced with the prescription topical lotion.
To understand why retinol and AZA work, we turn to the experts.
Dermatologists' playbook
Looking at the playbook which dermatologists use to treat acne, retinoids1 are the dermatologist's first choice for treatment followed by AZA2.
Combining BOTH retinol + AZA as a pair to attack acne from multiple fronts will help to stop even the most stubborn adult acne.
Extensive studies have shown that they work by simultaneously flattening existing pimples while making it harder for future clogs to form3 with less side effects and without overdrying the skin.
"Within a month, most of my actives were gone and I was only left with post-acne red marks."
@mimandskin Individual results may vary
She had been misinformed in the past that the post-acne marks she had were lasting scars and the only way to get rid of them was to use dermaroller needles to her face.
Mim didn't want to risk permanent scarring from needling at home and visiting an aesthetician was out of the question since they charged £800 for the session.
"I couldn't find a skincare brand that made a topical lotion effective in fading post-acne red marks but Clearly Basics made a formulation for me!"
The Lighten Up uses essential oils to reduce the appearance of post-acne red marks and it made a significant difference.
For the first time in years, Mim has gone weeks without using green concealer and can go to work without makeup.
“I’m a lot happier and confident. The Lighten Up has saved me so much money as I no longer need to buy expensive foundation to cover up my marks.”
Mim was worried that she would get breakouts just before her period but was pleasantly surprised when she remained clog-free due to the Clear Out .
Many have asked how she beat hormonal acne: she only uses very few products in her skincare routine.
Mim is a primary school teacher from Southampton, England. Her Instagram page @mimandskin is dedicated to help those with acne.
Related story
References:
1. James Leyden et al, 2017 : Why Topical Retinoids Are Mainstay of Therapy for Acne
2. Nazzaro-Porro, et al : AZA in the treatment of acne
3. Paula Begoun : Everything You Need to Know About AZA for Skin
Disclaimer:
Nothing on this article should be interpreted as personal medical advice. For medical related matters, please consult with your dermatologist.
