Kelsey’s story may sound familiar because like many young people, she has sought out different ways to manage her skin through puberty and into adulthood, including topical medications, an elimination diet and birth control methods.

“It was something that I thought I would outgrow."

I have been experiencing pretty awful skin since I was in Grade 9. I remember crying in the bathroom over it, not wanting to look a single person in the eye. I used to cover my chin at the lunch tables, and always had a hand on or near my mouth to hide the blemishes. It was something that I thought I would outgrow.

In high school I started using birth control pills to help with my skin, and then later transitioned to an IUD. In hindsight I think that messed with my hormones even more because in the last year and a half of being on it that, I noticed my skin got substantially worse. So, I had it removed and have been off any form of birth control for the last 8 months. My skin is definitely doing a lot better than it was when I was using birth control.

At 26, I still suffer from cystic acne, usually on my chin and jawline area. To this day, I turn down work opportunities because of it. It makes me feel un-loveable sometimes. Acne has been part of my life for a long time, but its only in the last year or so that I've realized the toll it has taken on my self-esteem. I decided to visit a naturopath to see if they could help me get to the root cause of the issue and regulate my hormonal imbalance.

One of the first steps my ND had me do was an elimination diet. No gluten, dairy, sugar, peanuts, soy, eggs, or corn for a month. During that time, as strict as I was, my acne would still flare up. It left me feeling pretty hopeless. Now, I am gradually adding these foods back into my diet, monitoring my skin for signs of a trigger. Next steps will include blood work.

We also discussed a topical medication prescribed by my family doctor, which can be harsh and extremely drying on the skin. I remember that I tried the same medication once in college but could not stick with it because my entire chin peeled. My experience with the ND has been so positive and she assured me that the drying side effects would be way less prominent if I used the Zyderma HS Clarifying Cream. She shared her story with the same medication and told me how the hydrating Clarifying Cream helped save her skin. 

So, I bought it. And for the last 4 months I have applied the cream as a moisturizer every single morning after I wash my face and every single night on my whole face BEFORE my medication (only on the chin area). I believe the cream has substantially helped support my skin's moisture barrier. I am finally seeing results and I think the reason my skin is doing so well is because of the cream. This is the first time in YEARS that I haven’t had an active pimple, just scars. The medicated product has been prescribed for the short term, but I don't think I will ever stop using the Clarifying Cream. I’ve already bought a second bottle that I haven't even opened. 4 months of use twice a day, a bottle lasts a long time!!! It has become an integral part of my skin care routine, and I would like to say an integral part of my skin care journey.

These days I would say that I am extremely hopeful. The improvement I have seen has made me feel like I’m in a really good place.