Guide To Clear Skin Serum (& Clear Skin- with Video)
Let's talk about a gentle BHA exfoliant.
It’s time to get real... about breakouts, blemishes and acne.Abby's Story
When I was a teenager, I was one of the lucky few who rarely had to worry about breakouts or acne apart from the rare blemish every once in a blue moon– but even those weren’t too bad and seemed to go away almost on their own as quickly as they came. I just assumed that I was blessed when it came to my skin and hardly ever even gave it a second thought… UNTIL I hit my 20s and all hell decided to break loose. On my face.
Trial and Error
Needless to say, I was totally unprepared. At first I thought it must be a one off thing, but as my skin continued to stay irritated and broken out (with they type of painful, large blemishes that you can’t even hide with makeup no matter how hard you try– yikes!) I had to face the facts and accept that my skin wasn’t going to just get better on its own this time What came next is a bit of a long story full of lots of trial, lots of error, and quite a few tears… But I am thankful to say that over the past 4 years I have figured out what works for my “new” skin and me enough to keep my breakouts under control and my skin feeling happy and healthy nearly all month long!
Dietary Changes
Whereas the biggest change I made in healing my skin and getting my breakouts under control was cutting all dairy out of my diet (a change that I would recommend to at least give a try oh-so highly to anyone suffering from major acne issues!), I noticed that I was still struggling every month right around the same time which I chalked up to PMS. See studies below. I already felt pretty solid about my typical daily skincare routine. I blogged last year about my New Year’s Resolution to stick to a simple, doable skincare routine daily– and I did a pretty good job of following through if I do say so myself...
But something was still missing
So, what was missing that could give me that extra little boost? Even though my monthly mini breakouts it weren’t that big of a deal compared to what I had gone through before, it was still annoying and just no fun– so I was always on the lookout for something to give my skin that extra little nudge in the right direction to help it out especially before and during that time of the month.
Everyone Needs Gentle
So many products marketed for acne or blemishes are really harsh on your skin and can even end up making it worse and more inflamed (something I realized pretty fast way back when I first started trying to figure out my acne issues), so I knew I didn’t want to go that route– but many of the more natural products never seemed to do anything special for my skin beyond what my regular skincare routine already offered me.
The Gold Standard
Enter the Clear Skin Serum! I was definitely excited when Lisa mentioned she wanted to do a blog post on this specific Serum from the Simple Beauty Skin line. I hadn’t even thought of using a serum before because I tend to think of Serums as being for other skin care needs so it hadn’t even crossed my mind.
Salicylic Acid aka, BHA
After using it for almost 2 months, let me just say I love this stuff! Real talk, I will 100% be repurchasing when my current bottle runs out. Why do I love this little purple bottle of Clear Skin Serum so? It has done an amazing job of walking the line between natural, gentle, and effective. It doesn’t irritate my (sensitive) skin, but it does its job. I personally use it as a spot treatment throughout the month as needed, and around the time I tend to break out I use it more generally around the areas that tend to be my problem zones. And it works!
My skin this month... virtually break out free and feeling healthy and clear! & I am definitely one happy camper.
The Clear Skin Serum is a Salicylic Acid based treatment. Some salicylic acid based products for blemishes can be too harsh on your skin. Clear Skin Serum, however, does not irritate my sensitive skin– even when I apply it both morning and night– & that is obviously hands down one of the most important criteria when it comes to skin care products. It's awfully hard to combat a breakout if your skin is simply getting more irritated with each product application!
Double Duty as a Leave On Exfoliant
The cool thing here is that the Clear Skin Serum in fact works to both prevent and treat breakouts and blemishes by unclogging and balancing your skin while simultaneously providing oil control, and increasing cell turnover for glowing skin. Plus, it’s not just for acne and blemishes, but a great option for those with rosacea, too.
Oh, the Glory of Clear Skin Serum
Here’s a little run down of what all exactly our Clear Skin Serum has to offer:
- Aloe & essential oils help to calm, protect and prevent dryness
- Zinc heals the skin & controls bacteria
- Alpha hydroxy acids gently exfoliate to reduce the build up of dead skin cells
- Enzymes regulate sebum production
- Potent antioxidant vitamins protect, nourish & counter potential free-radical damage from acne-induced inflammation
- Phospholipids cleanse & control bacteria
- Gotu kola helps with wound healing & protects from scarring
- Cinnamon bark inhibits bacterial flora
- Aloe helps protect skin and prevent dryness
Best Practice
Best practice for this incredible blemish banishing product? Shake your Clear Skin Serum before each use, and apply it both morning & evening after cleansing and toning (making sure to avoid the delicate eye areas as well as any areas especially prone to dryness), or use it as a spot treatment for blemishes as needed!
My Clear Skin Serum along with a handful of my other favorite daily treatments!
A Solve For All Ages
And remember how I said I never had to think about acne until I was in my 20s? If you are an adult dealing with acne and breakouts, you are not alone– the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology notes that 54% of woman over 25 have at least some form of facial adult acne. That being said, while our Clear Skin Serum is a wonderful choice for teens dealing with these same issues– it’s most definitely not just for teens! The association of Acne Vulgaris with Diet High School Dietary Dairy Intake and Teenage Acne.
Abby is a photographer and blogger who never says no to a hot cup of tea or a new shade of lipstick. She lives in Monterey, CA with her husband where they enjoy hiking, cooking/eating everything vegan, and basically living the (neat and tidy) hippie dream. You can follow her @abby.roe.photo on instagram, or find her + her organic handmade mineral lipsticks HERE.
Note From Lisa: Clear Skin Serum can be used very much like Radiance Reveal, as your leave on exfoliant, for a clearer, brighter complexion.
