Sephora

Hey love! You’re partially right—acne can be caused by stress. However, it’s way more complex. If acne is a corncern for you, I heavily recommend seeing a doctor. They’ll be able to advise you on the best course of action! Acne can be caused by various factors: excess sebum production, oil and dead skin cells clogging the hair follicule, inflammation, and bacteria are some common causes! All of these occur for many different reasons; stress, hormones, specific medications, diet, and even a lack of sleep could be the cause. Now, in order to treat acne effectively, you need to recognize and target the root cause. Specific products quite litterally will do nothing in specific situations regarding acne. For example, benzoyl peroxide is a topical treatment that helps kill acne-causing bacteria. So, using BP when your acne isn’t caused by bacteria will do nothing. 
This is why it's extremely important to speak to a doctor. A professional that has access to your health history will be able to give you suitable treatment reccomendations. 

You should see your general practitioner for your concerns about your acne. They might direct you to a couple of over-the-counter products for first-line treatment options.

If those products don't work for you, they can then either refer you to a dermatologist or give you a prescription for topical or even oral products. They'll look at what kind of acne you have to determine the most suitable product. Just keep in mind that not all treatments may be covered. I believe that tretinoin is covered if it's used for acne here in Canada, but it'll always vary. 

Good luck! Hopefully this helped ❤️ P.S. I think acne could be caused by love because extreme emotions can cause temporary hormone fluctuations, lol.

@eemmillyyy those are so cute!

@Titian06 what a bummer that the InnBeauty Project products were a bit of a fail for you! I don't know why but the brand overall intrigues me. I've only tried their Lip Glazes (and LOVE them!) but I really haven't tried anything else.

@Sunnysmom Kosas Blush is Life Baked Talc-Free Dimensional + Brightening Blush Butterflies looks so pretty!

@caitbird the Zoologist Hummingbird fragrance sounds perfect for this time of year!

@itsfi what a bummer about the Botanist samples! I've actually given Botanist the side eye for awhile and have toyed with the idea of trying out their products but you're the second person in the last week that's mentioned how drying their products are. I totally appreciate your review because I think maybe that's convinced me to pass on trying the brand.

@makeitup305 They sent me Bestie and yeah, I did have to send it back but hopefully my replacement will show up sooner than they're currently predicting.

@Selfcare4Life18 If you’re talking about Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel 1 oz/ 30 mL, that might not be the right-for-you product if you’re just trying to clear blackheads. AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids: glycolic, lactic, mandelic, etc.) don’t do much for blackheads. That product does also contain 2% salicylic acid though, which should be helpful. Hmm… Are you sure you have blackheads? Are they just tiny little specs on your nose? If yes, those might be sebaceous filaments instead. 2% BHA can help maintain them, but they’ll never fully go away because sebaceous filaments bring sebum up onto the surface of our skin. If the little specs are black, they might be clusters of tiny hairs; that’s what I have, and they appear as 2 little pinpoints on my nose. I could try removing them but, eh, I’m used to them by now. If you do actually have blackheads: what other products have you already tried? Have you tried a clay mask to loosen the blackhead plugs? The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Masque 1.7 oz/ 50 mL is a good one to consider. Have you already tried a retinoid—either prescription (tretinoin, for instance) or OTC (perhaps adapalene)? And/or you could try Paula’s Choice BHA 9 as a spot treatment, or perhaps Paula’s Choice RESIST Advanced Pore-Refining Treatment 4% BHA. Both of those products are available direct from Paula’s Choice, and I think their 20% sale’s still on. And if nothing is working for you, then it’s time to see a board certified dermatologist or primary care doctor for diagnosis and personalized treatment options.

GOOD JOB! I thought about it too @itsfi 😂 I literally added it to my cart and moved it like 3 times during the weekend. I was like lemme go check my stash and saw at least 3 contours and 3 bronzer that I needed to go through first. SHOPPING MY OWN STASH. I talked myself off of the ledge. I think that makes sense... I heard the matte version does oxidize. Ugh. I may just make the trip to get samples.. sigh. Will report back, maybe I'll pick up a sample of the UD sample too 😂