Over the last year a major priority for myself has been my SKIN! If you read my earlier blog post you’ll know that as a kid I honestly HAD ZERO acne and I remember people always complimenting me for having such good skin! I won’t lie I was very lucky and really never washed my face — eek, but as I got into my 20’s struggling with cystic, hormonal acne became an every day occurrence. Talk about annoying and embarrassing! It wasn’t like your one off on your period pimple!! These were big, painful, red cyst. I tried everything from all different products, pills, serums, the works!! It got to a point where I was getting so frustrated that I started searching #cysticacne on instagram and found Emme Diane, the skin queen! After stalking her instagram for awhile and seeing how many clients she had transformed I decided to bite the bullet and start working with Emme! I cannot rave about her products enough and even got all my friends and family hooked on her not to mention lots of my clients and instagram community! You will not want to pass her up trust me!
I have seen AMAZING results, so I wanted to hear straight from the expert, Emme herself on the causes of acne, how to deal with acne, and learn how she can help you if you’re struggling too!
Let’s DIVE IN!
1. What causes cystic acne? hormones? diet? Etc.?
The root cause of acne is not what is most commonly thought of as being the culprit. Many times, we think that the cause of acne is diet, hormones, stress, etc. and while these are major triggers for acne, they are not actually the catalyst for the breakouts you might be experiencing.
In short, the root cause of acne is genetically defective pores...meaning that those who have acne prone skin have inherited the "acne gene" which causes the pores to malfunction. This is why you have some friends who have PMS, stress, eat whatever they want...and they never breakout. This is also why so many struggle with their acne breakouts and feel like they have tried everything, yet nothing works...the root cause is not being addressed.
Furthermore, there are many triggers (e.g. what products/makeup you use, stress, hormones/birth control, food, etc.) that will exacerbate the breakouts causing flare-ups. So, it is equally as important to uncover all your hidden triggers and substitute them for workable solutions. Our Clear Skin Program gives tons of suggestions and substitutes to make your path to clear skin super easy!
This is exactly why we dive so deep with my acne troubleshooting questionnaire to not only uncover all your hidden triggers, but address the source of the breakouts as well.
2. Why does the Emme Diane Acne Set work?
What makes our acne clearing system work is pretty simple, actually! First, there are no pore clogging ingredients in our skin care products. Most skin care products and makeup on the market do have pore clogging ingredients in them which keep the skin in a cycle of "I kind of clear, then breakout again." Even products that are marketed for acne prone skin and claim that they are "non-comedogenic" can still have pore clogging ingredients. Very frustrating but true! Also, "clean" or "natural" products tend to be the worst offenders. So we eliminate all the pore clogging ingredients from sabotaging your success (and give specific suggestions for makeup that is actually acne safe!)
Second, we address the root cause of acne which is a hyper-shedding of dead skin cells within the pore that create a clog and begin the breakout cycle (would you believe that it takes 90 days for acne to form!). So with our Clarifying Serum, which acts like "liquid drano" in the pore, we are able to dissolve the clog and then retrain the pore to prevent these clogs from forming. The great thing is that the Clarifying Serum is also very anti-aging and does help to not only fade acne scarring but brighten the skin as well!
Third, we control the acne bacteria by using our Acne Eraser consistently. Our Acne Eraser suffocates acne bacteria to prevent the formation of inflamed breakouts (e.g. whiteheads, cystic acne, etc.) An interesting fact: everyone has the same amount of acne bacteria (even those who never breakout), but for acne sufferers, the bacteria like to snuggle underneath the clogged pore where it's food source is (our oil) and grows into a cesspool of nasty inflamed breakouts. So in short, acne sufferers don't have dirtier skin (a big myth), but their genetically defective pores create the perfect environment for acne to thrive.
Lastly, we give the skin the nourishment and moisture it needs to glow. Our cleansers don't strip or dry the skin, our toners impart lots of water moisture to the skin, our moisturizers help the skin to hold onto that moisture. All of this combined will not only get you clear, but keep you clear!
3. How much do you charge for consult and kits?
Because I believe that every acne sufferer should be able to access this information, our online consultations are 100% free! I truly wished I had personally learned all this information much earlier in life so I didn't have to struggle personally for so long. There is a lot of information out there about acne and it can be very confusing, so I feel like it is my life's mission to spread this knowledge that has changed the lives of so many of my clients.
4. How long will it be for me to see results?
Because it takes 90 days for acne to form, I do let clients know that it can take 90 days to fully clear (but many clear much sooner than that). Making sure that you are 100% compliant with avoiding all the triggers that I will uncover for you during the consultation process is also crucial to your success (and definitely accelerates the clearing process.)
5. What pore clogging ingredients should I look for when buying make up, laundry detergent, etc?
Essentially, when buying makeup, you will want to make sure you avoid all pore clogging ingredients. In our Acne Bible, we do have a short list of pore clogging offenders, but unfortunately, due to the ever-changing beauty industry, many ingredients have multiple names they go by or companies come up with proprietary names for ingredients (so it can be very hard to know if your makeup is actually acne safe. This is why I have done the research for you and have compiled our list of Emme Approved Makeup which we include when you start with your Clear Skin Program. What is interesting is that there is a lot of makeup marketed for acne that is NOT acne safe, whereas there is makeup that doesn't mention being safe for acne that IS acne safe!
6. What are your top 10 skin care must have?
· Our Gentle Cleanser...absolutely love this cleanser that never strips of dries my face.
· Our Calm Down Toner...soothing, hydrating, healing and calming! Also great to use as a makeup setting spray or to give the skin a hydrating glow throughout the day!
· Clarifying Serum SS...super brightening! I use this daily to prevent acne from forming
· Skin Quencher Gel...like a big drink of water for the skin! Can't live without this product
· HydraLuxe Cream...it's ultra hydrating without being heavy or greasy (which is important to me as I am a very oily girl!)
· Acne Eraser...without it, I would be a pizza face!
· Tinted Mineral SPF and Illuminating SPF 58...I actually mix these two for the best of both worlds: semi-matte coverage with a luminous glow
· Sulfur Refining Mask...if my skin is feeling like it's getting clogged or just need a deep pore clean, I use this for 3 mins and my skin is instantly transformed.
· Skin Smoothing Polish...I use this daily after cleansing to buff away the top dead, dry skin to reveal a "fresh canvas" for the day
· Bright Eyed Serum...this is my lifesaver for early mornings as it de-puffs and reduces dark circles so I look bright eyed and bushy tailed!
7. What services do you recommend when using your products?
If you are struggling with acne, I highly suggest that you request that your esthetician uses your homecare products on you during the treatment to avoid all pore clogging ingredients (remember, there are hidden pore cloggers in most products on the market.)
If you are dealing with active acne, a simple treatment is best...such as a light chemical peel, extractions, mask (our Sulfur Refining Mask is best!), high frequency and possibly some LED light therapy.
Seriously Emme is a miracle worker and I cannot thank her enough for saving my skin and sharing her insight with us! Please be sure to reach out to her below with any questions! XOXO!!
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