This "clean" acne treatment REALLY works
Similar to this whole stay-at-home/quarantine situation, my skin has been on a crazy roller-coaster ride. Over the past few months, a “good skin” week is usually followed by an insane breakout without any identifiable cause. Sure, stress can do a doozy on any complexion, but I’ve never experienced such dramatic changes—like ever.
I always use a salicylic acid cleanser after I work out, and topical clindamycin and retinol or a retinoid are staples in my evening routine. I use a salicylic acid cream as soon as I feel a flare-up coming on, and I have a benzoyl peroxide treatment in my medicine cabinet as a last resort for when my skin gets really bad.
As you know, I’ve been trying to transition to “clean” skincare products, and acne treatments have been the final frontier. While in the throes of my last skin eruption, I spent a few hours researching and perusing products on The Detox Market and Credo Beauty—and a long list of five-star reviews I decided to try Zyderma HS Clarifying Cream.
Since I’ve tried salicylic acid with no success, products with willow bark extract (a natural derivative) were off the table, as were products with tea tree oil because they did absolutely nothing for me when I was pregnant (and anything that went in or on my body was organic). I settled on the Zyderma because it contains micronized silver, which is a scientifically-proven natural antibacterial agent. And just so you know, there’s a difference between micronized silver and colloidal silver (which can be found in various types of products). Micronized silver does not absorb into the skin, and it provides long-lasting benefits because it works until it’s rinsed off.
I slathered it on as soon as it arrived, and my skin was visibly less inflamed by the very next morning. Not exactly a cream, and not exactly a gel, it has a smooth, velvety feel similar to a makeup primer. It definitely leaves my skin more matte than dewy, but that’s fine by me because within five days of using it, my complexion was crystal clear—and it’s stayed that way with the exception of one “period pimple.”
Anyone who’s struggled with acne knows that it can take some trial and error to find the routine that works for your skin, but I’m thrilled to have finally found a product that keeps my skin in the clear without harsh or potentially harmful ingredients. And when my almost-12-year-old son needs more than the anti-acne cleanser he’s currently using, I’ll definitely be buying Zyderma for him, too!
