Hormonal Acne: my Dr Hauschka & Mario Badescu Routine

this article is NOT sponsored

Today, I am super happy to share with you my new routine for clear skin. It’s important for me to share it with you, especially if like me, you suffer from adult acne.

I know how much pain it can cause, and how hard it is to find a competent professional who does not offer for the nth time birth control pills, Roaccutane, BHA, AHA, peels, antibiotics or other aggressive methods that at best, temporarily soothe the acne until the treatment is over; and at worst, aggravate the skin condition even further

My skin type & skin problems

I am 32 years old, I have sensitive combination skin and it took me a long time to call it “combination skin”, believing for years that I had oily skin.

When I was a teenager, I only had imperfections on the T-zone. Because of my heavy periods, I started taking the pill, which also calmed my acne. Then, as an adult, I only had one or two pimples at that time of the month. However, a change of pill 1 year and a half ago and my trip around the world (in well-polluted countries) gave me for the first time micro cysts and then pimples on my cheeks.

The causes

By testing different products and noting the internal/external changes, I was able to determine the main causes of my adult acne :

  • a too important hormonal activity (no hormonal disturbance strictly speaking, I made some tests)
  • pollution
  • a routine that is too drying => skin that produces more sebum to feed itself => imperfections
  • the fact that I’m wringing my skin (by the way, if it takes a huge amount of time, there’s a name for it, a disease called dermatillomania)

Note: food has very little influence on the condition of my skin. I stopped using dairy products and chocolate during my world tour, but it has no effect on my skin.

The solutions

In response to this, I have established an adapted routine:

  • too much hormonal activity => I stopped taking the pill but I regularly take evening primrose capsules (1/day)
  • pollution => double-cleansing i.e. cleansing the skin first with an oil-based balm and then a facial cleanser. Sauna/Hammam every 15 days.
  • overly drying routine => new routine based on Dr. Hauschka products, bringing softness and teaching the skin to regulate itself. Pimples are treated with Mario Badescu products. And then the spots are treated with manuka honey. I drink more water to moisturize my skin from the inside.
  • the fact that I wrinkle my skin => there are patches to stick on the pimples to avoid all this.

Results: after two months of Dr. Hauschka and Mario Badescu’s routine, I no longer have any imperfections and pigmentation is beginning to fade (here is a picture of me just after the morning routine, without makeup, just a tint on my lips)

Warning: this routine suits me very well when I’m in Europe. When I’m in Asia, I prefer my Japanese / Korean routine

The routine I give you below works very well for me, but it may not work for you. So please always do some tests beforehand.

My current routine

MORNING Routine

Cleanse => Tone => Moisturize => Protect

  1. Dr. Hauschka Purifying Face Cream
  2. Dr. Hauschka Clarifying Lotion
  3. 1/2 drop Dr. Hauschka Clarifying Oil
  4. Dr. Hauschka Fluid Day Cream
  5. Alga Maris sunscreen

Evening Routine

Make-up Removal => Cleaning => Toning up

  1. Facial Treatment Gentle Cleansing Cream SK-II
  2. Facial Treatment Gentle Cleanser SK-II (only if my face is very dirty)
  3. Dr. Hauschka Purifying Face Cream
  4. Dr. Hauschka Clarifying Lotion

Cure for one month, to be done 1 to 3 times a year:Intensive Day/NightCurefor Sensitive Skin Dr. Hauschka – 2 ampoules/night

Other local care (to be applied only on pimples – not as a prevention)

  1. COSRX: Acne Pimple Master Patch (for buttons already drilled) buy from Yesstyle (use code K7BPCF to get -10% on the 1st order)
  2. Mario Badescu: Drying Cream (for small buttons) buy at Sephora
  3. Mario Badescu: Drying Lotion (for big buttons) buy at Sephora
  4. Mario Badescu: Buffering Lotion (for pimples under the skin that hurt) buy at Sephora

Weekly care

  1. UMF 10+ manuka honey mask (small layer of honey applied directly to the skin for 1 hour to reduce blemishes)
  2. Dr. Hauschka Revitalizing Mask (to deeply moisturize the skin and give radiance)

Dietary supplements

1 evening primrose capsule (or evening primrose/borage) per day

Comments

As you can see, I use few brands. This is related to the specificity of the Dr. Hauschka brand: their products have been formulated to act in synergy. So they should be used together. For a detailed review of each of the Dr. Hauschka products, see my other article.

There are a lot of organic products in my routine, it’s not because I’m particularly sensitive to organic (on the contrary), I just want a routine that suits me, whether it’s organic or conventional.

You can also see that I use an oil on my combination skin for the morning routine. This is related to Dr. Hauschka’s concept: by providing the right amount of oil to the skin, the skin no longer needs to overproduce sebum to regulate the skin. Be careful, some skins overproduce sebum because they are dehydrated (lack water), in this case it is necessary to bring water (so use Dr. Hauschka Night Serum which is water-based).

I also use an oil-based make-up remover balm before cleaning. Since oil and water do not mix, you cannot simply use a water-based product to remove sunscreen, or excess oil-based sebum. Even if you don’t wear makeup, you still need to remove your makeup to remove the rest of the sunscreen. This is part of the Japanese/Korean method and it has a name: double cleansing.

The Mario Badescu brand is conventional and is very well known for its anti-acne products, especially the Drying Lotion (Sephora link) which is even used by American stars (if there is only one Mario Badescu product to buy, it is this one). The products I have here are products to put on only at night because it leaves a little pink/green layer. If you prefer an easier to find brand, choose Effaclar Duo+ from La Roche Posay which works very well (but slower) than Mario Badescu.

As for the patch to use on pierced buttons, it comes from the observation that dressings exist for wounds, why not put a “bandage” on pierced buttons, which are also an open mini wound? COSRX patches contain hydrocolloid, which is used in hospitals for the care of serious wounds. They have the advantage of staying overnight on the skin – and they absorb the last bit of dirt still remaining in the pores, allowing pimples to heal much faster, protect the area and prevent the spread of acne (a pierced pimple contains a lot of bacteria and can infect the pores around it). If they are too hard for you to find, buy Compeed foot dressings(they also contain hydrocolloid) and cut them into small pieces. This is an important step in the treatment of acne!

You can see that I don’t have any exfoliating products. The Hauschka method prohibits any exfoliation. Instead, they recommend a steam bath followed by a purifying mask. As I am lazy, I prefer to go to the Sauna/Hammam every 15 days. Or I take a hot bath. Or I use my Clarisonic Mia Fit once a week.

Finally, I don’t use any moisturizing products at night. Here too, it is the Dr. Hauschka routine that imposes it, wanting to teach the skin to regulate itself by letting it “breathe” at night. You can read more about the Dr. Hauschka Method here

And here is the routine that I was recommended to me at Maison Dr Hauschka following my facial at their home

Conclusion

  • This routine worked for me because after many tests, I managed to identify the causes of my imperfections to find the right products.
  • It took me a long time to regain my healthy skin. The skin has a 28-day cycle, so when you change your routine, unless you have a severe allergic reaction, you should persevere for at least 28 days.
  • Dr. Hauschka is a very good organic brand with a care protocol to normalize the skin. It has helped me to get rid of my adult acne, to have a stable routine adapted to my skin type.
  • However, as these are natural products, the effect isn’ticed less quickly than with other conventional products. Let’s just say that Dr. Hauschka is used for long term results, not to get rid of a big pimple the day before a job interview => that’s why I also introduce COSRX and Mario Badescu products for local care.
  • All the products in my routine cost between 15€ and 30€. However, the price/performance ratio is excellent since you don’t have to use a lot of product each time. If the price still hinders you, buy a Dr. Hauschka sample kit at 20€ (which lasted 14 days for me) before buying full size.
  • For frequent travelers, Dr. Hauschka and Mario Badescu aren’t the ideal brands as they are very difficult to find outside Europe.

Prices & Where to buy?

  • How much does it cost? In total, it cost me 177€ for a minimum of 6 months, or 29,5€/month
  • Where to buy?
    • Dr. Hauschka : organic stores, I recommend Mademoiselle Bio who gives good advice and lots of samples (you have 5€ discount for your 1st order by indicating my mail contact @ tourdumonde5continents.com as a referrer, more info here).
    • Mario Badescu : at Sephora
    • COSRX : Asian website Yesstyle (cheaper, no customs fees)
    • Manuka honey: the largest grocery store in Paris, or online. Be careful you have to choose the UMF 10 index (or higher). Otherwise, opt for organic thyme honey which has the same healing powers, anti-spots and antibacterial
    • Evening primrose capsules: in organic stores or pharmacies
anh

Anh est toujours très occupée à profiter de jolies choses, et à fabriquer de petites bricoles de ses propres mains. **** Hi, my name is Anh. I am a Vietnamese-French DIY passionate, beauty lover and cosmetic tester.

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