Acne is one of those things that is hard to understand unless you’ve experienced it yourself. Of course, you can empathize, but the way that acne can make you question every ounce of confidence you ever had, and hide both physically and emotionally, is actually wild. Culturally, we shun and punish acne.  It’s something my generation was taught to fear from a young age. Whether you’ve experienced acne as a teen or continuing later into life, having an external, perceived representation of “shame” and “ugliness” that you can’t immediately fix can actually change you and how you relate to the world. I know because I went through it. People might see my clear skin now and think I have no idea what it’s like to have acne and go through that blow to my self-esteem, but I know it so well. The experience taught me a lot about resilience, loving myself, and also about skincare.

My acne first presented in my twenties. Now, looking back, I can tell that a lot of what kick-started everything for me was probably hormonal. We also knew so much less about skincare as a generation back then. I was getting these horrible, deep, cystic pimples on my chin, forehead, and cheeks– and they would leave really angry, red marks on my face for months afterwards. I felt like I was trying everything, and nothing was working.  I was acting at that point, and felt like I needed a quick fix, so I went on Accutane per a recommendation from a dermatologist. BAD IDEA. I wish I had explored more remedies before doing this, because the side effects of Accutane were awful for me.  It’s such a harsh drug that I’m sure it had lasting effects on me. It “did the job” but scared me a lot–and I got off of it after about a year.

My skin slowly started getting worse again, until I got pregnant with my first child at 28. Then, it freaked out. I got the worst acne I’d ever had. Between that and being pregnant, I felt completely vulnerable, physically in pain, and absolutely overwhelmed. I stayed in the house and got increasingly depressed. A close friend of mine who had experienced her own skin journey recommended the Facialist Shani Darden to me, who, at the time, was giving facials to a small handful of celebs (with incredible skin) out of her guest house in her backyard in Los Angeles. I begged my way onto her roster, and she completely changed my skin– and my life. Why my life? She introduced me to a deeper interest and intentionality with skincare that has gone on to set the tone for my self-care rituals and how I approach supporting myself both physically and mentally. I realize that it’s ok to prioritize my happiness and health through this process, and she also taught me some incredible kernels of wisdom from the skincare space. The most important? LESS IS MORE.

If you have the right products, you don’t need a million products– especially for somebody in their 20’s! She immediately had me throw out everything I was using and reevaluate what I actually needed. She set me up with an incredibly simple and scaled-back daily routine, with some regular masks worked in. Since growing her brand over the last ten years, she has actually made a lot of these products available to the public! (I’ve shared them over the years, when people ask me about skin fixes). My skin not-so-slowly turned into the skin you see today, and began my era of deep love for skincare and how nurturing yourself can lead to so many deeper gains. Now, I get WAY fewer breakouts, but when I do, I know what to do. I also have continued to incorporate other skin-nourishing ingredients into my life! I thought I’d share the products that turned my acne skin around, and also what I use to maintain it now. Hopefully, it can be helpful to you or somebody you love who is going through this!

Photographs by Julia Dags | Copyright © 2026 Happily Eva After, Inc. All Rights Reserved.