How I Cleared My Acne After 5 Years: My Personal Journey and Proven Tips

June 11, 2025

For nearly five years, I struggled with persistent acne that affected my confidence and mental peace. It wasn’t just about pimples — it was about feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. But through consistent habits, some trial and error, and a lot of patience, I finally found what worked for me. Today, I’m sharing my journey in the hope that it helps someone else going through the same thing.

Where It All Started

In the beginning, I often had painful, pus-filled pimples. I used to pop them, thinking that would get rid of them faster. But that only made things worse. Popping them spread the infection, causing more breakouts and leaving behind dark marks.

Eventually, I stopped touching or squeezing my pimples — and that was the first step toward healing.

The Habit That Made Things Worse: Touching My Face

One of the biggest contributors to my breakouts was an unconscious habit — touching my face all the time. Whether I was stressed, bored, or just sitting idle, my fingers always ended up on my skin.

This spread bacteria and clogged my pores even more.

How I Broke That Habit

I knew I needed to stop touching my face, so I found creative ways to keep my hands busy:

I wore rings or kept pop-it toys around to play with
During anxious moments, I’d take a pen and notebook and start doodling or drawing lines

These little distractions helped me stop reaching for my face and allowed my skin to heal gradually.

How I Treated Active Pimples Gently

When a new pimple appeared, I didn’t squeeze it. Instead, I applied a small amount of Vaseline or Betnovate on the area. This helped soften the pus and allowed it to come out naturally without damaging my skin.

Heat and Acne — What I Discovered

I realized that sitting in warm or humid places caused more breakouts.

So I started sitting in cooler areas, especially at work. After coming home, I would dip my face in a bowl of cold water for 60–90 seconds. It helped reduce inflammation and soothed my skin.

(If cold water dips feel too intense, you can use an ice cube wrapped in a cloth or a contour cube for the same effect.)

Neem Tea: Helpful But With Caution

At one point, I started drinking neem leaf tea for two weeks. It worked well in drying out the pimples — but later, I discovered that drinking too much neem can have side effects like affecting hearing or focus.

To balance it, I added a bit of desi ghee to my diet to prevent internal dryness — and luckily, everything turned out fine for me. If you try neem tea, always take it in moderation.

Natural Drinks That Gave Me a Skin Boost

One of the best things I did was increase my water intake to 10–12 glasses a day. I also drank:

Fresh orange juice

A blend of beetroot, orange, and red carrot juice

This combination gave my skin a healthy glow and supported healing from the inside.

Exercise Helped Too

I added light exercises to my daily routine to encourage sweating, which helped unclog pores naturally. This simple step played a big role in reducing my breakouts.

🧼 Switching to Natural Skincare: Neem Soap

I also switched to a natural neem-based soap to wash my face. It helped control excess oil and reduced bacterial growth without drying out my skin too much.

🧖‍♀️ Fading the Scars with a Homemade Mask

After my acne reduced, I was left with scars and dark spots. To lighten them, I applied a mask of gram flour (besan) mixed with milk daily.

Within a few weeks, my skin tone became more even, and the scars started to fade away. I still use this mask once a week to maintain healthy skin.

My Nighttime Routine for Clearer Skin

At night, I follow a few simple habits:

Avoid oily or heavy foods before bed
Wash my face thoroughly
Use the washroom before sleeping to prevent heat buildup in the stomach, which surprisingly helped reduce pimples

💬 Final Thoughts

My journey wasn’t easy — it took me years to figure out what worked and what didn’t. But with the right habits, consistency, and some patience, I was able to overcome acne naturally.

I’m sharing this not as a magical solution, but as a reminder that small changes in routine can make a big difference.

If you found these tips helpful or if you can relate to any part of my story, I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Your feedback means the world to me — and who knows, maybe your journey will help someone else too.

Thanks for reading. Stay kind to your skin. 💛

Velvet Aura | Style. Skin. Soul!