Curology Review | One Month Update

You already know how much we love skincare and when we first heard of Curology, a customized skincare subscription service, we knew we had to try it! One thing you should know is that we don’t naturally have good skin. We definitely use specific products on our skin that target certain concerns. Without those products who knows what our skin would look like! The best thing about Curology is that it targets everything at once. This cut back on our skincare routine significantly.

First I’ll talk about the service itself, Curology is $19.95/month and that gets you one superbottle of custom serum and a designated dermatology provider that you can contact directly. The dermatology provider is what really sold us on this service! Of course, the actual superbottle is exciting but if you don’t know how to use the product properly then what’s the point, right? Our dermatology provider emailed us before we even received our serums, to go through the proper process and what the first month would look like. They recommend stopping using all AHAs/BHAs while your skin adjusts to the Curology. They also say you should go to a bare minimum, a routine of just Curology and moisturizer at night. We love that since we don’t want to overdry our skin. We did, however, continue to use oils such as Squalane and Rose Hip Seed, to keep our skin nice and moisturized. We were able to go into Curology with the knowledge we needed to get the most out of the product!

Here are our BEFORE photos: 

Carli and I happened to have the same exact mix (go figure). Here’s what our superbottles contain:

• 0.009% Tretinoin– Tretinoin is described as “the world’s best ingredient to treat and prevent wrinkles, stimulate collagen growth and fight acne.” It’s basically a miracle ingredient that’s in most retinol treatments. We were the most excited to try this!
• 1% Clindamycin– Clindamycin is an “antibiotic and anti-inflammatory with powerful effects against acne-causing bacteria.” This ingredient treats and prevents acne, so it works really well with Trentinoin to cure blemishes quick!
• 9% Azelaic Acid– Azelaic Acid “fights dark spots in addition to its antibacterial, antifungal and pore-unclogging properties.” We have large pores on our nose so we were hoping that this would clear them out and shrink them!

Ok, so now that you all know what our formula claims to treat, let’s get into the actual review!

Britta’s results: 

• Brightened complexion– This was actually the number one thing I was hoping to achieve with Curology. I like going makeup free but I do get self-conscious because my skin has always been uneven and I have terribly dark under eyes. Curology has definitely helped to brighten and even out my skin overall! And since it’s only been a month I think it can only improve.
• Smaller pores– Don’t get me wrong, the pores on my nose are still visible but they’re definitely reduced. Again. I’m hoping as time goes on they get smaller and smaller!
• No hormonal breakouts– Usually right before my cycle I have a few hormonal breakouts. They’re never terrible, but annoying nonetheless. This month I didn’t have any. Not one! I was shocked. I truly think the ingredients in my superbottle prevented any bacteria from getting trapped.
• Acne scars faded– I had a couple bad breakouts a couple weeks before starting Curology (you can probably see them on my forehead in the “before” photo). They were so stubborn and wouldn’t go away. They’re still lingering but have definitely faded and are overall less noticeable.

Carli’s results: 

Before I get into my results, I want to talk about my purging phase. About two weeks into using Curology, I broke out all over my face (see photo). Of course, I freaked out. I actually had more breakouts then I ever did before starting. I had read that purging can happen, so before getting super worried, I logged into my Curology account and emailed my assigned dermatology provider.

I sent her photos of my skin and asked if this was normal. Thankfully, she replied promptly and confirmed that it did look like my skin was having a bit of a cleaning out period which is a common occurrence a few week into using the formula. She said they often refer to this time as an adjustment period that is temporary and should last 1-6 weeks. Most of my breakouts went away a week later!

Now onto my results…

• Even complexion– I truly was only expecting Curology to banish my pesky breakouts, but it did so much more! Starting with evening out my complexion. I actually didn’t realize how uneven my skin was until a month of Curology. Now, my skin looks so even in tone I feel totally comfortable going foundation-free even if I do have some breakouts happening!
• Smooth skin/No texture– Again, I didn’t know how textured my skin before until now. I was an avid user of chemical exfoliants (AHAs/BHAs) before Curology. Those always helped with my skins texture but I feel like Curology got rid of my texture faster than any acid ever did. I still use glycolic or lactic acid twice a week to help my skin out even more but I don’t’ have to rely on them as much anymore.
• Less breaktouts + they go away faster– I’m not sure if you can tell, but in the after photos, I still have one or two breakouts because it was my time of the month and I don’t expect Curology to get rid of every little spot. However, I did notice that when I do get have breakouts, they go away within two days. Before Curology, I would get breakouts and it would take them a week to get to the surface and go away. By the time some zits went away, new ones would be forming. It was a never-ending cycle and I’m happy to be over it! Right now I don’t have a single breakout on my face and I couldn’t be happier!

Here are the AFTER photos: 

We also wanted to mention that most acne fighting products are extremely drying on our already dry skin, but the Curology serums weren’t overdrying at all. We did notice that if we wore makeup on any given day, then washed our face, and then applied Curology that it did sting a tad, but nothing crazy. The consistency of the serum is also more like a moisturizer and it soaks into the skin immediately, which we love!

Overall, this is a holy grail product for us and we can’t wait to see even more results!

If you’d like to try Curology for yourself, sign up here! 

xx, Britta