August 15, 2025

It's not you, It's them. Wellness coaches blamed my diet. Experts pointed to hormones. Skincare ‘Coaches’ Lied to Me. Here’s the Ugly Truth About Acne They Don’t Want You to Know.

This story is from our customer Gloria — her words, her journey. We asked if we could share this with our Dewha community, and she said yes.

My skin had always been clear. Until one month… it suddenly wasn’t.

I started breaking out badly.

Painful cysts. Red patches. Constant oiliness.

My skin felt out of control and I couldn’t figure out why.

I tried everything to fix my acne… and failed.

I thought I was doing all the right things:

✔️ Clean eating

✔️ 8 hours of sleep

✔️ 3 liters of water a day

✔️ Zero stress

✔️ Pillowcases changed twice a week

✔️ Having a skincare routine

But the more I tried, the worse my acne got.

The “Expert” Advice That Destroyed My Skin

When nothing was improving, I turned to the experts — wellness coaches, dietitians, skincare gurus. Each promised a different “fix.”

Experts pointed to hormones, so I started going on birth control.

Wellness coaches blamed my lifestyle, so I made the necessary changes.

Dietitians blamed my diet, so I went vegan. When that didn’t work, I cut out dairy. Even went gluten-free.

Skincare gurus blamed my current skincare, so I bought every “miracle” product they pushed.

I followed all their advice. Nothing worked. My skin kept spiraling.

Frustrated and fed up, I stopped listening to the noise and decided to get to the bottom of the issue myself.

Then… It hit me. It all started with a trend – I followed a new skincare routine that I found on a Facebook skincare group that I’ve been following for ages. With all the hype and promotion that went with it, I succumbed to the bandwagon.

I took a closer look at my products and began eliminating them one by one — especially the ones from those Facebook groups I’d followed since 2019.

For the first time in months, my skin began to calm down and the breakouts slowed.

That’s when I realized: my lifestyle, my diet, and even my hormones were not the problem.

At the time, I had just started a university course in health sciences and was doing an observational internship at a clinic in Manila that treated patients with acne and eczema.

For the first time, I understood the science. I had access to real information – way beyond all the marketing, the tips and tricks, and the reviews.

I had access to resources most people never see:

– Clinical dermatology case studies

– Ingredient safety and interaction databases

– Peer-reviewed barrier repair research

– Patient histories showing the long-term effects of popular “miracle” products

At night, I pored over:

– Dermatology forums

– Ingredient safety databases

– Barrier repair studies

– Case studies on steroid-induced skin thinning

The Radical Test That Changed Everything

I decided to bust the myth and apply the science. I did something nobody else would dare:

I gave myself acne on purpose.

For three weeks, I intentionally damaged an area of my skin using the same products and “hacks” I once believed in, and documented every painful second of it.

WEEK 1: The DIY Myth

I tried TikTok’s “natural” cures (honey, turmeric, toothpaste)

The result → inflamed, hypersensitive skin

WEEK 2: Testing Viral Skincare

I turned to the Facebook-famous rejuvenating sets, and even viral ‘sensitive skin-friendly’ oils.

Within 3 days → peeling, burning, visible thinning

WEEK 3: The Nothing Method

The “Caveman Method” — basically not washing my face or using any products at all.

By the end → my skin was a flaky, greasy, clogged mess.

Sure enough, after three weeks, the results were undeniable:

The viral hacks weren’t helping — they were harming.

Except this time, I knew exactly what to do.

The Real Cure They’ll Never Tell You

No detox. No miracle serums. No overpriced “holy grails.”

I rebuilt my skin barrier from the ground up with pure science.

✔️ Redness vanished

✔️ Stinging stopped

✔️ Breakouts calmed

From Week 4 to Week 6, my skin healed little by little.

No overnight fixes. No miracle serums. Just science.

Things I Learned the Hard Way (So You Don’t Have To):

– That “purging” is a marketing term for irritation

– That more active ingredients do not mean faster results

– That “natural ingredients” can still cause reactions

– That not understanding the basics of skincare can cause more harm than good

– That you don’t “heal” your barrier by waiting — you rebuild it

Everyone wants healthy, clear skin, but most people don’t realize how easy it is to destroy it.

The wrong products. The wrong advice. One “miracle” trend too many.

And once your barrier is damaged, it’s not just your skin that takes the hit… It’s your confidence, your patience, even the way you see yourself in the mirror.

It’s built on real science, careful testing, and the exact steps I took to get my skin back.

I’m giving it away for free. No gimmicks. No codes.

Because if you’re here, you might be exactly where I was:

Tired. Overwhelmed. Wondering why nothing works.

If I could go back and hand this to myself before I ruined my skin, I would.

So I’m handing it to you instead.