#MyCurologyStory #2:
Olivia (21, KS, recent grad)

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Hi Olivia. How long have you been using Curology?  I've been on Curology for, I think, two and a half broken years. I was using it in high school for about two years and then stopped for a little bit and now I've been on it for a couple of months, so about two and a half years. Yeah…I wish I had never left when I had gone off for a little bit, but I love Curology. 

Why did you go off for a little bit there?  My skin had cleared up and truthfully at that time I was going into college and so I couldn't afford to keep up with it, so I was like, well, maybe I'll just kind of figure out how to take care of my skin. But, I  quickly realized that my skin was just pretty sensitive and just needed a little bit more of that personalized care, which I'd always loved. It was never anything against Curology that I went off, just wasn't making end’s meet quite yet.

How did you find out about Curology?  I think initially the very first time I found out about it was, I think it was just on Instagram and I was just hearing some testimonial videos of people who’d said it was worth it. I had gone on the website and really liked the idea of having my own healthcare provider and having that virtual communication, not having to go in somewhere and jump through hoops of scheduling and all that stuff. It seemed like a very good fit for my lifestyle especially, there were very specific goals, so that was definitely an avenue of me being able to get on board.  Were you using any treatments before?  Oh yeah. It felt like I had tried everything in the book really until I found it [Curology]. I did all the drugstore brands and things like that. I would say that at that time I was really patient because I just really wanted my skin to be clear. So I'm like, okay, I'm going to stick to it for a couple months. I’d even tried just switching detergents and switching my types of towels and bedsheets and really trying to check off the list, whatever I ate and trying to find allergies. It really felt like I had exhausted my options. So then I was like, maybe I just need something that's really tailored to me. So yeah, then Curology was really the answer there. I'd even gone to a dermatologist and they had given me a few things, but started hurting my skin and irritating it. So yeah, that was just not going to make do. Finding Curology and having my own bottle was really, really life changing. What problems were you experiencing that brought you to Curology?  I was having just a lot of acne and I couldn't figure out how to control it. The acne never hurt or anything, but it was just bothering me. It would always come up and I couldn't figure out how to get my skin clear.

What did it feel like? I definitely have this general feeling of when I would have a lot of acne, I was hyper-dependent on makeup products—my worst fear was waking up late and not having enough time to put on makeup that I'd have to go out of the house without it. That would happen a few times where I’m late for school and didn't have time, and it's like, well, I just got to go. Those were days that were probably more frustrating and definitely took a hit on my confidence and I was super self-conscious and just really analytical of myself, really did not want to see the mirror or anything like that. I think that definitely took a toll on me. I knew that on the confidence side that clearing up my skin would be something that would help that a little bit. Just health in general, [I] would want clear skin, but I would say that those really caused bad skin days was knowing that man, I have to wear makeup or I'd have to cover up in some sense and if I didn't, then it would really throw off my confidence.  What was the process of signing up with Curology like?  I would say that it was fairly smooth. There weren't any places where I could have a question and not get it answered. It was pretty seamless with just that direct communication with the provider felt really personal.  What products do you use? Well, I use the Gentle Cleanser and the Gel Moisturizer along with my prescription [Custom Formula]. So just like the classic bundle. I want to expand and use the dark spot [serum] and even some patches or sunscreen, but I really want to start having my skin used to the current treatment and then slowly add those things in.  What does your routine look like?  It’s been super consistent. I fear not having it consistent. I know my skin will just not love it, so it kind of goes with me everywhere I travel even. So when I wake up, I'll just wet my face and I'll put the gentle cleanser on, and so I'll let that kind of sit for a little bit, rinse off my face and put on my moisturizer. That's just during the day.  Then later on in the evening when I'm getting ready for bed, I'll do that same routine, but after I put on the cleanser and then rinse it off, I'll just put a little bit of the treatment on my face, just like a pump or so. Then after I've put that on, I put on my moisturizer. It's awesome that the skincare doesn't take me all night. I have some friends that have a really long skincare routine, which kudos to them, but I know for me it's like if I'm super exhausted at the end of the day, I don't have the next 45 minutes to get my skin ready. I like something quick that has been super effective for me, that works for my lifestyle. Do you have any experiences where you realized Curology was actually working?  Yes. Oh my goodness. I totally felt it, saw it and even heard it from friends and family, which just made all the difference, especially at the time I was living with my parents when I had started in high school and my parents had never had acne, so they were like, we just don't get, this can't be a genetic thing. We don't really know. They were also trying to get me on something, but then I started using Curology and within, I would say I really saw the difference at two and a half weeks just in the smoothness of my skin. The acne may have not gone all the way away, but definitely I felt that my skin was smooth and less oily. I remember my mom being just like, you have to stay on that. That's working. That's really looking good. Now be consistent with it. And I was like, yeah, I am not stopping anytime soon. It just kept clearing up. Yeah, and even this morning I had gone to breakfast with a friend, got up late, didn't have time for the makeup, so just went without any, and she also was just like, your skin's been looking really good. What have you been using? So I even got to brag on Curology for a little bit there this morning, which was really fun.  Do you talk often with friends and family about your skin journey and Curology? Oh, I totally recommend it, especially when someone's asking about my skin and they're like, oh, your skin looks great. I'll throw it [out there]. Yeah, I'm using Curology…I know it's helped me so much and I know that maybe someone else is looking for that. I kind of wish that someone would've said what they were using when I complimented their skin to maybe help with that. So I do try to just put that in, this is what I'm using and they have a free trial you can try and stuff like that. I know that any is possibly helpful for someone struggling with their skin.  What advice would you have for yourself three years ago based on your experience today?   I would tell myself it is a journey of figuring out what works for you and the things that work for other people might not work for you, but find something that you can stay consistent with, be patient with yourself and that it's worth trying things until they really work. I think that it's important to see the value of the health behind your skin, and so don't give up on it and continue to just ask for help and look for things that are really going to stick and work.  Is there one word or a brief thought about what you're most proud of in your skin journey? I would say I'm now, I think radiant is the word. If I'm looking for one word, I'm just radiant about it. Super excited, ecstatic, proud and just, yeah, I think those are the words that I would use to kind of sum up that journey so far.

Shop Olivia’s routine

• Gentle Cleanser

• Custom Formula*

• Gel Moisturizer

*Subject to medical consultation. Results may vary. Restrictions apply.

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Written by

Curology Team