How I cleared my fungal acne after 6 months of struggle
I’ve been dealing with acne since I was 17, I’m no stranger to breakouts. However, when I developed fungal acne, it was an entirely new challenge. Funny enough, I kept seeing videos about it pop up on my TikTok For You Page (FYP). Since skincare is a big part of my algorithm, I guess I jinxed myself! But at least I was able to recognize what was happening.
Fungal acne isn’t your typical acne. It’s actually caused by an overgrowth of yeast on the skin gross, I know! Over the past year, I had been using a lot of Korean skincare products. Unfortunately, many of them contain fermented ingredients, which can trigger fungal acne. I usually keep my routine simple, but since my skin had become more tolerant, I started experimenting with more products. Social media has made skincare knowledge more accessible, and with more affordable options on the market, I naturally wanted to explore.
The mistakes I made at first
Since my acne is mainly influenced by hormones and diet, I was used to adding new products to my routine. But once I realised I had fungal acne, I went into panic mode and switched everything. Big mistake! Instead, I should have gone back to the simple routine my skin was used to.
Here’s what I did wrong:
- I switched to a new cleanser (Skin1004 Foaming Face Wash) after using Medix Green Soap for over a decade.
- I became paranoid about centella, even though it’s technically not a fungal acne trigger, and removed it from my routine.
- I tried Beplain Mungbean Cleanser because a TikTok creator with fungal acne recommended it. Turns out, it didn’t work for me.
I used Nizoral anti-dandruff shampoo and La Cruz sulfur treatment, which helped initially but didn’t provide long-term results. However, these two work for a lot of people from the researched I gathered from basically everywhere lol.
Despite switching to fungal acne-safe products, the breakouts weren’t going away. I was losing hope, and my confidence took a hit. My forehead looked like polka dots, it was a mess! The camera didn’t pick it up so much, but it was all underneath the skin on my forehead and was very inflamed.
What finally cleared my fungal acne
After months of trial and error, I found a routine that actually worked. Here’s what I did:
1. Developed a New Skincare Routine
I went back to my OG cleanser, Medix Green Soap, but also created a new skincare routine that has been working well so far:
- Rohto Hada Labo Hyaluronic Acid Serum – A must-have for hydration.
- Vichy Liftactiv 16% Pure Vitamin C Serum (AM only) – Helped with brightening and skin repair.
- Geek & Gorgeous Hydration Station Moisturizer – This saved my skin when it became dry from the Nizoral shampoo and sulfur treatment.
2. Used an Effective Weekly Mask
One of the game-changers was the Aztec Indian Healing Clay Mask mixed with apple cider vinegar. This mask worked wonders for my fungal acne! The apple cider vinegar is key—if you’re using this mask without it, you’re missing out. ACV helps balance your skin’s pH, which is crucial for fighting fungal acne. I saw results the very next day! My forehead looked much calmer. Recently, I started adding turmeric powder to the mask for its brightening and healing benefits.
My Biggest Takeaway: Keep It Simple
After months of struggling, I finally realized that going back to basics was the best solution. The culprit? The Beplain Mungbean Cleanser. Even though it didn’t show up as a fungal acne trigger on Sezia.com (a great site for checking ingredients), it clearly wasn’t meshing well with my skin. At the end of the day, everyone’s skin is different. Just because something worked for me doesn’t mean it will work for you. Take all advice (including mine!) with a pinch of salt. It took me months to figure this out, but now my skin is clearing up. I still get hormonal breakouts around my period, but honestly, I’d take that over fungal acne any day!
Final Thoughts
If you’re struggling with fungal acne, I highly recommend:
- Keeping your routine minimal and stick to what works for your skin.
- Avoiding unnecessary product swaps.
- Checking ingredients for fungal acne triggers on Sezia.com
- Using apple cider vinegar with clay masks for better results.
Have you dealt with fungal acne before? What worked for you? Let’s chat in the comments!
