Your first weeks on Curology

Welcome to your Curology journey. In 6 to 8 weeks from now, odds are your skin will start to be clearer than it is today.

How long does it take for Curology to work?

Some patients see results in the first few weeks, while others don’t notice changes for up to 6 weeks or more, or go through growing pains as they adjust to their medication (such as dryness, mild irritation, or temporarily worsened breakouts). The process of adjusting to a prescription acne medication is as personal as your custom mix.

This guide will walk you through your first 6+ weeks using your personalized formula, complete with tips and tricks for how to make the most of it—no matter what your skin is going through.

The big picture? Give your skin time to adjust and keep the rest of your skincare routine simple. Your skin will thank you.

Week 1: Start your new skincare routine

As you begin your new skincare routine, less really is more. Your custom formula typically packs more power than over-the-counter products because it combines prescription ingredients that target multiple skin concerns. Additional products — besides a recommended cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen — may do more harm than good initially by potentially irritating, drying, or clogging the skin.

We recommend you follow your personalized routine, based on what’s in your box and the instructions from your licensed dermatology provider—check it out from your account dashboard any time! 

 Here’s what we typically recommend for a daily skincare routine.

Morning Routine — about 2 minutes

You have our dermatologists’ permission to be lazy! We recommend a simple 3-step morning routine that takes just a few minutes:

1. Wash your face with water or a recommended cleanser.

2. Apply a recommended moisturizer.

3. Apply a sunscreen (SPF 30 or greater).

That’s it! Need help finding the right cleanser and moisturizer for your skin? Check out our dermatology team’s guide to cleansers, our guide to moisturizers, or check out our dermatologist-designed products at the Curology Shop. If you're looking for a sunscreen recommendation, you may want to consider Curology's Daily Moisturizing Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 30.

Night Time Routine — typically 5 minutes or less

A 10-step skincare routine before bed? We’d rather be snuggled up in our PJs watching Netflix. Our dermatologists recommend a short-and-sweet evening routine. It’s generally better for your skin and your schedule.

1. Wash your face with water or a recommended cleanser, and allow your skin to dry completely.

2. Apply a thin layer of your personalized formula as directed by your licensed dermatology provider.

3. Craving extra moisture? Apply a recommended moisturizer.

Then get into bed! Curology busts breakouts while you get your beauty rest.

Dryness, irritation, or new breakouts?

In the first few weeks of adjusting to topical acne prescriptions, it can be normal to get temporary dryness, increased breakouts, flaking, redness, mild itching, or stinging — especially if your formula contains tretinoin. Your formula is hard at work clearing out dead cells and other debris, which is great news, but may cause some irritation or new breakouts (purging) along the way.

Here are a few pro tips for how to minimize irritation and purging:

1. Ease into your routine. Try applying your formula every other day, like Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to start. Slowly increase the frequency as your skin adjusts.

2. Wait at least 10–20 minutes after washing your face before applying your formula. Wet skin can absorb the medication more quickly, sometimes causing irritation. Once your skin has adjusted, the wait probably won’t be necessary.

3. Try applying your moisturizer first, then your Curology prescription formula. You can also try diluting the formula by mixing it with some moisturizer in the palm of your hand before applying it.

4. Be gentle on your skin. Try temporarily cutting out alpha hydroxy acids (AHA, such as glycolic acid or lactic acid), or beta hydroxy acid (BHA, i.e., salicylic acid). These products can be gradually reintroduced after your skin has adjusted to your new prescription formula.

5. Stay hydrated. If the air is dry, running a humidifier can help immensely.

6. We repeat, be gentle. Try applying your cleanser with your fingertips, and avoid using a washcloth or physical exfoliators.

And remember: we’ve got your back. You can reach out to your licensed dermatology provider at any time for guidance.

Week 2: Build new habits for healthy skin

Remember that your skin is a mini ecosystem, like a garden — alive with millions of tiny organisms and natural processes. In your skin, breakouts strike when this natural balance is thrown off. Perhaps by overzealous bacteria, too much oil, an overload of stress hormones, or products in your skincare routine.

Your Curology personalized formula is designed to combat these breakouts. This is no small task, and it won’t happen overnight. You can help by minimizing potential acne triggers in your diet and lifestyle while you give your formula time to work.

Habit 1: Put your skincare products on trial

All those little bottles on your sink are guilty until proven innocent. Curology's products are non-comedogenic, but you can check your other products for potentially pore-clogging ingredients using our guide here.

Habit 2: Don’t let stress get under your skin (literally)

You’ve heard it before. Stressing out accomplishes nothing…except (we might add) contributing to more breakouts. Keep those acne-contributing stress hormones at bay by making time for yoga, meditation, exercise, or even just making sure to get enough sleep.

Habit 3: Consider minimizing acne’s favorite foods

There is no magic-bullet diet that works for everyone’s skin — but if you want to experiment with your diet, cutting back on simple carbs, high-sugar foods, and/or dairy can be a good place to start.

It’s easy to eat a lot of simple carbs and high-sugar foods without really noticing. Think: bagels, chips, white bread, sweets, sodas, and juices. These foods spike your blood sugar and insulin, causing changes that can lead to acne for some. Research tells us that dairy (all that yummy cheese, milk, and ice cream) may also play a role in acne breakouts for some. In general, a well-rounded, healthy diet with lots of fresh fruits and veggies is great!

Week 3: Keep using your custom formula

You may start wondering around now: so… what should my skin look like? What’s considered normal at this point?

All of this: improvement, no change, mild redness, peeling, dryness, mild irritation, and purging (increased breakouts). Your journey will look a little different from the next person’s because everyone’s skin is unique.

Increased breakouts?

Purging isn’t fun, but it’s totally normal. Patients may see their breakouts get worse before they get better, beginning in the first 1–4 weeks, and lasting through weeks 2–8. Remember — after the (zit) storm, comes the calm. Most patients see improvement soon after purging. You can always reach out to your provider for tips on how to deal with purging!

Irritation?

Mild irritation can be totally normal, and generally shouldn’t be cause for concern—unless it continues after you’ve already followed our tips for reducing irritation. If you’re still experiencing irritation, reach out to your provider. Some new selfies are always helpful!

No improvement?

When it comes to topical acne prescriptions, good skin comes to those who wait. Many patients don’t see improvement until weeks 6–8. So don’t take the wait as a sign your medication isn’t working! If you don’t notice a difference by week 6, we recommend sending your provider new photos to see what’s up — but before then, sit tight. Know you’ve got 3 powerful, clinically proven ingredients on the case.

4 weeks: Track your journey

At the 1 month mark, it’s about time to take your first before and after photo! Even if you haven’t seen much progress yet, you’ll thank yourself later for tracking your journey. While many patients do start seeing progress around now, many won’t for another 2–4 more weeks. So stay the course! You’re getting close.

8 weeks: Your skin just keeps getting better

Right about now would be a good time for that victory dance.

There may be some rough patches along the way, but by 8 weeks, you should generally start seeing improvement, and it just keeps getting better from here. Time is the best healer. Your skin should continue to improve if you stick to your routine. And if, at any point, you’re less than thrilled with your results, you can always chat with your provider and explore other options.

Will my skin be 100% clear?

No medical provider can promise that. We do, however, promise to stick by you all the way. If you haven’t seen improvement in your acne by now, your provider will work with you to adjust your formula until you’re happy with your results. You can always reach out to see if a formula change is right for you, and don’t forget to include photos of your skin.

When can I expect improvement in redness and hyperpigmentation?

While most patients see improvement in their acne by now, other skin concerns like hyperpigmentation, redness, and texture will take longer to improve. You can generally expect redness to start clearing up at around 3 months, and hyperpigmentation by 6 months — but again, everyone’s skin is unique, so there is no one-size-fits-all timeline.

Can I stop using Curology if my skin is clear?

As much as we wish there were, there’s no magic, guaranteed one-time cure that will clear your skin. Once you find something that works — stick to it.

Keeping your skin healthy is like going to the gym. You’ll need to keep up the habit in order to maintain the positive changes.

What’s next?

If you’re more than 8 weeks into treatment, odds are that you’ve found a formula that works for you, and your skin is starting to clear up (yay!). Even after your acne has mostly cleared up, you can always talk to your provider about updating your formula to target new skin concerns — like fine lines, wrinkles, texture, and beyond.

Remember, your provider is here to help you achieve your skin goals — even as those goals change over time. We’re with you all the way.

Written by

Curology Team