Beauty Bible’s Resident Skin Expert, Dermalogica’s Caroline Parker helps a reader understand her acne. 

Hi, I tend to experience breakouts when I eat a lot of junk food, which I have been doing for the past few months. Since eating badly, I have re-developed some mild acne on my face (I used to have acne a few years ago). My question is, if I switch to a healthy diet and treat my acne with a Benzac wash and doctor prescribed antibiotics and Differin, how long do you think it will take for my skin to clear? My 18th birthday is in about 3 months time and I am hoping to have clear skin for that occasion. Thanks!

Hi there,

You are correct in linking your diet to the health of your skin – ultimately our skin reflects what is happening inside our body. However I also think that hormonal fluctuations are probably contributing to your acne – especially as you are still in your teens.

The products you mentioned are going to help control the bacteria on your skin which are contributing to the acne but they are quite an aggressive combination – you could find your skin looking very dry and irritated and possibly even redness appearing. If you do choose this option then I would advise that you are very vigilant with sunscreen as your skin could burn more easily and many antibiotics can cause hyperpigmentation – i.e. uneven skin tone.

A less medical option would be to use a skin care system developed for teenage skin – something like Clean Start by Dermalogica (www.cleanstart.co.nz) . These products are perfect for controlling breakout activity. Clean Start consists of 3 groups of products – getting clean, taking on issues and protecting the skin. The products are easy to use, feel great on your skin and really help with breakouts.

Either of the above options would definitely have your skin looking good in 3 months time, and be sure to include more fresh fruit and vegetables and lots of water in your diet.

Finally our emotions affect the hormone levels in our body too so it is important to try not to get caught up in the negative cycle of being stressed about your skin and the stress hormones making your skin worse. Instead focus on enjoying the build up to your birthday- hope you have a lovely day!


Caroline Parker has worked for Dermalogica NZ for the last 10 years as an instructor. She is responsible for teaching postgraduate education to qualified therapists and she attends international training in LA and Sydney every year to learn new skills and update her knowledge. We think it is pretty safe to say there ain't much about skin that she doesn't know!

Beauty Bible is lucky enough to have her on board as our resident skin expert - so if you have a question about skincare, skin condition, or skin issues click to Ask the skin expert