My Novacne Journey: The Good, The Bad, and the Red Stinging Face
Okay, so here’s the real deal. If you’re looking for a quick fix, look somewhere else. I wasn’t going to post this until my face actually looked decent again, but people keep asking how I finally got rid of the cystic acne that was making me hide under my hoodies.
I’m not an expert dermatologist and I definitely shouldn’t have gone down this path without consulting one first (oops). But since I actually used it for four months straight and had some rough patches along the way, I thought I’d share the messy truth about Novacne. It worked for me, but it wasn’t a magic eraser.
Who am I talking to? Just so you know:
I have combination skin (greasy T-zone, dry cheeks) and what used to be pretty hormonal breakouts on my chin and jawline. Occasionally, things would get really angry, with deep red bumps that took forever to go away and always left marks. My skin is sensitive, I guess—like, if a product smells weird, it stings.
The Routine (How I actually used it)
Novacne’s kit comes in a box with different stuff. Honestly, half of it sits in my drawer gathering dust, but the two main things I stuck to were the Acne Wash and the Gel. Here’s what I did:
- Wash: Twice a day, morning and night.
- Gel: Only at night. Never in the sun, or whatever.
I used about a quarter of a pea size for my face. Not more. If you use it like you’re slapping on sunscreen, your face is gonna look like a prune. I put my wash first, rinsed it off, patted it dry, and then applied the gel to spot-treat the worst bumps or just a little bit over areas that were prone to breakouts.
I didn’t apply it under make-up right away. Let it set for at least 20 minutes. I learned this lesson the hard way during week two.
What actually happened (Week by Week)
- Week 1: Okay, so… my skin looked worse. Like, immediately worse. I have to use "stinging" because that’s the only word that makes sense. When I put the first layer on my face, it felt like little pins were going into me, but in a cold way. My jawline burned for an hour. By the end of the day, my skin felt tight and raw. It was scary. I thought, Did I do something wrong? Is this bad?
- Mistake: I used it every night immediately after I got home from work without waiting a bit for my face to breathe.
- Week 2-3: This is where the "purging" rumor came alive. Around day 5, I had about three really angry cysts come out on my chin. My mom freaked out and asked what I touched, but I didn't touch anything new. Novacne is known for making red bumps pop up fast so they heal faster. It sucks emotionally because you look bad while you get better, but it happened. The deep bumps were definitely coming to the surface though, not new ones appearing randomly.
- Observation: I tried mixing the toner into a moisturizer but realized my skin didn't want to accept that blend. It just felt greasy and blocked the pores back up.
- Month 1+: By now, the burning was gone. The redness faded. My T-zone still had oil, so I kept using a little bit of lotion from other brands to soften the dry patches from the wash. The biggest change? No new cysts on my chin in weeks at all.
Side Effects and How I Dealt With Them
I’m not going to lie—the dryness is no joke. Even though Novacne says it’s for sensitive skin, it still stripped mine. By week 3, my lips were chapped and the corners of my mouth cracked every time I smiled.
To fix this, I stopped using harsh cleansers on my face like scrubbing soaps that had beads in them. I just used the wash gently and followed up with a basic, thick moisturizer that didn't leave a white residue. If my skin felt tight, I just waited it out with warm water and nothing else until morning.
I also learned to avoid touching my face with my fingers when I had the dry patches because every tiny scratch looked like a wound now.
What Didn't Work (or Just Didn't Feel Right)
- The Sunscreen: At first, I tried using the Novacne sunscreen product in the morning instead of just washing it off. It smelled kind of medicinal and minty, which was annoying to me because I hate that smell on my face all day. It felt like a mask. Eventually, I went back to a separate chemical sunscreen that felt more invisible.
- Applying too much: I made the mistake once thinking "more product = faster result." The next morning, my whole jaw was peeling. Definitely not worth it.
Sensory Stuff (Because it matters)
The smell is something you have to get used to. It smells like alcohol and menthol mixed with a weird chemical scent that reminds me of mouthwash if I've ever heard mouthwash before. When you rub the gel in, it feels like ice water for a second, which actually calms down some itchiness, but then it dries out fast into a tight film.
Am I still using it?
I don't use the full kit anymore. I only keep the wash and sometimes the spot treatment if I get a really stubborn cyst on my chin. The other stuff just feels overkill now. My skin is better because I’m less stressed about my face, which I know is also part of why it healed in the long run.
Final Thought:
If you try this, be patient. It took me three months to actually see the real change after the initial purge. And yeah, it stung for a bit. But seeing the redness fade away over the winter was worth it. Just don't expect to look like a newborn baby by next morning. My face felt weird and weirdly raw for weeks, but now it stays calm most of the time.
