Acne is something that I’ve battled for as long as I can remember. Painful, embarrassing and just ugly acne is stubborn and hard to get rid of. I started getting skin treatments in middle school when my acne started. Products or services would work for a while, but nothing ever cleared it up fully.

When I say that I’ve tried everything, I mean EVERYTHING! From professional microdermabrasion and chemical peels, to easy to buy Proactive, I truly believe that I’ve tried almost every conventional product available. I even changed my pillowcase every night in high school! Nothing that I tried worked for the long term.

At a very low point with my skin, I was out with my mom at the Southern Christmas Show in Charlotte in 2016. There, I met the owner of a company called Cocolene. (And before I even start, this post is not sponsored, an ad, nor have I been asked to write this! I make no money from this!)

The owner, Sajata, had gorgeous skin. I went into her booth and immediately she welcomed me. She looked closely at my skin and put together a custom kit for me to try. That kit, which was right at $100, is what changed my skin forever!

Here is what my skin looked like the day that I started her skincare regime. I have always taken before pictures of my skin before I started new products because I wanted to see if they were ACTUALLY working after a few weeks of use.

Now, here is a picture of my skin 4 YEARS LATER, on basically the same skin care regimen. Acne- GONE! Scarring- almost gone! Redness- GONE!

This is the best skin I’ve had in my life, and you can have it too! And, it didn’t take me 4 years to get clearer skin. Within just a few weeks, my skin was already looking SO much better. Within 3 months, my acne was so much better and my redness was healing. Within a year, my scarring had also started to lighten.

Skincare doesn’t produce immediate results. With these products (and any skincare) give it some time to really start working.

Products and Steps

NOTE: *When I first started using Cocolene products, I did each of these steps both in the morning and at night. Earlier this year, I added in a few products, which you can read about in my post Daily Skincare Routine with all Natural Products.

The fist product that I use is a face soap. This is a bar soap, which I thought was strange at first, but it is such a gentle and wonderful cleanser. The soap that I use is Lavender Activated Charcoal. At night, I use this 2x. Once to cleanse to get my makeup off, and then another time to really get my skin saturated in product. I rub this onto a washcloth and then wash my face with it! Gentle circles all over my face and neck have worked well for me!

After my skin dries, step 2 is toner! The Wild Orange and Witch Hazel toner smells amazing. But, if you are like me, you probably don’t care how a product smells as long as it works! I put a few drops on a cotton pad and dab this all over my skin.

My next step is the Rescue Salve. This is the treatment that I use both day and night on my acne and scarring. I simply dab this on the spots that need heavy treatment. The Rescue Salve is for more than just acne! It is great to put on cuts and other discoloration on your body. My husband even uses it on his poison ivy!

The final step is to put an oil on my face. When Sajata told me to put an oil on my face, I vividly remember laughing at her. But, once she explained why the oil was good for my skin, I was willing to give it a try. Not all oils are created equal! The Tamanu + Immortelle oil was specifically for cystic acne and bruises. This oil doesn’t break me out AT ALL, which is what I was really expecting. It sinks into the skin within 2-3 minutes, so you don’t have to wait that long to start your makeup routine. I put this oil on my fingers and pat it all over my face and neck. This product is my main moisturizer!

These were the first 4 products that I started with! I have reordered these about 2x a year now for 4 years! They last SO much longer than a lot of other skincare products that I have tried.

If you have cystic or stubborn acne, I really recommend trying these products out. If you want a more personalized recommendation, Sajata is GREAT to talk with! You can message and chat with you right on her website, or you can call or text her! She truly cares about getting you the right products for your skin concerns.

Let me know if you end up trying any of these products! I can’t wait to see your results!

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