When I was 13 years old, I had my first breakout ever. At the time, I was well into my second year of high school, and the concept of insecurities, while new, figured highly in my day-to-day life. Pus-filled bumps lined my forehead and upper cheeks, prompting me to ask my mother if I could get bangs. The oil from my hair did nothing but make things worse. So, at 13, my mom took me with her to Belo Alabang, where I had my very first consultation with a dermatologist—and my first brush with the simple facial treatment that changed my life.

Here’s a photo of me from 2010 (featuring the bangs that worsened my breakouts). You can see that my pimples were spreading to the lower half of my face, too.

The year was 2010. My Belo MD took one look at my greasy, bursting forehead and recommended that I try the Glycopeel Cleaning. It’s a facial that uses glycolic acid to exfoliate oily, acne-prone skin like mine. Naturally, it also includes a blackhead and comedone extraction to get rid of the nasty bumps that would make me cry every time I looked in the mirror. I entered the treatment room nervous, and I came out looking red and raw, what with the amount of pimples they needed to take care of. I was in pain, but I was feeling positive, knowing I was on the right track.

The Belo staff sent me home with this take-home routine:

• Belo Prescriptives Pore Minimizer
• Belo Prescriptives Glycolic Soap 5%
• Belo Prescriptives Acne Drying Cream

Remember what I said about my bangs making my acne worse? My hunch was right (high-five, 13-year-old me). According to my Belo doctor, my current hair routine, which is packed with Vitamin E, was making my hair oilier and caused the pores on my forehead to clog. So I switched to a fragrance-free baby shampoo to seal the deal. 

I started off doing one treatment a week for four weeks, then lowered the frequency to two treatments per month, and finally, one treatment per month for maintenance. After three months of religiously following this routine (plus the skincare), my acne was clear!

Me, circa December 2010. Much better!

Fast-forward to six years later—I had become complacent with my skincare, and I stopped going to Belo for my regular facials. I had been on birth control, but decided to stop after a full year of using it. Three months after getting off of birth control, my hormones freaked out from the sudden imbalance…resulting in the worst breakouts of my life. 

This time, the pimples were bigger, nastier, and came out nonstop. I tried a 10-step Korean skincare routine, but the ingredient overload just made it worse. I would pop my pimples out of frustration, only for new ones to appear in their place. I felt depressed and helpless. Nothing I was doing worked.

And now, me from October 2016. As you can see, not even a filter could conceal just how bad my pimples had gotten again.

I stopped and realized—what worked for me when this happened for the first time, when I was 13? I reached for my phone so fast, you’d think I had been struck by lightning. I booked an appointment for Glycopeel Cleaning, and for the next few months after that, I followed my Belo doctor’s orders obediently. Just like old times, I had to come in for frequent facials until the breakouts subsided. By April 2017, my pimples (and acne scars!) had finally cleared:

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♐️

A post shared by Chandra Pepino (@chandracucumber) on Apr 9, 2017 at 6:51am PDT

And now that I’ve never strayed from the treatments and products that work for me, this is what my skin looks like now:

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In this sunlight, I have what looks like a dimple! It isn’t though. It’s your garden-variety nasolabial fold.

A post shared by Chandra Pepino (@chandracucumber) on Dec 20, 2019 at 4:04am PST

I’m 24 years old today, but one thing hasn’t changed since I was 13: Belo is the best place to go if you want to get rid of your acne for good. However, as with any glowup routine, the solutions will only work if you cooperate and stay the course (unlike me!). Once you find something that works for you, don’t bother searching far and wide for something new. Your best bet is to stick to what’s proven and tested. 

Follow Chandra Pepino on Instagram.

Click here to purchase the Belo Prescriptives Pore Minimizer, and here to purchase the  Belo Prescriptives Glycolic Soap 5%.

To book your Glycopeel Cleaning appointment, call 8819-BELO, or email info@belomed.com.

Want to chat before diving in? Click here to book an online consultation with a Belo MD. If you want to speak to the Beauty Expert herself, click here to book an online consultation with Dr. Vicki Belo.