Today I'm going to be revealing what exactly THE POWER OF 3 is.

Once I'm done, you don't need to feel like a rocket scientist to understand what these powerful potions are!

Sugar, spice and everything nice?

Nope! That's the PowerPuff Girls!

The Power of Three will set you free? Witch sisters Rose, Phoebe & Piper?

Nope! That's popular American TV series, Charmed!

So what exactly is the Power of 3? It has something to do with your face.

In fact, these 3 special ingredients act as bold, wise and brave soldiers working together in a unique triple action formulation to treat acne and vanquish them forever! 

Remember both my previous blog posts about discovering the truth behind acne and revealing my ugly acne-ridden past? Today's blog post is a sequel to these three.

It is no complicated strategy to solve a problem. 

Identify the root causes & tackle them from the bottom.

Apply the same methods to solving your acne problems!

By now, you should already know the main causes of acne:

1. Bacterial colonization

2. Inflammation of the affected area

3. Excess sebum

4. Thickening of the skin that blocks your pores

With the Power of 3, this is how acne problems are being solved right at the root of it all!

Allow me to introduce the warriors of the Power of 3 to you!

First up, it's the EU patented ABA Technology 

This is what happens without (left) and with (right) the ABA technology

The EU patented ABA Technology inhibits the acne bacteria (scientific name: Propionibacterium acnes aka P.acnes) avoiding it from attaching to the cells on the outer layer of the skin.

It also helps block the proliferation of this P. acnes bacteria!

The second fighter is called Nicotinamide 

Pink bar shows the percentage of reduction of acne using Papulex

(the grey bar is without Papulex) after two different periods of time

Nicotinamide has anti-inflammatory properties to reduce skin inflammation .

No more redness & swelling! It's natural molecules are derived from Vitamin B3 too 

Our final combatant of The Power of 3 is Zinc PCA 

Pink bar show the production of skin sebum (oil) with Papulex & the grey bar is without Papulex

Zinc PCA is effective in reducing oil and excess sebum & significantly decreases it

After some research, I discovered that Papulex contains ALL THREE of these ingredients!

So there you have it! The answer to all pimple/acne problems. 

For those of you who are have pimples or acne or even know of anyone with a bad pimples/acne phase, it's time to help put an end to their misery. Introduce the Power of 3 to them, okay? 

This weekend, I'll be off to Philea Resort & Spa in Malacca for a retreat to mother nature! 

I'll be finding out more about this acne-busting star products by Papulex Asia during the tranquil escape to the lush forests, waterfalls, fresh air and more. Toodles! 

Hey hey! It's Part 2 of my battle as an acne-fighting superhero again.

LOL that's what they call me… and I embrace the challenge with open arms!

2009

This week, as I promised in this previous (Part 1) post, I will be showing you my ugly past and how acne can be a big time kill-joy for the young, outgoing & vibrant teenaged girl I was.

You think it's bad? Well, try being me. It killed me inside. 

Allow me to show you some interesting statistics about acne.

My bout of acne started when I was 13 years old. Right, just when I became a teen.

My forehead was like a breeding ground of tiny little pimples scattered all over! 

Hello! I am your typical pimple monster sharing a true story

Don't be afraid, for the owner of the blog you're reading had once been me.

Thankfully, I had bangs and I obviously used it to hide my pimples.

But alas, doing so made it worse. The oil and dirt from my hair made my skin condition even more prone to bacteria and even more began to pop up!

2009

I remember how I used to come home crying to mother about how ugly I felt and how much I needed and wanted help because I felt like the most horrendous looking scum of the earth.

Not even joking. I was that adversely affected by it. 

So much so that my family (namely mother, godmom & uncle) did everything in their ability to save me from this emotional and psychological trauma.

Thanks folks 

Slight improvement : 2011

They took me to a dermatologist which gave me a lot of facial sessions. It did improve, but very slightly.

I even had to consult a skin doctor who gave me some very strong medicated cream to apply (which hurt so much btw!) and pills to consume. 

Well, that worked until I realized that I didn't want to depend on medication my entire life.

So yes, I stopped the drugs and the acne came back to haunt me 

Oh. Now you tell me?

Somewhere after highschool, it got from bad to worse.

Can you believe I survived looking like that through high school, college & university being the pimple monster?

Geez, looking back, I must have had a decent level of confidence to get me by! 

Those years were supposed to be your prime days where your looks was something really important (superficial, I know) in the social clique and yes, around boys.

Come to think of it, I'm surprised that I even dated at all!

I feel you, dear Superman.

They must be blind or probably see past all that; more than just lil miss scarface. 

Thanks, guys 

I did everything in my capacity but it never went away. Product after product and none of them helped.

I felt ugly, disgusting, unphotogenic and would shy away from the camera or use my then long hair or hands to cover my acne and scars.

2008. Clearly it didn't help. You can still see the acne haha!

Who am I fooling, really? 

My friends & family were beginning to be concerned and said, "Jess, your skin is getting really bad"

SIGH well yeah tell me something new please 🙁

It made me even more insecure and I could never ever take compliments from anyone because deep down, I felt as ugly as a deformed carcass and that all nice words to me are lies and slander. 

Spare me your rubbish.

I'm sorry I couldn't find more (worse) photos from high school and college to scare you with, but if I find them I'll update this post with it.

So why don't I show you someone else for now? 

Beneath all their glam and razzle-dazzle, celebrities have acne too. 

How many of these celebrities do you actually recognize? 

Yup, go ahead. Name them all.

Look, I probably don't know about them, but I had terrible insecurity issues myself.

You try having boils on your face and deep red, painful spots, bleeding scars that would be the first thing everyone sees when they meet you 

Sometimes I wished I was a Muslim living in Dubai where no one can see my face

Boo! 

I'm not even going to try and preach utter garbage about "having confidence" or "don't let acne weigh you down" or "you are beautiful just the way you are" and all the other pretentious crap. 

BECAUSE ACNE DAMAGED ME INSIDE BACK THEN.

You and I know how terrible it does make you look and feel 

I couldn't run away from the fact that everyone saw me as the pimple monster no matter how kind they were to me so as not to hurt me or how nice they were to my face (literally!)

Tell me I'm beautiful and you'll be putting Pinochio to shame

So instead of propagating moralistic words, I am going to help you find a cure.

Something that ACTUALLY WORKS.

2012. Me now. Free from acne!

If there wasn't anything to save me from my agonistic bout of acne back then, I'll make sure you have something that does to get you out of your misery.

And that's why I've been approached to be a Papulex truthseeker and I'm now part of the Lead the Way Blogger challenge by Papulex Asia.

Please do vote for me on the official Papulex Facebook page here 

if you think I deserve it  

1. Click – LIKE on the Papulex page first

2. Click – Malaysia

3. Click – Week 2

4. You'll see me & the vote button beside me!

So what do you think?

After years and years of my relentless, merciless battle with the four letter word (A-C-N-E, mind you!) I'm just glad that it finally subsided. About bloody time it did! 

Now, with the birth of Papulex, I just want you and I to feel one thing… and one thing only.

Good morning dear readers!

Odd question, how many of you noticed (from the photos or having met me in real life) that I actually used to have bad skin?

Long-time readers would probably know how disastrous my skin used to be as I once had a lot of pimples and have been fighting acne problem for several years. 

Today, I am FINALLY free of acne. But look closely, you can still see my oily skin & scars on my cheeks.

(In this photo, I have tried to conceal it with make up)

Is my oily face & scars on my cheeks clearer?

(In this photo, I have less concealer on)

But if you never noticed, it could mean that I'm either really good with my make-up and concealers to cover up the acne haha! 

Thanks to the folks at Papulex, a leading pharmaceutical expert in Asia Pacific that specializes in Dermatology, I'm going to begin opening up a personal battle of my life that you probably didn't know of –

For those of you lucky people who never knew what acne is nor have experienced it, acne is the name given to the various dermal outbreaks, such as pimples and blackheads, which are commonly experienced during adolescence.

While acne, in most instances, diminishes and disappears by the early 20s, for some unfortunate individuals the symptoms of acne can persist long into adulthood. 

Here's a simple diagram on how acne occurs on the skin surface

Now, we all know that there are many theories (and many myths) as to what exactly causes acne but one of the stronger arguments is that acne is largely influenced by your genes.

Main question of today –

CAN ACNE BE INHERITED?

Answer –

Yes, you can inherit acne.

After doing my research, here are some cold, hard facts!

 Numerous studies have been conducted in order to correlate acne with genetics. A 1999 study from the British Journal of Dermatology has shown that individuals who suffer from adult persistent acne are four times more likely to have adult relatives who also suffer from adult persistent acne than individuals who do not.

Similarly, a more recent study has demonstrated that individuals with a parental history of acne experience acne at a younger age than those without (sourced from the book 'Heredity: A Prognostic Factor for Acne').

The same study suggests that certain symptoms are significantly more prevalent when the father or mother alone experiences acne.  

According to The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, a study on twins has also suggested that acne is significantly based on genetic factors as opposed to environmental, lifestyle or other factors.

So basically, you can’t avoid inheritance as it runs in the gene pool.

Yes, I know it’s an unlucky thing to have but it’s something you have to live with it.

I would know, I’ve lived with it almost all my life  I know, such an unfortunate soul, right?

However, there is a smart way to strike a balance between nature and nurture.

And that's when skincare comes in too. I’ve discovered that there are ways to manage and combat this problem with some simple solutions.

I'm embarking on an interesting mission to help everyone have better skin & to ensure that nobody is misinformed about acne 

Having done my research, here are the top 5 common misconceptions that I'd like to myth-bust!

Myth #1 Acne is a contagious disease.

You can't get acne by touching another person's acne or sharing food with a person with acne

Myth #2 Acne spots are due to bad hygiene.

You should resist the temptation to repeatedly cleanse, treat and fuss over your acne as it will aggravate the skin

Myth #3 Acne problem is a teenage problem

Adult acne happens too. It affects a diverse range of people from teens, pregnant women, adults and even the elderly

Myth #4 Chocolate causes acne

Nonsense. Enough said. 

Myth #5 Pop the pimple and it will go away

Picking it will leave open sores vulnerable to bacteria and infection, worsening your condition

So where am I going with this, you wonder?

Like I said before, I'm on a mission to discover and spread the truth about acne. I’m affirmative that everyone reading this right now knows at least one person with acne and bad skin, right? 

To be honest, I'd like to know the complete truth – learning about different skin types, what really causes acne and how to address this issue. 

I'm proud to say that I will be joining the cause as a truthseeker to fight acne and shed light to others who are currently facing acne problems or even know someone with this problem.

Long story short, I'm out to help people with acne-prone skin to get out of this damned problem.

WHY?

Because I know how terrible it can be, how ugly you can feel

and how much time you take to try to make yourself look better.

I've been there, and done that.

Thus I'm participating in the Lead the Way Blogger Challenge by Papulex Asia.

Log on to Papulex's Official Facebook page to know more about this cause!

I may be free from acne now, but my scars remain 

(You probably can't see it. Pro-tip : Black & white does wonders for acne scars!)

Stay tuned to my next article as I will be opening up and sharing the ugly truth on my battle with acne.

What I faced everyday living with it, how severe it was and how it made me feel throughout the whole ordeal.

Be prepared for some ugly photos of my acne-ridden self as well! 

What to expect? Well I looked something like this –

Yeah, very ugly right?

Well, I got through it. I survived