Interested in Curology? Recently, there’s been an influx of Facebook and Instagram ads promoting the company. Curology is a company that connects you with a licensed dermatologist to create a customized prescription skincare treatment. The personalized prescription is targeted toward treating acne.

A few months ago, I discovered the company while browsing an online beauty blog. What drew me in, was the promise of a free trial month (plus $4.95 in shipping costs). Since I was experiencing some hormonal acne along my jawline, I decided to give Curology at try. I officially began my trial of Curology at the beginning of October, and I continued my usage of the product until the end of December.

 

What is Curology?

Curology is an individualized skincare subscription service. Each customer is paired with a licensed dermatologist that creates a prescription treatment based on your skincare needs. Prescriptions are produced in-house at their San Diego, California lab. Depending on your subscription type, a member can receive an order once a month or every two months. Clients can easily communicate one-on-one with their medical provider

 

My Experience

After signing up for my free trial with Curology, I was prompted to fill out a questionnaire about my skin and skincare needs. This included my skin type, concerns, and any allergies I might have. At that time, I was experiencing hormonal acne along my jawline as well as redness and the occasional breakout on my cheeks due to acne rosacea. Besides acne, I also wanted to include some anti-aging benefits in my prescription.

 

A day later, I was contacted by a medical provider named Heather. Heather was professional and friendly. She requested that I upload some current photos of my skin (sans makeup). It took about a day for Heather to contact me after examining my photos. My provider made sure to address my drug allergies before prescribing a customized formula.

 

Once Heather had decided on my personalized treatment, she went over each of the ingredients and their purpose. The following is my prescription.

 

– azelaic acid 4% (antibacterial; reduces redness, hyperpigmentation, and blocked pores)
– clindamycin 1% (antibacterial and anti-inflammatory)
– niacinamide 4% (a form of vitamin B3 that fights inflammation and       hyperpigmentation/dark spots/post-acne marks)

 

Cost & Availability

Monthly Prescription $19.95 + $4.95 shipping, each month
Two Month Prescription $39.90 + free shipping

 

Curology is currently available in 37 states, although their website states that they are working to provide service to all US states. You can click here to see if Curology is available in your state.

 

My Experience

I chose the two-month prescription as it was more cost-effective, overall. My formulation arrived on-time, and I never experience any issues with my shipping.

 

Product

Your Curology prescription arrives in a pump style bottle. The packaging is straight-forward and easy to use. Heather advised me that I may have an initial breakout after introducing my skin to the product. She explained, “As the old skin cells are turning over and new ones are being created, the pores are clearing out, and you should notice smoother skin soon!”

 

I was also told to avoid scrubs or skin exfoliants for the first few weeks of my new skincare regimen. I was directed to use the prescription only at night. After cleansing the face, I applied two pumps of the formula onto my face and neck. The formulation is a light moisturizer and can be used alone for oily or normal skin types. My skin is dry-combination during the colder months, so I chose to apply a light moisturizer on top of the treatment cream.

 

Final Thoughts

I used the product for a full three months before deciding on the product. Remember the breakouts I had been experiencing along my jawline? The acne on my chin completely cleared up! It did take about three weeks of usage before I saw results. I, however, saw no improvement in my facial redness or acne rosacea.

 

After checking some other bloggers review of Curology, I found that the personalized formulation was actually the same for the majority of customers. Clients that had moderate acne were given the same prescription formulations as those with mild acne.

 

In defense of Curology, these ingredients do work to treat acne and formulations can be further adjusted by your medical provider. I think it is also important to mention that any time I used a facial exfoliator (while using Curology), I experienced a breakout. It could be that the formulation made my skin more sensitive to exfoliants,

 

To conclude my review, I think that Curology is an excellent treatment for traditional acne. However, I would not recommend it to individuals that have acne rosacea, as you’re not likely to see an improvement. Please be aware that your skin may become more sensitive to scrubs while using this product as well.

 

Overall, I would give Curology 4 stars.