Queensland-based teacher Jess Buntrock, 33, has been documenting her battle with acne on YouTube since 2011.
But her severe acne started long before her first appearance in the public eye, with the part-time beauty vlogger suffering for the past 15 years – the entirety of her adult life.
Miss Buntrock has used her experience to educate others through her channel Jess Bunty and in 2017, after countless failed efforts to clear up her complexion elsewhere, took a drastic step in the hope of finally having clear skin.
Eight months on and Miss Buntrock’s complexion has improved significantly.
Queensland-based teacher Jess Buntrock, 33, has been documenting her battle with acne on YouTube since 2011 (pictured left in September, 2017, and right, now)
‘I don’t know how I was getting through life at this point, it was pretty bad,’ she said in an update video
‘I don’t know how I was getting through life at this point, it was pretty bad,’ she said in an update video.
‘Unfortunately you have to push yourself really hard to get out and just live your life and get on with it. Even though I really hated my skin I had to go to work, I had to get out of the house, I had to see people, I had to buy my shopping.’
With the advice of her dermatologist, Miss Buntrock went on acne medication, Accutane, in late 2017 and says that just eight months later, her skin is flatter and less inflamed than it’s ever been.
Miss Buntrock, who is now vegan, tried countless treatments and diets over the years to try and clear her acne, but nothing worked.
‘Unfortunately you have to push yourself really hard to get out and just live your life and get on with it,’ she said of her acne
With the advice of her dermatologist, Miss Buntrock went on acne medication, Accutane, in late 2017 and says that just eight months later, her skin is flatter and less inflamed than ever
‘Treatment-wise you name it, and I’ve tried it – The Pill, Benzoyl Peroxide, Blue Light Therapy, IPL, Microdermabrasion, Tea Tree oil, steaming, Accutane… it’s been a time,’ she told FEMAIL.
‘Diet-wise, I’ve always been relatively “good”. I used to be one of those “I’m a vegetarian but I eat chicken and fish occasionally” types and I used to go through rounds of elimination with my diet – remove the sugar, the oil, the soy, the dairy.
‘I’ve been vegan now for two years and it hasn’t done squat but I love being vegan and it was never for my skin anyway.’
After starting the medication, Miss Buntrock said she saw a change quite quickly.
‘Treatment-wise you name it, and I’ve tried it – The Pill, Benzoyl Peroxide, Blue Light Therapy, IPL, Microdermabrasion, Tea Tree oil, steaming, Accutane… it’s been a time,’ she told FEMAIL
After starting the medication, Miss Buntrock said she saw a change quite quickly (pictured now)
‘My skin is a lot more even and I have been using a serum on my skin to try and calm things down. My skin has completely just flattened out,’ she said.
‘My dermatologist told me that she is not going to take me off the medication until I have zero pimples on my face.’
It took just six weeks before Miss Buntrock started to see a difference.
‘I never knew makeup could stay on all day,’ she said.
It’s been a welcome change for Miss Buntrock, who spoke to FEMAIL previously about the ongoing challenges of adult acne.
‘My skin is a lot more even and I have been using a serum on my skin to try and calm things down. My skin has completely just flattened out,’ she said
What make up should women with acne wear?
I 100 per cent agree that being told you can’t wear make up is the last thing women want to hear, yet I keep being told this even today.
It’s obviously frustrating but also perpetrates a long-standing myth about the effect of make up on the skin.
My tips are:
* Pick the correct foundation for your skin – oil-free, non-comedogenic and buildable. Get samples first so you avoid getting stuck with a giant $30 bottle of regret.
* Wear your make up how you want to wear your make up but don’t feel like you need full coverage to be beautiful.
* If you love highlighting and contouring to within an inch of Kim Kardashian’s life, then stick with matte and glitter-free formulations to avoid highlighting any dips and bumps you’re prefer to hide.
‘My teenage years were rough, as they are for most people, and I went through some pretty horrific episodes with my skin that took me out of school for weeks at a time,’ Miss Buntrock said.
‘Then I hit adulthood and the acne decided to tag along. I kind of accepted it as being my fate. I didn’t know anything else but a spotty face! No matter what I tried to stop it, I couldn’t. So my daily routine become more about management, not removal, of my acne.’
She decided to start her YouTube channel while studying to become a teacher as she had become ‘semi-obsessed with watching YouTube beauty videos’.
‘My teenage years were rough, as they are for most people, and I went through some pretty horrific episodes with my skin that took me out of school for weeks at a time,’ she said
While Miss Buntrock was confident enough to share her challenges in such a public forum, she still went through the emotions and confidence issues all other women experience.
‘It’s embarrassing to be an adult woman with obviously bad skin and my acne was hardly ever just a rogue spot here or there cropping up around that time of the month,’ she said.
‘My acne was cystic, weeping, bulbous and plentiful. You can cover that with foundation as much as you like, but the texture remains.
‘Having to face the public, or students, with make up caked on over lumps and bumps and being excruciatingly conscious of it has always been a massive challenge.’
‘My acne was cystic, weeping, bulbous and plentiful. You can cover that with foundation as much as you like, but the texture remains,’ she said
While she has found success, acne is a case by case basis and Miss Buntrock said if there’s one thing she has learned over the years it is that there is ‘no one size fits all solution to acne’.
‘Anyone who has suffered from acne has probably heard “Why don’t you try…?” from countless people over countless years, and the fact is that just because The Pill worked for your Aunt Beryl, doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you,’ she said.
‘And just because your fave on YouTube is shilling a product, doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you.
‘It’s definitely a trial-and-error situation for each individual, and you need to be able to draw on great personal strength to pull yourself through that process.
‘Avoid doing what I’ve done. Don’t wait until you’re in your 30s to get to the end of the line. If you’re in your mid 20s and you’ve had enough, then go hard and get medication. Acne is not worth suffering for.’
Miss Buntrock said she did experience shocking side effects to Accutane in her teens but she hasn’t this time
Miss Buntrock said she did experience shocking side effects to Accutane in her teens but she hasn’t this time.
‘This time around has been incredible. I don’t know if it’s my age, or the very low dosage, or just my body being able to accept it better this time, but the side effects I suffered last time I took it in my teens are now either minimal or non-existent,’ she said.
‘I still have dry skin and dry lips, my eyes are sensitive to light, and my hair’s just started falling out in amounts I’m not really on board with – but my skin is unbelievably clear and I love it.’
While Miss Buntrock was confident enough to share her challenges in such a public forum, she still went through the emotions and confidence issues all other women experience
‘It’s embarrassing to be an adult woman with obviously bad skin and my acne was hardly ever just a rogue spot here or there cropping up around that time of the month,’ Miss Buntrock said
Miss Buntrock is pictured in September, 2017, before she started taking Accutane for the second time
Depsite a clearer complexion, the impact acne has had on her will be lifelong.
‘As a long-time acne sufferer, I’ll never mentally shake how the sight of a single pimple makes me break inside. The invisible toll of acne will be with me for life,’ she said.
Miss Buntrock said Accutane is an ‘absolute last resort medication’.
‘I didn’t take this decision lightly but I had to take the risk. I was at the end of my rope, and felt like I had exhausted all other options,’ she said.
Miss Buntrock said for those who do suffer acne, it’s important to not let it define them.
‘I’ve been vegan now for two years and it hasn’t done squat but I love being vegan and it was never for my skin anyway,’ she said
What are Jess Bunty’s top five products?
1. Trilogy Rosehip oil
2. Davroe shampoo (and conditioner, but let’s count that as one)
3. Garnier 3-in-1 cleanser & mask (I’d love to find a vegan dupe for this!)
4. Ecosoothe Calendula Cream (incredible night-time moisturiser for anyone with dry skin)
5. My favourite make up product of all time – Australis Fresh & Flawless Pressed Powder
‘Whether you have the odd spots or a chronic condition, you are strong, you are beautiful, you are valuable, you are an incredible human being and you will find your solution to your problem,’ she said.
‘This is one of many challenges in your life, but it does not define you, and it is temporary.
‘You are not weak for asking for help. You are, and always will be, loved.’
Miss Buntrock shares videos on acne fighting tips, homemade recipes, skincare tricks and more on her YouTube channel, Jess Bunty.
If you suffer acne and have not seen improvement with over the counter treatments, see your GP to assess the severity of it and discuss treatment options for your specific for your type of acne.