About TipsForAcne.com

I’m Kelsey Hart, and I research and write everything on this site. I’m not a dermatologist, I have no medical training, and nothing here should be mistaken for a consultation. I’m a 30-something who has dealt with acne long past the age it was supposed to stop — and who got tired of advice that fell apart the moment I went looking for the evidence behind it.

So I started reading the evidence myself: the clinical guidelines, the systematic reviews, the actual trials. This site is where I write up what I find, with every clinical claim linked to its source — so you can check my work instead of taking my word for it.

Why this site exists

Nobody searches for acne answers calmly. You search late at night, after another breakout, and you land on pages written by brands that sell the answer, influencers chasing the next viral “hack,” or content farms rewriting each other.

Those sources tend to leave out the same things: the studies that didn’t pan out, the side effects, the difference between acne and the conditions that look like it, and the honest admission that some questions aren’t settled. I wanted a place that put those things back — plainly, with the evidence sitting right next to the claim.

How I actually work

I start from primary and authoritative sources: clinical guidelines from bodies like the American Academy of Dermatology, systematic reviews from the Cochrane Library, FDA drug labeling and over-the-counter monographs, NIH resources, and the trials themselves on PubMed. Then I link them, claim by claim.

Where the evidence is strong, I say so. Where it’s weak — small studies, no control group, short follow-up, company-funded results — I say that too, and explain how it’s weak. “We don’t really know yet” is a legitimate answer, and you’ll see it here.

The rules I write to are in the Editorial Policy, and the organizations I lean on are listed on Sources & Medical Review.

Who I’m writing for

Why I write under a pen name

Kelsey Hart is a pen name, and I’d rather tell you that plainly than have you work it out. Acne is personal, and I’d prefer my real name not be attached to years of writing about my skin.

What I won’t do is use the pen name to imply something I’m not. There’s no invented medical degree behind it, no fake clinic, and no stock-photo “team of experts.” It’s one curious person reading studies — and the sources are linked so you can check the work rather than take my word for it. The illustration is exactly that: an illustration, not a photo.

Medical review

No article on this site has been reviewed by a clinician, and none claims to have been.

I will never put a generic “medically reviewed by our expert team” line on something no clinician has read. If a dermatologist or other licensed professional ever reviews an article, they’ll be named, with their credentials and exactly what they checked. Until then, weigh what you read accordingly — and use the sources I link.

How this site is funded

Affiliate commissions and, potentially, advertising. No company pays for coverage, sees an article before it’s published, or influences what I conclude. If the best evidence says a popular product category doesn’t work, that’s what I’ll publish — even if I could earn more by saying otherwise.

What I won’t do

• Sell you a “miracle” product or a house-brand anything.
• Invent a medical reviewer, a credential, or a team of experts.
• Use shame, fear, or before-and-after photos to sell anything.
• Publish testimonials I can’t verify.
• Pretend a question is settled when it isn’t.
• Tell you which prescription to take — that’s between you and a clinician.

Found a mistake?

Corrections, questions, or a study I’ve missed: get in touch. If something here is wrong, I’ll fix it and say what changed.

Medical disclaimer: Content on TipsForAcne.com is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a board-certified dermatologist or other qualified health provider with any questions about a medical condition.