I know how that sounds. Before you say "genetics" — let me stop you. It's not.

For two years, since I started using my own cleanser, I haven't gotten a single one.

So when a little (not so little) guy showed up under my lip a few weeks ago, I had to do a full CSI investigation. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Why doesn't she get pimples?

Two years ago, I made a face wash.

Rewind further: I realised most of my dark spots weren't random. They came from acne — the pimples I'd pick at, or leave alone and watch scar anyway.

So the easiest way to reduce the dark spots wasn't a brightening serum. It was never getting the pimple in the first place.

So I went to Korea. I made a face wash built to deal with acne on Black skin specifically — not adapted from something else, built for it. We researched. We formulated. We went through several versions. We tested on skin of colour. We landed on a product that women on four continents now swear by.

No pimples. It's that simple. For me — no pimples, means no acne, no dark spots. Can you imagine that feeling, waking every morning and no surprises? No random pimple on your cheek or chin that can’t be covered?

Fast forward two years

Two years of pimple-free life.

No pimples.

No dark spots.

Clear skin. Genuinely — I forgot what it felt like to worry about my face. I was telling wmoen of color, how to care for their skin and I was on easy street. Clear, blemish free skin. The perfect ad for our skincare.

So when I woke up one morning to an angry red bump under my lip, I was shocked. Not "ordered a black coffee, got a latte" shocked. "Can I leave the house carrying this thing" shocked.

So I did what anyone building a skincare brand would do. I investigated face like a crime scene.

Did I use the face wash? Yes. Obviously. We take it everywhere.

Okay, so it's not that. What are my skin triggers?

Was I stressed? Yes. Very.

Was I eating badly? Also yes — but that's not entirely my fault. I was travelling a lot.  Airport food doesn't ask permission. I had family around, we were eating out …a lot!

Was I sleeping on a clean pillow? I had been in three countries in one week. There was one night I fell asleep on a friend's sofa. That counts against me.

Was I hydrated? Depends whether seven cups of coffee a day for three days at a conference counts as hydration. (It doesn't.)

Was I taking care of myself in general? Honestly, no.

I had back-to-back investor meetings. Family visiting. The toilet had developed a leak. My neighbour had chosen that exact week to start renovations. I was averaging 4 hours of sleep. I had eaten a tonne of nuts (which I am intolerant to).

And — I'm not exaggerating — I had an ant problem. Antmageddon. ( a story for another day)

So was that enough to knock the face wash off its game? Maybe. Probably.

But here's the thing I actually noticed: after the single most chaotic, sleep-deprived, over-caffeinated, under-hydrated stretch of my entire year — I got one pimple.

One.

If that's the worst my skin does under those conditions, the face wash is doing its job.