About Banish - Skincare Built From My Acne Experience

You know that insecurity you’ve always had? Well mine has always been my skin.

Since the 3rd grade, when I developed my first pimple, I’ve had terrible acne. I didn’t know why.

I tried product, after product. Salicylic Acid. Benzoyl Peroxide. Sulfur. Tea Tree Oil. Differin. Bunch of oral antibiotics that ended with ‘myacin”.

Anything that had to do with acne, I tried it.

Dermatologists became my best friend. I had numerous appointments with them, but my acne was stubborn and persistent.

My classmates would say to me “How about for prom you put a paper bag over your face? And cut holes only for your eyes and mouth?”

My confidence plummeted. I had little social life so I immersed myself in school. My dream career was to be a dermatologist; so I could help others find a solution for something I had longed to find myself.

In college, I developed cystic-like acne that created very deep pustules that were very painful to touch.

These cystic pimples would leave a scar when their tenure was over. And those scars stayed along the sides of my face and jaw that I couldn’t hide.

I was feeling down and I found a YouTube video of someone who also shared her experience with acne.

That inspired me, so one day, I turned on my webcam and decided to start fulfilling my dream of helping others deal with the aftermath of acne, which is the video above.

After college, I finally saved four thousand dollars to get my skin lasered for scars.

Just before getting the procedure done, I met a plastic surgeon who told me about using a cosmetic tool in conjunction with a Vitamin C serum.

He recommended this routine over the laser procedure for me.

He informed me that the system is non-invasive and natural, and creates far better results than anything he has seen before so I thought I had nothing to lose and tried it out.

I didn't think much about it, but a few months later, my viewers on YouTube were complimenting me on the difference in my skin.

So, I asked if they wanted me to send them what I am using and within a few days everything was sold out! As the saying goes, “The rest is history.”

I’ve learned to eat right, cut out majority of meat and dairy products, get enough sleep, and exercise every day.

Along my journey, I realized having great skin is about 70% genetic, 20% internal factors, and then, 10% skincare.

When our skin is ‘breaking out’, it’s sending a signal to your body that something is off.

We’re not supposed to have acne, but because of the modern lifestyle like the crap we eat, the chemicals we slab ourselves with; our body has trouble and our skin yells for help.

We don’t listen to it and we aggravate it more by consuming and using the harmful stuff.

Microneedling with the Banish Kit has made the biggest difference in my acne scars and my skin. Here are the different stages of the Banisher from the initial development and planning I did in 2012 below. I continue to research and gather feedback from our customers, plus my own experience with microneedling to make the Banisher 3.0 the safest home microneedling tool.

Over the years, I’ve had the honor of sharing my story on platforms like TEDx, entrepreneurship events, and hosting community events across the U.S., all to inspire others to feel confident in their own skin.

When I first created Banish, I just wanted to help people like me who struggled with their, skin, acne and self-esteem.

Today, as the founder and CEO of Banish, I’m passionate about using my voice to remind others that clear skin isn’t the final goal, but confidence is.

Whether I’m speaking about microneedling, acne, or skin positivity, my mission remains the same: to help people embrace their skin and rewrite the story of beauty standards.