Kara, a production coordinator, said: " I had just come off the contraceptive pill and was going through a bit of a stressful time with starting a new job, when I noticed I was getting spots on my back, I really didn’t know what to do.
"I left it in hope that it’d go away and after a while those spots then appeared on my face all over my forehead and cheeks.
"It took me around a year to come out of denial and realise that I had acne and that's when I actually started to research different skin products. "It really affected my confidence at first and I would always wear makeup to cover up my face.
"I’d never wear anything that could show my back off as well because to me my acne was ugly and disgusting. "I didn’t know anyone personally who suffered with it either, so I felt so isolated."
Kara found a lot of comfort by reaching online where she found support groups with lots of people going through the same thing as her.
By joining the groups and sharing her experiences on social media, Kara realised acne was quite a common thing and she wasn't alone in her journey at all.
Kara began to research online acne cures when she came across an Australian brand called 'Zilch'. She said: "I was just scrolling through the internet when I came across Zilch.
"I knew then and there that this was something I needed to try because I believe that acne starts from within with your gut health and inflammation of the body, however I’d spent so much money on 'acne cures' that I was sceptical whether it would work for me.
"I found someone on Instagram who had just bought a bottle and was sharing her journey so I decided to see how her results were before buying it. "When I saw that her acne had cleared up in just two months, I knew it was something I wanted to try myself."
Once purchasing the product for £78 [$139 AUD], Kara found her skin drastically improved in just three weeks and that she wasn't developing any new spots either.
She added: "Taking the tablets cleared my skin from the inside out which I'd never have thought to have done prior to using Zilch.
"I was on the recommend dosage of eight tablets a day and by week three my acne had cleared up.
"I continued to take eight tablets until the bottle was empty and then ordered a new one straight after to continue using on the recommended maintenance dose of four tablets per day instead.
"In between my first and second bottle I had a few weeks break from taking Zilch and my skin stayed clear and just continued to get even better - I would honestly say I am acne cured right now after a long four years of trying to fix my skin."
Kara's skin has been clear for three months since started to take the tablets despite suffering a stint of ill health and a trip to Vietnam where her usual skin routine wasn't as easy to maintain.
She said: "I haven’t even had a tiny breakout let alone my usual cystic acne!
"I couldn’t be more grateful for my skin right now - it’s given me so much confidence that I didn’t even know I was missing and just being able to wash my face and feel smooth skin makes me so happy."
To get more tips of Kara's skincare regime, follow her on Instagram: @karaoliviabeauty
