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When it comes to acne, breakouts can make anyone feel insecure. For Enrico Frezza, founder of skin-care brand Peace Out Skincare, struggling with acne and hyperpigmentation made him feel a constant roller coaster of emotions. After hours spent in skin-care aisles looking for products that work, Frezza became frustrated with the lack of effective offerings and transparency in ingredients. The now 31-year-old decided the best way to tackle his acne was to create his own line.
“When I was a teenager around 14, my acne started getting out of control,” he tells Glamour. “It was a lot of cystic acne and it came out of nowhere. I started taking everything over the counter, tried to treat it, and that didn’t work. Eventually I started taking antibiotics and saw dermatologists, and that didn’t work. I was a really extroverted kid, and as soon as I got acne, it made me an introvert. Nobody in my family or my group of friends had those kinds of breakouts. I felt really insecure.”
According to WebMD, over 85% of teenagers and over 40% of men over 25 experience acne. For a teenager, it’s pretty normal to want to hide under a rock when struggling with breakouts, but for an adult, dealing with the skin condition can be embarrassing. Frezzo turned to Accutane, which worked temporarily for the cystic acne he was struggling with, but eventually he found himself fighting breakouts again. Turns out, Frezza is not alone. Studies show that almost 70% of Americans struggle to find a suitable and effective skin-care routine.
It was when Frezza had three pimples appear the night before a friend’s graduation party that he found himself in the drugstore once more. Frustrated with having tried every single acne product, he ended up in the wound-care aisle, where he discovered the ingredient that would lead to Peace Out’s first product.
“I stumbled upon a drug called hypochlorous acid and salicylic acid, which absorbs fluids and protects against external irritants,” he says. “I mean, I put egg whites on my face and antiperspirant and deodorant hoping they would stop my oil glands, so why not try this? I put the patch on, and I woke up, and my pimples were flat. I found something that can absorb the pimples overnight—the bump was the biggest concern, especially when I tried to cover it with makeup. How can we make this into an acne treatment? That’s when I thought about infusing it into a patch.”
Hypochlorous acid contains antimicrobial properties that help to fight the bacteria that cause clogged pores and breakouts, while salicylic acid works to deep-clean excess oil out of pores and reduce oil production. Salicylic acid is also the only beta hydroxy acid (BHA) used in skin care. Taking this newfound knowledge, Frezza went to the lab and created Peace Out Pimple Patches, a staple in the skin-care line now sold at retailers worldwide.
Creating a skin-care line wasn’t just about creating products with ingredients that actually worked. It was about creating a community, a safe space, and an honest conversation about acne. “What I felt was really lacking in the community was an active, positive brand showing actual real skin and imperfections,” Frezza explains. “We wanted to build a strong acne community because when I was a teenager there was only MySpace. There were no other places where you could see other people talk openly about the mental health struggles that acne can cause. All of the treatments that we developed as a brand are to target skin concerns that I did not find in the marketplace.”
Peace Out Skincare now has over 100,000 followers on Instagram, where the brand advocates for skin inclusivity by sharing real pictures of people who struggle with acne. For Frezza, progress is the most important part. “Even now, I still get breakouts, and I don’t let them take over my self-esteem as much as I used to in my early 20s,” he says. “But having something that I know can suck my pimples overnight definitely makes me feel a lot better about my battle with acne and breakouts.”
Ahead, Frezzo shares the products keeping his skin happy for Glamour’s Acne Diaries.
My exfoliator
I like this exfoliator because it provides a deep clean without stripping skin. I love to use it in the morning and use the Peace Out Blemish Balm at night. This exfoliator is great for sensitive skin. The foam allows for cleansing and exfoliation while remaining gentle, leaving your skin looking polished and beautiful.
My serum
I love our serum because it has many benefits in one product, from treating current acne, preventing new acne, controlling oil production, helping with post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, all with no dryness or irritation. I lean more towards the antioxidants during the day to keep my oil under control.
My sunscreen
This is a great mineral SPF with very minimal white cast and is nontinted.
My retinol
Nighttime is more about products with repairing power. Our retinol stick is a super-quick and effective way to treat your undereye fine lines and wrinkles with retinol but without any irritation or dryness.
My pimple patch
It’s the most effective acne spot treatment on the market. Your pimple will be gone in six hours.
