About Kiersten
Software engineer.
Skincare obsessive.
I dealt with acne for 20 years before I stopped chasing cures and started treating my skin like a debugging problem. It worked — and now I share what I’ve learned, ingredient by ingredient.
Twenty years of not knowing what was wrong
I tried everything — skincare, prescription meds, laser treatments, every product that showed up in an ad promising clear skin within weeks. Nothing made a meaningful difference. Eventually I gave up. I figured I’d have acne forever and learned to mostly ignore it.
What actually changed things wasn’t a product. It was realizing I could apply the same problem-solving approach I use at work to something as personal as my skin. As a software engineer, I’m used to debugging: you isolate variables, track patterns, test one change at a time, and pay attention to what the results actually tell you.
So I started logging my breakouts alongside my diet, sleep, stress levels, and whatever products I was using. Slowly, patterns emerged. I made changes based on what the data actually showed — not what the packaging promised — and for the first time things started improving.
I still break out sometimes. The difference now is that the breakouts are smaller, shorter, and I know exactly what to do about them. More importantly, I understand why they happen. That alone changed my relationship with my skin.
The approach
Skincare with an engineer’s mindset
Step 01
Understand the ingredient, not just the product
Marketing tells you a product is “brightening.” The ingredient label tells you why — or whether it actually can be. I break down what’s in your products and what the research says about it.
Step 02
Isolate variables and track what changes
Changing three things at once and your skin flares? You have no idea what caused it. The same discipline that makes software debugging work makes skincare debugging work.
Step 03
Measure progress, not perfection
Chasing “perfect” skin is a bad goal. What actually matters is whether things are trending in the right direction over weeks and months. I still get breakouts — just fewer, smaller, shorter ones.
“I stopped looking for miraculous cures and started seeing my skin as a puzzle to be solved. Methodically. With actual data.”— Kiersten, Clearly Glowing
What Clearly Glowing is actually for
Read the blogThe goal is to cut through the noise. There is a lot of it — sponsored posts, vague claims, ingredient names designed to sound more scientific than they are. I’ve spent years learning to read through all of that, and Clearly Glowing is where I put what I find.
My background in engineering means I default to research over anecdote, specifics over generalizations. When I recommend something, I try to be clear about the evidence behind the ingredients. Affiliate partnerships are disclosed, and I only link to products I’d actually use.
This site isn’t comprehensive, and it’s not meant to replace a dermatologist. If you have an active skin condition, please see one. What I can offer is what I’ve figured out through years of personal trial and error: a clearer way to read labels, ask better questions, and build a routine that’s actually matched to your skin.
Not medical advice. I’m a software engineer, not a dermatologist. Everything on this site reflects my personal experience and research. For active skin conditions or concerns, please consult a licensed dermatologist or healthcare provider.