Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark From Severe Acne To Glass Skin: Why Your Sunscreen & Skincare Are Making It Worse | Bethany McDaniel
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May 8, 2026 
Bethany McDaniel, founder of Primally Pure and skincare formulator who healed her own adult acne, talks about what's really driving chronic acne in women. She covers farm-sourced tallow and how to use it, why many non-toxic products still fail, and the roles of hormones, birth control, fasting, circadian rhythm, and sunscreen choices.
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Dermatology Route Made Her Skin Worse
- Bethany tried dermatologist-prescribed antibiotics and harsh topicals through adolescence, which disrupted her gut and sensitized her skin.
- Birth control cleared acne temporarily but caused melasma and acne relapse after stopping, prompting her to seek root-cause approaches.
Start Skincare By Removing Harmful Products
- Purge chemical skincare and experiment with kitchen/farm-sourced ingredients, starting slowly and reinvesting gains into learning and product development.
- Bethany replaced products with jojoba oil then built Primally Pure after seeing diet-driven skin changes.
How Beef Tallow Works Properly
- Beef tallow can be comedogenic if used alone, but becomes effective when blended with lower-comedogenic carrier oils and active botanicals.
- Pair oil-based tallow creams with water-based mists to drive absorption and deeper hydration (skin drenching).