The CPC Ritual®: My 3-Step Holistic System for Cleaner, Shorter, and Calmer HS Flares
The Unexpected Rhythm of HS
Living with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) means dealing with skin that doesn’t always follow the rules. It can flare without warning, drain for days, weeks or months, refuse to close, and interrupt your entire life. I know this to be true because I’ve lived with HS for over 20 years now. I was uninsured, undiagnosed, homeless for some of it and left to figure things out through trial, error, tears and herbal remedies.
In those early, un-diagnosed years, I was desperate. Long before I was diagnosed, I was already trying to figure out how to deal with these painful bumps that would swell, burn, rupture, and refuse to heal. I didn’t know what Hidradenitis Suppurativa was, I just knew it was taking over my life. And I knew I had to hide it from my family & friends as they decided if it smelled that bad then it was an STD.
In my desperate search for relief, I used to try lancing them myself at home. Sometimes it helped… but many times it didn’t. Sometimes the flare wasn’t ready. Sometimes nothing came out. Sometimes the flare got angrier. That's when the seed of the CPC Ritual was planted: these flares move in stages and forcing them only backfires.
When I finally got diagnosed, it wasn’t just a label, it was a moment of clarity. Like someone handing me a flashlight in a dark cave I’d been stumbling through for years. Suddenly, the stages I’d noticed had names. The patterns had explanations. The pain made sense.
A Note on Home Lancing (Please Read)
Let me say this loudly and with love, not judgment: Please do not lance your flares at home. I know the desperation for relief, but this can lead to serious infection, new tunneling, and deeper, harder-to-heal wounds. There are safer, gentler ways to support your body through each stage.
Through that difficult and messy journey, something clicked: Every stage of an HS flare demands a different kind of care. The CPC Ritual® is not a cure, but a structured, intuitive way to support your skin through its entire flare cycle. It’s designed to reduce inflammation, shorten flare time, and give you a predictable rhythm of healing you can finally rely on. Let’s break it down.
🔑 The CPC Ritual: Cleanse, Promote, Comfort
🌿 STEP 1 — Cleanse (Vana)
“Start with Clarity & Balance”
The ritual always begins here. HS-prone skin requires more than just harsh soap; it needs something that removes sweat, bacteria, and debris without disturbing the barrier. The cleansing stage prepares your skin for whatever comes next.
This essential first step helps to:
- Remove buildup around flares, open or closed
- Reduce surface irritation and redness
- Prepare the area for subsequent steps
- Support the skin's natural microbiome
Even if you’re unsure what phase your flare is in, you always start with the Cleanse stage.
🌿 STEP 1A — Promote (Nirvana)
“Encourage what the skin is already trying to do”
Most HS flares go through a period of pressure, swelling and heat before they open. The Promote step helps support that natural process. This is the active phase where you provide support to bring a flare to a manageable head. When a flare is swollen, tender, hot, the goal shifts to drawing out impurities.
This phase is specifically for when a flare:
- Feels angry and tender with trapped pressure
- Is hot, swollen, or deeply felt
- Is draining very slowly and needs assistance
- Needs help “drawing out” the infection
This stage uses oils and botanicals known to:
- Encourage natural drainage
- Draw out impurities
- Reduce swelling
- Increase circulation
- Calm inflammation
Think of this step as the deep exhale your skin has been waiting for.
🌿 STEP 1B — Comfort (Shivana)
“Support Regeneration & Protection”
Once the flare is done draining or the drainage has slowed down dramatically, you shift your focus entirely. The goal is no longer to calm inflammation or draw out impurities; it’s closing, soothing, and protecting the vulnerable new skin beneath.
This stage is all about:
- Soothing persistent tenderness
- Supporting wound closure and healing
- Encouraging skin regeneration and minimizing scar tissue
- Keeping the area soft, protected, and hydrated
This stage is designed to:
- Create a protective barrier
- Lock in moisture for elasticity and healing
- Support the skin’s return to its natural state
Comfort is about helping the skin return to itself. Not rushed. Just supported.
🎯 WHY THE CPC RITUAL® WORKS
HS isn’t one-size-fits-all, and neither is the CPC Ritual®. It works because it meets your skin where it is. It addresses the complex, cyclical nature of this condition. Most people with HS try using the same product for every phase and that's where things can go wrong. A drawing oil isn't helpful when the flare is already drained. And a regenerative balm isn't helpful when the flare is filled with pressure. This ritual teaches you to listen to your skin's unique needs in the HS flare cycle. Once you learn the stages and pair them with the right tool (Cleanse, The Promoter, or The Comforter) your flare cycles become:
- Less Confusing: You have a plan of action.
- Less Painful: You are meeting the flare's needs.
- Shorter & More Predictable: You accelerate the natural healing process.
This is care born from lived experience, herbal wisdom, and the conviction that HS warriors deserve real tools that actually make sense.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The CPC Ritual® is more than just skincare it’s a rhythm of empowerment. It’s a way to honor the constantly changing needs of your HS-prone skin and reclaim a little control in a condition that often feels uncontrollable.
You deserve relief. You deserve information. You deserve a ritual that supports your healing.
Ready to start listening to your skin? Explore The CPC Ritual® today.
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Happy Healing 💜💜💜