Skincare from the inside out
I struggled with acne for the longest time. Adult acne is SO frustrating because you keep hoping you'll just "outgrow it. I'd get hormonal acne (along the jaw area), cystic acne, and those little acne bumps (milia) on my forehead.
I couldn't go anywhere without makeup and concealer. I felt too embarrassed to go swimming in front of other people. I was constantly checking my makeup under the desk with a little mirror to make sure every spot was covered, incessantly blotting my skin or brushing on powder. I once dreamed of becoming a broadcast journalist but I actually decided to focus my studies on print and multimedia journalism partly because I knew I didn't have the skin to be on TV.
Honestly, it hurt. It hurt my self-esteem. It hurt to look in the mirror at the end of the day.
I'd pick at it too. I'd try to purge my skin, get it off of me and out of me. I would stick needles in, scratch it, squeeze it ... I was left with scabs. But everytime I'd destroy my face in a tirade against my complexion, a new zit would rear it's ugly face next to the old one or in its place.
I'd layer product upon product. I tried masks, peels, oils, you name it.
It's uncomfortable to even talk about it now, because I felt so ashamed, frustrated, and honestly just plain sad. It hurt my heart.
At age 25, I was finally able to clear my skin. All the skin care products in the world couldn't do it - I needed to address my skin from the inside out. What you need to do to take care of your skin may be totally different than what I did, but here's what worked for me, along with some time and patience.
Diet
For a while, I was gluten and dairy free, to allow my skin to detox. I was constantly thinking about how to detox my body. Your skin is a reflection of what's going on inside your body. So I ate detoxing foods, drank detoxing drinks, and avoiding inflammatory foods (gluten and dairy). I researched foods and nutrients that promoted healthy skin. I made smoothies with dark leafy greens and a variety of fruits and veggies. I ate probiotic foods and drinks to nourish my gut. After some research, I believed I was low in the B vitamins based on my symptoms, so I took a B vitamin supplement. Did you know stress depletes those B vitamins, even if you eat enough in your diet?!
Stress
Speaking of stress, I knew I had to also decrease stress. So I arranged my work schedule to work better hours for me and partly from home. Driving in Los Angeles everyday is seriously stressful in and of itself! I had to talk to my employer and vouch for myself, and why I was deserving and trustworthy. But I also knew plenty of people with stress who didn't have acne all over their face.
Hormones
It seemed my acne would flare up the most with my monthly cycle, and since my cycle was erratic, I knew my hormones were out of whack. I did some research and believed myself to be low in progesterone. So I began using a daily progesterone cream to increase my levels and my cycle became regular. I also took a blood test and found out my thyroid hormones were not optimal and had some autoimmune activity going on (hashimoto's) so I took a thyroid supplement (Thyrosol) with vitamins and minerals geared toward a healthy thyroid.
Skincare
But I still had to be cautious with what i put on my skin in order to clear it up. I learned to read the labels on my products and stopped using anything with skin-stripping sulphates, hormone-disrupting parabens (a type of preservative), or phthalates. I only used natural, botanical products and kept it simple. I didn't need strong anti-acne products. Because the treatment wasn't coming from the face wash - I was treating my skin from within. I just needed skincare that would keep my skin healthy, balanced and clear, while helping it heal. Free of anything to provoke it. I also went makeup free as often as possible
Why I'm oversharing
I share all this detail for a few reasons! One, so that if you're struggling with adult acne, maybe you can pick up a few ideas of what could potentially be causing it. But two, so you can see that what goes on inside your body is more important to your skin health than the outside.
What I'm about to do now!!!
Now, I'm about to try something brand-new for my skin! It's a collagen drink! It has 5 types of collagen, along with vitamin and minerals for beauty, and even skin-plumping hyaluronic acid. It's so exciting because my friend has been using it for several weeks and her skin is literally GLOWING. I'll keep you posted!
But for now, leave a comment so I know you read this and what you think! :) xx
Comments
Post a Comment