If you’ve known me for some time you KNOW I’ve suffered for some time with my skin. I shared over on my Instagram story the other day about how my skin has transformed from resembling a pepperoni pizza, to practically acne free and HEALTHY without the use of drugs or medication.
I honestly couldn’t believe it when I saw this picture my boyfriend took of me the other day. Granted, I was helped a little bit by the lighting of the setting sun, but regardless… that was MY SKIN!! All I had on was a tiny bit of concealer over a couple of acne scars, and my eyebrows semi filled in. A year ago my skin resembled a completely different landscape… it was more Rock Mountains than fields of Manitoba. There was no amount of foundation or concealer that could help me out. I do still have acne scars and I also still have some unevenness on my cheeks from a patch of cystic acne from hell. But I can’t even begin to tell you how much more confident I am in my bare skin.
It’s actually kind of sad how hard it is for me to find any good before pictures of my acne to share with you – I either didn’t take any because I was so horrified by how I looked, or I edited all the zits out. There is one YouTube video I posted during the clear up phase that I rewatched the other day – I thought my skin was good then… I was happy with it. The girl in that video didn’t even realize that it could get better than that!
I don’t want to come across like I think acne is disgusting and everyone who has it looks gross. This is far from how I feel, and if I’m honest, I rarely pick up on the state of someones skin. We’re our own worst critic, and I nit picked my own appearance (and still do) to the point where my acne was all I could see and I hated it. I think what really irked me about it is that I didn’t seem to have control over it. You will know if you suffer or have suffered with acne how debilitating it is and how much it can completely wreck how you feel about yourself. It’s hard, and although I know you’ve probably heard it all before, you are more than just your acne. My boyfriend always used to tell me that he didn’t even notice it. Now, I still feel as though part of that was him being nice and was doing what he could to make me feel better about myself, but at the end of the day does that really matter? He cares about me more as a person and not the spots all over my face.
I also just want to say before I jump into this, that this post doesn’t JUST apply to my fellow ladies!! FELLAS! Looking after your skin is just as important as it is for women so sit your ego down and come along for the skin care ride.
There is no magic pill or medicated cream, no voodoo magic, and no expensive treatments either.
Pick a skin care routine and STICK TO IT
Stop trying to confuse your skin! The products you’re using might not be working because you haven’t given them enough time too. I’ve been doing the same skin care routine with the same 5 or so products for over a year now.
Pick a gentle cleanser as to not aggravate your skin even further, and another cleanser with charcoal in it – charcoal helps rid your skin of toxins and dirt. Skip the toner, I find it’s far too harsh and drying for acne-prone skin, use a micellar water instead after you’ve cleansed to get the last of the makeup residue off of your skin. You’ll need a good serum (with AHA/BHA in it), this helps get rid of scarring, an acne cream, and a non-oily moisturizer – salicylic acid is your friend.
All the products I currently use are pictured below, I also wrote a blog post last summer re: Skin Care to Reduce Acne that gives a thorough explanation of why each product is used, it also includes some of my fave face masks.
Water
Yea, I know you’ve heard this before but drink your dang water.
Apple Cider Vinegar
I start my day with a tablespoon of ACV (mixed with a big glass of water) at least 5 days of the week. If you’re unaware of the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar, I wrote a blog post about it a little while back “Apple Cider Vinegar: Is It Worth The Hype?” – go check that out! Not only that, but starting my day this way also means I start my day by hydrating myself, too. I’ve been doing this for about 6 months now and started to see a difference in my complexion so quickly.
Seek Chiropractic care
Wut? Isn’t chiropractic for back pain? NOPE! Chiropractic is the manipulation of your spine to allow your nervous system to function as it is supposed too. When nerves are trapped between your vertebrae due to misalignments in your spine, messages are unable to be send out to your organs and systems properly. Essentially, things stop working properly.
When your spine is aligned properly, your nervous system can function properly as well, which means that things like your liver will be functioning well enough to rid your body of toxins, your gut will be in better shape which means your immune system will be on the ball, and your hormones will also be doing what they’re supposed too.
Since I started consistent chiropractic care my skin has transformed.
Never ever ever skip washing your makeup off. Ever.
I could not tell you the last time I went to bed without washing my makeup off. Even when I come home late or come home drunk from a night out I will do my complete cleansing and moisturizing routine before I get into bed 100% of the time.
Serum
Invest in a good serum if you don’t invest in anything else. Serum is highly concentrated with all the good stuff, no fillers – IF you buy a high end one. This is an investment product, but it’s worth it. You really only need the tiniest drop of serum to cover your whole face, so your expensive bottle will last you long enough to make the price worth it.
Try not to pick
Now, I wouldn’t say this makes the acne worse, but it definitely will make your skin less likely to heal quicker in the long run. By this I mean scarring. The more you pick the more scarring you’re likely to have left over on your skin when your acne finally does wave goodbye, and although scarring is easier to cover up, it’s still a pain. Leave your spots alone.
Patience
Change isn’t going to happen overnight. Don’t get disheartened by the fact that things are taking time. Much like when you start a fitness routine, you wouldn’t expect to be lifting 200lbs and have a 6 pack within the first 2 weeks – same idea applies. Good things take time, so be patient and stick to the plan!
If you have any other tried and tested skin care advice, comment down below!
Until next time
xx