My Skin And I
I suffered from acne from 14 years old until I was 32!
It was an 18 year battle with my skin.
Having always been fit, having an extremely healthy diet and being a fully qualified beauty therapist, you would think all these factors would have contributed towards healthy skin, but sadly not.
In the past, I’ve taken and applied every possible shop product and prescribed medication for ance; spot creams and potions, the contraceptive pill, topical antibiotics, systemic antibiotics, benzoyl peroxide, Retin-A and everything else in the doctor’s repertoire.
As a last resort, I was prescribed Roaccutane, which is the strongest acne medication.
I’ve taken Roaccutane a total of 3 times, over a 7 year period.
After the third course, my dermatologist told me he wouldn’t prescribe it to me again as it was not a long term solution to my problem. I can honestly say hearing him say that lead me to mild depression. How could I go on living with my acne skin as an adult after all these years? Especially when there was a known solution. Roaccutane did have a habit of battering the liver though so thought it best to cancel the order I made through a dodgy online pharmacy.
To cut a long story short, I decided to try some natural alternatives, as I had no other options. Plus, I was in the beginning stages of becoming a minimalist, so it made sense to tie the two together.
At this stage, I could go into what causes acne, how my skin affected my life and the upset it caused me. And if you are suffering from a similar situation, I want you to know, I understand what you are going through. However, in this thought, I want to focus on positive solutions.
I now enjoy clear, healthy, radiant skin.
Here are 7 effective natural methods for clear, healthy, radiant skin.
- Soap
Having owned a beauty salon for 9 years, my skincare collection was astronomical! Cleansers, exfoliators, skin peels, moisturisers, masks, toners, serums, eye creams, you name it, I had it.
As well as a bursting bathroom cabinet, I also had extensive knowledge in how the skin worked.
In an attempt to become a minimalist, I decided to let go of my £2,000 (I know!) collection of skincare.
I have replaced my extensive skincare regime with plain and simple, natural soap.
I wash my face twice a day, morning and evening.
On a rare occasion, I wear make-up, I will wash my face twice to be sure it’s all removed.
I prefer to use a natural, biodegradable soap such as Faith In Nature Tea Tree Soap or Shealife African Black Soap.
Given my skin is oily, I rarely use a moisturiser and no longer exfoliate, there is no need due to Method 2.
2. Aspirin, Lemon Juice & Tea Tree
Aspirin is a form of salicylic acid, which removes dead skin cells from the skin, acting as an exfoliator.
It has anti-inflammatory properties, therefore reducing the redness and swelling associated with acne.
With this in mind and knowing the pore-clearing benefits of lemon juice (from alpha-hydroxy acids) and the antibacterial benefits of tea tree, I set to work, making my own skincare product and got GREAT results!
Ingredients:
- 1 soluble aspirin tablet
- Juice of half a lemon – fresh lemon is better than bottled lemon juice, as the bottled stuff has preservatives in
- 2-3 drops of organic tea tree oil.
Method:
- Mix the ingredients in a small pot, wait for the aspirin to dissolve and apply to clean skin with a cotton wool pad, avoiding the eye and lip area.
Other websites suggest washing the product off after 5-30 minutes, however, I leave the solution on and have had incredible results!
I mix and store my solution in a small plastic pot, so I can pack it in my toiletry bag for trips away.
(Bear in mind, I am not a qualified doctor or dermatologist and write this only from personal experience)
3. No make-up
Having owned a beauty salon, meant I wore makeup every day in order to look professional and promote the brand of makeup we stocked.
The make-up was excellent quality and 100% natural and claimed not to block the pores. When I closed the salon, I stopped wearing make-up, and since then my skin has been clear! I now only wear makeup on a night out and make sure to remove it before bed (with Method 1).
As the skin is the largest organ of the body, leaving it free from products helps it function better.
Having acne may mean that not wearing makeup can be a struggle because it covers redness and inflammation, however, I’m convinced that not wearing it encourages healthy, clear skin.
4. Vitamin A Supplement
I’ve taken Roaccutane 3 times and used Retin A twice to treat acne. Both
I’ve been taking
I take 2 tablets each morning on an empty stomach. I’d love to tell you the science behind it but I don’t know how it works…..
As mentioned above, I am not a nutritionist. Please read the following for further information on Vitamin A – click here)
5. Eating Clean
Throughout my studies at college as a beauty therapist and during my career, I read many articles about the link between food and the skin. There are many opinions on this subject. Some say it doesn’t have an effect on the skin and others say it does.
As the skin is the largest organ of the body, it makes sense that by putting clean, healthy foods full of vitamins and minerals, allows it to work optimally.
Just like if we eat or drink bad/unhealthy/toxic stubstances, it can damage the liver, kidneys and other organs, the skin acts the same.
Despite always eating healthy food, I made a greater effort to eliminate processed foods and sugars and to eat fresh, raw fruit and vegetables to improve my skin.
Citrus fruits I find most effective at keeping my skin clear; grapefruit, pink grapefruit, lemons and limes are my favourite as they are detoxifying. Lemon water rocks!
6. Do not touch the skin
Throughout the day, the condition of my skin would affect my actions; I would check the mirror to see if my breakouts were visible. There would not be more than a few minutes where I did not think about the condition of my skin. I would touch the inflamed areas frequently to see if they had gone away or got worse.
Touching the skin with my hands meant spreading bacteria over the already inflamed areas, potentially making them worse.
I do without even realising it, whilst driving, chatting to people, relaxing at home, all the time giving it my attention.
“What you resist, persists”
– Carl Jung
I can now see that by giving the breakouts attention, it caused my body to create more.
When I’m driving, I sometimes feel my hand moving towards my face and I have now
7. Hypnotherapy & Affirmations
When visiting my hypnotherapist, we discussed the issues I had with my skin. With two 1 hour sessions, I believe we re-programmed my brain and it contributed to my clear, healthy skin.
I often thought and referred to my skin as “bad, spotty, bumpy, red, etc….” I told people and myself “I suffer from acne.”
I now say the following affirmation:
I have clear, healthy, radiant skin!
I have clear, healthy, radiant skin!
I have clear, healthy, radiant skin!
Say it over and over again. Act and believe you have clear, radiant, healthy skin.
I say it out loud when I’m driving.
I say it in the shower, sometimes out loud, sometimes in my head.
I say it to my best friend and boyfriend (they know why I am saying it, and they agree with me, reinforcing my words).
It can feel stupid, but it works and eventually, it doesn’t feel stupid anymoew, it feels true : )
When I slip back into old habits, giving my skin negative attention, I correct my behaviour and say my affirmation.
“Thoughts become things,”
and
“you become what you think about most.”
Concentrating on good things, makes good things happen.
This is a very powerful process!
I hope you find these methods as effective as I have.
If you try any of these methods, please let me know how you get on. Come and find me on Twitter and drop me a message.