Let’s talk acne…
As crazy as this may sound, I am truly thankful for my experience with acne and what I learned throughout my journey. My story was something I used to be emberassed by but is now something I lean into and love to share!
My battle with acne started when I was 14 in the 7th grade. It was like one day my skin was perfect and then the next day I woke up with painful pimples all over the left side of my face. I missed school that day and was taken to a family dermatologist who had an aesthetician there in office. I was sent home with an array of diffrent acne products that didn’t take their time on completely compromising my skin. After trial & error of different products and treatments, I was then put on a low dose of Accutane to finalize my struggle. With high hopes that this was my answer to curing my acne once and for all, unfortunantely it did not work for me once I went off Accutane and the birth control pills that were required during treatment. My doctor suggested I start back on the birth control and see if it helps. Well, it certaintly helped and this led me to 10 years of being on hormonal contraceptives to keep my acne clear.
Finally at the age of 25, I decided to go off the pill after starting to work in the aesthetic field. I was new to an office and the ZO skincare rep handed me some products to take home and try. I was super hesitant because of my earleir experiences with the medical grade acne lines I had tried before that ripped my skin apart. She gave me some basics, nothing for acne just products that focused on strengthening my skin barrier and exfolation. This is really where my skin started to change and my passion for educating others started. I realized that when I started focusing on my skins overall health vs. fixating on its flaws is when my skin changed for the better.
Ironically, most people who have acne also have compromised skin. It’s usually red, inflamed, dry in certain areas, oily in other areas. This is mainly because we are treating the symptom first before treating the actual disease. How is our skin supposed to handle harsh acne products that help reduce acne when our skin barrier is so compromised and has been weakened before it could be built up. Most of the time we are just making matters worse. I always suggest people step away from the acne products and get on good antioxidants and skin building products. Focus on chemical exfoliation rather than mechanical exfoliation. Allow their skin to heal and strengthen and then they can start to slowly implement acne killing products back into their routine. Not only will you have an overall healthier glow and appearance but the acne products shouldn’t burn the crap out of your skin and cause irritation because your skin is strong and can handle them! Sensitized skin is sick skin, if you are one of those people where products burn every time you put them on, your skin is not just “sensitive” it’s compromised. You have created sensitivity!
Lastly, I feel it’s important to address that in most cases what is going on inside will show on the outside. I am deeply passionate about addressing root causes rather than band-aiding a symptom with medications (like I did for years). In most cases, acne and other skin diseases are a result of something internally going on whether it be hormones, allergies, autoimmune disorder, or an unhealthy gut environment! I highly encourage anyone struggling with stubborn acne to go get blood work done and allergy tests done to figure out any underlying causes.
Common Mistakes:
You aren’t treating the root issue (hormonal, allergy, oily skin, dry skin, gut health, autoimmune disorders).
You are drying out your skin, causing your sebaceous glands to work overtime to make up for the lack of moisture in your skin, leading to more acne.
Your skin’s pH is not balanced (why a good toner is so important).
You are switching your products too often. You need to be consistent for a minimum of 3 months to start seeing the results of a product.
Your skin barrier is compromised. Delete all drying acne products, retinols, enzymes, and active ingredients from your routine and get on a skin barrier cream and/or antioxidant. Your skin won’t be able to handle the good hardcore ingredients properly with a weakened skin barrier.
Focus on your skin’s overall health vs. its flaws. Think of it as a disease. Are you going to treat the symptoms or the disease? Acne is usually the symptom of unhealthy skin or an unhealthy/sick internal environment. We need to treat the disease if we want long-term solutions.
The common myth that sun tanning will help your acne go away. Truth is, the sun will just cause your skin to dry out, maybe temporarily helping your acne and making red marks less visible with a sunburn or tan. Unfortunantely, long term dryness can make acne worse, the UV will cause acne scars to become hyperpigmented and overall damages your skin to fast forward the aging process.
Tips:
Double-cleanse your skin (refer to the previous blog) to make sure you are thoroughly cleansing the skin without drying it out.
If you are a picker, use pimple patches!!!!
Don’t use mechanical exfoliants if you have inflamed acne (you can spread it) or avoid the area.
Wash your pillowcases twice weekly and makeup brushes weekly.
Regularly exercise and sweat to balance hormones.
Cut out dairy & eggs and see if your acne improves. Eggs are a very common but unrecognized food that can cause acne for some.
If you are at a loss of hope, go get blood work. I HIGHLY recommend anyone with frustrating acne to get their blood work done.
Stop listening to TikTok trends and don’t let good marketing suck you into buying and using a product before seeking educated advice.