I feel like another skincare update is long overdue as it’s been a whole year since the wort breakout of my life. If you aren’t familiar with the ins and outs of what happened then check out this video here but my skin had a massive freak out mainly due to trying too many different products and my diet not being the best.
The worse my skin got the more I ate gluten/chocolate and other things I knew exacerbated my acne but I was in a dark place and truly believed my skin would never get better. Fast forward a year and my skin has had a few ups and downs, a down period came for me over the Summer after I realised the CC cream I had been using for 5 weeks had let me with severely clogged pores – as it didn’t break me out in cystic acne or “proper” spots I hadn’t realised the damage it had been doing until it was almost too late and my skin was a myriad of under the skin bumps that left me feeling incredibly self conscious. I then tried the renowned P50 to try and help with congestion but that was a big mistake as it led to contact dermatitis – something I suffer from when products are too harsh – on a side note, I can clear up my CD within 48 hours, my tricks involve literally going cold turkey on my face – no makeup, no harsh products at all, a gentle cleanse without any abrasive flannel and soothing serum like Skinceuticals Phyto Corrective.
Anyway fast forward to September and I still had some extensive clogging on the left side of my mouth in between under my mouth and chin. Nothing was budging the under the skin bumps, not even nightly usage of BHAs. Eventually I went back to my aesthetician – Sandra at Skin Matters in Bodyism – who basically performed a miracle and through needles and what not got 80% of the clogging out – rejoice! My skin then seemed a million times smoother and clearer after the deep extractions but still I’d notice redness and some blemishes coming up and the changing seasons left me with flaky dry skin , so I decided to cut out my morning cleanse, instead I started using just La Roche Posay Serozinc as a toner and following up with Vichy Mineral 89 serum which has been a total game changer in terms of skin hydration. After a few weeks I noticed that even with continued use of BHA the little bit between my mouth and chin on the left was starting to feel clogged again so one evening as I was rootling around in my skincare “to try” drawer I came across the Tata Harper Clarifying Moisturizer, I’d heard a lot of good things about it and I was drawn to the (all natural) ingredients list full of gently exfoliating and clarifying properties. I first tried the mask and then the moisturiser and no joke I saw a difference in my under skin clogging in under two days. It’s miraculous! I also feel like it’s helping with my scarring and pigmentation as well.
I’m so used to products either breaking me out or giving me contact dermatitis that at first I wondered if I was only impressed with it because it wasn’t doing either of the above, however on closer inspection I can truly see a difference and the texture of my skin improves with every use.
A few other things I do for my skin health; I don’t eat dairy, gluten and avoid refined sugars and alcohol like the plague. Last week someone put a bit of honey in my fresh lemon and ginger with hot water and I couldn’t sip it anymore I was so worried it would break me out! I do indulge in dark chocolate almost daily though, Ombar is my weakness! I take supplements; I had a Vitamin D deficiency so I take a special spray every day as well as Zinc and B12 tablets which I do believe have improved my skin health.
If you are struggling with your skin currently my main takeaways would be:
- Stick to a very simple skincare routine and try cutting out your morning cleanse, but make sure one product is doing something to heal your active acne and repair your skin – like the Tata Harper Clarifying Mosituriser.
2.) Stick to one type of foundation that doesn’t clog you and don’t add unnecessary layers like powder/blush/bronze/primer
3.) Be kind to your body and work out if any part of your diet could be a trigger, this takes time and patience but is so worth it. I gave up coffee last December and noticed a significant drop in cystic spots. I now almost never get them and when I do they go away extremely quickly.
4.) If you can afford the time and expense then having a deep extraction facial every few months to unclog any pores is priceless. The less clogging you have the less likely the clogged pores are going to turn into worse acne. I like to spend an hour and a half at Skin Matters in Westbourne Grove every 6-8 weeks to keep my skin in good condition. I don’t like going whilst I have active breakouts though as trying to extract a sore spot isn’t going to do anything positive! I prefer going when my skin is calm and just has the clogged pores to address.
5.) Breathe deep and try exercising but wash your face immediately after! I try and workout 3 times a week if I have the time and it gives my skin more bounce and glow.
6.) Know that your acne will get better, if you think you might have a hormone imbalance then get your blood checked. Luckily my hormones all seem ok so I know with certainty that my acne is from my stomach sensitivity and sensitivity to skincare products and cosmetics. Once you know the root cause you can heal your skin without the use of harsh products.
I hope that this has been helpful to anyone out there going through a bad skin period, please feel free to leave a comment below with your own skin journey!
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I really appreciate your post about acne… i’m a serial silent viewer/reader of you and your mother since you both started (obviously at the different times you two started ;)! I can understand the struggle because i’m an ex-acne suffer too… 13 years of acne are quite something! Last winter i’ve made the decision to go to the ultimate good Italian dermatologist and she solved my problems with her special approach to isotretinoin (a gentle under dosing approach that has less irritating side effects but still working wonders!). I’ve stopped in the summer and experienced the first summer in my life basically makeup free…<3 now i’m, under her advice obviously, on a course of recall treatment to address definitely my texture and pigment! You have to do what you have to do for your skin… is a journey, a long one, a lifetime one! And only persons how have suffered from acne can understand! And yes I agree with the simple skin care approach… I literally love skincare more than makeup but my dermatology taught me as well that less is more! Ahahhha and then a less heavy beauty-case is a plus for extra weight in your suitcase when traveling;)))