Acne can be frustrating & even difficult to understand at times, but approaching acne with gratitude can be really life-changing. That can seem like a steep demand, but hear me out - we can improve the relationship we have with our skin just by showing gratitude & acceptance.
When your skin breaks out, it's communicating with you- it's letting you know what's going on with the interior (gut, emotions, hormones, etc) by speaking with the exterior (skin). How thankful are we, that we can listen to our skin & observe its response to certain stressors or even certain products! Our skin can tell a lot about what's happening in places we can't necessarily skin, like in our minds & in our body.
Acceptance means no judgment. Judging the state of your skin can ruin the relationship you have with yourself, but it can also mean you're only picking products based on a marketing agenda. If you're picking products that are just say "acne-clearing" or "fights breakouts" WITHOUT understanding your skin or investigating the ingredients list, you may be indirectly judging. This can lead to disappointment & even more frustration.
So how do we change this?
Remember, it's a journey. And it truly can be so freeing when you meet your skin with acceptance & a thankful heart. During your journey, ask yourself these questions:
- What is my skincare routine? If I don't have one, what is it missing & what products do I lack or need to eliminate?
- Am I truly staying hydrated? What is my daily water intake & am I prone to breakouts when my daily water intake is lower than usual?
- What is in my diet? Do I consume foods with high amounts of sugar that could be disrupting my gut, leading to inflammation?
- Am I setting myself up to sleep between 7-8 hours a night? Are there environmental or emotional stressors that I'm exposing my skin/body to?
Settle yourself into these questions & answer with a truthful heart. Reflecting on these answers may be very empowering & eye-opening. Now, you're ready to show your skin love:
- Simplify your skincare routine & be ingredient-conscious. Here's an ideal skincare routine that will work to balance your skin:
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Makeup removal: I remember when I was struggling with acne, I would wear heavier makeup to cover my breakouts. If that sounds like you, removing your makeup before cleansing is going to be crucial. Makeup residue left behind can really irritate your skin & create even more blemishes. We never EVER want to sleep in our makeup, so let's make sure we are truly removing it. I recommend a gentle micellar water or The Original Makeup Eraser cloth, both are gentle for acne-prone skin.
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Cleanser: Cleansing should be at night, after makeup removal. We want to gravitate towards light-weight jelly-like cleansers because of how they delicately cleanse. Super frothy or foaming cleansers are better for oil removal or could be over-stripping your skin. I like using sulfate-free cleansers since my acne can be inflamed if I'm drying out my skin.
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Exfoliate: Only 1-2x a week. Here's the misconception about exfoliation: the beauty industry can make you believe that the harsher the scrub, the cleaner your skin will feel. This is not the case, especially when your skin feels sensitive. So should we exfoliate? Most definitely! Just trade that apricot scrub for something as gentle as the Drunk Elephant JuJu Cleansing Bar. This bar is pH balanced & removes dead skin cells that can be contributing to your acne. I like to space out my exfoliating days, so my skin has time to breathe in between. For example, I like to substitute my Beste Jelly cleanser for this JuJu bar on Mondays & Thursdays.
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Hydrate: Hydrating your skin with a healthy moisturizer is going to improve your skin's barrier. Moisturize 2x a day AM & PM with the Drunk Elephant Protini- this formula is lightweight, oil-free, & is full of peptides. Peptides repair any damages to the skin; if your skin's barrier is damaged or imbalanced, this moisturizer will rebuild your skin by promoting healthy skin cells. Plus, the belly-button-like design for the bottle promotes a clean application every time, keeping floating bacteria out of your moisturizer!
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Treatment: Think of baking a cake: You have to have the right ingredients to make it (e.g. flour, sugar, butter, etc.) Your acne is a lot like cake- remove the flour(excess oil), sugar (bacteria), butter (dead skin), & voila, no cake. Treat your acne by using a spot product that removes the ingredients that cause your pimple. This spot treatment is great to use as needed, for those pimples surfacing the skin or those cystic ones that are deep under your skin cells. These spot treatments are my favorite to use- be mindful that if you're using the EradiKate, don't skip your moisturizer! We don't want to dry out our skin.
- Skin Mapping or Journaling. Communicate with your skin & take time out of your busy schedule to track your days. This habit of diary-keeping can help you identify the root cause of your acne & even reveal to you some deep connections with your skin.
Connect with your skin & try these techniques to help manage your acne but more importantly learning how to love on your skin with self-care. Remember, this is a journey- everyone's journey can be different. Whether you incorporate regular dermatologist visits into your journey or your making healthier life choices, you will discover that your skin really does love so, so love it back.
