There were days when I didn’t want to leave the house. Days where I woke up and desperately hoped it was the weekend so I wouldn’t have to go to work or out in public. When I looked in the mirror, I was embarrassed, depressed, frustrated and hateful. My skin was a mess – cystic acne all over plus dryness, blackheads and small bumps that just wouldn’t go away. It seemed like if I looked at my face, another breakout happened. And, the worst part? Suddenly it wasn’t confined to just my face – I had acne on back, chest, and neck.
I was so close to just giving up…but I didn’t – I felt that there HAD to be a solution! (I also felt that it was so unfair that this was happening to me when every other woman around seemed to have flawless, beautiful, healthy skin!) I tried so many different ‘miracle’ cures for my acne but nothing seems to help. And when I stopped taking birth control pills, my skin issues exploded!
Instead of turning to antibiotics or other toxic medicine, I sought out the help of a naturopathic doctor. We figured out that some supplements helped my skin while others sure did not! Food allergens were confirmed (finally!) and the culprits removed. She also helped identify a hormonal imbalance that probably played a huge role in my skin conditions. Slowly, with some small changes, I started to notice improvements. At least I wasn’t totally afraid to go outside.
Then, about 6 months ago, I had a breakthrough. My skin suddenly was bright, glowing, dewy, clear…all those things I wanted for my whole life! I didn’t know what had changed except that I had just finished a 7-day hormone balancing program. Hmmm…what could it be?
Through trial and error, I finally discovered the perfect combination of foods, supplements and products that now keep my skin very clear AND which foods and activities cause it to look awful. No, it’s not perfect but I can honestly say that I’m happy with how I look now. I have acknowledged specific triggers and know how to quickly stop a full-blown breakout in its tracks. I feel like I’ve discovered hidden pirate treasure after all these years!
My skin looks its best when I follow a fairly simple and inexpensive routine that contains 10 specific things – I call these my 10 Secrets to Beautiful, Glowing Skin. My favorite and easiest tips are some that I share with everyone who asks.
- Water – your skin loves water! Without water, your cells can’t do their thing. And, because the skin is an avenue of elimination, if you don’t have enough water to totally flush out toxins, chemicals, and allergens, your skin will be affected. So, I drink at least 3, but often 4, liters of water each day. And I pay for it when I don’t! I also think that our dry Alberta climate plus the added baddies in our processed, long-distance grown foods make it even more imperative that we drink WAY more than the recommended 8 glasses each day.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – I think this is one of the best foods out there. It’s fermented (if you buy the right stuff, with ‘the mother’), it stimulates digestive juices, and it seems to make me feel less hungry throughout the day. Drink 1 tablespoon in 1 glass of water before every meal.
- Natural products – since your skin is one pathway of elimination, you definitely don’t want to clog it up from the outside with toxins! Choose beauty products that are as close to natural as possible. Look for those with few ingredients and reference the EWG.org site to find out how your products stack up. Or, if you’re ambitious, try making your own.
If you can pinpoint your triggers and which of these secrets work for you, you’ll be able to prevent major breakouts and enhance your skin in just a few days. It exciting to find out that you CAN control your skin’s health and appearance by just a few simple steps.
