Gosh, I hate this four letter word. A-C-N-E has cursed my existence over and over, and it’s something that has dreadfully influenced my self-esteem and self-confidence, made me want to curl up and hide in a dark closet and even led me to cancel plans with friends because I was so embarrassed at how hideous my breakouts were. I couldn’t apply nearly enough makeup to cover what needed to be covered, or better yet removed, from my face. While those I confided in told me they didn’t see it, or that I was focusing on it too intensely while others didn’t, it didn’t help. I have friends who have never had a pimple in their life, friends who may get an occasional breakout and a few who I’ve shared my woes with. I, though, am from the planet of having likely been born with a full breakout. I’ve been through just about every acne treatment you could imagine. From natural remedies to facial cleansing and product slathering processes to oral and topical medications varying from mild to over-the-top strength doses, I’ve been there and done that.

As I grew up I thought I would surely exit this acne prone phase of my life. Surely it would have to end at some point, right? Guess again. Adult acne is becoming increasingly more prevalent in our society, nearly as prevalent as those pesky wrinkles that everyone is destined to get at some point in the aging process. I’ve had several conversations with others about skin, acne and skin care regimens recently, so it’s brought this topic to the forefront of my mind. Not to mention, I’ve had a few extra pesky pimple this week. While there are a multitude of reasons for someone to be acne-prone, genetics play a big role in this. I not-so-lovingly thank my parents for gifting me this curse and pray each day that I have not or will not pass the trait on to my children. Acne can be debilitating. It seems so minor, yet its effects consume a major role in who we are. Acne is even known to lead to anxious and depressive tendencies in those who suffer from it.

Thankfully, I did have a lull in my breakouts for several years in my early to mid-20’s. I resorted to and completed a strong treatment, was healthy, happy and I felt like I had finally achieved an aura of glowing skin – to some degree that was far superior to what I had experienced since I was about 10 years old. Enter child-bearing years, coupled with the wrath of pregnancy hormones, and my body just couldn’t handle it. I didn’t have terrible skin when I was pregnant with Maven but did suffer from occasional breakouts in the first trimester and a few pimples every now and then throughout the remainder of the pregnancy. When I entered post-partum craziness after delivering her, it was like a wild-fire broke out and consumed my face for about two solid months. AH! Once I was able to calm the flame and let the dust settle a bit, whereas maybe my hormones were evening out, it wasn’t so bad. I would actually go as far to say I had pretty great skin again. {Breastfeeding seems to be good for my skin.} But, yet again the first trimester of my pregnancy with Sylvie brought about a few more breakouts, all prior to realizing I was suffering from another round of pregnancy complications.

For whatever reason, my body tends to not hold and carry babies as well as a mother would hope. I’ve required intervention at an early gestational age as well as varying degrees of bed rest while carrying both of my babies in utero. While pregnant with Sylvie, I had already planned some preventative interventions in an attempt to control some of what I experienced while pregnant with Maven (pre-term labor, generally speaking). One of those interventions was weekly progesterone injections. It was after the first injection that I realized, of course, I would be the one to suffer from the ugly side effect of this treatment course: acne. It was bad. I mean really bad. Painfully, bright, swollen, all over my entire face bad. While I’m typically one to rely on more natural treatment options for anything I have going on, particularly while pregnant, I needed something stronger. Something immediate. Here I was without any sense of control over what was happening to my body due to pregnancy, suffering from pregnancy complications again, put on bed rest and couldn’t even feel comfortable in my own skin. I tried everything I could to use natural methods of controlling this hideous problem. And on top of it, I tried to mask it with makeup so I could still function in every day life. I still didn’t have it under control.

I consulted my dermatologist who so tenderly understood what I was going through. While she assured me I would look back on this time in my life and not remember the acne, I clarified to her that due to the severity, I surely would. Not to brag, but I was right. Looking back on my pregnancy with Sylvie {and my adolescence and early adulthood} acne is something I remember all too vividly. She gave me her sincere apologies for my experiences and offered to partner with me to help me achieve whatever my end goal of skin looked like while focusing on safe practices during pregnancy and breastfeeding phases of my life. {Goal: Um, hello radiant, glowing, clear skin please.} I’m here to offer support and encouragement to those who may have had the same or similar experiences. Also, while there is a TON of information regarding acne out there on the internet, I felt compelled to put together a little list of thoughts based on my experiences in hopes it will help someone else in their journey to beautiful, radiant skin.

ACNE & CLEAR SKIN REMEDIES

1. My number one recommendation is to find a good dermatologist. Find a provider who will hear you and sympathize with you and work with you to find the best treatment options available. I have been lucky enough to have found two different dermatologists, whom I absolutely love, in the Milwaukee area. If you’re looking for a recommendation, reach out. Each one has worked with me and my concerns and even helped me find more immediate relief as I was on a long journey to “cure” my acne.
2. Take care of your skin. Even I sometimes need a reminder of this. As I’m desperate to rid my skin of pimples or even worse, a cystic breakout, I can fall into the trap of picking and poking and popping. Not good, my friends! This can lead to scarring, discoloration and blemishes that take months to disappear. Be gentle and patient, even when you don’t want to be. Do not scrub too hard, exfoliate too often, do anything rough enough to cause open wounds. Also, be sure to wash and hydrate appropriately. My dermatologist recommended CeraVE AM and CeraVe PM lotion and I love them both. They are light, fresh and unscented. The AM version contains the appropriate SPF to protect my skin during daytime hours {so important}. As for my face wash, at night I am using Neutrogena make up remover cleansing wash wipes. These serve as a great makeup remover {even for my black eyeliner and mascara!} and gentle exfoliator. Using this product leaves my skin feeling soft and refreshed at the end of the day. {Special thanks to my Aunt Linda for getting me re-hooked on these!} For mornings, I am currently using a Neutrogena Naturals product that contains salicylic acid, though I avoid that ingredient while I’m pregnant.
3. Feed your body the right things. I have asked my dermatologist about a billion questions about anything and everything related to acne. We’ve had multiple discussions on food consumption as it relates to acne and while she states there isn’t a food that directly causes a breakout, if we consume the right foods, it keeps our body healthier and overall in balance. The best things? Vegetables and all the green stuff. These have anti-inflammatory properties. And water. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
4. Treat your body the right way. Reducing stress, getting adequate sleep and exercising are all important pieces of keeping your body in balance. Even if you cannot cure your acne with these strategies, they play an important role in controlling it and helping you live happier and healthier.

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Since I mentioned that I like to opt for more natural options when it’s available, I’ll share three natural remedies that I love.

EGG WHITE & HONEY FACE MASK

Simple: Whisk one egg white and about 1 tablespoon of honey together. Mix it well. Tie your hair back and apply it to your face using your fingers, avoiding the eye and mouth areas. Leave the mask on your face until it begins to tighten, or about 10 minutes, and then rinse away with water.

The idea behind this mask: The properties of egg whites help to tighten pores, prevent an accumulation of dirt on your skin and remove excess oil. Egg whites are also proven to improve skin tone. Honey is a natural antibacterial as it helps to soothe and moisturize skin. It leaves your face soft and smooth.

BAKING SODA FACE MASK

Simple: Mix a generous tablespoon of baking soda with a generous tablespoon of water until it’s a milky consistency. Tie your hair back and wash your face, then apply this mask immediately after. Let sit until hard and crumbly, or approximately 10 minutes. {Less if you tend to have dry skin.} Rinse away with water.

The idea behind this mask: Baking soda sucks up and removes the impurities from your skin. Also, it tightens your skin, so I recommend using a good moisturizer post-mask. You can also use this as a spot treatment to help reduce major breakout areas if need be. The greatest part – it only costs about 15 cents.

TEA TREE OIL

Tea tree oil has many anti-viral and anti-fungal properties thus making it an excellent option for natural acne remedies, among other things. According to Body Ecology, one study even found tea tree oil to be just as effective as benzoyl peroxide in treating acne, but without the negative side effects like redness and peeling. I have found it to be gentle on my skin and effective. It does have a different aroma to it, so just beware if you are trying it for the first time.

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At first I was hesitant to put myself out there on this topic because, like I said, acne has been terrible to me. I’ve been embarrassed and saddened by it – but I know I’m not alone. Please, feel free to reach out and ask questions, or even if you are just having a bad skin day, I’m here for support. How we feel about ourselves greatly influences our overall health and wellness. So, as I’m journeying through mindful and healthy living, I surely think having healthy skin and a healthy opinion about ourselves is a part of that.

 

XO