Monday 6 February 2017

Only acne knows...


If you are reading this and you have experienced acne for a period of time i would pretty much put all of what i have on the fact that you will have had at least one of the following statements said to you. Each one is typical of someone trying to help when they actually have no idea what you will be going through. Now that sounds pretty harsh i know - I'm not mean i swear. If you have suffered the dreaded A at any point you will know exactly what i am talking about.

In this post i want to talk about the questions and statements i and most certainly other acne victims are faced with recurrently. Being quite a private matter generally, people face the following daily and simply admit defeat when it comes to their answer. I know i did for a long time.. sticking my head in the sand (literally if the option had been there on a bad skin day) instead of responding with a more elaborate answer, that would explain why i couldn't just drink more water and bam the spots were gone! So here are the top 10 questions and statements in my opinion that acne sufferers tire of hearing..


-Your 25.. Surely you shouldn't still be getting spots?
Well no, it would be truly fabulous if i didn't still get a volcanic eruption occurring on my face every now and again but guess what i do! I didn't follow the typical spot stereotype at all. I whizzed through my teenage years with crystal clear skin but then as well as many beautiful gifts i also got acne for my 21st birthday. I will never know where it came from or what caused it - but i do know i went through a pretty big and stressful life change around the same time so i guess i've always put it down to that. The fact is acne can actually affect both genders and appear at any age for numerous different reasons - it is not just a hormonal teenage thing.


-What you eat won't effect your skin!
Gosh if i had a pound for every time i've been told this. Well i certainly wouldn't be sat writing this at my kitchen table put it that way.. A million pound can take you somewhere much more lavish cant it?! Jokes aside, i chose to really clean my diet up when my acne was at its worst. It perfectly fell at the time Deliciously Ella and Madeleine Shaw were becoming our healthy life gods - if you know me you will know i am literally obsessed with their recipes and healthy life advice. Books purchased, i began reading more and more into nutrition and how a healthy, balanced diet is so super important for our skin health. I am not saying i have a sparkling clean diet, i want to live, laugh and explore but i do try and ensure that the majority of what i eat is nourishing for my skin, body and mind. Your diet is a personal choice but i certainly know that my skin is so much clearer and healthier when i'm fuelling my body with all the right things - the odd time of indulgence can always be seen in my skin i'm afraid.

-I know how you feel..
Says the person with one sporadic spot. Well no lucky person, you won't. Having one small spot (you are insanely lucky) is miles away from the claws of acne. This one is so hard to explain to a non-sufferer. The truth is when your skin is going through a really bad stage it knocks you both physically and mentally. Physically - your body language is so much more reserved, eye contact minimised and social activities reduced and mentally your playing a draining game of distaste every time you look in the mirror. Only acne knows..

-If you ate meat it might help you?
My boyfriend is the main suspect of this one (sorry lovely). He seems to believe eating meat is the answer to all of my problems. I get a cold - its because I don't eat meat. I'm tired and low in energy - its because I don't eat meat. Bad skin - you got it. I've been vegetarian since I was 8 when I was traumatised in my history lesson watching a Tudor video, and it isn't going to change in the foreseeable. We have such an extensive knowledge of nutrition today that it's easier than ever to substitute foods in order to keep a balanced and nutritious diet without eating meat. In fact if you research into healing acne you will find that a lot of people turn total vegan in their quest for clear skin. The results can be amazing.

-It's not that bad.
The one phrase that can revert any level headed acne sufferer back into a version of their former two year old, tantruming self. Okay so I totally get that for the people we confide in: family, partners and friends, it must be hard knowing what to say. There isn't actually anything that can be said. But we know that if we asked them to swop skins the answer would be a no - surely that answers our frustrations and their statement in one?

-Its just bad luck!
Were the famous last words (literally, i never saw him again) of the first GP i saw about my skin. Clearly he had never gone through this, but yeah that was his response when i asked him why this was happening at the age of 21. To say looks could kill is an understatement.. I was devastated!

-Would it help if you didn't wear makeup?
In a nutshell.. No! Gosh there are so many reasons behind this answer. So firstly the obvious one - confidence. When your having a really shit time with your skin im talking: angry, red, sore and lumpy, the last thing you would dream of doing is walking out of the house with out your comfort blanket of the wondrous makeup. As i mentioned in my first post, i wouldn't have even ventured out of the bedroom without my camouflage when my acne was at its worst. Makeup is so much more than just pots of colour, it has the ability to empower so many people in so
many different ways. This said, there is an art i have found of being able to wear makeup without aggravating my acne - it's all about choosing the right products. During my time as a therapist i trained in mineral makeup. I learnt that this form of makeup can actually help our skins, not hinder it, and that's the point i think so many people don't realise! Good quality mineral makeup will be free from pore-clogging, drying fillers like talc. It is usually made of around only 5 different minerals and is actually a natural anti-inflammatory which can calm the redness of acne. I will do another post soon on mineral makeup in more detail but trust me its fabulous for blemished complexions, you can build your coverage from a sheer to full cover which is a dream when there are spots to disguise.


-It's not the vitamins that are helping your skin.
In my first post, i told you how i cleared my acne up naturally with the amazing Skin Accumax from the Advanced Nutrition Programme. The tablets i took were not only from a renowned skin institute but also heavily researched and trialled with fantastic results. When my skin got dramatically clearer i noticed on several occasions people were saying "it didn't clear up because of those vitamins". Those people couldn't get their head around what i was trying to explain. The truth is, yes it was my vitamins - they contain a special combination of vitamin A, C and E with phyto-nutrients to support skin health and work from the inside to treat skin problems - specifically acne. If i had accepted the Roaccutane tablets from the GP and taken them people wouldn't have questioned me, so i found it frustrating that the concept of treating something naturally without all of the side effects was so hard to understand? Luckily most people grasped it and many went on to reap the same benefits.





-Are you doing too much to your skin?
I'm sorry, come again? Okay so yes i have an elaborate (i'd say exciting) skin care regime. I adore products - I love learning about products, using products, the smells, packaging.. You get the picture. I don't just put anything on my skin though, i take time choosing what i decide to purchase and buy. Personally, i favour natural, aromatherapy based products. When I was a therapist I trained with ESPA and their products are truly beautiful! That being said, i don't purely stick to just one brand. There are so many amazing, results driven products available I just cant help but keep expanding the collection. I think with your skincare, as long as you understand what you are putting on your skin, in what orders, you simply cant hinder.. Only aid and improve.

-Do you drink enough water?
There is no doubt about it - water is good for our bodies and skin. A dehydrated body = dehydrated skin. Water also helps to flush away toxins from the body, this is common knowledge. I have always made a conscious effort with my water consumption daily, aiming for around two litres per day, and yet I still had acne. Whilst water is incredible and without it we simply cannot survive, it most certainly isn't the miracle cure for acne we are all seeking. Trust me if it was I potentially may have drown my self in the stuff by now!

The list could go on but these are the top 10 questions and statements in my opinion that acne sufferers get tired of hearing and trying to answer. I have pretty much escaped acne's hands now - it gets me every now and again, but I think its about finding what works for you. Everyone is different, our days and lifestyles vary. What works for one may not work for another. If you want to or don't want to try something stand up for what you believe. Its hugely trial and error but when you find that system that helps your skin go with it then - only acne will know!

If you have any questions or want to leave a comment please do below, I love knowing your thoughts.

Bethany xx


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6 comments

  1. I went through a bad patch with acne a few years ago and I can definitely relate to this, Thank you for sharing! I am so glad to have found you blog, keep up this amazing work pretty gal! x

    adelelydia.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So pleased you enjoyed the read & that your skin is now better! I've just been reading through your blog lovely - love your posts! xx

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  2. I remember hearing "what you eat won't affect your skin"...so not true. I cleaned my diet up and it changed my skin.
    Great read - glad I wasn't alone in this journey!

    - Greta
    www.mintyfrosting.com

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    Replies
    1. Glad you enjoyed the read Greta! It's so true, I can always tell when I've not eaten that well in my skin. I'm glad you enjoyed reading xx

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  3. One of the basic skin problems of the people almost around the world particularly in teenagers is pimples. Hiruscar Malaysia reviews

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Harper,

      Your right, acne affects so many - adults and teenagers unfortunately all over the world!

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