I am happy to share my formula for healing acne that I have discovered through the months of research, seeking and testing organic, natural and vegan remedies of this dis-ease. In my 30s my skin suddenly became acne prone. Some positive lifestyle changes healed that outbreak and returned my skin to its healthy and clear state. I feel like most of the acne advice you find online offers only short term solutions. Let’s start with understanding that acne is a message, not your enemy, but just a reaction. Your skin tries to tell you how you can treat yourself better. It’s hard to find the exact cause of acne, so I suggest the “heal everything and acne will heal too” approach. It may not be easy at first, but it will open a path to a whole new lifestyle, full of energy, free from cravings and filled with self love.
Full body detox and eliminating all known acne triggers with no mercy (I call them suspects) is what will get your skin to heal fast. In my book, the suspects (food and drinks) are all guilty until proven innocent. Trust me there will always be something you can eat and enjoy, and one of my tips will help with cravings. I present to you my 5 steps to beautiful skin. Let’s go!
1. List of suspects.
Google the foods proven by research to cause acne and that many people experience as their acne triggers. Here are my personal main suspects. I have been consuming a lot of these prior to my outbreak:
Chocolate (even dark one often has many sugary additives)
Sugar and fructose (maple syrup, dates, apples, pineapple)
Processed foods (chips)
Too much soy (I was consuming soy sauce, yoghurt, miso paste, ice cream, tempeh, tofu)
High fat foods (tahini, nuts)
Salty and spicy food
I urge you to start the total elimination diet to boost the healing. When you heal you can gradually try adding least processed, no refined sugars, low sugar content products, one at a time monitoring the effect for a prolonged period of time to see which products were falsely accused.
My friends on the elimination diet were kiwi, oats, oatmeal and oat milk pancakes with goji berries, Abbot Kinney’s coconut based yoghurt (low sugar one). I was eating a lot of these. Google least sugary fruit and berries. Chocolate is a very common acne suspect. Later you can replace it with raw cocoa, which should help with the craving (read further about my craving remedy). Go organic whole food plant based completely, if possible. Your skin will appreciate not having to deal with any GMOs or additives.
2. Detox
This will eliminate lots of bad stuff from your body along with whatever caused your acne. I was juicing a pack of spinach and 4–7 stalks of celery daily. It was rough, and I now have a much easier way for you. I am in love with this product and it will help you so much with this healing process. YourSuper.com superfood powders. You just mix a teaspoon of their mixes with a glass of water. It tastes great, gives you energy and murders your cravings. For the first time in my life I was able to say no to the foods I have been obsessing about for years. It truly is magical. Just a few teaspoons of those all-organic zero-additives dried most fancy superfoods from all over the world, and your body will be screaming “thank you.” It sounds too good to be true, I know, but after I tried it, it really is what they promise. They also have a unique mix for hormonal balance. Hormones can be causing your acne, and it is nearly impossible to find an organic vegan supplement for that.
3. Become a face germaphobe.
Disinfect your hands every time before you touch your face. And I mean every single time. Acne is bacteria. Make sure you don’t put any more bacteria on your face. Not just wash your pillowcase every other day but make sure your hair is clean too. Best idea is putting a clean napkin under your cheek when you are in the midst of an outbreak. Use a q-tip to scoop your cream out of a jar, never get your fingers in it. Wash your face immediately after you sweat and reapply sunscreen and cream. If you can’t wash it, bring cotton pads soaked in micellar water and vinegar lotion (¼ vinegar, ¾ water). It will stop bacteria from multiplying.
4. Skincare
Oil-based skincare can be the cause. I cured my acne with the Acnedote line by Alba Botanica. I still use their spot treatment when needed. These products are very strong and work quickly but can dry the skin. Hyaluronic acid serum (Hyalogic Pure HA) should help. Then gradually introduce more gentle and moisturizing products, like Facetheory and the all-organic Juice Beauty brand. At first combine moisturizers with your BHA and AHA (your best friends for curing and preventing acne) products to feel safer. I also advise visiting a good-reviewed dermatologist regularly for the manual extraction of comedones and other nasties.
5. Daily meditation and self love
Firstly, your acne can be stress induced, and, secondly, it will help you love and accept your skin, which it needs so much to start healing. Listen to self love affirmations. You are beautiful, with acne or without! Start your day in bed by complimenting yourself, features of your face, your skin, your hair, your body and its shape. Our body responds to positive feedback, the extent of self love we feel and express, by healing and becoming the best version of itself, looking and feeling its best. Give gratitude to your body for all its hard work in keeping you alive and well.
Give yourself, your skin and your acne love. This is just something asking for your attention. Maybe this is a calling to start treating yourself better and receive more blessings doing so?
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Photo: Hichem Dahmani via Unsplash
