By the time I took green beauty seriously, I was at my wit’s end with my skin. I faced large, red bumps that were impossible to hide or cover up all over my face. Psoriasis plagued me on my legs and arms. Dry skin stung. Painful cystic acne popped up not just on my face – but all over my body. I was desperate to solve my skin issues, especially for one large reason: I had already tried everything.
I’d tried everything from Minocycline to Accutane, to gels, creams, steroids, birth control, expensive dermatologists, Proactiv, facials – you name it! They had all left me depressed and dismayed. With skin that looked rough, bumpy, dehydrated and was showing early signs of aging and traces of some of the long nights I’d spent in college, a few years ago I walked into my agency in LA and was blatantly told by my agent that I had to clean up my skin – or consider another career.
I was hurting – big time. And about to learn that I was facing more than just troubled skin. I was facing a beauty industry that was built on a few major falsehoods about the proper ways of treating and taking care of ourselves. Just a few days of research and a steel resolve to find out where all the mess I faced was coming from, and my skin and I were forever changed. Today, I wake up to glowing, freckled, dewey, beautiful, clear skin! I could not be happier with my complexion and the confidence I’ve gained with clear skin has allowed me to do things I used to only dream of!
Here is how I got rid of my cystic acne and solved my skin problems for good:
Soft Water
Hard water had done a number on my skin, but it took me months to identify this as one of the main culprits! You’ll know you have hard water in your shower if you experience any of these symptoms after showering: dry skin, itchiness, flakiness, a filminess or dry hair and scalp. Hard water is high in alkaline (pH), and also contains high levels of minerals like magnesium, calcium and iron. This clogs and irritates your skin. The remedy is switching to a water filter for your showerhead. You can grab this one from Culligan for under $30! Soft water helps your body clear toxins, fight infections and oh yeah – it won’t take 10 minutes to wash product out of your hair! Check if you have hard water in your area at: www.theorganiclifeblog.com/hardwater
Tea
Want to know the world’s most consumed psychoactive drug? It’s probably not what you think… It’s caffeine. The beverage most of us rely on every day to wake up – coffee – may be doing a number on our skin! Caffeine (when ingested) can cause disruption to your guts, which is where the start of your clear skin truly begins. Caffeine also messes with your hormones, namely your stress hormone, which is a huge disruption to your oil production. On top of that, it’s a diuretic, adding a super dehydrating affect that I think we can all agree we’d like to skip. But don’t worry – You can literally drink your way to amazing skin! Try replacing coffee with teas specifically designed to help you wean off. Teechino is one. Or just make your own drink at home with some fresh herbs like mint, cacao or lavender flowers and warm milk, cinnamon, honey and turmeric.
Make sure you’re choosing teas that are full of healing herbs like lavender, chamomile, mint, basil or berries. These all contain flavonoids that are incredible for skin health. You truly want your glow to come from the inside – out!
Vitamins
The reason that most conventional treatments for acne and skin issues don’t work is that they fail to treat the real issue: your insides. Steroids, anti-biotics and even heavy duty prescription medications skip over the one thing that truly does need to change and for your new, clear skin to stick: Your body needs to be in balance.
Who knew that the true key to combating my skin issues – especially my cystic acne – for good was getting passed by every time I went to the pharmacy for a new skin Rx? The last thing I was missing was herbs and supplements, which have truly been the big game changer for me. If I take my supplements, I barely have to worry about a small blemish around that time of the month. If I miss my supplements, I DO see the same symptoms that I used to have. Bumps pop up. Pores get clogged. Cysts form. Not pretty.
One of my favorite and most useful herbs for combating my skin issues has been the supplement DIM, which acts as an estrogen regulator. It balances the estrogens in your body, straightening out your hormones and allowing your skin to stop freaking out. Some of my other favorites are vitamin D, vitex, fish oils and evening primrose oil.
Green Beauty Products
Cheap, pharmacy products were all I ever bought before I switched to green beauty. And I’m glad, because the expensive stuff doesn’t work much better – unless it’s made naturally! Conventional skincare is full of toxins and nasties that your skin hates – like harsh SLS, parabens, dyes, parfum and fragrances. If you’ve tried everything but are still seeing skin issues, switch to a brand that only uses organic, natural oils and herbs in their products. If you see anything you can’t pronounce or wouldn’t eat – don’t buy it and don’t put it on your body! Our skin absorbs at least 75% of what we put on it! Also, skip alcohol based toning for a few dabs of apple cider vinegar on a cotton pad in the morning and drink plenty of water throughout the day! You can find my absolute favorite green beauty products here.
For more tips on how to live your healthiest life, check out my book, Cured by Nature, available where books are sold.