I’m a chronic cystic acne survivor. It hit me in my early teens. It hit me hard. I tried everything, but nothing seemed to work. Now I’m a 39-year-old mother of two, with another on the way. I’ve had my acne under control for nearly 15 years and I do it the all natural way. I’d like to share my journey so maybe it helps you or someone you love who is suffering from severe acne. 

Suffering is the right word. Since I was an early teen I’ve battled relentless severe breakouts that made me feel terribly self-conscious and afraid others saw me as ugly. My family tried everything to help me. We tried every over the counter and prescription treatment available. I adjusted my diet, I washed my face incessantly. I used Accutane, twice, a prescription treatment so harsh it dried me out like the desert and literally made me feel like I’d been poisoned. I was terrified of getting pregnant and had to take monthly tests because Accutane is known to cause birth defects. I also was required to take a monthly psychological evaluation because “A COMMON AND NORMAL SIDE EFFECT” is suicidal ideation. Can we agree that’s a HUGE RED FLAG?! Despite our best efforts, the best I could ever get was temporary relief. I was sad beyond words.

My mom fixed me. After years of research, study and experimentation, it turned out that what I needed most was to understand the basics of what makes healthy skin and then get back to those basics in a principled, consistent manner.  Let me be clear. There is no magic pill. This is a process based on improving the overall health and wellness of your skin. Anyone selling you a magic pill is selling you a lie and, quite literally, poison.

The problem with most approaches to treating acne is that they treat only the symptom, acne, without treating its root causes. The skin is your body’s largest organ. It needs certain things in proper balance to function correctly. When you try to treat your acne with a product focused only on acne as a symptom, you’re often doing more harm than good. Not only are so many of those treatments quite literally toxic, but they exacerbate the conditions that cause acne in the first place. I made these mistakes for far too long.

What my mom eventually recommended was that I stop taking those medications. I was reluctant because I knew the acne would come back. Then she told me to stop cleaning my face with astringents, because I was stripping away essential oils that my skin needed and by doing so I was actually triggering a biological response to replace those oils. Again, I was skeptical. If I let my face get oily, wouldn’t the acne get worse? Then my mom hit me with the zinger. She wanted me to clean and moisturize my skin using a blend of natural oils that she had researched and put together. No freaking way, I thought. Actually putting oil on an already oily skin to solve a problem that everyone told me was caused by too much oil sounded like exactly the wrong thing to do. But it was the right thing to do.

My mom carefully explained to me how the skin works. What it needs to be properly balanced. What happens when it’s out of balance and how the treatments we had been using were making my problem worse, not better. She explained Ph balance, Sebum, the dermis, the epidermis, how it all works together and what nutrients, moisture and lubrication (oil) was necessary to make it work right.

One thing was clear. What I had been doing for so long was not working. I was an adult. I was going to have a baby. I was terrified to take harsh acne treatments that could harm my unborn child. But I was also terrified the hormonal surges that come with pregnancy would leave me broken out and bummed.  So I said let’s try it. I did. It worked. I never went back. I’ve turned friends on to this system. It worked for them, too. Here’s the secret.

Do not strip your skin with astringents or soaps. You need to wash your face, but using a high quality cleansing oil to do so. You may see a spike in acne in the short term, but your skin will appreciate the high quality oils and stop over producing its own to restore the balance you keep upsetting. Give it a month. Give it two. It takes time. This isn’t a magic pill. It’s a process. As your skin finds its balance, you’ll find that your face feels clean. It looks clean. Your pores are clear. Your skin will absorb the oil and the acne will disappear. Moisturize. Again, use high quality all natural products designed for acne prone skin. There are some great ones out there. My mom makes a great cleansing oil for acne prone skin. Next week she’ll write a follow up blog explaining what she did and why.

For me, the results were nothing short of transformative. As a cleanser, these oils are so gentle. With each cleaning, I could feel my skin getting stronger, healthier, happier. By two months, my skin had undergone a metamorphosis. The stubborn, chronic cystic acne was gone. The constant worry, anguish and humiliation? Gone too. Don’t get me wrong. I still have the scars. I was the stereotypical “crater face.” But today those physical scars are almost invisible. Every once in a while I’ll still get a pimple. But the scourge of chronic acne is gone. What I have now feels like a healthy, clean canvas, clear and vital.

I bask in my newfound radiance and confidence. I have reclaimed control. I feel pretty, confident and healthy, inside and out. I can’t believe that all I needed was a better understanding of how my skin works, some carefully selected all natural oils, commitment, faith and a bit of patience.  If you struggle. If you have the same preconceptions and fears as me, I hope my story helps you.

Love,

Chrys