Skin Diaries #5

Hey everyone, I am finally getting up the 5th blogpost in my Skin Diaries series. This one is probably the most exciting as it is the first one that I will include what the naturopath I saw had to say as well as something that terrifies me, but I think will be very helpful. I have decided to include photos of my skin in these blogposts so we can all track my progress and see if products are working or if there are any changes.

I was going to delay attaching photos as much as possible but I think I will post them first up to get it out of the way. These photos were taken in natural day light and it is when my skin is at it's worst - my time of the month. You will notice that front on my skin isn't actually that bad, I have a few blemishes that always come up around period time but for the rest of the month don't really hang around. Prior to getting my period my skin was pretty clear and I was having a good run, it just always goes downhill when it's time.

When I turn my head and show my cheeks that is where things get worse. Here is where all my scarring is as well as a mixture of blemishes again thanks to my hormones. At the moment I am not worried about fading scars as much because I can't use my dermaroller while I have active acne. So once I sort out my pimples, these posts will be dedicated to scarring.

I left my forehead out as that is the clearest part of my skin. I barely ever get any pimples there so I didn't see a need to include a photo of it. If you don't know the cause of my acne or anything about my journey then please go back and read my other Skin Diaries or even the first one which is where I go into detail on my story.

I think the layout for this Skin Diaries will be different to previous ones as I want to include as much as possible that the naturopath has told me. I will break it up into Naturopath (which will now include supplements, diet and fitness), Skincare and Beauty.

Naturopath

Overview

Obviously what the naturopath and I have discussed won't be 100% suited to your situation so if you are interested in the natural route or anything I mention please consult with your own health practitioner. In terms of my situation my naturopath and I have been working on my gut health (since the beginning of May) as she believes that could be a cause and building on from that we are also working on my hormones and trying to regulate them which will then aid in the acne department too. She has also altered my diet which I will go into detail later.

Vitamins/Supplements

When I first saw my naturopath she didn't want to prescribe me anything immediately as she wanted to ease my body into it. I started out taking a nettle tea and was directed to have two to three cups a day. Here is a website I have found to list the benefits of this tea.

After my second or third session is when I was prescribed natural "medication". I take three capsules a day to aid in digestion (this is moreso for my gut health) as well as a probiotic 1x daily, which has now become a powdered version once daily (this is to again help my gut as I suffered from a lot of illnesses). I am not 100% sure if these supplements will directly aid in my skin as it is mainly to improve my overall health and help me gain weight (another thing I am struggling with lately).

One supplement that I am taking which is better linked to my skin is liquid zinc. I take 6 drops four times a day (if you want to have zinc please don't go by my dosage as I had to build up to this and some people don't need or can't tolerate zinc!! Speak to a professional first!). I initially took this as a zinc drink but am not able to apply it topically to my skin. I haven't done this yet but from now on I am going to do this and see if it helps. The naturopath made it clear that none of what I am doing will work within a week or even a month. It is going to be a longer process than the "pills" doctors prescribe as you are actually fixing your body/hormones this way not just patching it up with a "bandaid". In saying this I have been taking the zinc for a month and I did find my skin didn't break out as much prior to my period but like I mentioned above, I have broken out pretty badly now that it is period time.

Diet

Again my diet is suited to my own concerns (skin/weight/etc.) and has been constructed to suit myself. I don't eat meat so we came up with alternative ways for me to still get protein, omega and healthy fatty acids. I also don't have sugar so there was no need to cut that out of my diet. If you love sugar and are thinking of ways to alter your diet to better your skin then I do recommend you cut back greatly on your intake.

My diet pretty much consists of fish 3x a week, eggs, half my plate being veggies for every lunch/dinner (greens are best to improve skin!) as well as oats + an assortment of seeds/nuts with coconut milk for breakfast. If any of you are interested in what meals I make/eat in a week I can do a proper post going into detail. This is just a rough overview of the main suggestions the naturopath gave me.

Fitness

Between my last Skin Diaries and this one I did go to the gym and started weight training. Mainly to help me gain muscle (increase my weight) but exercise can also benefit your skin. I have since stopped the gym and do weight training occasionally at home. If I am not doing that I try to get myself to do yoga or meditation to relax/destress and also get some exercise into my life.

Skincare and Beauty

Skincare

I've cut back a lot again this time. In my last one I think I introduced more into my routine but have decided against that method once again. I now use one cleanser - Natural Instinct Replenishing Cream Cleanser (suggested by the naturopath). This cleanser is very gentle and doesn't strip or irritate my dry skin at all. It is pretty basic and very affordable but it works well. I still use the exact same cleansing oil to remove my makeup and pair my cleansing with either my Foreo or Clarisonic.

I ran out of my Sukin exfoliator and haven't purchased another yet. I know exfoliating is essential but I've been substituting it by using a cleansing device just to give my skin a break. I will probably purchase a proper exfoliator eventually.

Moisturisers are still my Sukin and The Body Shop ones. As well as my beloved Rosehip oil. I don't do as many face masks unless my skin feels congested or overly dry and I will use whichever mask is appropriate. I can do a face mask collection soon to show you the ones I own plus their purposes/benefits.

In terms of makeup I have only been using mineral/powder foundation. I actually used one up entirely - Nude by Nature - and have repurchased. It is a very quick application that covers but lets my skin breathe. I have a review here on the powder foundations I own and use so you can find out my thoughts by reading that!

That is all I have to share for this Skin Diaries. I am seeing my naturopath again at the end of July, she wanted me to have two periods before seeing her again to just take all the supplements and implement everything I was instructed. We will then review my progress and see where to go from there. Hopefully in my next update we will be able to see some sort of improvement with my skin especially now that I have included photos. If you are going to leave a comment please be mindful of what you say about my skin because it is a big insecurity of mine and took a lot for me to actually  post this with the photos. I hope that by attaching the photos I can better help others and if there is improvement it will make me happier to actually be able to track and see it.

Thank you for reading and have a lovely week ahead.