This will be my last update on my skin for this year but it is (hopefully) the beginning of clearer skin in 2018! Over January there won't be any updates as I go away for the month and I will continue to implement what I share with you today. In February I will include pictures of where my skin is at and what I've noticed has helped the most.
Naturopath/Supplements
If you don't follow me on instagram then you may not know that I have started seeing a Naturopath that specialises in women's hormones. The reason for this was because in my last update the doctor suspected I have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). I went to see the new naturopath and showed her all my results, discussed my symptoms and my whole experience with puberty, periods, acne etc and she was able to confirm I do in fact have PCOS. She told me not to worry too much about the label as I am not a "typical" case. In the sense that I don't struggle with obesity, have excess hair or hair loss nor do I experience amenorrhea (I have the complete opposite).
The naturopath is treating my personal symptoms to fix my reproductive system and hormones. We created goals, with the key one being clearer skin. Other goals included shorter periods, regular periods, prevention of ovarian cysts and eventually fertility. Since my acne is a result of PCOS/hormone imbalance she prescribed me to take a few supplements. Please don't go out and purchase these yourself, I will put a * next to the ones you will need to seek advice from your healthcare provider/naturopath for as they are personalised to me and my symptoms. If you think you have PCOS or any other hormonal issues I advise you speak to a professional so you can best deal with your symptoms and make sure what you're putting in your body will actually benefit you.
She directed me to take a shot of a herb mixture* she made up twice a day after eating. The only ingredient I am aware of and can taste is liquorice. When I see her again she will revise the mixture and alter it. The purpose of the herb mix is to help balance my hormones. Unlike typical PCOS sufferers, who tend to have higher testosterone but in my case I suffer with androgen and estrogen imbalances which result in me having acne. The aim is to balance these two hormones out prior to my period to prevent break outs. She will give me another mixture at my next appointment to balance my hormones during the second half of my cycle which will focus on shortening my periods. Hopefully this all makes sense, but basically the herb mixture is to internally work on my hormones.
I also take a zinc supplement* and vitamin A* to help my skin at a less deeper level I suppose. These supplements only deal with the issues skin deep although I do take them in liquid/tablet form. Both of these supplements help with clearing up acne but you'll definitely need to seek expert advice with these! When I attempted taking zinc myself and chose my own dose I ender up throwing up every single time I took it so it is very important to see a health care professional to recommend a dosage and make sure it is safe for you and your body. In terms of vitamin A, you cannot get pregnant when taking it, so again seek advice. There are different dosages of vitamin A so if you think it will be beneficial to your skin make sure you ask to figure out which one is best for you and at what dose is safe.
Now for a supplement that is 100% safe for you to go out and purchase yourself is evening primrose oil. It helps relieve PMS symptoms as well as promote healthy skin. If you suspect a hormonal imbalance and want to try out something yourself then I'd recommend these tablets.
Diet
I am still sticking to a meat free diet (occasionally eat fish in sushi, so I can't label myself as vegetarian). Lately I have been focusing on my green vegetables, healthy fats and protein. The naturopath looked over my diet and said it was perfect. Based off my endless amounts of blood test results she said it is evident my body is thriving off plant based protein sources, which was great news for me. Also berries and nuts aid hormonal imbalances/improving skin issues.
One diet suggestion she made was to have ground flaxseed rather than the normal state of the seed. The purpose of this is because ground flaxseed contains plant estrogen, I forgot what the naturopath actually said but it was something along the lines of it better balancing my hormones as it combines to excess hormones and when I go to the toilet it removes them from my body. Not 100% which hormone she said but I guess it also makes sense since my estrogen levels were a concern.
Mental health/Exercise
I have made it a habit to meditate nearly every morning or night. I notice doing a 10-30 minute mediation really clears my mind and puts me at ease.
As for exercise, I am really pushing myself to do some sort of physical activity 4 times a week. The gym was a fail for me because of weight issues but maybe in the new year I will attempt to go back, since my weight is more stable now. I have been walking 3x a week, plan to start swimming once a week and yoga once or twice.
Skincare/Makeup
I am continuing with the minimal makeup theme that I've mentioned in other skin diaries. On the days I am not working or have a party I don't wear makeup at all. On the three or four days of the week that I do apply makeup it is either the Hynt beauty concealer, a CC cream or mineral powder foundation.
As for skincare, I don't really have a set regime. However, these are the three main products I use daily. A few Nourish London products - Kale 3D cleanse and their radiance firming facial oil. As well as the Beenigma face cream, which works wonders when my skin is dehydrated or has flaky dry patches.
Other products I use every now and again include:
Palmer's micro fine exfoliating facial scrub: Roughly once to twice a week to remove any dead skin build up.
Dr Bronner's peppermint liquid soap: Once I use up the Nourish London cleanser I will use this daily. Every time I use it I find it leaves my skin feeling very clean. It doesn't dry out my dry skin like you'd think a "soap" would but I do follow up with a thicker moisturiser whenever I do use it. It removes makeup as well so it will replace my next product when that is done too.
Palmer's Ultra Gentle Facial Cleansing oil: this product is always in these updates. Like I just mentioned, I will phase this out and trial the soap as I've heard good things.
Anyway, to finish off the post I will include images of how my skin is looking. In terms of my menstrual cycle I am almost at what should be my ovulation time, assuming my cycle is on track. I've started getting a lot of break outs along my jaw line and cheeks, which is the usual for me. As for my forehead, nose and chin those areas are clear.
If you don't follow me on instagram then you may not know that I have started seeing a Naturopath that specialises in women's hormones. The reason for this was because in my last update the doctor suspected I have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). I went to see the new naturopath and showed her all my results, discussed my symptoms and my whole experience with puberty, periods, acne etc and she was able to confirm I do in fact have PCOS. She told me not to worry too much about the label as I am not a "typical" case. In the sense that I don't struggle with obesity, have excess hair or hair loss nor do I experience amenorrhea (I have the complete opposite).
The naturopath is treating my personal symptoms to fix my reproductive system and hormones. We created goals, with the key one being clearer skin. Other goals included shorter periods, regular periods, prevention of ovarian cysts and eventually fertility. Since my acne is a result of PCOS/hormone imbalance she prescribed me to take a few supplements. Please don't go out and purchase these yourself, I will put a * next to the ones you will need to seek advice from your healthcare provider/naturopath for as they are personalised to me and my symptoms. If you think you have PCOS or any other hormonal issues I advise you speak to a professional so you can best deal with your symptoms and make sure what you're putting in your body will actually benefit you.
She directed me to take a shot of a herb mixture* she made up twice a day after eating. The only ingredient I am aware of and can taste is liquorice. When I see her again she will revise the mixture and alter it. The purpose of the herb mix is to help balance my hormones. Unlike typical PCOS sufferers, who tend to have higher testosterone but in my case I suffer with androgen and estrogen imbalances which result in me having acne. The aim is to balance these two hormones out prior to my period to prevent break outs. She will give me another mixture at my next appointment to balance my hormones during the second half of my cycle which will focus on shortening my periods. Hopefully this all makes sense, but basically the herb mixture is to internally work on my hormones.
I also take a zinc supplement* and vitamin A* to help my skin at a less deeper level I suppose. These supplements only deal with the issues skin deep although I do take them in liquid/tablet form. Both of these supplements help with clearing up acne but you'll definitely need to seek expert advice with these! When I attempted taking zinc myself and chose my own dose I ender up throwing up every single time I took it so it is very important to see a health care professional to recommend a dosage and make sure it is safe for you and your body. In terms of vitamin A, you cannot get pregnant when taking it, so again seek advice. There are different dosages of vitamin A so if you think it will be beneficial to your skin make sure you ask to figure out which one is best for you and at what dose is safe.
Now for a supplement that is 100% safe for you to go out and purchase yourself is evening primrose oil. It helps relieve PMS symptoms as well as promote healthy skin. If you suspect a hormonal imbalance and want to try out something yourself then I'd recommend these tablets.
Diet
I am still sticking to a meat free diet (occasionally eat fish in sushi, so I can't label myself as vegetarian). Lately I have been focusing on my green vegetables, healthy fats and protein. The naturopath looked over my diet and said it was perfect. Based off my endless amounts of blood test results she said it is evident my body is thriving off plant based protein sources, which was great news for me. Also berries and nuts aid hormonal imbalances/improving skin issues.
One diet suggestion she made was to have ground flaxseed rather than the normal state of the seed. The purpose of this is because ground flaxseed contains plant estrogen, I forgot what the naturopath actually said but it was something along the lines of it better balancing my hormones as it combines to excess hormones and when I go to the toilet it removes them from my body. Not 100% which hormone she said but I guess it also makes sense since my estrogen levels were a concern.
Mental health/Exercise
I have made it a habit to meditate nearly every morning or night. I notice doing a 10-30 minute mediation really clears my mind and puts me at ease.
As for exercise, I am really pushing myself to do some sort of physical activity 4 times a week. The gym was a fail for me because of weight issues but maybe in the new year I will attempt to go back, since my weight is more stable now. I have been walking 3x a week, plan to start swimming once a week and yoga once or twice.
Skincare/Makeup
I am continuing with the minimal makeup theme that I've mentioned in other skin diaries. On the days I am not working or have a party I don't wear makeup at all. On the three or four days of the week that I do apply makeup it is either the Hynt beauty concealer, a CC cream or mineral powder foundation.
As for skincare, I don't really have a set regime. However, these are the three main products I use daily. A few Nourish London products - Kale 3D cleanse and their radiance firming facial oil. As well as the Beenigma face cream, which works wonders when my skin is dehydrated or has flaky dry patches.
Other products I use every now and again include:
Palmer's micro fine exfoliating facial scrub: Roughly once to twice a week to remove any dead skin build up.
Dr Bronner's peppermint liquid soap: Once I use up the Nourish London cleanser I will use this daily. Every time I use it I find it leaves my skin feeling very clean. It doesn't dry out my dry skin like you'd think a "soap" would but I do follow up with a thicker moisturiser whenever I do use it. It removes makeup as well so it will replace my next product when that is done too.
Palmer's Ultra Gentle Facial Cleansing oil: this product is always in these updates. Like I just mentioned, I will phase this out and trial the soap as I've heard good things.
Anyway, to finish off the post I will include images of how my skin is looking. In terms of my menstrual cycle I am almost at what should be my ovulation time, assuming my cycle is on track. I've started getting a lot of break outs along my jaw line and cheeks, which is the usual for me. As for my forehead, nose and chin those areas are clear.
