For those who don't follow me on Instagram, I have been dealing with rough/bumpy facial acne since October 2022 and back acne since high school (2015).
I used Cerave for the past 2 years + moisturizer with salicylic acid and saw little to no results.
My studies with Institute for Integrative Nutrition caused me to look deeper. I have learned that the skin is the outermost portion of our nervous system and our health state, internally, is reflected by the skin.
Originally I thought the facial acne was from wearing masks at work because my acne was primarily on my chin and cheeks. But I am now 2 months out of work and still struggling. With the education of Dr. Shannon Curtis, I have found that acne in these areas can be due to cortisol levels (stress) and lymphatic congestion.
This has been a humbling journey since I am very proud of the way that I take care of my body, physically. But I am realizing that I have been neglecting it emotionally and mentally.
With this new inner wisdom, I have been making some changes.
Here are the 5 things I am doing to heal my acne - holistically:
1. Acknowledge that my body is telling me something
It is so amazing how intelligent our bodies are. They are giving us signs constantly, all we have to do is learn to listen.
I am learning to love my skin and my acne in every stage because it is a part of me. And it is telling me that I need to do some inner healing.
2. Nervous system regulation
To regulate my stress I have been incorporating yoga, acupuncture, deep breathing, tapping, and prayerful meditation. I have also started drinking 'adrenal cocktails' to regulate hormones and stress (coconut water, OJ, sea salt).
Tapping is really cool. It involves, literally, tapping on 9 specific meridian points of the body (like the hand, eyebrow, collarbone, etc.). A combination of Chinese medicine and modern psychology, it allows a calming response in every area of the body!! Check out The Tapping Solution.
3. Oil pulling (for the skin)
Oil pulling, or gandush, is an ayurvedic practice of rinsing your mouth with oil to remove harmful bacteria and fungus from your mouth, teeth, and throat. This may help detoxify the body, make teeth whiter, reduce allergies, and improve sleep. BUT you can also do this for your skin.
Self-oil massage, also known as abhyanga helps improve circulation and immunity, supports the elimination of toxins and impurities, and increases the tone and strength of skin tissue.
So thanks to my mentor, Sue, who makes all her own skincare with similar practices, I have a full oil-based facial routine I do every night. The most important part is the face washing with coconut oil and essential oils (like tea tree, lavender, and peppermint).
Although it got worse before it got better, my skin is glowing!!! No blackheads WHATSOEVER.
4. Lymphatic drainage
One of the main causes of acne is lymphatic congestion. Your lymphatic system is kind of like your vascular system except it's full of lymphatic fluid and it doesn't have a heart or valves pumping it through your system. A big part of the lymphatic system's job is eliminating cellular waste and toxins. And if we aren't moving, sweating, and excreting that stuff out, it builds up in our tissues!!
To get my lymphatic fluid moving, I have been sweating a lot more (HOT yoga), dry brushing, and moving more (day shift :')).
5. Eliminate and Nourish
To heal my skin and body, I need to stop eating inflammatory foods that trigger my skin.
I have eliminated gluten and dairy from my diet. And I'm laying off the coffee (caffeine is a cortisol trigger) and drinking green tea (anti-inflammatory) and rooibos tea (cortisol regulator).
To nourish new cells and support hormone balance, I am eating A LOT of healthy fats daily, like, eggs, steak, avocado, extra virgin olive oil, and walnuts. Additionally, I take about 15 drops of highly absorbable vitamin A, daily.
So there you have it!
The basics of my holistic skin journey. I am seeing a lot of progress but still have work to do. I am still looking into finding the root cause of my acne (hormonal vs stress vs liver vs gut). My hormone panel was negative. Yes, I am stressed but working on it A LOT. I'm sweating and moving a lot more so my detoxification processes are working. But I still haven't gotten a GIMAP test (expensive) done so it very well could be parasites or gut lining issues. SOOO I am looking into a gut reset protocol.
I hope this helps someone else's skin journey :) Thanks for reading!
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