Skin + Acne - my experience and reflections

This week, I want to talk about spots, blemishes, and all things acne-related. This is a subject really close to my heart, as I grew up with acne from the age of 12, right up until I was 22.

I struggled immensely with my skin in my teens. I went to various doctors and dermatology appointments and tried every medication under the sun, right up to isotretinoin (Accutane). Unfortunately, these only ever had a temporary effect on my acne, and I really struggled with the side effects. When I was around 14, I started to play around with making natural skincare at home. At the time, I started to experiment with short-shelf life creations that often contained fresh ingredients. Over the years, I delved deep into this craft and taught myself how to formulate natural skincare products properly.

I definitely noticed a stark difference when I swapped the majority of my skincare routine to natural products I’d been creating. They were much more gentle on my skin, helped to restore and repair the damaged skin barrier I’d had for so long, and truly nourished and soothed my skin (if I’d had Tierra Balm or High Priestess Serum during my isotretinoin journey, the dry, sore, scaly skin wouldn’t have stood a chance). Though the main change that came for my acne was a dietary elimination. I realised at 22 years old that milk was responsible for my acne. After all those years and all those appointments and medications, the cause was so simple.

Now in my 30’s, I’ve spent a lot of time sending love to that 12-22-year-old. My acne absolutely ruled my life, dictating the clothes I wore, the makeup I wore, how I felt about myself, and how I spoke to myself. My acne was always a target in petty school arguments and jibes, even being called “pizza face” at times, too. I wish I had known at the time that acne meant nothing more than something not being right in my body. Simply that I was intolerant of something, and my body was sending me a message. Instead, I attached my acne to my self-worth, struggled to love myself, and viewed my acne as an ugly, horrible thing that had to be fixed. Now I know it didn’t need fixing; my body just needed to be heard.

We can get spots, blemishes, and acne for all sorts of reasons. It can be due to hormonal imbalances, something in our diet we’re intolerant to or sensitive to, an imbalance in our skin’s oil production process, or many other reasons. It’s important to take a look at everything and see what could be causing your body to send this message.

Accepting and learning to love myself and my skin, regardless of spots or acne flare-ups, has definitely been a journey for me. My focus is to have grace and compassion for myself when I find myself slipping, or that familiar urge to pick at my skin, spots, and scars.

I spent time finding the products that worked for me in managing my acne and blemish-prone skin. I say finding, but I really mean creating! My Moonkissed Cleanser & Triple Moon Elixir are my go-to combination for preventing and reducing blemishes and acne flare-ups. The vitamin C-rich cleanser helps to gently remove impurities and fight blemishes, whilst my facial oil contains bakuchiol & sea buckthorn oils, which help to reduce acne, scarring, and inflammation. I find these two paired together work wonders for me. For acne and blemish management, it’s important that you find something that works for you and use it consistently. Jumping from product to product (like I did in the past) doesn’t give them time to work on your skin and can also aggravate it further with so many changes and new ingredients.

Remember, we can love ourselves as we are and accept where we are currently at, and still have things we want to support, change, or heal within ourselves. They aren’t mutually exclusive.  

Have you experienced acne or frequent breakouts? What’s one thing you’d tell your past or present self about it now?