How My Acne Affected Me

My Acne Story

By: Lauren Phillips

Since the age of thirteen, acne has always played a huge role in my life. I'm the girl who is surrounded by flawless friends, the girl who is stuck looking like a pepperoni pizza. I've tried a number of treatments. From chemical to natural. You name it, I've tried it. I've been so desperate to make myself beautiful on the outside, I've forgotten beauty starts on the inside. I guess it doesn't help when a family member points out a pimple you've popped, cussing it will scar and you will forever remain ugly. I'm here to say that no one in the world is ugly on the outside. The ones who deem us as ugly on the outside, are ugly on the inside. 

I admit I'm a pimple popper. I get anxiety when I see red bumps, closed and open comedones and whiteheads arise on my skin and immediately start squeezing until my face is full of scabs. This instantly leads to regret and sadness and a promise that my face will be left untouched. It's a vicious cycle. The open comedones which are basically blackheads have left my skin with scars and deep hyperpigmentation. I’m still yet to find a cure for them.

I've tried a number of treatments in hopes for a skin saviour. I've tried the full range of Clear & Clean, Proactive, Biore, Yes to Tomato's, Tea Tree range from the Body Shop, Simple, Clarisonic Mia, Benzol Peroxide and a number of Lush products including; Coal face, 9 to 5, Herbalism, Vanishing cream, Grease Lighting, Tea Tree water and a range of the face masks they’ve stocked (cupcake, cosmetic warrior and Mask of Magnaminty).

My acne has even lead me to use a number of household products such as; toothpaste, cinnamon, oats, bicarb soda, potatoes, green tea, tomato's, salt water, paw paw cream, iodine and a heap of antibacterial creams.

All these products listed above dried out my skin, caused irritation and maximised my pores which caused redness, flakiness and my skin just looked sad.

Early this year I looked at my skin in the mirror and I cried. My mum saw the pain my acne was causing me and rang around for help. Later that afternoon my mum took me to a Health Food store where I met a woman who was once in the same position as me. She talked to me for a long time about all the products I had been using. At the time I was using Lush products and much to my anger she told me how bad Lush was for my face especially she explained they were full of chemicals, I was gutted as I was all about natural skincare. In the end she told me to try a simple brand as she believed less was more. The skincare line was called MooGoo I did my research and I settled on an oil cleanser, tamanu oil and acne cleansing cream.

I cannot count how many hours I spent researching for a cure as the MooGoo acne cleansing cream and tamanu oil began breaking me out. But, to this day I still use their oil cleanser every evening. One night I came across a blog by Tracy (The Love Vitamin) she explained her results from using Manuka honey. I was sold instantly and bought a jar of 16+ MGO Manuka honey from a local herbal shop. I saw results instantly my skin had calmed down. But, as always my skin slowly stopped taking in the benefits. However, I still use Manuka Honey once a week for a quick pick me up.

With all these products being slapped on my face I have taken a few natural forms of internal medication. Zinc is the one internal solution which cleared by skin up by 50%. Herbs of Gold Clear skin broke me out on my cheeks with huge painful lumps and Vitex just messed me up internally and made my acne one hundred times worse not to mention how painful the cramps were when mother nature knocked on the door. I’ve taken fermented cod liver oil with no result and a probiotic daily which seemed to make my skin glow. Recently I’ve stopped consuming all medication products as I’ve come to realise I cannot rely on medication for the rest of my life as my acne will one day come out with revenge.

Today my skin is clear apart from the hyperpigmentation, a few pimple and comedones when mother nature is in town and a few scars here and there thanks to:

• Drinking one litre of water daily
• Washing my face with ONLY water in the morning and the MooGoo oil cleanser for Oily skin
• Keeping moisturiser simple with Bio oil which I have found does not clog my pores (weird I know)
• Not using a toner as it strips excess oil
• Using Manuka honey once a week
• Not scrubbing or steaming my face! This is a big factor as it can cause irritation and can in fact make acne worse (I got this valuable tip from the lady at my local health food store whom has been down the same path as me).
• I also use the pumpkin enzyme mask and activated charcoal mask by Banish once a week and the results are amazing.

I’ve recently purchased the Banish rolling system and the FATFACE Myrrhaculous cream as using Bio oil in the long term won’t be good for my skin as it’s full of mineral oil! I cannot wait to say bye, bye to all of my hyperpigmentation and acne scars. Even if my acne scars never clear I’ll continue to smile because I’m so thankful for my acne. Why? Because it’s taught me to love myself inside and out and appreciate the beauty within all!