"The only way to reach where you want to be is through blood, sweat, and tears. If you want to get where you want to be you have to go through these hardships (talking about acne). Success isn't just granted in life."- Liz
Hey guys! Welcome, or welcome back to the blog! This week I wanted to take some time to introduce the brand new Banish Warriors for Banishacnescars. If you're not aware of what a "Banish Warrior" is, they basically share their own journeys in dealing with acne while embodying what the company stands for; strength, empowerment, determination, and courage.
Each warrior is unique in their own way, from healing themselves internally through diet and focusing on the external esthetic factors of skin to being a lover for makeup and a positive ray of sunshine for all acne sufferers. The four warriors each present a unique personality and outlook when it comes to what truly defines them as the embodiment of Banish. This week, I sat down with each of them individually in a one-on-one interview and got to pick their brains.
Today's Interview and blog post is going to be all about the new banish warrior, Liz (@prettyprogress23). As someone who also shares their acne journey online, I wondered, why would she share her journey online and how does she stay confident in doing so? Keep reading below to get to know all about Liz and the message of positivity she hopes to spread to all acne sufferers.
the beginning of adult acne
Liz's acne story is similar to many of ours, she started developing acne when she was a teenager. All throughout high school she would get little bumps but it never really became cystic until after she reached 12th grade. During this year in school she went through a traumatic experience that set her up for years of chronic acne well into adulthood.
This started to get into Liz's head and she began thinking that she needed to be the best, the top of everything. Ongoing stress would spiral for the next few years, eventually leading to chronic impossible to treat acne. It started out as odd ones here and there but eventually turned into bigger cystic clusters.
After months of frustration she went to the dermatologist who quickly prescribed her antibiotics. It would work to clear her skin in the beginning but eventually lead to some nasty side effects. About 5 courses later and her gut was ruined internally, leading to digestive problems and acne that would return with a vengeance during her second year of college. Since then, she's gone the natural route and been dealing with her acne holistically, focusing on her overall wellbeing and switching to natural skincare products. Documenting her progress publicly on her blog, prettyprogress23, Liz aims to smash todays unattainable standards on external beauty.
Liz says she began her acne blog, prettyprogress23 to " I began my blog to overcome my fears, while motivating and inspiring others." In a world that is so focused on external beauty and these unattainable standards, Liz aims to "put it all publicly out there to shatter society's perception of beauty. Not just for herself, but for all the other people in the world as well."
acne treatments didn´t work
Before opting for the all-natural route of clearing her skin, Liz tried a range of different methods to clear her skin. Everything from antibiotics, zinc, and vitamin b5, to liver cleansing tablets, benzoyl peroxide, 3 different kinds of birth control, and of course as any acne sufferer will mention, proactive. What works the best for her currently isn't actually a product at all. It's all about being stress free, and dairy free. While she says oil cleansing and benzoyl peroxide have actively reduced her acne, she's realized that her mental state and what she's putting inside her body impacts the clarity of her skin greater than any treatments available on the market today.
how to stay confident when dealing with acne
It's not news that acne can have severe psychological effects. From anxiety and depression to total loss of confidence, the emotional aspects at time outweigh the physical woes of dealing with the actual pimple. So, I asked Liz, how exactly does she stay confident when dealing with a new breakout?
She uses mantras and sayings that give her inspiration and help her stay on track. Realizing that she is so much more than her physical appearance, she tells herself to stop wasting her life on things that are out of her control. To relax and become stress-free Liz uses the healing power of music. Whether she's feeling stressed, sad, or anxious music helps her to relax and become a happy care free person. She jogs, dances in her room, or goes salsa dancing with friends and instantly forgets all about her skin woes.
Her second tip is to talk. Talk to friends who are supportive and understanding of your situation, those who will lend you their ear to simply listen. Surround yourself with loving, caring individuals and remove any toxic friendships or relationships from your life that don't benefit you or make you happy. You can easily spot a toxic relationship if you feel drained, discouraged, or negative after hanging out with someone.
If you're ever feeling down about your skin, don't use it as an excuse to miss out on social activities. Force yourself to get out there and have fun regardless of the condition of your skin. When Liz's acne was at her worst she became a completely different person than the bright, bubbly, and positive person she is today.
"When family members came over I would lose manners, because I didn’t want to face them with my cystic acne. I couldn't look them in the eye. I completely lost my etiquette and manners. My own perception of self-held me back. So many times, I missed out on great opportunities, missed on engagement and wedding parties. That is my biggest regret. "
Having close connections with your family and friends is the most important thing. Build a solid support system filled with uplifting individuals who will help you overcome the obstacles in your life.
"Once you take small steps to overcome these obstacles it's going to be a great experience. Don’t miss out on opportunities because of your acne. I could have made so many memories, but I let acne stop me."
the skin positivity movement
It seems like each day the acne community on Instagram is growing, with more and more young women coming forward saying "me too, I have acne too and I'm not ashamed!"
Liz thinks the acne community is extremely empowering. The thought that there are others like her, and a community out there for all of us to share our experiences is so comforting and refreshing to see. She loves how many different approaches people share to tackling their acne and how each journey is unique in their own way. Some people do holistic approaches, while others take accutane, and many tests out over the counter topicals and creams.
If she could change one thing about the current movement it'd be the currently popular "how I cleared my skin" tags. The information in these can be dangerous and misleading to those who are suffering with acne and desperately looking for advice to clear their skin. She warns that people should be wary and remember that what you see online is not always accurate information.
liz´s plans for the future
Liz says her main purpose is to shed light on the beauty of life with or without acne, to increase self-confidence and self-love in a world where society can be so cruel. She doesn't want to tell acne sufferers what to or not to do, she isn't an esthetician or a dietician, her main purpose of her instagram is to spread skin positivity so that those who are dealing with similar issues don’t feel alone. She wants everyone to feel loved and help them come closer to discovering that positivity in life, having more fun and worrying less about their skin.
Her main purpose in becoming a banish warrior is to spread awareness. She wants to be apart of a team filled with empowering people and spread ideas in her own unique way. By becoming a part of the community, she felt she was fulfilling her purpose, duty, and responsibility.
You can also watch Elizabeth´s Warrior introduction video here:
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