12 PRIORITIES

My skin flared up again lately, due to an operation, diet/weather changes & stress.  Here I share my focus for healing in the hope it will help others. The skin is the largest organ of the body and everything is connected. Every 'body' is different of course, but many of these will apply to everyone.

🌀 MOVEMENT

Since my op I haven't been able to move much… I'm slowly coming back to it, moving more each day. Movement reduces inflammation in the body & acne is an inflammatory condition. Sweating helps the body to remove toxins through the skin. Movement also reduces stress by lowering cortisol, which is crucial for skin health. Lastly, moving the body regulates insulin (more on this below with balancing blood sugar).

💧HYDRATION

We all know drinking water is important… how much water we drink also correlates with how hydrated our skin is. On top of making sure I get my 2L in, I'll also be adding a pinch of Celtic Sea Salt for added electrolytes/minerals to increase hydration. Adding hydration externally to the skin is also going to be 🔑, focusing on increasing the water content of the skin. We can do this using humectants (ingredients that attract moisture to the skin), such as hyaluronic acid & glycerin. Hydrated skin balances oil production, improves the skin barrier and circulation, avoids blocked pores & helps to detox the skin.

🛌🏻 SLEEP & REST

When we sleep and rest, our skin has a chance to heal. A lack of sleep can cause inflammation in the body as well as a compromised skin barrier, both of which will only make acne worse. I've been aiming for 8.5-9 hours a night.

🐮 CUTTING OUT DAIRY

Some research suggests dairy can contribute to acne. Particularly dairy containing A1 casein which can be inflammatory and contain lots of different hormones that impact our own hormone levels. Many people (including me!) are intolerant to dairy… I know when I eat dairy I get bloated & if something is impacting my gut, it's likely it will also impact my skin. I'd recently re-introduced dairy to my diet and let me tell you, my skin didn't like it! I also don't eat gluten for the same reason. This won't be the same for everyone, but if you know dairy, gluten or any other food isn't kind to you then it's a good idea to cut it out.

❌ COMEDOGENIC INGREDIENTS

Some ingredients are known to block pores, which can make acne worse. Check the ingredients of your skincare and make up to make sure they don't contain comedogenic ingredients. Here's a link to a product ingredient checker, that will highlight comedogenic ingredients.

🥑 FOOD

Anti-inflammatory foods such as oily fish, extra virgin olive oil, turmeric, ginger, green tea, berries, green leafy vegetables, nuts & seeds, high fibre veg can all help to reduce inflammation. It's important to eat a whole food diet, rather than a processed food diet full of preservatives, additives, food dyes, sugar and chemicals that our body struggles to process. Whole foods also help to balance blood sugar…

🍬BLOOD SUGAR

Glucose spikes in the blood lead to inflammation in the body, which can inflame the skin. Balancing blood sugar levels can help to reduce internal inflammation. I'll be focusing on a low glycemic diet and using the hacks I've leant from Zoe and The Glucose Goddess… such as, eating vegetables, protein & fats before carbs, walking after eating, having more protein, savoury breakfasts, using apple cider vinegar before or with meals. I'm also currently using a Freestyle Libre Link to check my glucose levels because I find it super interesting to figure out what foods make my glucose spike! Sugar also raises insulin, which increases testosterone and this affect acne.

💊 SUPPLEMENTS

My focus is always my diet but I'll also be taking a multi-vitamin (includes vitamin d), omega 3, turmeric, magnesium, zinc and probiotics. Probiotics are super important for me as during my operation I was given antibiotics, which can damage the gut microbiome.. Probiotics help to rebuild this. I'll be doing another blog diving into supplements soon!

✋🏼 HANDS OFF

I've always been a skin picker, especially when my skin is inflamed and when I'm stressed. It's a coping mechanism I learnt when I was younger and it's super hard to stop. Currently on day 3! Figuring out my triggers helps me, as well as talking about it with others, having a target with a reward, not looking at my skin too much and having a plan for the times when I'm most likely to do it. Also being kind to myself when I do.

🧘🏻‍♀️ MANAGING STRESS

Stress increases inflammation in the body as well as oxidative stress, raises cortisol, causes hormonal imbalances and depletes the body of zinc, magnesium and selenium, which help to reduce acne. I aim to meditate, journal, do breathing practices and yoga most days to lower my stress levels, as well as making time for creativity and activities that I enjoy. Relaxing yoga, such as Yin, Restorative and Nidra can really help to calm the nervous system. I also aim to GO SLOW. I've already reduced my caffeine intake too, as this can increase cortisol and make me super anxious.

🍊 LESS EXFOLIATION

Lots of products, especially those made specifically for acne, have exfoliating ingredients in. If we're using these every day it's too much for the skin and we can actually damage our skin barrier, which will only make acne worse. Exfoliating a maximum of 3 times a week is healthy for the skin.

🧴 SKINCARE

I'll be focusing on hydrating my skin, gentle exfoliation, building up my skin barrier, protecting my skin with antioxidants and SPF, as well as using active ingredients like retinol and azelaic acid to reduce my acne and scarring. I'll also avoid ingredients like parabens, phalates and fragrances that are known to be damaging to the body - here's a link to the EWG Skin Deep checker to assess whether products contain harmful ingredients. I'll be doing another post on skincare ingredients for acne very soon…

And above all else is having self compassion, knowing my skin is the least interesting thing about me...

As a Skin Specialist, I work with clients to provide personalised, unbiased skin and lifestyle advice and create a plan unique to each individual, to heal their skin. If you're struggling with your skin and would like a friendly ear from someone who knows what it's like and knows how to help, I'd love to hear from you ✨