What other solutions helped me on my journey to getting off the pill and fixing my skin?
A good wholesome plant-based diet
This won’t come as a surprise. I can’t stress enough how important it is to nourish your body with food that comes from the earth that isn't full of chemicals and processed sugar.
Even if you are not vegan or vegetarian, try to avoid processed food and refined sugars. This will make a huge difference.
Try to include in your diet more seeds, nuts, legumes and fresh veggies.
No sugar
Refined sugar is our number one enemy when it comes to health. Besides leading to heart diseases, increasing the risk of Type 2 diabetes, accelerating aging, etc. it also causes skin breakouts and acne.
Avoiding sugar has been one of the most challenging parts of this journey. Every time I was craving it I had to remind myself about the reason I was doing all this. In the end, it is just not worth it.
Drink a lot of water
Staying hydrated is extremely important for our bodies. This is what gives us life.
If you don’t drink enough water during the day, the skin is the first organ to suffer from it.
Make sure to drink at least 2 liters per day. And remember that when you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated and you are late. I carry a reusable bottle of water everywhere I go and I always keep it on the desk when I am working.
Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar was used as a natural remedy for health problems for a very long period of time. I incorporated it into my daily routine about a year ago. I mix it with water and drink it on an empty stomach every morning.
This has helped to not only clear out my skin but also improved my digestion and reduced bloating.
This is the one I’ve been using.
Probiotics
I can’t stress enough how important your gut health is. If you have an imbalance in your gut, it prevents your body from absorbing and using the nutrients from your food, it also makes it difficult for your body to fight off viruses and infection. Probiotics will keep your gut healthy so you never need to worry about this. Probiotics will also reduce inflammation and help to get rid of the toxins which will have a beneficial effect on your skin.
You can either choose to buy them in capsules or you can include the following products in your diet: tempeh, kefir, yogurt, pickled veggies, miso, kimchi.
Less stress
It is no secret that stress is not good for us. Stress hormones affect all your hormones in general and this can cause breakouts.
Find the things that bring stress and anxiety into your life and see what changes you can make to minimise and eventually fully remove them.
Sun and saltwater
I feel like it can be very personal, as I’ve heard people say that saltwater dries out their skin. However, I feel that it has had a positive impact on my skin. Have you ever taken a dip in the ocean and noticed how quickly any cuts and scratches heal after? The ocean is full of bacteria that can help us heal. It will have the same effect on your face skin, especially if you picked any of the pimples.
The sun helps our body to produce vitamin D and serotonin, which is associated with lifting up our mood, relaxation and stress decrease.
But remember that everything is good in moderation.
Good sleep
I feel like this goes together with having less stress in your life. Sleep is the time when your body and mind rest and recover. A healthy amount of sleep is considered 8 hours per night. I know it is not always possible but it is all about balance. If one night you sleep less than you catch up the next night.
Having a good night of sleep by itself won’t cure your acne but in combination with other things from this list, it can do wonders.
No touching of the face
Most of the time we are doing this without even noticing. But imagine all the bacteria you are transferring from your hands onto your already inflamed skin. This is not good for your skin, try to avoid it as much as possible.
Use a clean towel
The same goes for using a clean face towel. Try to change it at least every 3 days but preferably every day. I suggest buying a set of small towels that will be used for face only, not even for your hands.
This oil has a great anti-inflammatory effect. When I feel that I am about to get a pimple, I apply tea tree oil on that spot and it reduces the redness and sometimes the pimple won’t even come out. I also find that it helps to prevent and reduce scarring and leave my skin smooth and soft.
This is another great natural solution for scaring. I like applying it overnight. I only do it on the area where I have breakouts and I find that in the morning my skin looks much less inflamed.
Celery juice
Celery juice has a huge detoxifying and strengthening effect on our bodies. And naturally having less toxins in your body will have a positive effect on your skin. Celery juice is also high in sodium which raises stomach acids and it helps us to digest and to break down food fast. As a result, this leads to a healthy gut which we all know now has direct connection to the quality of our skin.
Why hemp seed oil? Because it helps to moisturize our skin without clogging it and it is suitable for most skin types. Dryness can cause your skin to overproduce oil and this leads to more breakouts.
