Healing Acne from the Inside Out

To sum up acne: can scar you outside and inside. I have experienced some range of acne from mild to severe at different times in my life and have tried countless ways to combat it. I have to applaud acne for teaching me how to love myself and accept the skin that I am in. Acne (and my Mom) have ultimately taught me that “it’s what’s on the inside that matters.”

I want to focus on my personal transition in acne treatment from my medical and pharmaceutical approach to my present gentle, natural approach and how it has made all the difference in my complexion and my emotional wellbeing.

I grew up with the adopted mindset that if you have a problem, you see a doctor and the doctor will proscribe you medicine, so you take it. So here I am seeing the local dermatologist for the first time as a teenager. I was proscribed my first generic Benzoyl Peroxide cleanser and topical ointment. The cleanser over-dried my skin resulting in peeling skin to the point where it had no choice but to overproduce excess pore clogging oil to compensate for the dryness. Not to mention the topical ointment straight up burned my skin right off. I continually tried some combination of some over-drying cleanser with some new spot treatment where the first ingredient is rubbing alcohol over and over.

The routine: fantasizing that some dermatologist would cure me, seeing the dermatologist, prescribed medication doesn't work, ending up in worse shape with more frustration. The frustration ranged from mild pimple popping to essentially mutilating my poor face via exfoliation. I even had an experience where my frustration with my blackheads mounted to the point that I scrubbed my face with a dry towel until I bled. The pain was significant but I kept scrubbing the burning fibers against my raw chin as if once it healed it would be perfect new skin and I would be better. But fuck, did I really harm myself. The scabs were hideous and the inflammation was severe. I couldn’t look at myself without crying and actually stayed in my room for four straight days until it was healed enough to cover. It was dark and ugly time but it was an important journey for me. I had spent 21 years hating my skin in front of the bathroom mirror and that was the last time I would let it go that far.

After much soul searching, I decided that I was happy with how I felt about me. I had defeated the urge to use the magnifying mirror, and I truly loved the human I was. It was then that I decided I can love and accept the way I look but still want to get better. So I got back to work looking for a solution to acne. This time I would be gentle on myself, because I wasn’t desperate anymore and didn’t need the instant chemical fix. This is the foundation of all of my acne advising - loving yourself first. Healing yourself second. I firmly believe you must come to a place of emotional acceptance with your skin before you can embark on healing it on the outside. Because your self-worth cannot depend on the state of your acne. Your self-love must remain constant throughout all stages of your skin’s health.

The more I educated myself about healing acne from a more natural prospective I began to learn about treating acne from the inside out. Acne can be caused by many different internal and external factors, but for me, it is hormonal and inflammatory. Inflammation can be due to diet and/or environment. There are endless natural remedies to reduce inflammation in the body. The first step is to reduce intake of inflammatory foods. My diet shows up on my face. I noticed that when I drank more water and ate less dairy and sugar, my skin was clearer. Natural supplements were another step I took toward detoxifying my body and my skin. The single-herb Neem supports detox in the body and promotes immunity to free radicals and toxins. “Neem is often called the holy tree because of its applications to the immune system. Ayurveda suggests applications spanning from blood cleanser to detox support and the radiance of skin.” - Himalaya. The detoxifying, cleansing herb is from India. I have been taking the detoxifying Ayurvedic herb internally each night for a little over two months and have noticed a substantial difference in the improvement of my acne. Other beneficial supplements for acne are zinc, vitamin A, fish oil, and evening primrose oil.

Last but not least my topical breakthrough. Oil cleansing, naturally enzymatic exfoliants from papaya, a gentle non-drying cleanser, and a witch hazel toner are just the start. I moisturize with argan oil, and other natural formulas rich in earth derived herbal and floral ingredients. Some of my favorite ingredients for acne-prone skin are lavender, tea tree, calamine, chamomile, rose water, and honey. Tea tree and honey are antimicrobial and rose water and lavender are calming. Chamomile, honey, and oatmeal are possibly the most gentle ingredients you could possibly have on your face.

To sum up healing acne: it’s possible, if you go slowly, accept what comes up, be patient, and love yourself the whole time.