In my mid-twenties, I had to deal with extremely bad acne. We’re talking nice and huge cystic ones, the kind that hurt when you touch your face and scarred even if you don’t. It was painful and embarrassing and all that wonderful stuff that comes along with bad skin.
My instant reaction was to go to the dermatologist, who promptly told me I had a bacterial infection. She actually said, “The bacteria are digesting the oil generated by your skin, and their by-product is clogging up your pores.” Lovely. In a matter of words, I had bacteria fecal matter on my face.
So I took antibiotics for that, and got on a lighter form of Retin-A. I then got on birth control to help regulate my hormones. Everything evened out and life was good.
Fast forward to present day, several years later. I am no longer on birth control, I am on my way to being a certified health coach, and my face has once again broken out. This time I’m hesitant to take antibiotics because I know that isn’t truly solving the problem. Especially given where I am breaking out (under the jaw), it is an indicator of a hormonal inbalance.
Instead of killing the symptoms, I want to figure out the root of the problem. What is going on with me that my body feels like it has to react in this crazy way?
I am instead trying my best to solve this holistically, which means:
- exercising more – this will help drain my lymphatic system and get all the bad toxins out
- drinking more water
- eating more greens
- taking more omega-3 supplements to reduce inflammation
- creating my own cleansing oil combinations that consist of grapeseed, jojoba, and tea tree oils. Another one is grapeseed and jojoba oils as the base with grapefruit and bergamot essential oils. After application, I use a warm washcloth to wipe everything off
- using honey as a face mask
- using sheep’s milk yogurt and nutmeg as my at-home microdermabrasion/exfoliation mixture
Most people, including me at first, are extremely skeptical about putting more oil on the face as a cleanser. It goes against all reasoning. But it is a scientific phenomenon that like dissolves like, and if you choose the right oils, you can clean your face more effectively.
The benefits of grapeseed oil are that it is a light, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergen, acne-reductive, and moisture-retentive. It decreases drying out your face, which can lead to more acne breakouts.
I have also tried castor oil with almond oil, and I do not recommend it – it definitely clogged up my pores. I believe this happened because my skin is already too oily, so I needed to go with something lighter. If you have extremely dry skin, this may be the right combo for you.
Tea tree, grapefruit, and bergamot essential oils are both astringent and anti-septic, so this helps kill any bacteria on your face.
Honey is antimicrobial and draws moisture into the face, so this seems like a win-win to me.
I have friends who swear up and down on the virtues of the benefits of grapeseed oil as a cleanser, and honey as a daily mask, and so I have excitedly jumped on this bandwagon too. I ultimately want clean, affordable, and natural skincare products that I trust. If you look at expensive beauty products, they often include these ingredients.
So, I’ve been actively doing this regimen for the last eight days, and I’m optimistic that I will have good results. I’ll keep you guys posted, and hopefully will have some good before-and-after pics!
To happy zit-free skin,
