So I made a post in March 2017 concerning my use of L-Lysine. After about 2 weeks or so I noticed the left side of my face was breaking out terribly so I quite. After, I stuck to my eating habits and by the summer time I was (and still am) vegan.
Here is where it gets a bit interesting....
Over the summer, I decided this would be my time to finally CURE my acne. I saw a dermatologist in the spring who prescribed me a benzyol peroxide wash, retin-A, a lotion, and of course birth control. I knew going into my first dermatologist visit that this would happen. I was excited to take the birth control pill until I found myself watching YouTube videos of other girls explaining how bad their acne became once they stopped taking it. Iended up purchasing the pills (before watching these videos)and never took them.
Instead, I ate well and used the topical medication I was prescribed. The topical medicine irritated my skin badly; the retina-A burned my skin even though I was wearing sunscreen everyday and my only expoureto sun was the 5 minute walks I take to my classes. I then decided to stop the treatment and find another solution.
Note: My acne is moderate, but in times of stress or when Im approachiing ovulation my skin likes to break out horrendously. I never breakout on my forehead. My breakouts are on the chin and lower cheeks.
So as summer came, I knew I needed to do something because I have been struggling with acne (and dark marks) since I was in high school, specifically 9th grade (Im a junior in college now). I looked for other options and came across the homeopathic options. Seeing so many people online talk about gut health and the importance of what you put inside of your body changed my few of acne. I always knew this was an issue that cant be fixed topically, but I didnt know the extent of how much our food choices, lifestyle, stress levels, etc impacted our skin.
After this, I made an appointment with a naturopath. I was planning a trip out of the country so I saw her and immediately left for my trip. She prescribed me asulfur soap and an ointment called, Emuaid, to use while I was away. It wouldnt be until I came back when I would start supplementation.On my trip, MY SKIN WAS THE BEST IT HAD EVER BEEN IN THE LONGEST I COULD REMEMBER! I was eating all simple carbohydrates (white rice)and lots of fruit. I traveled to a country where everything consumed is grown and/or killedright infront of you. I was also exposed to the sun a lot and I was constantly moving around. My mom, who never hasagain positive to say about my skin, told me my skin looked so much better after I came back from my trip. I honestly believe that eating food with absolutely no trace of synthetic ingredients and being in an environment where everything is 100% natural benefited my body tremendously. I was also on my cycle during the trip and I didnt break out like I do when I am home!!!!
AfterI returned from my trip, my skin was still doing well. I used the sulfur wash and ointment on my face, I was eating a plant based diet, and I began exercising every week. I went to my naturopath and she gave me a few supplementsonce she checked my hormones. My hormones were normal, but my testosterone was higher than the accepted range which was something I expected. The increase was present, but it wasnt drastic.
Fast forward to the fall of 2017, I continued with my eating habits, exercise, supplements, etc. My skin was still doing so well, and I couldnt believe. My skin wouldnt even break out when my cycle approached, andmy menstral cramps were gone (I have always had theworst cramps so this was exciting and unexpected).
Ihave recently decided to get into amore organic routine. I replaced many products such as deodorant, toothpaste, body wash, etc with better more natural products. I thought that since my skinwas doing so well that I could easily switch my skincare up too.
January of 2018, I began oil cleaning and purchased from ahigh quality natural skincare brand. I used Seabuckthorn oil from this company. I didnt read one negative comment online so I decided to try it out. I also used a natural sunscreen and vitamin C serum. The first week was fine, and now my SKIN IS THE WORST I HAVE SEEN IN A WHILE.I tried to wait for 2 weeks to allow time for the products,but I was breaking out horribly; I knew this wasnt purging because I was breaking out in places like my forehead. Iam now breaking out all over my jawline and chin.
I want to blame the product, but I noticed the I am approching my cycle. I am just at a loss;I have never experienced such breakouts before. My actual jawline is COVERED. This signals hormonal imbalances. Also, I have a ton ofwhiteheads or blackheads around my mouth and chin. I have 4-5 huge pimples on my forehead that do not seem to get better at all.
Currently, I am back on my old routine. I cant tell if it is working or not, but I hope it does. I just wanted to share my experience thus far; I hope others who have gone through similar experiences became better with time. I have read a lot of stories on this site where people with negative oil cleaning experiences say their skin hasnt recovered! This worries me, but Im hoping everything will be alright. I think the combination of new organic products and the fact my cycle was approaching made for the best place for acne to begin. Additionally, stress is always and sadly a factor!
oil cleansing is not for everyone. i would definitely stick to your old routine and give it a few weeks to a few months. So sorry you are going through this. Also, sometimes the body does not process too many changes at once and you have made plenty. Maybe try changes one at a time, a few weeks a part to give your body time to adjust.
Definitely stay away from the antibiotics. It can take months for skin to rebalance so keep at it. Also, even though you are vegan, make sure that you are eating as healthy as possible with minimal processed foods. Stress reduction and exercise is important too.
One note i will make about natural products and remedies in general is that synthetic is not always bad. Some people chuck the baby with the bath water. There is nothing wrong with approaching acne on both a natural and medicinal front. The emphasis should be on natural but it topicals can move you along, why not use it.
Keep us posted!
Thank you for the advice! I really appreciate it. As of recently, my diet has been very clean. I dont consume any processed foods, added sugars, added oils etc. This includes drinks (water and kombucha are all I consume). I make everything I eat at home. My diet has been this way since I became vegan because I believe you can enter this lifestyle and continue to eat unhealthy.
Concerning my skin, it has gotten a lot better, but Im still breaking out (mildly). It is definitely not as bad as it was in late January. The breakouts are very small, and they diminish ina week or less. However, my pores are still clogged from the past horrendous breakout. Im not sure if this is something that will recover on its own or if I have to physically do something about it (see a specialist to unclog my pores maybe). My pores have never been so badly clogged so I am worried.
Other aspects that I have implemented aresleep, consistent exercise (stopped during the holidays, butnow I exercise at least 3 days a week), and supplements.I have been trying to get at least 7 hours or more. I am a student so I tend to stay up late at night studying which is something I did all last year...running off of 5-6 hours of sleep if I was lucky. Im taking a few supplements, some old and some new. The new ones consist of primose oil (I breakout the worst before my cycle and noticed that my previous breakout was associated with my cycle as well as the skin products I was using), vitamin e, and seliumn.
Concering other options, I will need to do more research if this doesnt help. I believe a lot of skin issues stem from internal sources. I just wish there was a medical option,thatI knew of,that is safe,doesnt create and/or cause harm to other areas of the body, and targeted the root cause of the issue rather than alleviating the symptoms.