Luckily I have been blessed with decent skin. I do not have cystic acne nor have I ever had to deal with anything like that. I do, however, have mild acne and extremely sensitive skin. I tend to break out in hives and weird bumps when I come in contact with certain detergents or fragrances. I also was diagnosed with granuloma annulare when I was 15 years old.
When It Started
When puberty hit, I probably had a pimple or two--nothing my mom couldn’t fix with a little rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip, but throughout middle school and high school (like most of my classmates my age) I began getting mild acne here and there.
This was probably a number of things, including sweat (I played sports year round), genetics, hormone changes, my skin's sensitivity, diet, etc. I simply dealt with the acne by using face wash, lotion, and rubbing alcohol occasionally.
Turn For The Worst
My acne turned for the worst during my fall semester of my freshman year of college. I constantly had pimples, and never had a single day where my skin got a break from stress and sweat.
The women in my family tend to get acne around their mouth and chin and according to the many “acne charts” I have looked up, acne in this region is simply due to hormones and can be caused during ovulation.
I tried to take oral birth control but I seemed to get every side effect imaginable and it really did do much for my acne. At this point I simply felt there was nothing I could do but grin and bear it while trying to use makeup to cover it up.
As most of us do, I picked, and picked, and picked some more. I mean no one wants those nasty white heads popping out when we are out and about in public! Unfortunately picking leads to scars and dark spots that are just as terrible if not worse since they stay much longer than the dreaded white head. (Click here for the right way to pop pimples)
Some Hope
One thing that did seemed to always help was the sun. During the summer, my skin would clear up drastically and I started tanning occasionally to help as well. Yes, I know the risks of tanning, but I couldn't bear having a face full of pimples any longer.
During my spring semester of my second year of college I went through an extremely healthy period. I did not eat anything processed. I simply ate clean foods whenever I was hungry and I drank a ton of water.
After a couple of months of this process my skin began to look more vibrant and glowing. I was still using the same skin care products I had always used- Clean & Clear morning burst. I still had pimples most of the time, just a little less than I had had.
Right Now
I still try to eat as clean as possible and drink a lot of water (it helps that I am a college athlete and need these things to be successful as well).
A couple of months ago I decided to try an acne scar treatment you could make yourself with honey and lemon juice. The treatment actually did seem to lighten my scars quite a bit, but didn’t do anything with the new acne.
Remember all this time I am still using face wash, acne spot treatments, lotions, etc.
About four or five months ago my mom called me after she attended a Norwex party at a friends house. Norwex is an all-natural company that promotes healthy, toxic-free cleaning products. She was so excited about the all-natural cleaning products for her home she could hardly stand it. It was a cloth that simply wiped up any mess you could imagine and all you had to do was rinse it off and hang it to dry. It has a very extreme microfiber stitching that picks up all the bacteria off of a surface. (Click here for complete Norwex cloth description.)
She then told me they make products for your body and face. The clothes’ stitching allows it to pick up dirt and grime off your face and body, naturally exfoliating it without spreading it around like a normal cloth would.
I was really excited to try the product out since I was excited to try anything new that could potentially keep my acne at bay.
After just a week of using the clothes, I could tell a difference. My face seemed to glow more and my acne would die down once I wiped it with the cloth. I no longer used acne wash now but I still used lotion.
Once I started using the clothes the "all-natural" thought hit me. I wonder if there are people who use absolutely no products on their face?
As I researched I found tons and tons of blogs and testimonies of people who claimed it changed their life. One quote that stood out to me was “why put something on your skin that you wouldn’t put in your body?” This was a wake-up call to me. Our skin is our largest organ. I felt as if I had been poisoning it/myself this entire time.
I stopped using moisturizer and began researching more methods of organic, do-it-yourself skin care. I started using my Norwex only and I noticed my skin didn’t seem to be as dry, so the need for moisturizer decreased as well, although I replaced my moisturizer with aloe vera. Not the store bought aloe vera, but I bought an actual aloe plant for my home (it is so easy to take care of) and would directly apply it to my face when I needed a little extra moisture. I still used the honey and lemon mask from time to time.
I recently stumbled upon coffee scrub on Pinterest. I immediately took an interest to this topic because I have followed some people on Instagram who use a product called frank’s coffee scrub to help with stretch marks, cellulite, and scars. I decided I would try the coffee scrub out. I decided to go with a recipe that claimed it was a “frank’s body scrub DIY.”
I used the scrub on my entire body and my face and it felt absolutely amazing. My skin had never felt so soft and smooth. Not to mention it began making my scars and stretch marks disappear!
My routine transitioned to using my Norwex on my entire body and then every other day using my coffee scrub. My acne was disappearing and my skin was radiant.
I will never go back to using skin care products on my skin. I have now starting to think about making my own shampoo and conditioner, and even toothpaste. Don't poison yourself with all the sulfates and parabens!
