Never did I ever think I would be the recipient of compliments regarding how nice my skin is.
Never did I ever think I would get to share about how to heal acne scarred skin.
Like … NEVER.
I’ve always had acne. What’s different now is that I know my triggers. I just figured I was doomed to be the woman who would be breaking out like a 15-year-old at 55 years old.
And, I tried everything. Cetaphil, St. Ives apricot scrub (and scrub I did — what adolescent didn’t?), my mom’s Mary Kay scrubs and cleansers. If I remember correctly I think I even tried Proactiv once I had a credit card. The kicker was when I gave “all natural” a try and purchased an entire Aveda skincare line, which made my skin soooo much worse. That was the real bummer. I love their products, and love how they smell, and looooved the idea of having great skin.
For whatever reason, my skin got considerably worse (can you say S-T-R-E-S-S?) after I had our second child. The acne turned more cystic and left terrible scarring. I vividly recall applying concealer in the bathroom for the second or third time that day … and in my peripheral vision saw my beautiful little girls curiously watching me.
They asked why I was covering the red spots on my face. In that moment I knew something needed to shift. I didn’t even subscribe to magazines that would instill in my girls an any level of sexualization, yet here I am covering my face because I didn’t have any self-confidence left.
What’s funny (now) is that I had just been to a one-day Nutrition Response Testing training to do the work for my clients. I felt scarcity and didn’t put myself on a program …until that day in the bathroom with my kids.
That was over 6 years ago and my skin now has a more youthful glow than ever, despite the fact that our youngest didn’t sleep through the night for almost four years. I’ve done several things and fully believe they have all played a part in healing my acne scarred skin.
Nutrition Response Testing
This work showed me that while daily stomach aches and cystic acne were the reasons I ended up in my practitioner’s office, food and metal toxicity along with bacterial and viral challenges were the underlaying causes for my ill health. I took my already clean diet up a couple notches with guidance, and within days noticed a marked difference in that I woke up with no new cystic acne for the first time in years.
I followed the protocol he recommended 100%. This included supplements (and over 6 years later I’m still on a program) drinking filtered water, avoiding all grains, dairy, and fruit for 9 months, and continued chiropractic care and bodywork.
Manage Emotional Stress
What I found the most profound were the transformational tools of Landmark Education and other mindfulness and bodywork resources such as EFT (tapping), energy medicine, acupuncture, yoga, and craniosacral therapy/SomatoEmotional Release.
Essential Oil Support
I began consistent use of essential oils in my life. I enjoy diffusing them and wearing them. One thing my skin loved was adding a drop of frankincense oil (Young Living) and Manuka Oil (Young Living) to my witch hazel in the morning as a toner (in my pre-Beautycounter days).
Stem Cell Extracts
I noticed a significant different in the youthfulness of my skin when I introduced stem cell extracts. I was tested using Nutrition Response Testing for which product I needed, and for me it was kidney support. This is a line I test for in my office because bodies are sooo beat up these days, it’s amazing to see what people need for support to regenerate. I tell our practice members who test for them to allow 6 weeks for noticeable results to take effect.
What happened for me was longer eyelashes, younger skin, and more energy. We love this product and sell it in office.
Beautycounter
I grew up using Mary Kay makeup from my moms cosmetics bag. I never owned much make up of my own, though did experiment in my 20s and 30s with Aveda and brands from our natural foods co-ops. My luck was always poor. My skin was so sensitive and scarred and beat up — it liked nothing.
I had my last baby at 38, so I gifted myself two years later with becoming a Beautycounter consultant. Beautycounter provides us with cleaner, safer skincare and keeps, as a promise, over 1500 chemicals OUT of their product lines. I have never seen a company with such integrity and intention around their cosmetics and skincare.
I started with the charcoal bar and mask, which was an awesome start for my skin. The first skincare line I used was their Countermatch. I loved it and still use the Adaptive Moisturize Lotion daily, though they also released an acne-prone line called Countercontrol, and that has worked well. A diamond in the rough here is the Overnight Resurfacing Peel. I am able to use this several times per week which would NEVER have happened with my sensitive skin in the past.
My skin has healed from scarring, and so long as I keep stress in check, stick with my program, and follow the right foods for me at the moment, it’s all good over here.
The a photo below looks more like a mug shot — it was taken the day my girls asked what I was putting on my skin. You might be able to tell I was at one of the lowest points in my life at that time.
You know those articles and posts on social media about taking pictures of your wife or the mama in your life? Please do it. I went into my photos to find a picture to post below …. and I had to go back MONTHS. If I’m in any photos it’s because I’m 3/4 cut off by the kids, so have none that are just of my current non-mug shot.
