Acne Awareness Month
Did you know that June is #AcneAwarenessMonth?
My relationship with acne started over 22 years ago when I was just 10 years old. I struggled with it all the way throughout my teenage years and it's what led me to become an esthetician back in 2006. Here are the top 3 things I'm grateful to have learned from my acne:
1) ACNE DOESN'T ALWAYS EQUAL POOR HYGIENE. There's a tendency to want to over-strip the skin with harsh cleansing agents because acne used to be marketed as a form of uncleanliness. Some congestion could be caused for poor cleansing technique but typically there are many different internal causes of acne. Most acne needs to be treated with simple ingredients for inflammation. Every time I get a break-out now, it is my reminder to be gentle and simple with my skin.
2) ACNE RESPONDS BEST TO ROUTINE. All of my clients who are committed to their skincare routine are or were acne sufferers. For some people who have never experienced skin imbalances until later in life, it can be difficult to build a routine or develop intuitive skin health skills simply because they never had to. Don't worry, with the right support you can learn this skill at any time. I'm personally grateful that my acne helped me learn how to care for my skin at a young age.
3) ACNE GUIDES YOU TO EXPLORE ALL AREAS OF YOUR HEALTH THAT MAY NEED SUPPORT. As frustrating as it can be to do such an extensive evaluation of your health when we let our acne guide us to that inner exploration we can often find an area of our health that needs some support and attention. Asking myself "what is breakout telling me?" has helped me uncover nutrition depletions, imbalances in my cycle, or just a general need to exercise more and sleep better. With the support of a health team including a naturopath, acupuncturist, facialist, and/or dermatologist - you can uncover great insights about your health through your skin. Something that I've been quite grateful for in the past, even if my initial reaction to my acne was embarrassment or shame.
What has your journey with acne taught you about yourself? Comment below and click here for more articles on ACNE.
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