In Pursuit of Healing Adult Acne (Meet Terri)

This year I’m turning 30. I was hopeful that by now my skin would be lovely and clear and my acne troubles would be a thing of the past, but unfortunately not…

Skin has always been a bit of a touchy subject for me. During my teenage years when zits and spots were a kind of coming-of-age normality, I had pretty clear skin. But in a cruel twist of fate (or likelier due to lifestyle factors and hormone imbalances) I got horrible acne in my 20s, during university. You know it’s bad when three layers of foundation won’t cover it and your fellow students actually say to you, ‘Ouch, that looks sore.’

Yeah it sucks having zits as an adolescent, but fast forward to the present and try sitting in a business meeting with a big whitehead pusing out of your chin, or walking down the aisle with what feels like a giant crater in your forehead (not that marriage is on the cards, but I can just imagine how the scene would play out!). People tell me that oily, acne-prone skin like mine ages well… sorry, but this is little comfort to me, as I don’t give a rats about being the hottest piece of arse in the retirement home – I want clear skin now! Rant over…

It’s frustrating because I feel like I’ve tried just about every remedy on the market to overcome my skin issues (I’m talking white and blackheads, redness, dryness, oiliness, clogged pores and dark spots – all the fun stuff!). I’ve drank horrible-tasting potions from naturopaths, applied bleach-laden creams to my face and swallowed harsh drugs prescribed by dermatologists. Admittedly, the hard-core drugs cleared my skin up beautifully, but the moment I’d stop taking them my skin would revert back to its old ways, so it was really only a band-aid effect.

So as my 30th birthday approaches, I’m committed to trying a new approach to improving my skin:

• No longer will I hurt it with chemical laden products, instead I will nourish it with 100% natural, organic products.
• I will clean up my diet by incorporating more plant-based foods, juices and smoothies and aim to cut the sugary processed crap (aside from the odd chocolate, coffee or vino splurge – life’s for living after all!).
• I’ll try to flush my skin and improve circulation through regular exercise (this shouldn’t be too hard as I’m a pretty active, outdoorsy type anyway).
• I’ll aim to improve my digestive system, because the more I read about ‘gut health’ the more I think this could be an underlying factor for my breakouts (not quite sure how to do this yet, but will keep you posted).

Wish me luck!

Terri x

 

Ed’s Note: Terri is the newest contributor to Eco Beauty Editor. Stay tuned for her eco beauty reviews and find out more about the adventure-loving Aussie in her bio below.