One of my FAV topics to talk about is…..acne. OMG you too? Yay!

Seriously, in the spirit of helping a sister out, I do LOVE to talk all things skin care with anyone who will listen. After experiencing years of severe cystic acne throughout high school and again in early adult years, I know how damaging it can be to your self esteem.

I’m the girl who started skipping school because I was too embarrassed about my face. I’m that girl nobody would sit next to on the bus because I had ‘pizza face’ as one kid so politely put it. Yup it hurts.

I COULD tell you that all you need are essential oils to clear up blemish prone skin but that would be a lie because in order to attain clear skin, we need to look at our body as a whole and how the Gut Skin Axis plays a role.

What you eat has a dramatic impact on the quality of your skin and no amount of essential oils is going to solve the nutritional deficiencies, gut dysbiosis and imbalances that can set the stage for breakouts.

It wasn’t until I addressed my gut issues and adopted a strict paleo diet that my skin began to clear up after YEARS of frustration, Roaccutane (landed me in hospital), Antibiotics (WTF) and Treatments of all sorts.

Oh the irony of being placed on antibiotics which only create more disharmony in our gut micro-biome and create further skin chaos. Antibiotics are the enemy, please run for the hills when your GP suggests them as a solution for acne.

As for the joy of Roaccutane.…..holy moly was that an experience or what. I honestly thought my face was falling off. Things get REALLY bad before they get better on Roaccutane. I had great big scabs of skin on my face so dry it hurt to smile. Every morning without fail I would get a blood nose and sometimes those blood noses just wouldn’t stop. I remember this one day so clearly, I was sitting in the empty bath with a bucket to spit out the giant clots of blood that were running down my throat. It just wouldn’t stop. So after an hour of waiting it out we headed to hospital to have a giant tampon apparently infused with some kind of blood stemming powder which I had to leave in for a whole week. It was horrific.

Then you have the years of damage to your liver and gut to clean up and fix. Don’t do Roaccutane.

Don’t get me wrong, essential oils play a HUGE role in the health of your skin and are integral to your skin care regime but they aren’t going to fix a crappy diet.

1. Remove dairy, gluten and refined sugars from your diet.
These cause inflammation, create blood sugar imbalances and degrade the health of your gut. Gut dysbiosis is a big contributing factor to poor skin health.

2. Eating a whole food, organic diet that is rich in plant matter, Vitamin C, Zinc and Vitamin A which are all the usual nutrient deficiencies that can lead to acne. Fatty acids and fermented foods can have such an amazingly positive impact on your skin, you will be astonished so be sure to include plenty of them. Ditch all things processed once and for all.

3. The Pill does not solve your skin problems. It makes them worse. This is purely a bandaid solution and does sweet jack all for the underlying issues causing your skin concerns which is a hormone imbalance. The Pill does not regulate your hormones, it manufactures a false, completely synthesised cycle that only creates further hormone mayhem.

4. Polycystic Ovaries (PCOS) is characterised by high Testosterone levels and insulin resistance which can lead to acne in women. This is largely managed supremely well through adopting a Paleo, low carb diet and your OILS! If you want to know where your hormones stand exactly- you need to do a DUTCH Test which is something a trusted Functional Practitioner can organise for you.

5. Go Chemical Free. How many products are you using on your face? Are you using bleach, petroleum, alcohols and synthetic chemicals on your skin which are commonly found in all the big name products such as Cetaphil and Proactive. Throw them all out because they are loaded with Endocrine Disruptors that create hormone mayhem big time.

Here’s what you are going to do instead…….

Try Oil Cleansing!

Argan oil, Hemp seed oil, Rosehip, Tamanu or Jojoba oil are generally the best oils to use when doing the Oil Cleansing Method for blemish prone skin. All of these can be easily purchased off iHerb or from your favourite health food store.

Simply take 100ml of your chosen base oil (or a combination of base oils) and pour it in a glass pump bottle along with 5 drops each of Lavender, Tea Tree, Copaiba and Frankincense. Manūka would be a really great oil to use in this blend too.

These essential oils have incredible skin calming, anti inflammatory, antimicrobial, balancing and nourishing properties that support blemish prone skin well.

Massage a small amount (about a 50 cent piece sized amount) of your oil cleansing blend onto dry skin for about 2 minutes before gently wiping off with a warm face cloth. That’s it guys. No expensive products needed, just your essential oils and base oils.

Oil Cleansing won’t make your skin oilier or clog pores. Instead it’s going to normalise sebum production and regulate the bacteria levels on the skin.

The basic idea behind oil cleansing is the “dissolution theory—or, more simply ‘like dissolves like’” which basically means that “oil is able to dissolve and remove substances with a similar chemical structure which includes dirt, oil, and makeup.

Most anti-acne cleansers on the market (even those geared toward sensitive or dry skin) are filled with irritating ingredients, alcohols and chemicals that strip your skin of its natural oils. When your skin is stripped or irritated, it over-produces oil, leading to more clogged pores, blackheads, and big-ass pimples.

Oil Cleansing is all about healing, nourishing and protecting the skin. When done properly and consistently, the OCM can clear the skin from issues like oily skin, dry skin, sensitive skin, blackheads, whiteheads and other problems caused by mild to moderate acne–while leaving your skin healthy, balanced and properly moisturised.