I’ve been hesitant to make this post for a number of months now…
Why?
Because my skin, especially during it’s bad stages, is something that is extremely personal to me.
But, if you’re anything like me when my skin was at it’s worst, you are desperate for any advice or miracle products, just anything that will improve your skin. So, my hopes are that by sharing my experience in clearing my acne, my story might be helpful for at least one person struggling with the same thing.
I really think that only people who have acne can relate to what it feels like to have troubled skin. I struggled with acne for nearly five years, and I can honestly say that it has been one of the hardest challenges I’ve faced in my life. Having one or two pimples isn’t that bad, but experiencing acne is somehow entirely different. It effects a person on a deep, self-conscious level like nothing else. No matter what you do- cover it up with makeup, wash your face constantly, invest in expensive products- it seems impossible to get rid of. For me, five years seemed like an eternity, and one point I couldn’t even imagine having “clear skin” because it seemed so far out of reach. So, if you have acne, or even just periods of troubled skin, please read my experience, because I was able to achieve clear skin (for the most part) through a lot of trial and error.
During the winter of 2015 I decided that I was completely fed up with looking in the mirror and disliking my skin to point of immense insecurity, so I made some drastic changes. Now, about one and a half years later, I can testify that three main things radically improved my skin. Today I will be talking about the affects of diet on my skin, and over the course of this week I will go in-depth into facial treatments that have improved my skin and my product recommendations.
My diet
On January 1st of 2016 I made the drastic decision to eliminate all gluten, dairy, refined sugar and fried foods from my diet. I also got a blood test which showed that I am allergic to eggs and most nuts, which I then cut out of my diet as well. At first I was very strict to the point where I wouldn’t even eat honey or real maple syrup. After about four months of eating a clean diet I began reaping the benefits. I noticed major improvements in my skin tone and texture, and I also slimmed down without even having that intention. I cannot stress enough the importance that diet plays in our health, especially the health of our skin, which is the largest organ of the body.
About six months ago, I began taking Great Lakes Gelatin Collagen. Collagen offers so many benefits for the hair, skin, nails, gut and overall health. I swear by the powdered collagen that I use because I truly feel like it has improved my skin’s elasticity, texture and tone dramatically. Not to mention, I notice my hair to be much healthier, thicker, and shinier when I take it on a regular basis. I cannot recommend the Great Lakes gelatin collagen enough, and I would encourage everyone to buy some for themselves. It literally makes your skin glow.
Yes, eliminating staple foods from your diet may seem daunting and impossible, but after eating the way I do for over a year now, I can say that it is so extremely rewarding. My recommendation would be to start with at least one food group you’d like to cut out, see how it makes you feel, and then proceed from there. After reading countless articles on how food effects acne, I would highly recommend eliminating all forms of dairy from your diet, for at least two weeks, and see if your skin improves at all. If you do decide to make a change in your diet in hopes to clear up your troubled skin, just know that it does not happen overnight, and like any other medicine, it takes time to see the results.
Since starting my diet, I have now altered it in a sustainable way that is not quite as strict as I used to be, just because my skin is nowhere as bad as it was. I consider myself to live out a healthy lifestyle, which means listening to my body and not depriving myself of foods that my body craves. However, I still follow the no gluten, dairy and refined sugar for the most part.
I’ve also found so many other pros to eating my specialized diet. I used to have the biggest sweet tooth, and now that I don’t let myself indulge in processed, sugary treats, I don’t crave them as much. I never feel bloated after my meals, and best of all, I never feel guilty after eating something “bad”. The best advice I can give to someone who wants to make the change is to always have healthy alternatives and snacks on hand for when those cravings do hit. I will be doing a post on my favorite health food snacks very soon so stay tuned for that.
Diet played a large role in the clearing of my skin, but throughout the same time period I was consistently getting facial treatments and using special products on my face. I will be delving deeper into those topics in my upcoming posts.
Pictures:
December, 2015
January 7, 2016
January 14, 2016
February 1, 2016
February 8, 2016
February 18, 2016
March 12, 2016
Current without makeup (May, 2017)







Thanks for reading, please let me know if this post was at all helpful for you. If you have any tips or advice regarding skin or acne, feel free to leave them below, I am always interested in reading what others’ have to say.
Stick around for my follow up posts on skincare products and facial treatments. xoxo
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Read my previous blog post: Life’s a Rollercoaster