WHAT WE KNOW:
SKIN TYPE: Oily/ Combination
PRONE TO:
ACNE – usually food/ stress/ late nights make it worse
INFECTIONS – fungal/ bacterial (Candida infections)
ASHY/ GREY LOOKING SKIN – patchy/ uneven skin tone
SOME MILIA – not too bad (tiny white bumps near eyes)
BUMPS ON THIGHS – folliculitis (from living in yoga pants and tights)
From the previous blogs we now kinda see how and why I turned to more natural or less processed ingredients in my skincare and especially what I gave up – all time favorites like oil free products, getting squeaky clean, washing and washing and cleaning and cleaning…. We now look at some of the other changes I made and what my skincare routine looks like now.
THE OTHER CHANGES I MADE:
I have CFS, probably candida related, the other changes I made were: cutting down on sugar – this was a big one because - 2 sugars with every cup of tea.
SLEEPING! SLEEPING REGULARLY!!! I tried (not always successfully) to get into a routine especially sleeping. I’ve never been someone who could be up all night and then look good the next day. So I stopped doing that completely. I try a minimum of 7 hours every night, I try very very hard.
DIET: What worked personally for me – eating more nuts, I don’t really love them particularly but I had seen the difference healthy fats made to my skin and I just added this to my diet. I didn’t see any weight gain, I still stay the same weight.
I love fruits & veggies so that has always been to my advantage.
When the changes were happening, I just felt good, I had energy and not terrible skin, I did have to stick to a skincare routine but the rest of it required less work.
I had successful makeup free days – I could ditch the concealer.
Looking back now – it’s now been a couple of years with a few setbacks (old habits returning); I can see how it very gradually changed, for the first few months it’s difficult to notice but after that when it all comes together, it really can be amazing.
PRODUCTS I USE & WHY I THINK IT WORKS
It’s always a journey but I now had identified most of my triggers and was on my way to making it better.
WHAT WAS I LOOKING FOR:
I needed Natural alternatives, Natural antifungals, antibacterials to target breakouts, healthy fats to help my skin recover its natural glow. With healthy fats I was looking to prevent my skin from overproducing oil/ sebum which would manage both the dehydrated, dull appearance and the greasiness.
Wanting to try something which didn’t have any harsh chemicals, wasn’t overly preserved I slowly changed my skincare routine to what it is now.
DAILY – SKINCARE ROUTINE
During the day: Regular moisturizer, makeup, Formula 5 on breakouts if I don’t have any important stuff – formula 5 will leave a shiny spot
Nightly routine:
This doesn’t change, and is super super important. This affects what my skin will look like when I wake up and it’s something I stick with religiously.
Remove makeup
Cleanse/ Shower
Moisturize
Godmother all over face and on any areas with acne/ bumps/ redness like back especially in the (maybe because of my hair) arms or legs, sometimes neck (under my chin). When I wax/ shave.
Formula 5 on any breakouts
2 – 3 TIMES A WEEK:
Dry powder mask with Neem for acne (Not launched yet)
Timeless : Facial Serum
Glo : Body Oil
WEEKLY SKINCARE ROUTINE:
Cocola Polish – for body, I regularly exfoliate every week, sometimes more often, helped with the bumps on bum and thighs because I love wearing tights/ yoga pants.
Dry mask as a pick me up before a dinner date (help bring circulation back into my skin to brighten and glow)
SOMETIMES:
Cocola Polish – For face - Not very regular with this if I’ve been using the dry masks regularly
NEVER EVER… leave without the core, the basic foundation of your skincare. After all what my skin looks like affects what I might feel like in the morning… We all have it, our skin fix, what we need when our skin is freaking out… what makes everything better
For skincare I could never ever do without Godmother and Formula 5. I travel with these in my handbag. I need it during the flight and I need it after, if I cannot find anything else I will use a thick layer of Godmother as a mask and let it sink it while I bathe. If I have it, I can get away with my eyeliner and lip gloss. My skin is problem skin, I accept it, I treat it well and in return it is good to me...
Start your very own skincare journey or rather a different lifestyle...
PS. Beauty lies within XO
Sooz
Beauty Activist
CRYSTAL SKIN SET : for problem skin
DRY MASK : Under Formulation
HONEY ENZYME MASK : Under Formulation