My Struggle with Acne & The Holistic Remedies I Swear By

Since I was about 11 years old, I have struggled with painful, cystic acne. It would show up at different times during my cycle around my mouth and cheeks. Throughout the years, the severity of my acne varied, but it was always there.

During junior high and high school, I cannot think of one day that I didn’t wear concealer. I was always self-conscious about my skin. Around major events, like prom and cheer competitions, I would cry my eyes out feeling desperately uncomfortable. I did not feel beautiful. I could not understand why I continued to breakout when I consistently scrubbed my face clean every morning and night.

When I came to college, I was determined to treat my acne and have the clear skin I had always longed for. The first dermatologist I went to prescribed me an antibiotic regiment complete with a harsh sulfur face wash. I used the wash morning and evening and took an antibiotic once daily. Soon enough my skin cleared up and I was so happy. However, persistent use of an antibiotic can wreak havoc on your body, and over time affect your body’s ability to fight disease.

So, I decided that I needed a second-opinion. Immediately after I stopped taking the antibiotic, my skin broke out worse than it had ever before. The second dermatologist I visited diagnosed my pimples as hormonal acne and prescribed something more ideal for long-term use: spironolactone. Spironolactone is a drug used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. Incidentally, it was also determined to be an androgen blocking medication that was the miracle hormonal acne sufferers could only dream of. I began to take the medication twice daily and once again scrub my face with harsh sulfur cleansers. Eventually, my skin cleared up, so everything was good, right?

Unfortunately, wrong, very wrong. Spironolactone affects hormone levels in a way that did not agree with my body. I quickly went through bouts of anxiety and depression that felt crippling. One day, I decided that my mental health was worth more than my physical beauty. I stopped taking the medication, and slowly my mental health improved drastically. I felt like me again, and it was worth it, even if it meant the acne returned.

Lucky for me, it was around this time that I stumbled across holistic treatments for hormonal acne that naturally balance hormones. Basically, I began incorporating more fruits and vegetables into my diet, I practiced yoga more often, I stopped using toxic beauty products (instead I opted for a non-toxic AM cleanser, PM cleanser, moisturizer, and toner), and I limited my consumption of dairy, gluten, and processed foods. It seems too easy, right? It turns out that natural remedies that seem common sense and too good to be true really work. My skin cleared and brightened, but that was just an added bonus to the way I felt on the inside.

(Above) Freckled, bare face Aub in Maui.

Jolene Hart explains this in her book Eat Pretty. She describes the process in which our bodies fill with excess toxins that can be found in junk food and most beauty products. Our kidneys are overwhelmed and are not able to function optimally. Therefore, our bodies use our skin as a way to remove excess hormones from the body, and that, my friends, was the cause of my acne.

I realized holistic, preventive solutions were the only long-term ones. Don’t get me wrong, I am still an aggressive sweet-tooth who loves to treat herself, but, now I compliment my cookies, donuts, and cinnamon rolls with MORE of the nutritional foods that not only keep my skin clear, but improve my mental health. I don't exercise every day, but when I do I invest more time into meditation and yoga. Today, I feel happier and it shows. Sure, I still get the rare white head and have some discoloration, but I can’t help but to skip makeup altogether most days! After years of covering up, it feels great to let my skin breathe.

I hope that my story empowers you to research what goes into your body, but, more importantly, to pursue health and beauty from the inside out.

Keep Buzzing,

+ Aub

I am not a doctor, and this is not medical advice. I am only telling my story in hopes that you will consider less harmful treatment options if you feel stuck like I did.

P.S. This is not a sponsored post. These products honest-to-goodness work for my skin. To test the toxicity of your beauty products, check out the EWG Database.