Adult Acne- Take a Hike!

As an adolescent I suffered from fairly severe acne for a couple of years. It's hard to explain what a psychological toll it takes without sounding too dramatic, but suffice to say it weighed heavily on my mind at all times. I was always conscious of what it looked like to other people (something teens can't help doing at the best of times.) I tried to cover it up with makeup even though my doctor cautioned me that makeup would make the breakouts worse. I remember feeling very bitter when he told me that, thinking "what else am I supposed to do?" Mother nature resolved the issue as I got a bit older and my hormones were more regulated, but at its peak I looked at my face in the mirror and thought; "if I ever get to the point where I have so few pimples that I can easily count them, I will never complain about my skin again." But time passes and memory fades.

For a long time I was relatively untroubled by acne. I believe that being on birth control played a large role in preventing it. Unfortunately when the time came that I no longer wanted to take the pill, my hormones rebelled and I ended up with terrible acne on my back, chest, jawline and forehead. "Proactive" was newly available via mail order at the time, and despite being a poor university graduate I shelled out the $75/ month. It DID work for me quite nicely for the most part, but my forehead always had stubborn "bumps" that didn't respond to anything. I only needed to take Proactive for a few months before my hormones once again regulated and the acne subsided. After that I learned to live with the forehead pimples that never went away. I wore bangs, and I was conscious to always use foundation and reapply powder so the shine wouldn't draw attention to it. Fast forward to present day....

I am thrilled to say that after all the years and various over-the-counter products, just when I am starting to contend with the fine lines of aging, I have gotten rid of the forehead acne! I have found my magic combination that does the job when nothing else would. There are two things I use, and both are inexpensive.

1. Every morning in the shower I use good old St Ives Apricot Scrub, available absolutely everywhere (I have the one with salicylic acid for good measure.) I exfoliate my face and neck for about a minute, paying particular attention to my forehead.

2. At night I use the oil cleansing method that I mentioned in a previous post. To recap; I mixed 2 parts castor oil and one part extra virgin olive oil. I added some essential rose oil for its anti-aging benefits (see my post: Rose Oil is Wonderful), but that's completely optional. I massage a quarter sized amount into my face and neck and drape a very hot washcloth over it for about a minute. I wipe the excess oil off, rinse the cloth, and wipe a second time. It cleans, re-balances natural moisture levels, and removes my makeup in one step. My face is left feeling glowy and restored. Contrary to my deeply rooted paranoia that oil would cause a resurgence of my adolescent acne, it has worked to help make my skin healthier than it's ever been.

So there you have it...my inexpensive, do-it-yourself cure for the most stubborn adult acne. I wish I had tried this combination earlier in my life, but I'm certainly enjoying the result now.

Day 14: Restorative Yoga

I met with my best bud at her local yoga studio yesterday evening for some soothing restorative yoga. The last time we went together we had signed up for beginner hatha yoga and it ended up being quite a lot more challenging than either of us expected. Though it felt good at the time for me, it did exacerbate my back pain rather than treat it. This time it was a completely different experience. The instructor was very matter-of-fact and easy to understand, and she didn't push anyone beyond their capabilities. The session was full of soothing postures that treated stiff hips, shoulders and the lower back. Unlike hatha, it involved the use of props such as bolsters, blankets, bricks and straps.

Much as my inner kick-ass chick hates to admit it, this was definitely what my body was asking for. It was not athletic or sweat-inducing, but it WAS restorative. I woke up this morning feeling great, and slightly less stiff than I normally would. This blog is all about listening to my body and giving it what it needs, so I need to shift my perspective on what constitutes success in physical fitness. I need to sloooow down and stop jumping into things, immidiately expecting to do it all, and at an expert level no less. So in the end it was a lovely evening with my friend and a good lesson learned.

I tried a new face cleansing method last night as well. I've always been skeptical about the high-priced anti-aging products on the market, knowing that high cost does NOT equal a more effective product. Women in particular are targeted with these ads....if you don't drain your bank account, you're not doing enough! Pshaw I say! So I tried a simple mixture of 2 parts castor oil to 1 part olive oil (you adjust according to how oily or dry your face is: more castor oil for oily skin and more olive oil for dry skin. Since I have combination skin this proportion seems suitable.) The method calls for massaging a quarter-sized amount into your face and neck, then draping a hot facecloth onto your face for about a minute. Wipe the oil off, rinse the cloth, and wipe again to remove the residue. That's it. It does NOT leave the skin oily and it does not cause acne. This was only my first time trying it, but I have to say my skin is very hydrated and glowy today. I am prone to break-outs so I am interested to see what happens after a week. Fingers crossed!