my clear skin journey

This post has been on my list to put together for quite some time, as over the last couple of years I've had many questions about my skin online and IRL. I've now had clear skin since the beginning of 2015 - as I write this I don't have a single spot on my face, something I could have only dreamed of a few years ago! So, here are a few notes about my journey to clear skin and my daily skincare essentials...

BACK STORY

I suffered with bad skin in my mid teens until around the age of 22 - mainly under the skin spots and breakouts / blemishes around my jaw, chin and cheeks (here is an old Instagram video for reference). My lack of self esteem made this quite the struggle, with many mornings spent crying in front of the mirror and days skipping college because I couldn't bear to leave the house. I'm aware that my skin wasn't as bad as what others experience, but to me, it still felt like the worst thing in the world. From prescription disasters (I was prescribed a cream containing benzoyl peroxide which ended up bleaching my skin) and my mum forking out on Proactiv products, to using a Clear Acne Treatment Light I won in a competition and trying endless face washes and creams, nothing worked. 

DETOX

In mid 2014, Your Tea gifted me with a 14 day trial of their Teatox tea. I was feeling very low about my skin, so I was open to trying anything - desperate times! I drank one to two cups a day, and at the same time cut out all normal tea, coffee and sugar in hot drinks, along with the majority of milk and fizzy drinks from my diet. Once my samples ran out, I found a cheaper alternative - Dr Stuarts Skin Purify Tea. Within a month or two I noticed a difference with my skin. Was it the tea? Who knows. Cutting out sugar, caffeine and milk? Probably. Either way, I was so bloody happy to see results, I kept at it over the next few months. After a while, I slowly introduced everything back into my diet (this girl can't live without coffee and an ice cold can of coke!), and now my caffeine/dairy/sugar intake is roughly the same as it's always been. This isn't scientific at all, but I really do think that having a mini detox and flushing some 'bad stuff' out gave my body a chance to do some good.

SIMPLE SKINCARE

At the same time as my mini detox, I thought my best bet was to establish a new skincare routine. Previously I was using products and brands which I soon realised were too harsh for my face, such as Clearasil, Freederm, Clean & Clear, tea tree based products and face scrubs. These products were drying out my skin and making it more sensitive, so I stripped back on products and simplified my regime. 

For the last three years my skincare routine has been super simple - I use Garnier Micellar Water and Nivea creams morning and night, rinsing my face with water when I bathe/shower and only giving my face a good old scrub with a flannel and Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Cream Wash every couple of days. This stripped back routine might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it works well for me! I of course occasionally use other products (right now I've also been using Elizabeth Arden's All-Over Miracle Oil), but my essentials remain the same. No matter how tired I am, I always take off my makeup before bed (if I'm being extra lazy I'll focus on my skin and worry about my eyebrows and mascara in the morning), which is something I didn't always do when my skin was at its worst.

WHAT ELSE?

There are so many other reasons to the above as to why I now have clear skin - luck, getting older, my contraception (Cerelle), the Clear Complexion tablets I took on and off for a few months, feeling happier in myself and being in love (if only I had a pound for every time someone said I looked glowing!). Who knows? But I'm not complaining - it is amazing to feel confident enough to not wear makeup, and when I do wear makeup, it isn't a chore or struggle to put on. Even though I've had good skin for a couple of years now, it's been such a gradual process that I think it's only just hit me how clear it actually looks. I couldn't be happier. 

This was a little bit of a different post for me - I hope you like!

Please leave a comment or tweet me if you have any questions about my skincare routine!

Jazz x