REAL RESULTS

Jenn had oily skin growing up and started experiencing acne breakouts at the age of 12. It wasn’t until she got pregnant in her adult years that her skin finally cleared but shortly after giving birth to her daughter, breakouts started to again resurface.

Being a holistic nutritionist, Jenn knew which foods and supplements were needed to support her skin internally. Even with her background in health and wellness, she tried so many green beauty products without success. After being exhausted from trying products that would only make her feel greasy and congested, she resorted to making her own products. She was feeling frustrated because from an internal approach, she had done everything that she knew she needed to.

After noticing that her skin was still not improving, Jenn booked a holistic Skin Analysis to get my expertise on healing her skin externally. She knew that from the inside out she was giving her skin what it needed, but had to admit that she knew very little about the skin from a topical standpoint.

When Jenn first reached out, she had a lot of reservations because of her concerns with chemicals in traditional skin care products, and her resistance to having a complicated routine. I explained to her how I have hand-selected skin care products that don't contain harsh and harmful chemicals and was able to create a routine for her that fit within her schedule as a busy mom and professional.

STEP 1 - REPLACE IRRITANTS

After analyzing Jenn’s skin, I wanted to remove everything that was potentially irritating her skin to allow her barrier to heal. The three primary products of concern were:

Sugar scrub using Dr. Bronners Castile Soap and tea tree oil

- Although she was using her homemade scrub in the evening only, exfoliants should never be used daily as it disrupts the skin’s microbiome
- Castile soap is a 9 on the pH scale and is far too alkaline for the skin (pH 5.5), destroying her acid mantle and preventing her skin from retaining moisture
- Although tea tree oil has beneficial antibacterial properties to target acne, the fragrance components that come with the essential oil can irritate the skin, especially as her skin barrier was compromised

Toner using apple cider vinegar and water

- Acetic acid found in apple cider vinegar can irritate the skin, dry it out and even cause a burn when used at full strength
- Even diluted 1:1 with water, apple cider vinegar acts as an astringent on the skin to remove the skin’s protective layer, causing the skin to produce more oil and therefore more food for acne bacteria
- Her skin needed a hydrating toner as opposed to an astringent one

Moisturizer with pure aloe vera gel

- Simple and natural yes, but well rounded moisturizer no
- Aloe functions as a humectant to increase the skin’s water content but will evaporate without a lightweight, acne-safe moisturizer on top
- pH of specific aloe that was being used likely not balanced for skin

Jenn was sent samples of all the products we discussed during her first appointment. She had the opportunity to try them on her skin and noticed an immediate difference in how her skin felt post new skin care routine. Within just a few days, her skin started looking brighter, feeling softer, and wasn't as discoloured upon waking.

We swapped her homemade scrub for the Zyderma Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Konjac Sponge to use a few times per week in the evening. We also introduced the Suntegrity Trifecta Power Mist and Consonant HydrExtreme in place of her apple cider vinegar toner and replaced her aloe for the NeoGenesis Light Moisturizer.

Jenn also decided to clean up her makeup bag by replacing her ELF Makeup with the Glo Skin Beauty Pressed Base Foundation. Within less than one month, Jenn shared the following update with me:

“My skin is so much clearer than it usually is, I love it! I've had a few hormonal breakouts, but they don't get red and angry or live as long on my face!”

With redness gone and a healthy skin barrier, we added the Glo Skin Beauty Pro 5 Liquid Exfoliant to her skin care routine to target acne and refine her skin texture. 

STEP 2 - PRACTICE CYCLE SYNCING

I taught Jenn how to sync her products with her menstrual cycle to precent her hormonal flare-ups. During menstruation, I advised Jenn to avoid exfoliating and instead focus hydrating her skin and keeping it calm. During her follicular phase, she would start double cleansing and exfoliating while her skin was feeling its best.

During ovulation, Jenn focused on using her konjac sponge and mandelic acid exfoliant to prevent congestion as well as hydrating her skin effectively to balance her skin's oil production. During the luteal phase of her menstrual cycle, I taught Jenn which signs to look for on her skin and which products would best support her skin health.

STEP 3 - BE CONSISTENT

For some women, it takes 3 months to clear their skin, for others it's up to 12 months. For Jenn, she stayed consistent with her skin care routine, her cycle syncing and was completely clear in only 6 months!