REAL RESULTS

Mackenzie had been struggling with acne for about eight years when she found me. Her doctor recommended she try the birth control pill, so she did. She tried one, had to try another and finally landed on a third that worked for her for a few years. She got off the birth control pill a few years ago and her acne came back worse than ever.

At the beginning of the pandemic, she went to a dermatologist who prescribed her medication and a topical cream to treat her acne. After looking at the side effects of the medication, she decided to try the cream only. When the cream burned her face, she stopped using it and decided to visit a naturopathic doctor.

The naturopath had her stop eating dairy and gluten. She was advised to eat more protein and start meditating to address her stress levels. She got some blood work done, which confirmed that she is low on iron, but she was already on an iron supplement. Six months into her treatment plan with this naturopath, Mackenzie’s skin had not improved at all. In fact, it was getting worse.

One day at work, she was talking with a colleague expressing how upset she was about her skin and how she was considering booking herself a chemical peel. Her colleague had heard great things about me, since I had healed her friend’s skin, and suggested she book with me instead.

REPAIRING HER SKIN BARRIER 

During her holistic Skin Analysis, we uncovered the leading causes behind Mackenzie’s acne: stress and a topical allergy to aloe. The first thing I did was advise against a chemical peel and remove all the irritants from her Sephora-centric skin care routine.

Her skin was itchy and inflamed. Her cleanser had aloe as a primary ingredient, so we replaced it with the NeoGenesis Cleanser. We also replaced her serums that were aggravating her acne. Since Mackenzie’s skin wasn’t responding to traditional treatments, I decided to simplify her routine and replace both serums with the NeoGenesis Recovery. This 70% human stem cell serum to jump start her healing journey.

Her moisturizer also contained aloe and fragrance so we replaced it with the Neogenesis Barrier Renewal Cream to calm inflammation and repair her skin barrier. After sampling a few mineral sunscreen options, she chose the TIZO AM Replenish SPF 40.

During her Intuitive Practice, I instructed her on how to use each product, how to adapt her skin care routine with her menstrual cycle and focus on being curious versus self-critical in the mirror. A major focus was to slow down when caring for her skin rather than rush through it to calm her nervous system morning and night.

TARGETING ACNE BREAKOUTS

Within one month, the redness Mackenzie was experiencing had completely subsided. She was still experiencing itchy skin, so we added the Consonant HydrExtreme to her morning and evening skin care routine.

After only a few days of this simple adjustment, she noticed the itch disappear. Her skin was feeling comfortable for the very first time. Now that her skin barrier was healthy, I advised her to start targeting acne bacteria using the NeoGenesis Mandelic 8% serum. She started using it once a week and built up to every second night, always being mindful of taking two days off exfoliating completely to focus on barrier repair.

Within three months, Mackenzie’s acne was worse than when we started. I had anticipated this, as comedones can live under the surface of the skin for 30-90 days before they surface. These comedones were coming up and out to reveal clearer skin. Mindset coaching at this time was an important part of Mackenzie’s journey to reassure her that she was on the right path and needed to be patient and stay the course.

CLEARING HER SKIN

It’s at the five month mark that we really started noticing Mackenzie’s acne reduce considerably. The centre of her face was almost completely clear and now we were tackling her hairline and temple area. I recommended she wash her hair before her face the shower and change her pillowcases more frequently. I had her focus more diligently on her self-care practices to make sure her stress levels weren’t too high for her skin to heal.

Seven months later, Mackenzie was radiating confidence with her newly found clear skin. I’m so proud of Mackenzie for putting in the work to take great care of herself at home in addition to being diligent and following my specific recommendations with her skin care routine. What really stood out to me, however, was Mackenzie’s energy in her seven month follow-up appointment. Her posture was lifted, her smile was brighter and the tone of her voice was elevated. It was clear that this impacted more areas of her life than just her appearance. Mackenzie discovered the holistic habits and skin care routine needed to find clear skin, one that she can always return to when her skin flares-up.