Disclaimer: This post is like a journal entry, so if you’re not in the mood, don’t have hormonal acne, don’t know anyone with acne, etc. go ahead and press “delete”.  I won’t be offended.

This is the deal: I have hormonal acne, and it’s bad.  Yes, I had a pimple here or there in high school and college, but for the most part, I have had very good skin for my whole life (I feel comfortable bragging about that now because I will never again take good skin for granted).  It all started when I went off birth control almost three years ago.  My cycle became abnormal, I became pregnant, I miscarried, and my skin went CRAZY.

Between my knowledge of the harmful side effects of many prescription – and over the counter – solutions that dermatologists tend to suggest and knowing that I wanted my health to be absolutely optimal so that I could conceive and carry a child, I toughed it out.  Even my dermatologist said, “it’s hormonal and they’re [the pimples] just going to keep coming until you become pregnant and things [hormones] become more steady.”  After countless acupuncture sessions, strict Clean eating, and taking prescribed herbs, my cycle finally became regular and I got pregnant about ten months later.  I felt so blessed, but I held my breath waiting; this time the pregnancy stuck, thank God, but so did the acne.  I did what I could: I used all Clean, Green beauty products and I went to see my derm weekly for cortisone injections and chemical-free microdermabrasion.  It was annoying, but it was a small cost for the beautiful, healthy baby I delivered last November.

To be honest, what is most upsetting to me is that I know in my heart of hearts that this superficial condition is the face of something so much deeper.  Our skin is the window to our overall health.  The acne is a sign that something is out of whack somewhere in my body – my body that should be healthier than it ever has been, as I have never taken better care of myself than I have in the last four years.  Very frustrating.  I know that this is a small, superficial problem – no one dies of acne, eczema or psoriasis.  But it affects the self-esteem of millions of people, including me.

I don’t want to attack my skin with toxic chemicals; I want to find the root of the cause and I want to share it with you.  In the coming weeks, I will post about products that have helped me manage this condition and I will tell you about the food allergy tests and hormone panels that I’ve undergone in hopes of eliminating it.  I hope you will tell us your story and share your favorite Clean, acne-fighting products, too.

Sorry if I’m being a little dramatic, but this is a Clean beauty blog.  Welcome.  😉

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