Friday, July 5, 2013

HUGE update post

Hello there!! Remember me? You probably have been wondering where I've been. Vacation! For the past couple of weeks I have been in Italy and Sicily. So there is a rather large update. So before I left I went to see my naturopath, things with my skin were just not going well and it was at the point where I literally did not know what to do anymore or what products to use for my skin. I was on the verge of giving up, throwing in the towel and just starting accutane. I was so fed up with my skin and wasn't understanding why it was getting so bad, it didn't seem fair! I thought I was doing everything right and it just seemed like everything I was doing was for naught and I was just one of those people who had persistent skin issues and nothing would ever work besides accutane. I'm sure many of you have been in this place before and let me tell you, not enjoyable. There were really two routes to go with this and of course I went the more difficult route. My naturopath suggested that I stop using all of my products, I think when he said that all of the air went out of my lungs. No cleanser, no toner, no moisturizer, no treatments, NO ANYTHING. And what's more he said NO MAKEUP. No products? Well ok I guess I can do that but no makeup? That's every girls worst nightmare when all you want to do is hide and cover up. Honestly it was one of the best decisions of my life. I know crazy right? There were some emotional words in our conversation and he explained that my parents, he, and my other Chinese medicine doctor were all there for me and would be supporting me when the going got tough. And let me tell you, things got real tough real fast. Especially when I was packing and all I had for face toiletries were a bar of oatmeal soap (Sappo Hill Unscented Soap) and a bottle of 100% unrefined Aloe Vera in case I got sunburned. Yes that's right I wasn't even allowed sunscreen, I had a hat and was advised to not spend more than two hours in direct sunlight. However your skin NEEDS vitamin D, and when you cover your face in layers of product you are robbing your skin of essential nutrients and time to breathe. So the not having products was ok, but no makeup was tough, and I admit I cheated a little in the beginning with some powder, but my skin was just not having it. I have very sensitive skin and right now it can't really handle even the most natural of products, so that mineral powder was out the window. So no makeup may seem not that difficult when I'm not a huge fan or user in the first place, but when your face isn't clear you perceive that everyone on the streets is staring at you and all of your imperfections. In some cases people were actually looking at that, and it's like really? Can I help your with something? Would you like to make a comment? No? Ok just move along and try to be more considerate. And of course it was the tourists who cared, the local Italians could not give less of a hoot and didn't even notice, my kind of people! So in the first weeks of vacation it was tough going outside with my makeup clad face, but as vacation went on I shed the hat, would take pictures (given that we fix any problems later haha), and was a teensy tiny bit more confident in my appearance. Now my face has a very healthy glow and I have not had anything rear it's ugly head for the most part. At first I would see a mirror in a shop and would be like oh dear is that what my face looks like right now? Where is my hat?! now I look in the mirror and am amazed how much it has improved. And to put things in perspective a little, I don't remember the last time I didn't have something new every day. I'm still healing FOR SURE, but at least that's the biggest of my problems. I'm happy to say (and still crossing my fingers) that I will be starting college exactly how I wanted, clear! And as an added bonus I don't have to bring a slew of products and figure out the best lighting and mirror to do my complicated makeup routine in. So a few closing remarks to my novel (yes this post is long sorry haha). I will be skyping with an Eco makeup specialist soon, and there will definitely be a post on that! I will also be starting micro needling (yes there will be a post on the as well) that treatment is more for aftermath of loveliness and hopefully is not as painful or medieval torture like and it sounds. Also something that has really helped me (in addition to corresponding with my naturopath for guidance and support) was watching and reading The Love Vitamin, Tracy is awesome and I highly recommend people look her up! If you want to get clear and NOTHING has worked I suggest trying exactly what I have done, talk to your friends and family and I'm sure they will be a good support system for you. And what better time than summer? That's basically what my naturopath told me, what better time than now when you're going off to a foreign country with no one that you know. AND you will probably never see any of these people ever again. Consequently I managed to make some local and tourist friends, but that's just how I am. As always feel free to email me, I know how all this feels and if there's anything I could do for someone else to make their situation a little better I would be happy to help. Don't take this post as my last just because I've changed my routine, I will still be posting natural makeup and Skincare advice!! You haven't gotten rid of me yet ;) also I will be starting a Facebook page soon where you can post any questions or requests for posts from me. It will be titled the same as my blog, and you can inbox me on Facebook if you don't want to post right on the page. 

xx

Abbey