What’s Holding You Back from Clear Skin? How to Create a Healthy Environment
Have you ever started the week or month with the best healing intentions, only to get halfway through and find that life got in the way, and you weren’t able to keep up with everything? This is often why new goals never become lasting sustainable rituals.
Is this you?
Can't seem to make new routines stick
Feel like you don’t have enough time
Afraid that everything you eat and do triggers breakouts
Hopping from one supplement to the next
Dealing with constant breakouts and flare-ups
Trying new skin care every week or month
Let’s dive in and explore what’s holding you back from clearing acne for good.
DETERMINE YOUR WHY
This is such an important step for setting yourself up for success. Take the time and become clear on your why; this is different for each of us. It’s not just about clear skin—think about why you feel clearing acne will change your life. I find it’s more often about reclaiming self-love, self-trust, and self-confidence so that we can step into our power and start living our dream life.
SUPPORT YOUR GOALS
Balance
Hold up five fingers and put a finger down if:
You’ve ever gone dairy-free for your skin
You’ve ever gone gluten-free for your skin
You’ve ever gone sugar-free for your skin
You’ve ever gone vegan for your skin
You’ve ever cancelled plans because of your skin
It’s too much! Life is busy and messy, and we can’t have an all-or-nothing mentality. Long lasting clear skin does not come from restrictive dieting and limiting yourself; it’s about balance and leaning into what feels good for you. Of course, if you have a specific food allergy or intolerance, then please do what allows you to feel your best. But if you’re constantly taking things out of your diet and feeling stressed about food—all without seeing results—the answer is not further restriction. I find that a 70/30 approach with nutrition works well for clearing acne: 70 percent skin nourishing foods and 30 percent food freedom and flexibility that allows you to thrive.
Water
The adult body is about 70 percent water. We usually get it from the water we drink and cook with every day. Keep in mind, however, that this water may contain heavy metals, fluoride, chlorine, and other toxins like pesticides and pharmaceuticals that leach into tap water. If you have been doing all the right things and aren't seeing the results you deserve, looking at your water quality and perhaps investing in a water purification system may help. Water can make or break your skin journey; fluoride is one of the hidden causes of acne and perioral dermatitis. It disrupts the skin barrier and leads to irritation, redness, and flakiness around the mouth, nose, and eyes. Stepping up your water game is foundational for overall health.
Nutrition
Choose organic, wherever possible. Pesticides and other chemicals that are used on produce are just another thing for the liver to process. The more we can choose organic and reduce our toxic load, the more the liver can focus on doing its best work. This is key for those experiencing acne and hormonal imbalances. The liver is already playing catch-up, so by reducing its load, you may support healing. Focus on real, whole food that allows you to feel nourished and satisfied—that's where the healing begins.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle rituals play a huge role in staying committed to new routines and setting yourself up for success. I see the most success when clients prioritize sleep and movement in their life. Quality sleep is the real deal, so don’t be swayed by fancy skincare and leave your beauty sleep to chance. Sleep supports balanced blood sugar and a healthy metabolism. It’s when metabolic detoxification occurs, hormones reset, and the skin repairs and regenerates itself. Movement also supports the flow of energy, blood, and lymph throughout the body. Reducing stagnant heat within the body is key to reducing and clearing breakouts; movement can help you break a sweat and supports the body’s natural detox pathways to release toxins, giving skin a natural glow from within.
Skincare
Acne-safe skincare means thinking about how ingredients affect our body, both on the outside and the inside. We want to choose products that are effective at delivering acne-healing results, while also protecting and supporting the skin barrier to reduce future flare-ups. In addition, we want to reduce and eliminate all endocrine disruptors that will affect hormones internally. Navigating the overflowing skincare aisles can be overwhelming, so I find it best to always check the ingredients on labels. If you’re experiencing active and inflamed breakouts, create a gentle, hydrating, and oil-free routine that reduces excess sebum and protects the skin barrier without endocrine disruptors.
Relationships
Creating a space to support your goals and clear acne for good includes the people you spend time with. I want you to think about the five people you interact with most in your life; and for each of those people, think about how they make you feel—perhaps give them a rating out of 10—and how they positively impact you and your energy. You may be surprised at the lower numbers of some main people in your life. I know it’s difficult to create boundaries, especially with family members and close friends, but if a relationship is not nourishing you and filling your cup, then it’s draining your energy. Perhaps if someone close in your life scored low, you don’t need to connect with them daily. Maybe setting a boundary to connect with them once a week or once a month is possible. Create boundaries that work for you and allow you to thrive.
REDUCING YOUR TOXIC LOAD
By creating a healthy environment, we are reducing our toxic load. Think of it this way; when you are driving somewhere new and you’re trying to read the street signs and house numbers to figure out where you want to go, what’s the first thing you do when you get lost? You turn down the radio, right? It’s a strange reaction, but most of us do it. Somehow, turning down the noise helps us better navigate where we’re going. If we think of our toxic load like the radio, once we turn off the “noise,” the body is better able to do its job and healing will happen more easily.
CELEBRATE THE SMALL WINS
Sometimes in the heaviest parts of our healing journey, that’s when we want to give up the most. I urge you to keep pushing, show up for yourself, and trust that the timing of your journey is perfect for you. Look back and celebrate the small wins. Perhaps your skin isn’t where you want it to be—that’s okay, it will get there. Celebrate balanced blood sugar, setting boundaries, fewer mood dips, more stable energy, regular cycles, breakouts that heal and calm faster, daily bowel movements, moving your body, and sleeping through the night. These are all signs that you are on the right path. By slowly adding positive change to your life, you will stay committed and see real, long-lasting clear skin. You are worthy of living your dream life. See it for yourself.
Big love,
Caralyn