Welcome!

Hello! My name is Natalie and I’m here to talk about holistic skincare. If you’re struggling with a hormonal imbalance that is causing acne or oily skin, or just want to learn about simple ways to improve your skin’s appearance from the inside out, then read on.

I started this blog because in the last year, I have struggled with hormonal changes that completely changed my skin and left me depressed and lacking self-confidence. After 3 years of taking the combination birth control pill, I decided that I was tired of the bloating that came along with it and made the decision to stop taking it. Just a few weeks later, my skin changed drastically and I started experiencing the worst acne of my life. My skin became greasy all the time and it took on a new bumpy texture that I had never experienced before. I knew the acne was hormonal both because of the timing and the location (hormonal acne typically presents itself on the chin and jawline). I visited a dermatologist who prescribed some strong antibiotics that made me feel like I was going crazy. She told me that what I was experiencing was not due to a hormonal imbalance and was actually just regular adult acne that my birth control use was masking. I’m not a doctor, but this just didn’t make sense to me because I’d never had acne before taking birth control pills. I came home from that appointment almost in tears, feeling like my new condition was completely out of my control. However, after doing research I found that what I was experiencing was extremely common. In fact, birth control pills are known to cause a leaky gut, reduced microbial diversity, and vitamin depletion, all of which can lead to acne. It frustrated me to find that so little research has been done on this topic, and that I was prescribed birth control without any of this knowledge. In hindsight, simply being told that birth control depletes many nutrients (folic acid, vitamins B2, B6, B12 and vitamins C and E, minerals magnesium, selenium) would have been helpful.

It has been over a year now since I first started dealing with acne breakouts and I can finally say that through a long process of trail and error, I have almost completely cleared my skin and returned it to its original glow. After scouring the internet for answers, I found a lot of great (and not-so-great) advice and products. I read through countless subreddits, tried taking many different supplements, did an at at-home gut test, and tried drastic diets, eliminating dairy, sugar, gluten, etc.

There were many days when I felt too insecure about my face to go outside, and I would complain to my friends, boyfriend, and mom. Although I am lucky to have them and they were able to comfort me, they couldn’t really empathize or give advice because they’d never experienced my situation firsthand. So at the end of the day I would always resort to the internet for comfort. However, the problem is that even when you find good advice, it is often not practical enough to carry out in your daily life. For example, I did a great two week long skin cleanse diet that really helped, however, when I went back to my pre-diet foods, my skin’s greasiness returned and I had to learn how to integrate this diet into my everyday life without missing out on the things I love like eating out, travelling, or going to bars (I LOVE a good fruity cocktail!). There are so many blogs out there written by girls who swear you can clear your skin IF you are willing to become a vegan, remove all stress from your life, take 15 supplements a day, I could go on… This just isn’t realistic for the average person (or budget!). If only I had stumbled across a blog with all the information I know now, I could have saved myself months of struggling. I felt so strongly like the answer to my problem SHOULD be out there somewhere, but wasn’t! And that is why I’m here to share all the realistic, easy to use advice I’ve picked up from scouring the internet for months. It does take some time and effort, but I believe all the lifestyle habits I’ve picked up are enough to help you balance your hormones and clear up your skin to the point where you can live your life confidently. Or at the very least, be able to go to Target without makeup! If this is something that interests you, or that you are currently struggling with, please read on!

-Natalie