I am often complimented on my skin which means a lot to me as I suffered with adult acne for many years which really took over my life for all of my early 30’s. I often see clients who struggle with their skin and I say and if you struggle with your skin too then I do know how you feel which is why I have written this for you. In my photos you may see on social media and my website now, my skin looks amazing and I won’t lie, it is really like that in real life too (lucky right) but this wasn’t always the case I have been through very dark times where I felt awful about myself and how I looked.
As a teen I was one of the lucky ones who escaped teen acne (apart from the odd hormonal visitor!), throughout my 20’s my skin was great although I don’t remember looking after it as well as I should have and would spend hours tanning myself in the sun (and even used baby oil as a tanning aid – if only I knew then what I know now!!) Luckily I have Mediterranean skin as my Dad is from Lebanon so was able to withstand damage.
It wasn’t until I was in my early 30’s that adult acne hit me and when it did, boy oh boy it landed! These uninvited guests arrived literally overnight with no intention of leaving and instead invited more friends to the party resulting in a face full of angry pussing spots. I had never felt so ugly and insecure in my life until this point, I hated what I saw in the mirror and I hated myself. I would act out in at anger by picking and prodding at them then cover them in a heap of make up to hide the embarrassing destruction below. I would also often cancel plans because I felt so bad about myself, I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole a lot of the time. Feeling like this wasn’t just about my skin however this was the visible part of my story, visible things can sometimes be easier to relate to. I had a whole host of issues going on beneath my skin contributing to how I felt about myself and the physical manifestation of acne that was residing on my skin. I spent fortunes on products, facials, treatments, supplements and I changed my diet to cut out dairy, gluten and sugar to get the glow like the lady on the front cover of the books I was reading. I never got her glow and despite all the changes my skin didn’t clear up so that fed into my depression and negative feelings about myself but added in a nice big helping of “failure” into the shit-storm I was sailing.
At the time I was hugely stressed which resulted in complete burnout in February 2014 (it was all linked) and I go into this story in greater depth in my ENERGY book which is all about burn out and how it affects us. At this point I had been living with my acne for just over 3 years – that is a lot of days to feel shitty about yourself! I had mood swings, sugar cravings, low energy and so much more. How I felt internally was mirroring how I looked on the outside. I felt that everything was hopeless.
It wasn’t until June 2014 when I found The Institute of Integrative Nutrition which I instantly signed up to learning how to become a Holistic Health Coach that things started to shift, but it would still be a few years before my skin improved however my mindset started to shift slowly at this point as I began to adopt a kinder approach to myself.
My skin seemed to clear up as quickly as it came when I stopped giving it so much attention (both picking at it and hating it). I was crowding out negativity about myself with positive practices I was learning through IIN, part of my learning syllabus to experiment with various diets introducing me to INDIVIDUALITY, as I started to discover mine I started to heal. Alongside this I was also working deeply on healing my adrenals and nourishing my gut – but the focus was never about the skin it was an all round desire to feel better in both mind and body.
I also stopped using so many chemicals on my face and body and I started loving myself sooo MUCH more. And guess what……. I healed myself.
My skin is now better than ever and at nearly 40 I haven’t had botox, fillers or any other surgical or non-surgical procedures. I treat myself to a facial once or twice a year but by day to day skin care routine is simple but my self love high. Every morning and evening when I wash my face I feel grateful for my skin and I practice loving it regardless of what it looks like – and it seems to love me right back!
My skin care favourite:
Baking Soda to wash in the morning ( add 1/2 tsp to the palm of you hand followed by a little bit of warm water, rub over your face completely to gently exfoliate)
Organic Rose Water to tone – I’ve used this for years and sweat by it, so gentle and I love the femininity of rose.
A “clean” moisturiser such as Ren day and night cream are great
Lumity 4 in 1 Cleanser I use this daily and have seen a visible difference in the last 6 weeks (its only just launched but will be staying in my bathroom as its super clean and works miracles) get 30% off with the code NAOMI30
Internal supplements that have helped:
Symprove pro-biotic for gut health, this is by far the best pro-biotic I have taken as it is a liquid delivery of active bacteria.
Lumity supplements – morning and night for general wellbeing and hormone support – again use the code NAOMI30 for 30% off – I have been taking this for 4 years and again swear by it – both Lumity and my I AM blends were created by Dr Sara Palmer Hussey who I know personally and have 100% faith in her products which gives me confidence for personal use and recommending to others!
I AM Beautiful – gut healing, vitamin c for collagen synthesis. This is a blend of incredible superfoods and adaptogens that have helped me with my skin health, I drink this powered blend daily in a gorgeous immunity tonic. It has really helped to improve the glow of my skin.
Are you struggling with your skin?
If you are facing the misery of bad skin or acne, I get it, I have been there myself, and I can help you find natural and healthy solutions to brighter, clearer and glowing skin.
You can download my SKIN Ebook or book in for a free 15 minute discovery call
