It's Phoebe here and I’ve been stewing on something. Pimples. Acne. Breakouts. I’ve been getting a LOT of these lately, and to be completely honest it freaked me out.
I have a feeling that I’m not alone here, so I’m going to go out on a limb here and overshare 😊 .
Way back when I was a young’un, I used to get pimples all the time, but that stopped when I went on the contraceptive pill as it completely disrupted my hormones. My skin wasn’t perfect but compared to where I was, I was thrilled to have clear-ish skin!
I stopped taking the pill around 10 years ago to have our first son, and it was around then that my skin went haywire again and my energy levels dipped. Although I just blamed kids for my lack of energy, it turns out there was something else to it.
My health journey has been bubbling along in the background for years now and last year I had a few revelations that helped me get my head around why I felt so flat all the time. The first thing I found out was that I have Hashimoto’s Disease (an underactive thyroid), and the 2ndwas that my oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels were pretty much zero. Chuck in some low iron levels, and that goes a long way to explaining a complete lack of zip that I was experiencing.
Long story (kinda) short, I found an incredible naturopath who has helped me make massive improvements to my health without needing to use hormone replacement medication, which I was hoping to avoid as I still had a little faith that my body was still capable of getting itself into a happy place naturally.
My energy levels are up and I’m feeling like I’ve re-joined the human race. Hurrah! But you know what sucks? My pimples are back! Hence the freak out I mentioned.
I *used* to think that someone who runs a skincare company isn’t meant to get massive breakouts. I felt super self-conscious of my skin. It felt like everyone I bumped into was staring at my blemishes thinking “Gosh, her skin is shocking”.
But you know what? I’ve changed my mind.
I’ve decided that I am quite grateful for my pimples. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I love them, but I definitely don’t hate them anymore.
Hormonal breakouts are completely normal, and if you’re like me, then they’re a bit of a fact of life (sorry, happies!).
They’re a sign that your hormone levels are going up and down throughout the month, just like they should be. They’re a sign that your wonderful hormones are giving you energy, and supporting the amazing work your body is doing each and every day.
(Plus, I'm positive that 9 times out of 10, no one else will even notice that monstrous pimple that you've been worrying about).
So…. will you join me in being kind to ourselves this year?
Let’s stop hating our flaws and beating ourselves up about them.
Of course that doesn’t mean we should stop all those things we do to minimise breakouts and help them heal quicker. It just means we shouldn’t do that at the expense of our health and happiness.
Let’s put our health and happiness first. Then worry about beauty second. After all, if you’re healthy and happy, it shows in your skin too.
Who’s with me? 😊 Let’s do this!
Image credit goes to the inspiring @ourlushjungle. Pot plant lovers rejoice!
