Hey babe welcome back!
If your reading this blog, you most likely are battling with your skin. If that’s the case, I want to start this blog off with huge empathy for you. I remember when my skin was at its absolute worst and man is it a hard battle. I would struggle with wanting to leave the house, I would workout in my makeup due to the embarrassment of what was going on under the mask. I would cry all the time. So if this is you, I really do feel for you!
I also want to take a moment to remind you of your beauty and that your personality, morals and ethics will prevail and that is what people remember you by. I know its hard to think like that, but I constantly had to tell myself this so my self confidence didn’t completely shatter.
This is my journey and my battle also remember, some of the content in this post is opinionated and not gospel!
Now let’s get into it!!!!
So for my whole life I had beautiful skin and I’m not even over exaggerating. It was literally flawless, no acne, no scarring, soft as ever and makeup just went on with ease! I never really went through a acne stage at school either, sure I would get pimples here and there but they were really nothing. I was very lucky.
Around 3-4 years ago I started getting pimples more often, my period breakouts (again like one or two that wouldn’t scar) started lingering for longer. Then they started taking up more real estate on my face and growing their little community – 1 or 2 pimples turned into 3-4 and so on. I wasn’t impressed but whatever still wasn’t an issue.
Over time this slowly grew and grew, fast forward 2 years and all of a sudden acne is taking over my life and continuing to double in space it is taking up. I went from having the most perfect skin to being covered in acne, the only clear space was my forehead and everywhere was COVERED in pimples, I hated it and would cry all the time.
I realllllllly struggled with this all up for maybe around a year trying to get on top of it on my own and finding no success. I worked in a makeup store and had unlimited access to skin care products which I think was actually detrimental and made it worse because I was doing to much! Also being around all these beautiful girls at work was hard! I would have to offer customers advice and I just would always think “why would they listen to me when my skin looks like this?”.
I use to be so confident, I hated being in photos, I hated not being in makeup around people. I knew people where staring at my skin. My friends are all so beautiful and I felt so self conscious being around them because I felt like dirt. I know I am a gorgeous girl however my self confidence was completely shot and this also started affecting my depression and anxiety. Suffering with acne is a real problem man and people under estimate how it can effect you in multiple ways. I just wasn’t coping.
So my first pit stop was removing my Mirena. I had it for around 3.5-4 years and didn’t get anything out of it in terms of my period (that’s another whole story). I did heaps of research and saw heaps of stories where the Mirena gave girls bad skin. I went along the timeline of my life and noticed the relationship between my skin issues and the insertion of the Mirena, so you bet we took that lil b**** out. I was put on the pill called ‘Ginet’ as this apparently is what girls are put on when they have skin issues.
Due to my personality, I expected instant results. Im very intense and like things to be done and happen literally straight away. When this didn’t happen, I got restless.
I ended up getting fed up and going to the doctors. They wanted me to go on Accutane medication however I was hesitant due to the fact I had my Eczema. Accutane essentially stops oil production and drys your your skin to stop the acne production, however I can’t have dry skin otherwise my Eczema will get worse! So I requested to be referred to a dermatologist.
We arrived at the dermatologist and had a big chat about my lifestyle. Im relatively a healthy girl, I eat very well and have a 80/20 balanced diet. I exercise pretty much everyday. The only down side was that I was full blown a party girl at this time so that could have had some effect on what was happening with my skin.
She told me that she thinks my skin type doesn’t like products, which sucked because I do not want wrinkles and was using products to help with scarring, moisturising, SPF, wrinkles etc. She told me to stop all products except moisturiser and SPF but when NEEDED! I was so upset lol but I did it. I was also meant to get testing done but I was so broke I could only afford the one appointment, so all the information I really walked out with was my products where to heavy for my skin type and to back right off. She said it wouldn’t be a quickness’s turn around and to give it one year to be back to normal. I cried lol but walked out and started doing what she said straight away.
Yet again, I wasn’t impressed with the speed in results (don’t worry I annoy myself with how impatient I can be). I was scrolling instagram and came across a story by a girl called Hinepanea and she was discussing her skin journey. She suffered terribly with acne and used this product that literally saved her skin and she 110% influenced me to buy it.
Now this product is one I had seen all over instagram and literally was like I cannot afford that, it is too overpriced, its just a fad etc etc etc. it was a collagen powder by a company called Jeuneora. This girl said that she noticed a difference within a few weeks, I was sold instantly because I just wanted to try anything. I was already using a collagen powder by another company and didn’t notice results that quickly so was like F*** it, ill spend the extra money if I can get results that quick. I was still not a full believer in the product or brand but just wanted to try anything and man am I happy I did.
Within two-three weeks I noticed a difference. I am not 2-2.5 months into using the product and Jeuneora has changed my life. My acne is like non existent and even though I get a few pimples here and there I can totally handle it compared to what was going on. I am dealing with Eczexma and scarring I am so confident in my skin again finally.
Now I can’t be sure what actually worked as I did so many things in such a short amount of time, but I know for fact that this collagen powder was my final saving grace. This is the one I use here in pineapple flavour.
I still use only a mositruser daily which I only use for my ezecma otherwise I don’t think I would use one at all. Its just a cheap yuck one from the chemist called sorbelene cream, it is so moisturising its insane and it has bad chemicals in it but I can’t afford anything expensive and it works well for my dry skin. I use a Mecca SPF when I know im out in the sun on my face, I was my makeup off with water, and will use coconut oil to melt off heavy makeup when needed. I was my face with a warm flannel morning and night and that is my skin routine! I also still drink the Jeuneora daily and think I will for quite some time longer. Because of the price point, one I have healed my skin completely I think ill drop down to every second or third day to stretch the product further for the sake of my wallet.
I also want to note that you need to stop trying new products all the time. I know we get desperate and want to try everything but your just making it worse trust me. Also be careful with medicine your doctor puts you on. Some of them can cause serious mental health issues and its not be treated lightly ok, just make sure you are making good decisions and don’t rush into anything.
In this photo here we only have mascara and eyebrows on. no concealer, no foundation. Although we still have some issues with texture I am not absolutely covered anymore (like some of the images above show) and im so happy.
This post is not at all paid for, I pay for the product and this is an honest unbiased opinion. Its what worked for me.
I hope you get something out of this post! Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Goodluck on your skin journey babe.
Love and light
A
x
All About Annie 