At the tender age of 18 my skin was a raging red angry spotty mess. Was it my age? I was technically still in my teens so the general consensus was that teenage hormones were interfering with my complexion. At this stage of my life I was a working beauty therapist, smothering my skin with liquid foundation daily only exasperating the redness and inflammation of my acne. My boss took it upon herself to help me, and we started a round of facials. Now this was 1991 so the super duper active ingredients that we have today in our cosmeceutical ranges had not yet hit the shores of NZ. This was when facials were “relaxing”, so basically we cleaned and steamed the “shit” out of my skin and just ran the repeat button.
I was doing all the right things with my skincare. My make up was questionable and contributing to the problem, but there was no way I felt comfortable to bare my skin to anyone. Ever!
How was my diet ? I was flatting and having the time of my life! My wine consumption was off the scale. Did I drink water? No, I preferred Iced Chocolates, Milo and Ribena. Why would I drink water? Was I healthy? I was a member of Les Mills and did attend sometimes…
I vividly remember sitting on our couch hungover as all hell, make up free and embarrassed that visitors had casually dropped by unannounced. A random visitor (a male friend of my flatmate’s) looked at me with disgust as I demolished a cookie time cookie and a downed a glass of Ribena and said to me – All that sugar cannot be helping your skin!
This has stayed with me for over 27 years, and why didn’t I even consider his comment back then?
I just wish I knew then what I know now.
Stay tuned for my next chapter, where I continue my story on how my diet was sabotaging my skin!
Stay happy. The acne survivor – Tracey