Clear Your Acne in 2023

Many of us experience the same feeling every January – a desire to start anew. With that in mind, it’s natural for us to make New Year’s resolutions, such as clearing our acne. However, many of these resolutions fail because you don’t approach them correctly. It’s not enough to buy products and resolve to use them daily; making a successful resolution requires planning, evaluating habits, creating new ones, and having the proper mindset. In this blog post, I will share how you can use these steps to achieve clearer skin in 2023 and beyond. 

Make a Plan to Clear Your Acne

If you are like most people, your first order of business is to buy products for your acne.  It should be writing down why clearing your acne is important to you.  The more tangible and compelling your "why" is, the more likely you will stay the course when times get rough. For example, I was embarrassed by my acne and wore concealer/foundation everywhere, to include the gym.  My “why” was that I wanted to feel confident and not have to wear foundation/concealer when I left the house.  

Next, as someone who has suffered from acne, I know it is one of the most challenging skin conditions to correct. Why, because there are different types of acne, and the triggers can be related to many internal and external factors. I don't expect you to become an acne expert, so I recommend you include a skincare professional in your plan. 

Finding a skincare professional who is well-versed in acne can make a world of difference, speed up your progress, and save you time and money. 

Lastly, figure out when is a good time to start. Many people believe January is the perfect time to start a new resolution, but the truth is you can start anytime.   

Find the Connection Between Your Acne and Habits

A male client was accompanied by his wife during an acne consultation, and the wife couldn't understand why he had acne, but she didn't.  They lived together, worked together, and ate the same foods, yet her skin was clear, while he appeared to have hormonal acne. On the surface, it would seem like lifestyle and habits weren't the issues; however, when combined with our genetics and hormones, these factors can directly influence our skin.

So, you must be willing to acknowledge that your lifestyle, diet, and habit choices are likely the main causes of your condition. 

Create Healthy Habits to Control Acne

In many cases, creating/changing one or two habits greatly affects your results.  In the above scenario, I recognized that his skin care regimen wasn’t the primary cause, but it worsened his condition.  So, I switched out two products and added a daily moisturizer/sunscreen to his regimen. The change in regimen resulted in a 30% improvement in two weeks.

After we addressed the symptoms with skincare, he was ready to look inward and consider changing his diet, which consisted of a lot of soda, energy drinks, and fast food. The ingredients in these foods and drinks can wreak havoc in the body and upset other systems, when consumed regularly and in large amounts. Remember, our skin often indicates what is going on inside our bodies.

Personally, diet has been the biggest game changer for hormonal acne; however, it is not necessarily the easiest to make. In a recent blog, I shared my experience with sugar detox, the good and bad, and how it has improved my skin and overall health. 

Mindset is Key to Clearing Acne

Finally, having the right mindset is essential when sticking with any resolution – especially regarding skincare success!

If you expect your skin to clear overnight, you will get frustrated and give up quickly. Additionally, it will not be possible if you tell yourself clearing your acne is impossible.

It may take a few weeks or months to see any improvement, so be prepared to stay the course and not let small setbacks derail your progress.

The key is to focus on the positive and celebrate small milestones.  Remember, this is a process, and you will get there!

Achieving clear skin can be a long process, but it is possible with the right plan, habits, and mindset. It's important to remember that everyone’s journey is different. For some people, changes in diet are key; for others, skincare products make all the difference. Whatever your situation may be, it's essential to identify what works best for you and develop healthy habits that support your goals of achieving clear skin.