CHICOLOGICAL GUEST POST Annie of Bellasugar

Where can you go to learn about everything from Beyonce’s ever-changing hairstyles to the season's hottest lipstick shades? In a word: Bellasugar. So we're thrilled to bring you Annie Tomlin, the mastermind behind this trendsetting beauty site. Beauty director by day, travel blogger by night, Annie has some serious beauty experience under her belt. Check out what she has to say about being acne-free. 

Acne and Natural Beauty

If you have acne, then you know the issue is more than skin-deep. Breakouts can be embarrassing, painful, and somehow almost… shameful, as though it’s your fault for not having a clear complexion. As someone who used to wake up with at four or five new throbbing blemishes every day, I know what it’s like to want to hide your face. Because I’m a beauty editor, having “bad skin” even made me feel like I was a failure at doing my job.

But if you looked at me now, you would never guess that I have skin problems — because, well, I don’t anymore. My skin is clear, my pores are normal, and I get one or two pimples a month 

So what does this have to do with natural beauty? Quite a bit, actually. 

It took a long time to realize that I had to work with my skin, not against it. The team at Skin Salvation, a San Francisco-based acne clinic, convinced me to look at my skin issues from a holistic perspective. I had tried everything — the newest creams, Retin-A, microdermabrasion, antibiotics, light therapy — but this is the only approach that worked for me. The four things that truly transformed my skin were amazingly simple.

1. Ingredients matter. If you have acneic skin, you need to avoid harsh chemicals and comedogenic ingredients. For instance, you’ve probably heard about sodium laureth sulfate, an ingredient that can irritate skin. Guess what? It causes pimples, too. When I switched from my tried-and-true toothpaste to a natural one without SLS, I stopped breaking out around my mouth within days.
2. Eat your way to better skin. This is the big one. If you want to beat acne, you have to treat it from the inside out. Cut out all caffeine, dairy, soy, seaweed, and peanuts for a month and you’ll see a difference — I promise. Eating healthful foods like kale, quinoa, and blueberries gives you more energy, and your skin looks better, too. Win-win.
3. Ice is nice. When you feel a pimple coming on, gently rub an ice cube on your face after cleansing. This reduces inflammation and works especially well on reducing those painful, deep-in-the-skin nodules. And it’s free!
4. Stress less. Stress leads to breakouts, so if you can get a handle on it, you’ll see improvement. Get more sleep. Meditate. Laugh. Exercise. Relax. (This one’s still a struggle for me, but I’m working on it.)

 Look, it’s nice to imagine that one magic treatment can get rid of acne, but it’s just not the case. Getting a clear complexion really does require you to change your lifestyle. The bad news is that clear skin doesn’t happen overnight. The good news is that by being kinder to your body and mind, you can get healthier skin and you’ll feel better in general. I know it sounds a little woo-woo to say that, but it worked for me. And if something works, you know I have to tell everyone about it. It’s my job.

P.S. Be sure to check out Annie’s personal blog. But be warned—it might just give you the travel bug.