I started eating better and looking after my health several years ago because, well, as you probably know, I had terrible acne, and I wanted to get rid of it.
And so I improved my lifestyle dramatically, and it got rid of nearly all of my acne. I attributed most of that success to my diet (whether that’s true or not, I’ll never know, but that’s what I thought), and so I was rather strict with my food. VERY strict in the beginning, and less strict as time went on.
Why was I so strict? Well I was terrified of the emotional pain of having acne again. So I attempted to control that anxiety by trying to control my food. As time went on, the memories of the pain faded, and so did my strictness.
But the fear was still there. And some mild acne was still there. And I didn’t feel like a million dollars ALL the time. And I had some mild digestive issues. And I’m a bit of a perfectionist.
So I still continued to feel a bit trapped by my need to tightly control my diet and lifestyle.
So even though my skin and health and eating habits were actually quite good, it wasn’t “perfect” (whatever that means). So I was still always looking for the next remedy, the next great diet, the next great this or that – the thing that would catapult my health and skin to the cosmos. The ultimate perfection.
And if I spent any time not being able to eat or live the way I wanted, I would push back against it, try to control the situation, and ultimately cause myself stress.
Long story short: I was primarily looking after my health because I was afraid.
Not reeeeally the greatest reason to care about your health, but is probably a big reason most of us get on the health train to begin with.
Anyway, it got to a point about a year ago where I was about to embark on the really intense, strict, two year long, digestion healing diet called the GAPS Diet. It’s so strict that I basically would not have had a life if I were to do it, but I was so excited about it because I thought it was my perfect saviour. I thought it would fix everything about me.
I felt like all I had to do was muscle my way through this two years of strictness and then I would never feel anxious again.
……. aaaand then I tried it, and I felt just AWFUL.
And suddenly I felt this immense sense of relief. Like I was suddenly waking up and coming out of a fog. Oh. What was I just about to get myself into?
After that, I realized how sick I was of reading about nutrition and diets and health information on the internet. The more you read the more scared you get. The more you think you have to be trying this diet, or that diet, or this procedure, or that supplement. The more confused you get about who is right. The more you cut out of your diet on the basis of hearsay and speculation until you can’t eat anything.
And the more you read, the more you think your health sucks when… hey… maybe it’s not that bad? Maybe you just need to relax a little??
This was a turning point for me.
And then I just dropped it. I dropped everything. I stepped away from reading about nutrition. I decided that I was not going to fear any type of whole foods just because someone on the internet said that it was bad.
I realized that nobody really knows what they’re talking about, and you just have to listen to yourself and your own body.
I would eat what I wanted when I wanted.
Luckily I was already in the habit of eating whole foods, so I continued to eat whole foods, but I ate anything I wanted when I was with friends and family or away on vacation. I started eating cheese, gluten when it was offered, sugar, dessert. Whatever!
Sometimes I got scared, and if some pimples showed up, I’d still get a little panicky, but mostly it was a relief. A big relief.
My skin didn’t get any worse than when I was so strict and as I softened into this new way of life, I began to trust that it was okay and that it wouldn’t get any worse. Life became immensely easier. I had a lot of fun.
You know what, and once I got out of my own way and allow myself to relax and come into a place of calm, I actually discovered a supplement that has done amazing wonders for my skin and allowed it to stay more lovely than it’s ever been (Estroblock – friggin’ looovvvve it!).
So… yeah. It’s been about a year since this whole GAPS thing, and about a year since I gave up the food fight, and almost a year since I discovered Estroblock.
And I’ve continued to eat a mostly whole foods diet, with some processed foods, cheese, and desserts thrown in. Sometimes if I eat too much of that stuff, I don’t feel that good, so I just naturally feel the urge to eat better again.
And I like it. It’s so SO much better in many, many regards. And my skin has been glorious. It’s been great to see that I can be lenient and still have great skin. It’s wonderful. And freeing.
However, I have noticed that over time, some very minor things have cropped back up.. Nothing very serious… it’s just mild yeast infections and little mild flare ups of eczema on my hand, both of which come and go throughout the month. Minor nuisances, really.
So I’m going to the naturopath, in fact I’m writing this as I’m waiting for my appointment. I think it’s just a candida thing. I’m going to get pick up some probiotics and antifungals and I’m also going to get checked to see if I have any food sensitivities. Mostly because I am curious – has my diet lenience resulted in an increase in food sensitivities compared to past tests?
The glorious difference between before and now is that I don’t feel panicky about my health, or the results of this test. I feel more naturally drawn to looking after me and keeping things on track because I love myself and want to feel good. The whole thing isn’t fearful anymore. It’s less borderline eating disorder due to a sadistic perfectionist tendency. It’s me projecting less meaning and emotion onto food and health.
You know…. all in all…. I feel like I’ve finally arrived at where I wanted to go on this acne journey.
I thought that getting rid of my acne would result in feeling free and free from anxiety. But when I became mostly free of acne, I was then being held hostage by my own fear and neurotic control issues in order to keep it away.
When I realized these control issues were keeping me in a little box I had built myself, I realized that I needed to let go of that before I would ever really be as free as I felt before bad acne made its way into my life.
I realized that a long time ago but it wasn’t that easy to get over those fears. But I kept at the process.
It’s been one heck of a journey, but I finally feel like I’ve arrived. Like I am finally free again. For real. It took me three whole years to do this, but I think I have finally arrived.
- I don’t have acne, and I’m not scared of acne anymore.
- I’m not afraid my bad acne is going to come back.
- I don’t feel scared about anything to do with acne and food anymore.
- I am free of all acne washes and creams and products that I was ever tied to.
- Some days I don’t even look at my skin or face at all because I simply forget to
- I feel like I can do anything in this world without having to consult with myself about whether or not it will create acne.
I feel like if I did start breaking out again for some reason, it would be okay. I wouldn’t like it, but I would be alright. Because I would be my own safety net against acne. I would know within myself that I could get rid of it and that I would survive and that I don’t have to panic. I would know that my achievements and my enjoyment of life and the light inside of me and all that is wonderful about me is infinitely more important than how I look.
I honestly wondered if I would ever get to this place. I hoped I would, but deep down, I was nervous that acne would be the ball and chain that physically and mentally haunted me for the rest of my life.
In fact, I actually feel like I’ve surpassed my expectations for freedom. Because I understand now having physical “flaws” that do not live up to impossible societal beauty standards does not make me less of a person or define who I am, so I feel more secure with myself than I ever have in my life.
The best part of this journey has been connecting with all of you and being able to share my thoughts and revelations and trials and tribulations while trying to heal myself and my heart. I feel like it has been immensely helpful to me to express these thoughts and get your feedback over the last few years.
Thank you so much Love Vitamin-ites…. I LOVE YOU!!! xoxox
La Video Version
WE love you too Tracy! I’m so happy that you have reached that point! My skin is also doing so much better these days..yipeee! I’ve reached the point where I can forget about my skin most of the time; this is huge for me considering the fact that last summer I didn’t even want to step out of my home. Thank you for all you do and for all the help and guidance you have given all of us; I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t stumbled upon your site last year! THANK YOU!!!!
YAYYA! Awesome. That is awesome, and I love you. Thanks for following me and being here with me on the journey Lorena!
You just have such a beautiful and vibrant way about you, Tracey. I sometimes wonder how someone as attractive and healthy looking as you could ever have insecurities.
I completely understand what you are talking about in this article. For the past year my acne has gradually cleared up to the point where I wear very little make-up (compared to when I used to cake it on to cover the spots) and I hardly check my face in the mirror – such a feeling of freedom! I’d get paranoid about staying over with friends or family as they’d see me without make-up and I thought they’d be disgusted at my acne. What a sense of relief not to worry about that anymore.
But, yes, I did change my diet radically and I became too obsessed with eating the same things all the time as I feared if I eat anything bad, my acne would come back. It was another form of feeling trapped, I came to realise.
Slowly I have realised that if I eat some junk food, I do not have a massive acne break-out. I can let go now and again and to be honest I can feel more relaxed.
Your blog has helped me so so much in the past year Tracey and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your effort into this blog. Even though I no longer have severe acne, I still enjoy reading your blog xx
Sometimes it’s hard to wonder why any of us are so self conscious… we’re all so brilliant and wonderful in our own ways. We all have people who love us and think we’re wonderful, so why don’t we? Why do we all hate ourselves?
I think when it finally truly sunk for me just how purposefully constructed poor self esteem is in our society – ie, advertisers’ messages that we are imperfect and unnattractive (so that we spend money to “fix” ourselves) has permeated EVERYONE’s psyche down to their very core…. it doesn’t surprise me at all that practically everyone is self conscious and insecure.
It was when I wrote this article https://thelovevitamin.com/9388/woman-if-youre-not-physically-attractive-then-youre-worthless-or-so-youre-told/ that it really hit home how I’ve been affected by this over my life from the time I was a little girl, and I think I made an unconscious decision that enough was enough and I would not waste another second of my brilliant time on earth being self conscious about the way I look or am
Love xox
So happy for you! You really deserve this =) I actually think I’ve gotten through the worst of my acne journey, it can only get better from now. That’s all thanks to your help and resources, Tracy. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!
Things are only going to get better, keep going forward Michael 🙂 Love x
So your saying diet didnt help?
Then what did?
Im not eating gluten or dairy
Trying to avoid all refined sugar (aside from chocolate)
And considering the low G.I. diet….
No, I’m not saying that diet didn’t make a difference. I think diet does make a big difference (and I think it definitely did for me), but I think that we put way WAY too much emphasis on how important diet is in terms of our health. We think it’s everything, but it’s only a small part of it.
Especially in internet world – everyone has their way of eating that is “THE BEST WAY” and then everyone ends up cutting out a bajillion foods, becomes orthorexic and stressed out. Then our diet isn’t doing us much good if we’re just making ourselves feel stressed and trapped.
I think that that getting rid of most processed foods in your diet and eating the majority of your food as whole, unprocessed, natural food makes a huge difference to your health and skin (and also mostly avoiding certain foods if you KNOW for a fact that they are a problem for you). But going beyond that seems to be more harmful than helpful.
Reducing stress, exercising, getting sleep, etc…. so important to the overall picture, yet way underrated – totally left in the shadow of the diet monster.
As to your question of what did work?
Well, partly diet, I am sure of it! But other things: quitting the job I didn’t like, getting rid of the stressful boyfriend, quitting drinking and staying up at odd hours, starting exercise and yoga… also going to the naturopath and getting supplements for my hormones, and getting rid of candida, and cutting out food sensitivities that I was tested for (as opposed to just guessing based on what they say on the internet). Oh yes, and also switching to natural, gentle cleanser (honey) and letting my skin detox and heal from all the chemicals I was using on my skin.
Hey Tracy!!
I also feel like you’re a really confident and beautiful woman. I think it’s great how honest you are about your feelings…whether they are confident or insecure. And it makes us all feel better to know you feel this way because it makes us all feel like we’re not alone!!!
No matter what, you are awesome!
Please keep the videos coming!
~Elise
Thanks Elise!! Thanks for watching the vids, I’m glad I make you feel not alone, you guys make me feel not alone too 🙂
So does this mean you will be moving on from the Lovevitamin at sometime in the near future? I hope not. You have been such a guide in this journey. I am so glad that you have regained your health. I am hoping that in 2 more years I will get to where you are. In the last year from when I started reading your blog I have really turned my skin problems (that plagued me for at least 5 years) around. I couldn’t have done it without your support and courage. If you do go, I hope you turn it into something related and keep this blog to continue to help people. Better yet, maybe your insights can eventually become practical wisdom once the word is out. I think you should get mentioned in a medical textbook:)
Hi Autumn,
Yes, I realize that’s kind of what this post sounds like, but it’s not. The Love Vitamin will live on because I want to help others get to where I am now and continue having this support available for everyone.
However, I am planning to start a second blog that will be about online business & making your life as awesome as possible, beyond the scope of the acne topic. Including stuff like relationships, travel, personal finance, and heaps more self growth stuff. Those who are into it can join me at the second blog as well, and those who aren’t can stay here where The Love Vitamin will remain on the topic of acne and health 🙂
Anyway, so cool that you have seen such a turnaround in your skin!! Makes me happeeee !!! Tons of love to you xox
Wow. Thanks so much for being an incredible teacher and healer and helping all of us on the journey attain clear skin and a new state of mind. Your sincerity and kindness is so refreshing! I can’t wait to follow the next installment from you!
Glad you’ll be coming along for the ride Kelly! 🙂
Hi! I was wondering how long the estero block took for your results, I am on week three! I definitely think its doing something. Do you have any thoughts on estroblock plus? Thank you!
Hi Amanda,
For me it took at least a couple of months to see its full results. Also, Estroblock Triple is good, I just switched to it and I like it. According to the company who makes it, for hormonal acne you would take two per day of that instead of three of the regular Estroblock.
You’re really pretty in that picture Tracy! 🙂
I began my journey after visiting your website back in September. Nearly a year has passed. My face looks better than before, I still have some lingering problems but that’s because of my gut and some candida problems. I’ll start the candida diet The 13th! 🙂
Keep going Adel, you’ll get there!! 🙂 And great to hear we’ll be having you on the cleanse!
Hey Tracy,
I’ve started reading your post about a week ago. I’ve been struggling with acne ever since I decided to get the mirena iud and then it continued after I moved on to birth control pills. Long story short, I stopped taking birth controls about a month ago and want to start natural family planning ie taking my basal body temperature every morning. Do you know if estroblock affects your temperature? I ordered some last week but the more I think about it, it seems like it would do something to your body. Have you heard anything about that?
Thanks!!!
P.S. I’m so jealous of your face! I hope that will be me soon!
Hey Leah,
I don’t think it would affect your temperature, but I can’t really say that for sure! So don’t take my word for it!
You helped me through some tough time, Tracy. Not because I managed to find ‘the’ diet for me but because there was somebody who understood my feelings completely. But what now? Will you stop blogging? I’d miss reading from you!
I’m so happy I could have helped you in some way 🙂 It’s so massively helpful to have people to relate to with such a painful problem like this. I’m glad we can all be here for each other.
Anyway, no, I’m not quitting! I am going to continue blogging on The Love Vitamin, and I am also going to be opening another little piece of real estate on the net…. check out my comment to Autumn above.
Dear Tracy: I just want you to know I’ve only been reading your blog two weeks and I’m already seeing VAST improvement. NO active pimples right now (a few still healing)and I had a cystic one starting to form-you know how it feels, you know when they’re coming on-and I used tea tree-vitamin E cream on it and stopped it dead in its tracks. :-)) I’m doing the Burdock Root, Milk Thistle and Vitex. I talked to my doctor, he’s an MD but believes in holistic approaches, and he said he personally would have recommended the Vitex, and he takes Milk Thistle himself. I’m waiting for my Estroblock and Manuka in the mail! Thank you for all your advice, its really helping!!
Yaaay!! That’s awesome Dee!! So happy for you!
So happy for you! I hope to be like you one day!
Tracy, I am beyond happy for you. I hope so badly to be able someday to say about myself everything you said in this post. I’ve currently reached that stage you talked about in which I’m just letting go. I eat a whole foods, primarily organic diet and have for years. I avoid gluten and dairy because food intolerance tests still show my antibodies through the roof after avoiding them for nearly 5 years. I don’t put anything on my face that I can’t eat. I’ve tried countless supplements over the years. I even tried estroblock last winter, but it didn’t work for me. I don’t think “too much estrogen” is my problem at all. I just did my 10th liver flush last week, and plan on continuing them. My skin still doesn’t look “calm,” but I’m making peace with where I am. I’ve spent the last few years making every single health choice out of FEAR (as you talked about), and I’m tired of doing that. I think it has had a negative effect on me. Anyway, my eyes get teary just thinking about being able to say everything you said in this post. Again, I’m beyond happy for you and look forward to all your future posts, as usual. 🙂
Love and Light,
Desi
Hi Desi,
I’m not sure what the answer is, but maybe it is just… letting go.. whatever that looks like for you, since trying so hard with it and making those choices from fear hasn’t seemed to worked that well. It’s a difficult dance trying to find the balance… and I guess it’s different for everyone on how you can let go and still try things for your acne at the same time. I guess it’s the quality of how you are going about it…. I suppose there needs to be some kind of acceptance of where we are right now, and acceptance of whatever happens. I hope you find your answers my sweets, love xoxo
Hey.. just passing by.
I’ve had an acne problem for years and the only thing that helped me was treating the Candida Yeast overgrowth in my body(I had folliculitis).
The diagnosis is as easy as spitting on a glass of water early in the morning(YES!).
Pleaaaase do research about this on the internet.
Just giving my two cents and I hope you find this helpful.
Sweet! Yes, I have a whole candida cleanse program available, check it out: https://thelovevitamin.com/ebooks-products/candida-cleanse/
This post made me so happy! I have so many similar feelings, and I hope to some day be where you are. I have so much anxiety and fear with regards to my appearance, because I’ve been all over the weight spectrum (suffered from anorexia for many years and then became overweight) and have had so many skin problems from acne to psoriasis to unexplained rashes. Even when these things are somewhat under control and I feel semi okay about my appearance, I still don’t feel good because I am so terrified of going back. I obsess about my diet and lifestyle, trying to make sure it is 100% perfect, then I get stressed because I know I am stressing myself out- and we all know stress makes you fat and gives you acne! And I’m still not completely happy with my appearance or my skin so I am always striving to do more, do better- there must be something I’m missing so I need to find it and be perfect in every way so I can be a perfect weight/have perfect skin. Haha! I’m such a mess. Thanks for sharing your story, hopefully it will inspire me to relax a little 🙂
Hey Hayley, I hope so too!! I was totally where you were – in that anxious, obsessive, must fix it place – so there is so much hope that you will get here too.
its all too much there’s too much products to use to much diets to try i think everything is better with whatever feels right with me!All i need is a healthy life in all areas food,social,love,physical and self-esteem. Happy for you Tracy!
Hi Liz,
Definitely, it gets to a point where you have so much information that it’s useless. I think it’s really healthy to step back for a while and stop researching things and just see what your own body has to say!! love x
Hi Tracy! I am soooo so happy for you! You deserve your triumph! You’ve given us all so much hope and I feel so lucky that I found your amazing site long ago and have been able to follow you on this journey! I second what everyone else has said about how awesome and courageous you are, and I want to especially thank you for always so thoughtfully responding to readers’ comments!
Question – I’m going to give Estroblock a shot, but on Amazon it says “Estrogen blocker; Testosterone booster” – Does it really boost testosterone, or does it just seem like that because it evens out the estrogen-testosterone balance? I’m just concerned that it may cause an increase in facial and body hair, which I already struggle with. It doesn’t look seem like this is an issue for you, but do you happen to know if increased body/facial hair growth could be a side effect of Estroblock?
Thanks so much! Love you, and I can’t wait to start following your new site as well. It sounds fantastic and inspiring already!
Hi Sarah,
Well, I don’t know for certain, but I get the impression that the body has good and bad uses of testosterone. And DIM converts bad estrogens to good estrogens, which should have an overall positive effect on your hormonal balance, which may lead to your body using testosterone more effectively in the way it’s supposed to, or in other words, a more “desirable” action from testosterone (ie. increase sex drive/mood, instead of… hirsutism or acne). So… yeah 🙂
So far I haven’t heard any feedback from anyone saying anything about increased bad testosterone symptoms, although the other day, one person said that she has experienced a slight increase in peach fuzz on her face. That’s the first I’ve heard of anything like that.
* Also, I get the impression that the “testosterone booster” marketing they use is aimed at men… apparently in women, DIM creates more desirable use of the small bit of testosterone we have, and with men, it frees up more testosterone, which is desirable for them
Tracy, this is awesome! So glad you were able to be less strict with your diet and ease up on yourself. I am currently trying to start the caveman again, because I think a lot of beauty products whether organic/natural or toxic, throw the skin out of whack. Not necessarily oils or honey or anything, but I am just trying to confront my addiction to buying products in general. At first it was the acne products, then the natural products, and I realized that just all the products in general really fuel my emotional dependency on products therefore creating anxiety about acne. I think the caveman will help me let go of my dependency as well as clear my skin up because I only started breaking out when I started using things on my face. It was also help my bank account haha. I think the caveman is something so many people should try just to realize that you don’t actually need these things. My skin has been flaky and a bit gross but I can’t wait to see what it will look like after a month!
I know, the caveman was so thrilling for me for that reason. I always hated having to wash my face and do all that stuff (especially if I was away from home). That felt like a ball and chain, for sure. It was amazing to see that I totally didn’t need that stuff at all and it was all in my head!! Good luck x
Hey Tracy I wanted to ask ya something. I suffer from acne, a mild one now thanks to your tips and all. 🙂 But I still have lingering problems but… Thing is, my skin is.. It’s hard to explain but I look pale in a sickish way. Like I’m tired all the time, my skin has a rough texture and it’s slightly uneven. I have a few gut problems and I was wondering if I fixed the gut problems would my skin become better or?
Hi Ricki,
Interesting – yes it could definitely be connected to some kind of gut problem, or maybe a nutrient deficiency. I would encourage you to perhaps work with a naturopath to pinpoint the problem
Thing is.. My face tends to be like.. Super sensitive when it comes to what I eat. If I eat something bad it’s going to show on my face like a hours to a day after.. And if I’m out drinking or not sleeping like I’m supposed to do. I’ll look like a zombie! ;(
That’s really frustrating, Rick 🙁 How stressed do you get when you eat something bad? How afraid do you feel? Do you think that could be contributing to the effects of it?
Hmm I honestly don’t get that frustrated, eating something bad takes longer to show up on my skin than not sleeping right or drinking alcohol. ;p
I’m going to jump in because I have been in the exact same spot! If I ate a “bad” food, it would show on my face within 24 hours…and the stricter I got with my diet, the more foods became “bad” and would have that effect on me, even if I didn’t stress or anything. It turned out that I had a leaky gut, which I worked with a naturopath to fix. It involved gut-healing supplements (l-glutamine, glucosamine, gelatin, probiotics), a food sensitivity test and temporarily very restricted diet, but it worked and I can eat way more stuff now! Something to think about! I hope it all works out for you 🙂
I do have a gut problem, and I’ve been having it for a long time now. I have a weak digestive system + Candida.. I was at a health food store and got checked for a vitamin/mineral deficiency and she said I had an gut-infection.. So I think if I fix it my acne might clear up for good. 🙂
THAT’S AMAZING! I am happy for you. so at the end what do u recommend, should we still stick to healthy eating routine or just let go of everthing and eat whatever you like. Also, could u give more information on anti-estro supplement you mentioned! Stay connected with us! 🙂
Thanks!!
Well, I think that it IS important to eat a mostly whole foods diet. But just not, like, freak out about it so much 🙂 Do your best, put the effort in, but don’t worry if you eat processed foods with friends and family. Don’t worry if a bit of processed food gets thrown in with your whole foods meal sometimes.
And stop reading diet blogs or following diet people on the internet who fear monger about certain food groups. It’s super stressful and creates the fear
It’s all about getting out of that fear mindset with food, really, is what it comes down to. To start seeing it as nourishing for your body and mind, as opposed to something you’re terrified of.
I have a question regarding Estroblock. Does it help with hair growth on the face for women? What besides your acne on your chin area made you realize your acne was hormone related? (i must have missed that post).
Thanks!
P.S. I love your blog and all the hard work you’ve put into keeping your readers informed on all things acne!
Hi Lana,
It may help with that, I’m not entirely sure. See my answer above to Sarah’s question.
As for how I realized my acne was hormonal…. I don’t know. I think I just suspected it because it just wouldn’t go away for good no matter what I did or tried. I also never used to chart my periods, and so I thought the breakouts were totally random, but then I found there actually was a pattern to them, they’d come and go within my menstrual cycle.
And also, when I heard about Estroblock from Fran at High on Health, and the way she described her acne on her chin that would come and go, and the way that Estroblock had cleared it up for her, it just sounded exactly like what I had been dealing with, so I finally said… okay. I’m gonna give this stuff a try, and it worked !! 🙂
I’m glad you won’t be leaving this blog behind – I got scared for a second there! Congratulations on your journey. I can relate – I saw great results from cutting out dairy, gluten and soy but the restriction was giving me anxiety. I’ve gradually added some of these foods back in. My skin is not as good as it was, but I feel happier overall. I think it’s so important to find a balance between healing your body and keeping your mind healthy and stress-free.
Yep, I’m still gonna be around 🙂 Yeah, it’s so important to find that balance… after all, what’s the point if it’s making you miserable!!
I honestly love, love this post!! I know you have been told countless times by people but just, sincerely thank you. For doing what you do for others whom you dont even know and will most likely never meet. Your work is highly admirable and I can say I am so grateful that I found your site last year. Keep up the fantastic work, Tracy
I am so happy for you, I too am working to overcome this at age 17. I have a question….I bought the manuka honey, its weird overall my face looks better but some areas Are very red and dry. My jojoba oil is not here yet, do you think I should wait until my jojoba oil gets here or switch to raw honey. I’ve only used the manuka honey for 4 days and nights as of today.. or should I cut down to using raw honey in the morning and manuka at night? Thank you.
Hi Emilio,
Thanks! I answered your question on the other thread, the manuka honey thread 🙂
Hey Tracey! We love you too! I remember when I first stumbled upon your videos on the internet because I was feeling desperate about my skin it was almost 3 years ago which I find so hard to believe since it feels like almost yesterday. I had developed severe acne when I was 19 and was freaking out immensely. I started going on all these diets and i even went on this candida cleanse (I have done it three times I believe?) I went on a low glycemic index diet, the FODMAPS diet and I even pondered about getting into GAPS myself. My skin was improving however it wasn’t completely clearing up, so you can see the tight grip I would hold on with these diets because I felt that if I didn’t keep following them, I would suffer with the return of acne and other digestive issues again.
However, after visiting a Chinese herbalist, he had oversimplified everything for me which put me in a state of awe. He said all I had to do was improve my colon by taking these herbs. And I asked about my diet and he said it’s important to eat healthy but don’t stress too much on what you cannot eat. I thought, wow BINGO! Why am I stressing so much about the whole foods and stuff that I cannot eat? And even some processed foods? I’m starting to be more lenient in what I eat, in fact just yesterday I had chocolate and cookie dough but I mean I didnt gorge myself on it either, lol, but I feel as though my fears are slowly just slipping away. I’m still kinda wary but it isn’t as bad as it used to be, and my acne isnt as bad as it used to be. I still get some strays from time to time but I’m panicking less and less and telling myself that it is a phase and I will get over it no matter what, and it seems to be working! I’ve also stopped wearing make up completely (not to mention stopped using all these products) which is something I thought I’d never be able to do. I’m slowly becoming more comfortable in my own skin 🙂 the change in lifestyle really helped a lot. I’m gonna also try and see if Estroblock can work for my mild acne as well.
Thank you so much for sharing your story!
Hey Anna,
That’s an awesome story!! It’s funny how sometimes it’s just so much simpler than we make it out to be. So happy you went to see that Chinese herbalist. And that you’ve managed to release the dependence on products and makeup… with every letting go we get more free 🙂 Love x
Hi Tracy! Thank you so much for sharing your journey with all of us, especially the emotional side because that’s the toughest part of it all.
After growing up with flawless skin, I developed moderate acne post-college. At first, I’d put on gobs of makeup to appear presentable (which often made me look worse), but eventually I started to avoid friends and family altogether. It started to take a toll on me socially and emotionally so I knew I had to do something.
I went to a dermatologist, and after a five minute examination, she whisked me out the door with three different drugs (one with some pretty scary side effects). She never asked me about my diet or lifestyle, and even had the nerve to call vitamins and probiotics “trendy”. What?!! I knew that putting a chemistry lab in my body and on my face was not solution for me.
And so, I started to do my own research and found your amazing blog. I connected my acne to a digestive issue (both started around the same time). I cut out gluten and dairy, started to drink 100+ ounces of water a day, and used manuka honey religiously. What a huge difference just those things made!
Most importantly, it was your advice and openness about your own acne that helped me through this tough time. For that, I am forever greatful to you! Thank you!
Hey Brittney,
Good for you for passing up the chemical slurry … it’s brave to do when you’re feeling so down! I’m so happy some of my natural suggestions made such a difference, but more so – I’m so happy that I helped you with the emotional stuff. Because it’s true – that is so the hardest part, but also the one that is least talked about! lovex
I am so happy for you, Tracy! I’ve noticed that in following your blog I always feel like I’m just a bit behind you in your skin “journey”…you saw a naturopath a bit before me, tried the caveman regimen before me, lol. So I’m going to go ahead and hope that I’m not too far behind reaching this awesome peace that you’ve found! Enjoy it!
Yay!! I think you’re not far behind 🙂 You’ll get here too very soon Kit!
You are such an inspiration! I found your website just as I was about to start seriously restricting my diet to get rid of my acne. Thank goodness I found you first; you have probably saved me years of hassling with various diets. My acne has gotten a lot better since I started eating whole foods and stopped using a million creams on my face (just gentle bar soap) but I still have some on my jawline. I’ve been using estrogaurd, but I’m going to try switching to estroblock and work on exercising more to deal with stress.
Wish me luck.
I love you, girl!
Yay!! I’m so glad to have intercepted before going down the insane diet rabbit hole. And that your skin has improved so much!! woohoo! Good luck with the continued journey Katie! 🙂
Hi Tracy and everyone! I’m so happy that you have found THAT moment of clear skin that we all sometimes just dream of. I feel like us acne sufferers share a special bond so it makes me happy to hear about your success 🙂 . I recently started this journey. About 3 months back I started the cavemen regimen and now I started working on a healthy diet of whole foods, green smoothies, cutting out sweets and breads. But I recently lost a lot of weight and I don’t look so good when I’m this skinny. Do you guys have any advise on how I can gain back my weight and maintain it while keeping this diet going?
Hey JP,
Here are a couple articles that might help you: https://thelovevitamin.com/926/healthy-eating-for-skinny-people/
https://thelovevitamin.com/8298/best-exercise-hormones-gorgeous-skin/
Basically the key to gaining healthy weight is to make sure you are eating enough calories, and strength training
Also be aware that it’s normal to lose some weight when you first start a healthy diet.. it’s like your body is shedding a bunch of toxic fat (toxins are held in fat) and then you tend to naturally put some back on again and level out if you need to
Hello again, Tracy. I am looking more into the gut connection for my skin and even thoughI am pretty clean in there (or so I think) and probiotics are a part of my life along with yogurt and occasional suarkruat and kimchi when I can afford it. I was wondering what other things will help repair/heal my gut? I have heard soo freakin much about enzymes, and probiotics, and this and that and Its so frustrating as with most health things online are. I dont think I am to terribly bad inside but I do think there is something going on cause sometimes i feel a little pressured in my gut for no apparent reason :/ My diet is good and I have been through one candida cleanse and in my first one of this year as we speak. As a side note I eat really fast :/ I am always rushing off to the next part of my day and I have myself convinced I have to eat like 90 miles an hour, that would cause some pressure and/or a bloated feeling I would imagine right? I am trying to train myself to eat slower but its takes so much concentration lol. I know you touch on gut stuff in other threads but I cant find them in what section it would be in, sooo any suggestions you could make for the good ole gut would be great!!
Stay awesome, Tracy!!
I would suggest getting tested for food sensitivities if you can! Because then you can see if there is a hidden food you don’t know about that’s causing your issue. L-glutamine is also another supplement good for gut health. Also stress. Stress is a big thing for gut health. And yes, eating slower 🙂
Hi! I’ve really seen an improvement in my skin when I drink my bone and veggie broth! Broths contain essential amino acids and minerals that help heal the gut. I’ve even seen my pore decrease in size from drinking the broth. I did a little test and stopped consuming the broth for 3 months, but kept everything else the same and my skin got bad and oily again. I really believe that drinking the broth first thing in the morning helps a lot with gut healing and ultimately healing the skin from the inside.
True dat!
Good one Tracy! I really believe that you’ve cracked it. Hormones, stress/worry and too much maintenance are the prime candidates. Though obviously a healthy lifestyle is gonna help too.
My hormones are finally balancing after a year of being off the birth control pill and I’ve always eaten pretty well. SO NOW. It’s caveman time. I’m on day 4! Though I did ease in over a month. Started out by purging my skin with the steamer and gentle exfoliating thing, then did less and less to it each week. I don’t remember the last time my skin was so clear. Fingers crossed it continues!
Nice!! Good luck with it Rebecca! 🙂 Glad to hear things are going so well so far
Hi Tracey, my question is, Whats so good about Estroblock?…. I mean can whats else is in it, can i get results from another product,
I live in ireland and i cant justify the price especially if i need to take for a year maybe i’ll need to sell a limb. My skin in general is redish dull blocked up just crap i have moments of yay and then bam twice a month i feel unrecognisable and my mood stinks i’m such a meanie OK rant over:-)
So my original question, do you know of other brands that are respected and safe?
Ok thanks tracey you’re a great help, much love and good vibes 🙂 x
Hi Steph,
It’s the quality of the DIM and the ingredients in Estroblock that make it so effective compared to other DIM supplements. It seems like to be truly effective against the hormonal acne, you need a fairly high amount of DIM to be absorbed.
I know that unfortunately it’s bloody expensive to ship… even me in Canada, I pay $30 in shipping every time I order it, but… hey… it works for me, so for me personally, it’s worth every single penny. But anyway – you might find that you can use another DIM supplement (take a fairly high dose) that’s available in Ireland and see if it works, I can’t say that it won’t work!
Tracy you are such an inspiration. Im still struggling with mild acne, and Im just wondering if you think this estroblock was your main defense against acne? Is it a once a day kind of thing? Also, do you really only wash your face with honey? i love using a honey and nutmeg face mask to get rid of acne scars, but i have never tried it as a face wash. Any tips would be wonderful! Keep doing what you’re doing, you radiate positive energy.
Hi Taylourr,
Tracy is away for a few days without any internet access at all, so she asked me to answer her comments in the meantime.
However, I think I can answer your questions as well 😉
I don‘t think Tracy‘s main defense against acne is estroblock on its own, but it helped her to clear the last little traces of it. Other strong defenses in her daily life are: a very healthy whole foods diet, enough sleep, doing yoga (sometimes even with her dogs 😉 ), spending time outside, getting a little sunshine and the caveman regimen (see below). If you want to try estroblock, you should take 1-2 estroblock capsules twice a day (depending on your body stature).
As you already know, Tracy made friends with the cavemen 🙂 and does not wash her face any more. Look at these articles:
https://thelovevitamin.com/3135/caveman-regimen/
https://thelovevitamin.com/3151/caveman-regimen-week-two/
https://thelovevitamin.com/3265/caveman-regimen-30-day-update/
Anyway, honey as a face wash still works pretty well. Read this article for a few more gentle face cleansing alternatives:
https://thelovevitamin.com/3477/14-natural-face-cleansing-alternatives/
Dear Tracy, huge congratulations and massive love and respect for your achievements here with your work and your health. You look amazing!! I discovered you yesterday while working in an office in Melbourne and I am just delighted. My cells are singing. My skin isn’t too bad but I am still working through hormonal breakouts at age 31, having come off the pill last year. Anyway, your site is so rich with advice and honest reflections. I used honey and a mud mask last night and this morning and my skin feels fresh, clean, clear and soft. Amazing! I stopped by the health store for some of the supplements you mentioned and I just know in my heart that this is the turning point. I applaud you for what you have bravely achieved and all in the mantra of consuming natural inside and out. You are such a star. Well done and thank you so much
xxxxxx
Hi Louise,
thank you for writing such a lovely comment! That‘s really, really sweet!!! Tracy is away without internet access right now, but I‘ll make sure that she‘ll read it as soon as she‘s back!!! 😉
I guess she‘ll do some kind of happy dance 😀
Lots of love,
Svea xox
Hi Tracy!
I just found your blog a few days ago, and holy crap are you a breath of fresh air!! …pun intended 😉
Here’s my long story short: I had acne in my teens, went on the pill for contraception and to “treat” the acne (lol), 4 years later (married now!) decided to ditch the fake hormones I was swallowing every day and try my hand at natural birth control. Yay! Except my skin FREAKED OUT. Common story, I know. 🙂 This was almost a year ago now, and my face still looks like a pepperoni pizza–such a self-esteem booster!…HA. Pardon my sarcasm, I really have some serious self-worth issues going on, and I shouldn’t joke about it. It’s almost debilitating.
So, I’m hoping to get started taking Estroblock, Milk Thistle, and Burdock root. I’ve already switched over to oil cleansing and like it so far.
ANYway, I’ve explored a lot on your blog, from older to newer posts, and it was pretty cool to see your attitude about diet kind of relax. Your conclusions really resonated with me and gave me comfort! It did get me thinking though, and forgive me if you’ve answered this already, would you still recommend cutting out wheat and dairy to see if they relieve acne symptoms? I generally follow a pretty whole food diet. I really love cottage cheese and greek yogurt… and whole wheat toast with peanut butter! haha.
I’d love to hear your thoughts, or just point me in the direction of the post if you’ve already “been there done that” as far as this question goes. 😀
Lots of love!
Kayla
P.S. Thanks for being one of those women who don’t bash other women. That seems silly to say, but I really think it’s so important for us to trash the stereotype that women are bitchy, catty, and hate each other. It just plays into more not-so-nice societal generalizations!
Hi Kayla,
Tracy is on a kayak trip right now and won’t be able to access internet. That’s why she asked me to reply to her comments.
First of all, I want to thank you for your lovely words!!! 😉 AND: I‘ll make sure that Tracy will read them! 😀 😀 😀
You could try to cut out first wheat then dairy (you should test them separately) for at least 2-3 weeks and see if there is any kind of improvement. Then reintroduce the food with at least 3 servings per day for 3 days straight. Do you feel worse? Does your acne get worse? If the symptoms reoccur or worsen then you know they are triggered by that food. Unfortunately, it’s always a situation of trial and error…
AND: Have a look at your peanut butter toast: I am not trying to be the bad guy, I just noticed that I tend to form “addictions” to the foods that are causing the problem. There are a lot of people that are slightly intolerant to nuts, especially peanuts.
Identifying and eliminating the food sensitivity is only half the battle. We need to treat the reason why it developed in the first place. The main reasons are typically stress and intestinal dysbiosis from frequent antibiotic use or lack of cultured foods in the diet. Getting a handle on stress management is key: stress CAN cause food allergies because we do not properly digest our food when we are stressed.
I hope that helps! 😉
Lots of love,
Svea xox
@Taylourr, Louise, and Kayla, thank you all so much for your kind words 🙂 I’m sending all of you all sorts of love!!
And thank you Svea for answering their questions so wonderfully.
Hey Tracy,
I was wondering about estroblock and how it works – isn’t testosterone bad for acne? So if it boosts those levels how does that work?
I was also wondering about the safety of this supplement – my whole acne disaster started after going off birth control, so I’m afraid to take any supplement that is hormonal – although I am taking evening primrose which I think is pretty mild. I have also been taking probiotics, have cut out processed foods/sugar and am not washing my face as much. My skin has gotten much much better and is almost clear, but like you were saying I’m a bit nervous it could return. However, the no face washing/washing occasionally with water is amazing – I am neither oily nor dry. Anyway thanks so much for all of your videos – you are the perfect balance of holistic yet realistic!
Hi Tracy, After about 4 years on this journey and following you and Fran, I have written my own 10 rules to my skin. I figured I’d share them in case they might help someone else. I’m not clear all the time but I am mostly clear and love my new life holistic lifestyle.
1. For me, before anything comes what I put on my skin. Do not irritate it with products that strip skin. In fact, don’t use anything that isn’t organic/ that you can eat. Manuka honey and jojoba oil are always safe. Organic pharmacy products are safe too. Wash the least you can, usually no need to moisturize. Throw our your chemical laden products.. now! I don’t care if they are expensive.
2. Do not pick your pimples. This is the hardest for me but really have to break the habit. Keep spots moist with aloe vera. Cover up so you don’t see them.
3. Your skin does not tolerate mineral make up. There must be something it is allergic to. Don’t try again.
4. Be careful with hair gels and oil. These seem to aggravate skin. Keep products out of hair and hair out of face.
5. Never get bangs. Ever.
6. Eat fruits and vegetables everyday, especially leafy greens. Minimize the amount of sugar and processed foods. Cut back on dairy but don’t stress it. Cheese is amazing, have a little bit when you want.
7. If you hate the way your mirror makes you look, get a new mirror or fix the lighting. Some mirrors make all skin look bad so if it does, spend money to change it. Never look in one of those skin magnifying mirrors, those can drive you crazy.
8. Try to eat organic when possible and throwing in some probiotics and green supplements never hurts.
9. If you are going through a period where you are breaking out more, cover it up with some makeup and forget about it for a bit. The less you stress over how it looks, the faster it will go away.
10. Your skin never looks as bad as you think it does.
Yay! This is awesome! I’m going to share this on The Love Vitamin facebook page, okay?
Hey Tracy, it’s been a while since I’ve posted here. I’ve been mostly following Seppo’s advice and it’s been working great but.. I still get that occasional pimple here and there and it can be really discouraging sometimes. I mean I still have emotional issues (a lot of them) and some gut problems and I’m thinking that it could contribute to it but still. To be honest, I doubt I will get ever 100% clear. But, do you still get a pimple every now and then and do you stress about it or?
Hi Adel,
Actually yes I do still get the occasional little pimple here and there (before my period), but it’s usually no big deal and doesn’t really bother me because it’s not like what it was, and it’s goes away quickly, and my skin is great overall. I guess it’s more like 98% rather than 100% all the time… but I’m really happy with it and accept the occasional pimple, and that’s what matters. I do sometimes wonder if it’s unrealistic for acne prone people to ever be 100% clear all of the time, especially in this modern world. But I also think maybe we are all really being too hard on ourselves. If you look around in the real world, even non-acne prone people get spots here and there, all aside from the very luckiest. Just look.
Out of curiosity, which specific advice from Seppo has been working best for you?
Well.. I’ve been reading his posts about antioxidant supplements.. How acne-prone people have lower levels of antioxidants so I started taking antioxidant supplements + used topical skin care with antioxidants, I feel like it’s been working but.. My mental health is a mess, I can’t stop comparing to others and this just stresses me out further and I think maybe that’s why I still break out but.. then again, I was thinking earlier today.. What if this is all I can do? What if I can’t get 100% clear? I dunno. Things like this is really tearing me down deep inside.
Yes I’ve been very interested in his stuff about antioxidants too. Which antioxidant supplements are you using, and which topical skin care?
Unfortunately I don’t know why you are breaking out…. but.. you know.. I remember when I got clear from my severe acne… I was really clear for about two months. And then I got this one pretty decent sized pimple on my forehead. And I completely flipped out. It was the worst thing in the world. yes, it was just one pimple, but it was like… I was so emotionally unstable over this acne stuff that it practically destroyed my world. I remember emailing Seppo begging to know why I got this pimple after being so clear… Why was this was happening?? why?? WHYY? WHAT SHOULD I DO? He probably rolled his eyes. He said “work on your emotions”. Now it seems a little dramatic when I think about it.
Yep, my emotions were a mess, but they didn’t heal themselves over night. I had to chip away at it little by little in order to heal. I think being healed is when you can have a pimple or two and it’s not the worst thing in the world. It gets to a point where it really honestly isn’t about the acne, it’s about whether you can be happy whether you have some acne or not. Yeah it might bug you to have a pimple, but it doesn’t destroy you. Ya know? You’ll get there. You’ll find that equilibrium. Keep trying to heal and find happiness beyond your appearance, because that’s what this is about. I think us acne victims end up getting this confused thinking that clear skin = happiness, when it doesn’t necessarily mean that at all. And then if we can’t achieve 100% clearness, we think that we are doomed to misery, and so we agonize terribly over a pimple or two that to the average person, they’d be annoyed with but ultimately just shrug off and go about their day
Well.. I’ve been using a few.. I just switched over using a danish skin care line called ”Danish Skin care” Yeah, really original. But it has all the vitamins the skin needs. 🙂 As for my antioxidant supplements.. I take NAC from Solgar and.. An Antioxidant blend called ”Skin factors”
My emotions is a mess too like.. Really, I get the craziest mood swings, thing is, I was chatting with this really handsome guy a while back (I’m gay just so you know) And.. We chatted constantly for like 3 months until he started losing interest and then I realised he started talking to another person behind my back. And.. It kinda felt like I got sucker punched.. I was basically in an emotional turmoil after that and I think my skin started acting out more.. But.. Thing is, I met his twin brother who visited Denmark to celebrate his birthday in Copenhagen and.. He’s the first gay person I’ve ever met in real life that I can relate to and all. And.. Thing is, I was so happy, I really enjoyed it.
But when I came home I really got depressed due to my parents.. It’s like whatever I do won’t please them like.. My mom would ALWAYS be the one who would point out I have acne when I got a new breakout and she’s such a perfectionist that it makes me want to vomit, and I don’t know, as a kid I always got what I wanted because my parents were (still are) wealthy. So the fact that I can’t get something that I really want (clear skin) really stresses me out..
Actually after writing this I’m an emotional mess.. I think I’m in the same situation as you are.. with your first boyfriend, I really liked this guy so the fact that.. he lost interest in me after mere 2 weeks of talking to another guy really stressed me because it made me feel like I wasn’t good enough.. I think my skin was breaking out after that…
I’m going to have a skype session with Ted Grossbart because I really need to stop comparing myself with others.. but I really need to fix my emotions because really… I had acne when I met his twin and I had fun, but.. There’s no fun in life if you’re an emotional mess.
I meant the same situation as you WERE* You’re over your first boyfriend. 🙂
Adel invited me to chirp in here.
I agree with Tracy that it’s unrealistic, or at least counterproductive, for someone with adult acne to demand perfect skin. As far as I know, all the so-called acne gurus still get the occasional pimple. I know I do when my gut decides to get upset.
One can always chance after something to fix, but in my view this is fool’s errand. Because it’s very difficult to pinpoint exactly what’s causing those few pimples, of if they are just a consequence of having acne prone skin and genetics. I think it’s far better to focus on accepting yourself as you are because, let’s face it, nobody will think less of you for having a pimple or two.
One problem within the reality distortion field of alternative medicine is this belief that as humans we somehow have this perfect body and if we could only stop abusing it and start ‘living in harmony’ (whatever that means) then we could have perfect health and boundless energy.
I believe this kind of thinking is very destructive.
Because the human body is anything but ‘perfection manifested’. Learning about evolution is a good antidote for this kind of thinking. I recently read a book called The Greatest Show On Earth: Evidence For Evolution by Dr. Richard Dawkins.
It was a mind-blowing experience, to say the least. I lost count of the times I stared at the pages in disbelief of the utter ridiculousness and glaring imperfections in the human body.
Imagine that you have to build a world-class racing car on top of a beat-up old WV Beatle. Every change you make has to perform better than the earlier version (otherwise natural selection wouldn’t favour it) and you cannot undo any of the previous steps. That’s more or less how evolution works. In car terms the human body is a racing car held together by duct tape and rubber bands.
Frankly, I’m amazed any of us is even alive.
That book put all this health stuff into perspective. Dr. Dawkins is rather militant atheist and sceptic, so his writing might offend some people. Your Inner Fish is another good book on evolution and far more politically correct, though I liked The Greatest Show On Earth More.