If you read last week’s “Tracy’s Truth Vomit” posts, I spilled my heart, soul, and guts on why I have been emotionally pulling away from The Love Vitamin over the last while.
And now to continue my “renew the woo” series as I am now calling it, I will confess something else that has been bothering me but never wanted to say out loud.
Another reason I have been emotionally pulling away from The Love Vitamin is that….
I’m addicted to Estroblock.
Okay, so it’s not quite as bad as a heroin addiction or anything.
In the scheme of addictions, it’s pretty low grade.
But it’s still there.
The blessing and the problem is that it just works too frickin good.
It works so well for me, that I never want to stop using it. If they stopped making it… okay, I’d live, but I’d be pretty damn sad.
In other words, I feel emotionally dependent on it.
And, so what, you ask?
Isn’t it great that you found something that works so well for you?
Isn’t that why you would use anything (whether it be a diet, supplement, skin care product) …. because it works?
Yes, it is. It is very great that it works. It pleases me. It pleases me too much.
So here’s my complaints about the whole thing:
It Works So Well, I’ve Gotten Mad Lazy
Problem is, it works so well that I’ve started to let my diet slide big time.
At first, this was a good thing. I think I was too strict with my diet and that anxiety was probably doing more harm than good.
So with the help of Estroblock (aka DIM or diindolylmethane), and to a lesser degree its sidekick Thorne SAT, just taking that edge off my skin, I allowed myself to be more lenient with my food, which lead to me being a lot happier and my skin being better than ever.
I attributed my skin being better than ever to a combination of the two things: Estroblock and reduced stress over food.
I assumed that if I ever quit using Estroblock, it would have helped balance my hormones and the reduced stress over food would hold its own, and my skin would still stay pretty dang good.
Problem is, slowly over time, my diet got more lenient and more lenient.
Overall, when I’m home, it’s still quite good and compared to most people in the word, it’s excellent.
But I do break a lot of my own rules and recommendations.
Like, I’ll aspire to follow most of them ….
But I also eat many of the things I don’t recommend for the skin in moderate doses, a lot of the time.
Like most of my meals will have something that I don’t expressly recommend if you are just beginning your journey to clear skin. Some gluten or cheese or white rice or a bit of something with sugar in it or something otherwise processed.
This has lead me to not want to share recipes or pictures of what I’m eating because, well, it doesn’t always follow my clear skin guidelines exactly to the T, and it inevitably leads to questioning. It’s become easier not to.
The quality of my diet has also been on a faster decline lately because I’ve been traveling a lot over the last six months. Not necessarily overseas, but a lot of out-of-town trips.
And, well, let’s be honest – it can be a bit of a headache to worry too much about food when you’re out of town, so I’ve slid into taking the easy way and have just started eating anything and everything when I’m away.
For me, I’m like.. oh well, not such a big deal when you don’t travel much but when you’re going away all the time, it starts adding up. And so it’s really started adding up now.
And it hit an all time low on my trip to South America I just got back from.
This was partly out of laziness but mostly just because of what was available (aka nothing healthy). Very few vegetables, and a ton of white bread, sugar, pizza, pasta, ice cream… you name it.
I really didn’t like that.
That was going over the line for me (I DO still really care about my health! I’ve simply fallen susceptible to being human).
But the good thing was that having that lack of choice has legitimately made me crave to get back to a healthy lifestyle and diet (which I’ve really, really been enjoying since I’ve been home).
Sometimes you just need the choice for something to be taken away before you remember how much you appreciate having it.
Okay… Your Diet’s Kind of Slid… What About Your Skin?
And to be honest, my skin isn’t that amazing all the time either.
I mean, it’s not awful or anything, but I have definitely been getting some breakouts over the last while.
If I was still eating extremely well AND on Estroblock, I’m sure my skin would be out of this world like it was when I first started using it.
But Estroblock is certainly not the full answer. You can’t just eat complete garbage, or live a really unhealthy overall lifestyle, and expect miracles. When I am eating really bad and not exercising much, like on this recent trip, it’s very obvious in my skin.
But, like I said, it definitely takes the edge off.
Even when I’m not eating very well, my skin breaks out, but the Estroblock and the Thorne SAT (I currently take an average of one triple strength per day, and one Thorne) still keeps them mostly small and makes them go away quickly.
For me, it keeps the acne at a very manageable level.
I am emotionally at the point where I just don’t care if my skin is kinda not perfectly amazing (it’s nothing a small bit of concealer won’t take care of), if it means that I don’t have to worry so much about food and gives me a bit more freedom.
I’d still be pretty dang upset though if it got bad again, and so that’s why I feel so dependent on the Estroblock.
It’s my pillowy white safety net.
It just keeps me at that sweet sweet spot with my skin.
And I know it does, because then I finally got up the courage to quit using it after a couple of years on it…
I assumed by then, it surely would have helped balance my hormones and everything would be just fine.
After all, I’d heard many accounts of peeps quitting it after a period of use, and their skin stayed great after (although probably because their lifestyle went from worse to better while using it, instead of the reverse like me).
But two months after stopping it, I got a pretty significant breakout…
Now it was not like my face was covered or anything, but it was bigger than anything I’d had in a long, long time and it made me very uncomfortable.
So I ran back to it and haven’t had a breakout like that since.
And I felt like shit about it… because it made me realize that no, it wasn’t the reduced stress from being lenient about your diet that was keeping your skin at that manageably clear level.
It probably helped in the beginning, but what with the significant slide in diet, it was wishful thinking over the long run.
The Estroblock just really works that well.
(I also recently found out there is new research that suggests DIM is actually a direct DHT androgen blocker (in addition to its estrogen metabolizing properties), which is probably the true reason behind its magic. Which also means it may not work once you stop using it.)
Oh You Hypocrite You
And then I curled up into a ball and wanted to hide from the blog.
It made me feel like a big fat hypocrite, because I realized the depth of my dependence. I didn’t think I was so dependent on it before I took my break from it, so I felt better about my use back then.
But this made me realize that I was.
Because yeah I don’t follow my own advice perfectly, and yeah my skin isn’t always as crystal clear as I feel an acne guru’s skin should be (which when I have a breakout makes me not want to meet new people who may ask me what my job is… other than that, the actual acne doesn’t bother me that much anymore).
And yeah it sucks that it’s expensive.
And yeah I feel dependent, and how is that different than being dependent on chemicals or pharmaceuticals, which I don’t particularly recommend using? (hypocrite!!)
And yeah I kind of feel guilty that Estroblock works so well for me with no side effects, where as it certainly isn’t going to be as effective for every person.
And yeah I feel a bit weird about the fact that while everything I’ve read says it’s likely fine to take DIM long term, there isn’t actually any long term data on it. So that makes me feel a bit uneasy, but I am currently willing to take the risk (that is totally up to you what you want to do there).
And yeah I get a little anxious when I think about the day when I may possibly have to stop taking it, for one reason or another.
So yeah.
This is what I dislike about this dependence thing.
But here’s the thing…
I don’t want to change and I don’t want to stop using Estroblock.
To put it simply: it’s made my life easier, and I like easy. Who doesn’t like easy?
And So Just Keep Taking It and Stop Whining Then??
The thing is… I am pretty happy with where I am.
My skin isn’t 100%, but most of the time it’s good enough for me. My diet isn’t 100% but most of the time it’s good enough for me. I never ever ever want to quit a natural supplement that gives me no apparent side effects. Not ideal, but good enough for me.
I am at a spot that pretty much works for me, and in reality, it’s not really a problem, because … don’t we all want to get to a spot in our diet and health and skin that works?
So I’m a little emotionally dependent on it. So what? I’m human.
The only reason this all really bothers me is because… well, I didn’t want to talk about it with you guys and tell you the truth about my little Estroblock addiction ….. because I didn’t want you to give me shit about it and suggest some reason why I should stop taking it. Whatever that may be.
Yes, I know, I’m stubborn. I like to do what I want and don’t especially like being told what to do. I can be like an insolent toddler.
And so I’d rather just not talk about it and avoid the subject. If we don’t talk about it, then you won’t suggest a reason why I should stop, and then I don’t have to.
Which is leading to me pulling away from you.
So here we are. Talking about it. Clearing the air. Being buddies again.
But please don’t make me go to Estroblock rehab.
Next week on “renew the woo” or “Tracy’s truth vomit”, we’re going to talk even more about some recent problems in my life and my journey through them ….. stay tuned!
Related posts:
Estroblock Q & A – Estroblock Triple Strength vs Regular, Do You Take it Forever, and Can Men and Teenagers Take It For Acne
Which Strategies Work Best for The Acne on Different Areas of My Face
I’m Quitting Estroblock, Doing a Candida Cleanse, and Trying Some New Supplements
My Adventures of Quitting Estroblock & Thorne SAT … Turns Out, They Really Do Work!
Kendra says
February 10, 2016 at 11:45 amI am so happy to hear such honesty from you. I’ve missed your blogs so much.
Ya know what Tracey…. you’re human. Like you said. And we all struggle with some kind of dependency while we are struggling with acne. Maybe it’s that one face product you can’t let go of, of your one eating routine that controls your life, or in your case that one supplement. We are all subject to a vice. But the honesty…and saying it aloud.. helps you have some release in the guilt. I feel that you will let it go when you’re ready.
For me, it’s birth control. I’m on it and get the balls to quit for a while then run back with my tail between my legs.
But I know I will kick the habit one day because it bothers me to be on it. I just have to find the right support and strength.
And same for you. You know inside that you will kick it. You just have to be emotionally and mentally ready.
Much love.
Valerie says
February 10, 2016 at 12:16 pmChica! Go easier on yourself! It’s totally fine!
Tracy Raftl says
February 10, 2016 at 12:19 pm@Kendra – Yes. Exactly yep. It’s amazing how cathartic just being honest and getting things off your chest can truly be. I wanted to be over and above that emotional dependence, and thought I was for a while… but oh well. Turns out I’m not, but (despite what it kind of sounds like here) I actually think I’m doing a pretty good job of giving myself that self love and instead of berating myself over it, just going.. meh… you’re a human. The only real issue is that I didn’t want to say it out loud! There I said it!! I’m a human!! 😉
Lily-Rose says
February 10, 2016 at 12:21 pmLove your honesty Tracy. Thanks a lot for sharing. And if you are happy with estroblock, just keep going.
You make me consider try it to finally heal from the last couple of pimples I have. My naturopath make me take a natural supplement that has similar properties (anti-androgen for example) since end of november and still have some little issues that goes away moderately fast with proper natural skin care.
But I might consider estroblock, but I’ll have to order it online. No store have estroblock around where I leave in Canada.
Thanks again 😉
Tracy Raftl says
February 10, 2016 at 12:25 pmYeah unfortunately it isn’t sold in stores, and because it comes from the States, it’s extra expensive in Canada! Especially with the US dollar being so strong right now. But… to me, at least, it’s worth every cent…
Liz says
February 23, 2016 at 11:44 amhttp://www.estroblock.ca/
They have a Canadian website! It is still expensive but shipping is quick!
Tracy Raftl says
February 24, 2016 at 7:58 amAh yes, that’s true. You can get it in Canada now, but since it still originally comes from the States (that website is just a resell service), it’s still very expensive. That is the website I’ve been getting it through the last couple times
Ellie says
February 10, 2016 at 2:48 pmHi Tracy,
Its nice to get an update from you.
I wonder if you are being a bit too hard on yourself with the Estroblock. I think, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
I personally also take DIM, but I only take 75mg per day and I alter doses throughout my cycle so it doesn’t take estrogen levels too low. E.g. I don’t take it when I’m on my period, otherwise I get symptoms such as insomnia and headaches. I also split the tablets and take around 35mg daily the week before my period. I find I need the higher dose during ovulation and the follicular stage.
Some days I forget to take it and take it every other day.
If I go through something really stressful, or if it’s before my period, I may get a minor breakout but it’s usually gone within a day or two.
I love DIM so much – it has given me back my confidence and I love how I look now. I suffered with acne for so many years.
I don’t want children so I probably won’t go off it. Although most of the acne prone women I have spoke to tell me their acne went away on its own in their late thirties (probably due to hormonal changes) so I don’t expect to be taking DIM for decades.
I have done quite a bit of research into it, and can’t find anything that rings my alarm bells. Another good sign is that DIM doesn’t make me feel bad in any way and I am extremely sensitive to what my body is telling me. There are no side effects. I always think of side effects as telling you that the substance you are ingesting is not totally 100% agreeing with you. The dose I’m on agrees with me and produces a lovely result so I can’t see what is going to go wrong with that. I think that if something is dangerous long term, there will usually be an indication of it beforehand in how you feel or what it is doing to you.
All the best to you and thanks for continuing to share your journey with us!
Liz says
September 1, 2016 at 5:31 pmHello! What brand of DIM do you use? Do you use it with other supplements? 🙂 thank you in advance!
Jessica says
February 11, 2016 at 1:21 ami very much appreciate your honesty : ) I’ve been reading your blog for a few years, I’ve learned so much from you!
Hormones are so tricky, and can be quite hard to manage!
I’ve been using bee pollen daily, along with essential oils to balance my hormones. My skin is finally completely clear! Once my hormones became balanced my skin balanced as well.
Tracy Raftl says
February 11, 2016 at 7:34 amThat’s wonderful Jessica! Very happy for you!
Anna says
February 11, 2016 at 7:03 amI am addicted to supplements too, not Estroblock though. All of my health issues surfaced big time on poor diet and under unbearable stress. I was thinking that since I’ve been taking good care of myself and eating well for a while, I should be able to stop taking all the herbs and vitamins. I thought wrong. In a matter of 10 day my energy levels dropped to the point I could not get out of bed and my bones and muscles ached. My skin looked terrible too.
Now I’m back taking a fistful of different things.
Tracy, you really shouldn’t feel bad about taking one or two supplements. It’s what your body needs and it’s just herbs/herb extracts.
Tracy Raftl says
February 11, 2016 at 7:58 am@ Ellie and Anna – thank you so much for your comments! I think the problem is not at all the supplement itself (I mean that’s why people use supplements right… because they help you feel better… it’s not really different than feeling like you need to take a vitamin supplement or something)… the problem is entirely the emotional dependence … because it leads to anxiety about having to stop taking it and makes everything into a bigger deal.
And see, it’s all sort of complicated for me by the blog … if you have a blog, you hear a lot of feedback and opinions! Some people have had mild side effects on DIM and don’t like it. So I figured surely it’s only a matter of time before SOMEONE tells me they found a study that says DIM causes your eyes to fall backwards out of your head. Or something 😉 And I didn’t want to hear that. (I mean, of course, if that actually was the case, I’d want to know, but I’m not exactly being rational here)
Of course I know no one can tell me what to do, but there was still that fear there that someone would come up with a completely valid reason why taking it long term was an awful decision and then I’d know they were right, and then I’d have to stop hahah.
But see if I wasn’t so dependent on it, then none of this would be a problem. I’d just go on my merry little way taking my supplement quietly and without concern 😉 None of this would even be a thing, because if I found out a reason I should stop taking it, then I’d just go ‘okay, no biggie’. Instead I’ve made it into this thing that it probably doesn’t need to be.
Thanks again for your comments ladies 🙂
Tiana says
February 11, 2016 at 8:28 amhey tracy,
I am Tiana all the way from India. First of all Thank You for TLV! secondly i appreciate your honesty. I have been a silent follower and a big admirer of your blog since 2013. I have even bought your programs which i try to follow, though haven’t really done it completely yet.
I just wanted to say how much you have done for so many of us, coming from the addictions and obsessions of our own that we could come out of. So i think we can forgive you for this 😉
I feel honored to be a part of this Journey with you. I am grateful that i found you.
well someday I would love to share about myself, for now Just sending you a big hug.
Regards,
Tiana
Tracy Raftl says
February 11, 2016 at 4:07 pmHi Tiana 🙂
Thanks for going easy on me! hah *hugs*
Colleen says
February 11, 2016 at 1:19 pmI’m glad that you’re back blogging again!
You’re right that we really don’t know the long term effects of dim. And it might not be completely safe. It’s been shown to promote tumours in trout that were exposed to a carcinogen.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE5643
Other studies have found it reduces chances of cancer, but we just don’t know for sure.
I had side effects from estroblock, so I eventually stopped taking it. If I had no side effects, maybe I’d take it despite the risks, because it was so good for my skin. Maybe not, though. Kinda freaks me out that we don’t know much about it.
It’s a tricky decision, but keep in mind that estroblock has huge quantities of dim, meaning that any potential side effects are probably magnified.
But don’t worry about what people think about you taking the supplement! I don’t think anyone is judging you for taking it. Just do what works for you.
Tracy Raftl says
February 11, 2016 at 4:06 pmAha! You are one of those people I feared 😉
Making sense of studies is indeed confusing…
There was only that one study in 2006 that ever indicated it could possibly promote tumor growth (in a fish), and multiple more recent studies since then that have shown it is a cancer suppressor and preventative, which is the widely accepted theory.
I like to think the fact that it is prescribed quite heavily as cancer preventative in those with breast cancer means that DIM falls on the good side of this debate …. but I know it’s no guarantee, and there are unknowns.There is indeed risk to the decision, and it needs to be a personal one.
And you’re right… as someone who had side effects with it, it makes sense that you would lean that way, and I of course, with no side effects at all, want to lean the other way, hoping for the best….
Colleen says
February 11, 2016 at 5:17 pmYeah, I think that makes sense. I don’t think you should worry. Just wanted to point out that are still some unknowns. I feel pretty sure that if I’d had no side effects, I’d still be on it.
On another note, my skin broke out when I first stopped taking estroblock, and now it’s almost completely clear again – probably as good as it was when I was taking estroblock. But, I did make some other changes. I made a commitment to (mostly) giving up dairy, and I started taking zinc and a probiotic. All of those things have been shown in studies to clear skin. I also started washing nightly with jojoba oil, after doing the caveman regimen for a few years. Anyways, I guess I did a lot of things differently, but I did find that it was possible to clear my skin without a massive effort. My diet is not great, and I have a lot of stress, but I still have pretty well clear skin. So, if you ever decide to stop taking estroblock, it may not be as big an effort as you think to keep your skin clear.
Merc says
February 11, 2016 at 7:43 pmI’ve been on estroblock and Thorne for almost 2 weeks now, and so far my skin has been on point. ? But I do share your thoughts… If this works for me, will I be dependent my whole life????
Anyway, a question for you: have you heard anything about taking burdock extract for acne? My husband visited a “naturalist” store today and that’s what they suggested. (Detoxes the liver, I guess) Just curious if you’ve heard about it, cause I haven’t! I don’t know if I want to take it with the other supplements, but it was sweet of him to get it for me 🙂
Tracy Raftl says
February 12, 2016 at 7:56 amGlad to hear it’s helping! Yeah I don’t know about taking it forever, some people seem to take a course of it for a while and then the effects stay when they go off it. I think this is more likely if you use the period of time you are on it to improve the quality of your diet and lifestyle. But yeah! Can’t make any promises there as to whats going to happen with your particular skin situation if you stop using it.
As for burdock, yep, it’s supposed to be helpful for acne, it’s like a blood cleanser. I’ve kind of half heartedly tried it before, but I couldn’t really say anything conclusive about it from my own experience. You can definitely take it alongside the estroblock and thorne to increase overall effectiveness
Jan says
February 12, 2016 at 12:57 amThis plugs right into the heart of the dilemma about what’s “natural” and what’s not, I think. It challenges our notion that diet and “clean” living alone should be enough to keep us all in perfect health in every aspect of our lives forever and ever. Chemicals are a no-no. Yeah, well I’ve got this terrible,embarrassing addiction to H2O, talk about shame-making. My mother-in-law needs insulin for her type 1 diabetes, whereas we all know she only really needs to eat clean and avoid toxins… What I’m saying is not only is everything chemical at bottom and even something like an innocent tomato might be seen as a potential minefield of dangers, but also that sometimes acne might be the result of an imbalance in an individual physiology that diet and lifestyle alone just cannot 100% address. And, if that’s what you find in your own case, then surely you can choose to take whatever supplimentation that works to help “fix” this for you if you want. Why not? The possibly negative opinions of a few people on a blog can’t hurt you. And as for possible side effects: drinking too much water has side effects, from constantly having to be running to the loo to potentially downright killing you. Living kills you. Caring too much about what others think kills you. I’m not saying take anything you don’t need just for the hell of it, but if you need it – well, estroblock is hardly crack cocaine. Besides, it’s not anyone’s business but yours in any case.
Tracy Raftl says
February 12, 2016 at 7:51 amAll excellent points Jan! Thank you!
TT says
February 12, 2016 at 11:30 amHi Tracy,
Come to think about it, I think I’m addicted to omega3 capsules! 🙂 I have eaten them everyday since 2010…and if I’m without them 2 days-2 weeks, I feel something is “missing” and have some anxiety.
I think mentally/spiritually we all want to be “free” and not depending on anything?! But also, these routines give some feeling of….safety, comfort.
If you are acne guru and still sometimes have pimples, don’t worry about it, we are indeed humans and not machines! 🙂
You know, it has always annoyed me a little bit, some people I know live and eat very unhealthily and never have pimples…And I try to do everything right and still get breakouts sometimes. Recently I was on holiday in southern Europe. There I ate lots of sugary, sweets things, chocolate, cola drinks, didn’t go at all to gym like usually etc. My skin became very beautiful and pimples seem to vanish! I think…I walked a lot outside, fresh air, I was happy, stress free and didn’t have time to observe myself and my skin in front of the mirror. Hmm.
So I thought, estroblock or no estroblock, healthy or not so healthy diet etc…I think it is impossible to know what it is that really can trigger pimples, and we are all individuals. But it’s also what makes this acne management difficult 🙁
Yes, these were just some of my thoughts…
I’d actually like to use estroblock longer times, but it’s indeed expensive!
Tracy Raftl says
February 13, 2016 at 8:23 amHi TT – yes I guess, come to think of it, us prone to acne, no matter what, are going to be dependent on something to help keep our skin clear – whether it’s a healthy diet and lifestyle, or a vitamin or Omega supplement, or a certain skin care routine… my goal I suppose is to choose and promote the dependency that is best for our actual health and mental wellbeing. Hence why I encourage these natural methods over conventional methods that often come with side effects or long term damage to the skin or body, or might work initially but invite more acne later … also, I of course also recommend them because the natural methods are generally more effective in the long run!
But yeah this estroblock thing I feel possibly migrates into grey area since the long term effects aren’t known. I think it’s likely perfectly fine for long term use, but I don’t want to wake up one day to find it actually wasn’t, and that I recommended it to everyone… but I guess I could say the same thing about milk thistle, or probably numerous other common herbs and supplements that people use for their skin. I’m just making Estroblock into such a big deal over everything else because it’s the one I’m most emotionally attached to and the one that I have had the most discussion about on the blog / in my programs
TT says
February 13, 2016 at 12:59 pmJust yesterday I read a review from Amazon (I love to read reviews!), I don’t know if I’m allowed to put the link here, but a woman said that after long time Estroblock use she actually gained weight and that her period cycle became shorter (not sure if that’s a bad thing?) but these symptoms disappeared when she stopped taking Estroblock.
I think you are so sweet 🙂 Even IF Estroblock could cause side effects after long time use, it’s hardly your fault. The manufacturer should be responsible for that. But yeah, this is natural product and not a medicine..
Tracy Raftl says
February 13, 2016 at 8:08 pmYes for sure some people get side effects from Estroblock, which presumably just go away when you stop using it and no damage done, much like what happened with that lady. Which is fine, it just means it’s not the supplement for you. I’ve found that no matter what it is – take any supplement, any skin care ingredient, or even just any particular food (even if it’s generally considered healthy), most people will do fine, but someone out there will react badly to it. I figure you can’t write off everything, so you have to take these things with a grain of salt.
I simply figure that if the benefits outweigh the negatives for you and it’s not going to cause any long term damage or problems down the road, keep using it (and I will include conventional treatments and medications here too)… if the negatives outweigh the positives, just don’t use it, and it’s no problem. Find something that works better for you. I just hope they don’t find out one day that DIM slowly causes some kind of permanent damage or side effects? Whatever that would be. It’s all just worry…
Laura says
February 13, 2016 at 8:02 pmHi Tracy,
I am like you. I don’t like to be ‘dependent’ on anything no matter what it is. Even if it is natural and not comparitively likely to hurt me. I don’t like the idea of having to do anything ‘extra’ to keep up my health or good skin or whatever it may be.
I like to just be able to rely on mysef. For want of a better way of explaining it.
But
Recently I have started taking estroblock. I didn’t want to for these reasons. And also like you I didn’t want it to work great and fear having to stop taking it. Don’t want to have to rely on taking a pill to have clear skin or to stop the last bit of acne I still have that bothers me. I don’t want my confidence to be tied to a pill. To something outside of just me. And I don’t think of food like this because , well we have to eat anyway. Actually I guess I do in a way. In that it has been part of my security to know that I am eating in ways that I believe/seem to help my acne. It is not the same though.
But.
Part of the reason I have started taking estroblock is that I am just sick of stressing. No matter how well I eat and all that, my skin is never as completely clear as I would like it to be. And I am not just being pedantic because it is noticeable to other people though worlds better than it was.
I have started to think about how our bodies are not perfect. No ones body is. And so much of what we are exposed to in the way the world is today is not helping to support our bodies either. Be it just not having quite the space to breathe that we need or plastics everywhere, etc etc I am not saying anything you don’t know.
So maybe it makes sense in the present moment at least to try that extra thing that may go some way to undo/counteract this.
I know that if I couldn’t always take Estroblock, not that I want to ‘always’ take it, and my skin went back to worse again I know that I could deal with it. Because I can deal with anything. I also know that it would suck. In a way I would rather just be okay with having a bit of acne (which I sort am – I don’t mind not wearing make up anymore), than to have to deal with that let down of my skin going back to how it was. Sentence sounds like a contradiction but still.
But I am trying to think of it as just well if it’s working for me in the present moment well I will just enjoy that for what it is. And the future will be whatever it turns out to be and that is that.
Like relationships. haha. That is how I like relationships to be
Our bodies are not perfect. It would be great to be able to heal our skin through just the most basic natural means but maybe our bodies just need that bit of extra help. Some other people with some other ailment can be doing everything ‘right’ and what is that really.. but well they will feel better but not completely healed, and they need to do something extra .. take supplement/whatever it is. Maybe we/I need to think of acne more like that.
Also I feel like society tends to trivialise acne a bit which doesn’t help in this kind of thinking. We are kind of led to feel that we should just get over it. But it is still a signal, an ailment. of course.
Also I wonder if I overthink it. Many people who do not think alike may say I do from this post. I wonder if they may be correct.
Though I am known to most as really chilled, fun and happy which I am. I do also have a very active mind and can be maybe too independent, idealistic also.
This is a blessing but I also have to be careful.
So in relation to acne if my mind is not focusing on foods/acne for example then is that mental energy just being redirected to this ? Is it just swapping one thing for another. Does that make sense?
I don’t know.
To my way of thinking especially now I write it like this it can seem like a big deal. But in the scheme of things I know that it is not – at all. So maybe I should just chill my beans. haha
So yeah. That’s where I’m at at the moment.
I just really wanted to comment cause I feel like I can relate so much to what you are saying Tracy. And wanted to share what I’m thinking too for what it’s worth.
I wish you all the best. Sending Peace, Love and Good Skin Vibes!!!! xoxo 🙂
Laura says
February 13, 2016 at 8:03 pmseems I wrote an essay… oops haha
Tracy Raftl says
February 13, 2016 at 8:36 pmhaha, you sound exactly like me! Yes, this probably bothers me so much because I too am idealistic (and yes, definitely think too much)… I want everything to be perfect, I want the great skin and I don’t want to have to rely on something for it….
But yeah, I guess I’ve come to realize that I have to accept that life isn’t perfect, it’s not always going to be what I want it to be. Humans have problems, we have flaws, and yes our bodies and world are not perfect.
And we need to come up with ways to deal with the crappy things in life… and in any given shitty situation, I suppose you have to find a solution that works and just weigh the pros and cons. No I don’t want to be dependent on a pill, and for all these reasons I mentioned in this blog post, I don’t especially like it… but you know what, I don’t like acne even more than I don’t like being dependent on Estroblock. So I’m going to go with it.
In the past, I’ve had many emotional attachments to other things to control my acne… before my natural journey, it used to be washing my face religiously and slathering on my benzoyl peroxide (but the negative was that I hated being tied to doing that every night, especially if I was on a camping trip or other outdoorsy things; it sort of ruined these things that I loved so much)… so I tried the caveman regimen and that solved it.
Then it was trying to control my diet to be perfectly healthy… except I was far too unnecessarily strict about it, and found it stressed me out a lot when I thought about going out of town or traveling, etc. So I relaxed my diet (apparently a bit too much though), and that solved that problem.
And now… I’ve come to my current emotional attachment… Estroblock. And you know what? It is certainly the best one yet…. the one with the least negatives for me. It’s certainly the easiest and most convenient, and with no apparent side effects. I would gladly pay the money and remember to take a pill every day if it meant I didn’t have to stress about dealing with bad acne.
So yes… it’s not as ideal as not having to rely on anything (and not as ideal as not being acne prone at all)… but life just can’t be as perfect as we want it to be… so I will take the next best solution..
Wishing you all the best too Laura 🙂
Michelle says
February 14, 2016 at 11:45 pmMy skin never cleared up completely on Estroblock (+ a liver detox supplement) until I started drinking apple cider vinegar every day. It is troublesome feeling like you need something that you can’t supply yourself, I can relate. If I want to go to Japan for a month, will I have to haul around a jug of apple cider vinegar? Eh… but looking at the greater picture, to have clear skin, especially while out and about traveling, any little inconvenience is so worth it.
For me, I don’t think of my relationship with Estroblock as an addiction, I think of it as an addition to the nutrients I put into my body. I don’t worry about when I’ll have to stop, because there’s no reason I’ll have to any time soon. And if I do have to, like if the economy crashes, if there’s a zombie apocalypse, or when the day comes that I get pregnant, I’ll deal with any issues if and when they arise.
Long live The Love Vitamin 😉
Tracy Raftl says
February 15, 2016 at 12:10 pmSo you found taking apple cider vinegar is the trick for you is it? Interesting.. I tried that for a while but found it far too unpleasant… too burny on the way down haha… didn’t feel sustainable to me, but others have different experiences. But as I said in a comment above… if it works for you and you have weighed the pros and cons and the pros outweigh, then go for it 🙂
Courtney says
February 15, 2016 at 4:00 pmEstroblock worked wonders for me as well. My problem was my liver enzymes were sky high while I took it, enough to scare me into stopping. Any idea what would cause that?
Tracy Raftl says
February 15, 2016 at 8:43 pmHi Courtney, whoa interesting.. did this show up on a blood test? Have you had a similar test prior / and or since stopping it that showed lower enzymes? I mean, just wondering if you know for sure the high enzymes corresponded with the estroblock usage
Emily says
February 18, 2016 at 7:21 amHi Tracy!
I just wanted to say how relieved I was to read something like this. I’ve been struggling with hormonal cystic acne for the last ten years, and have learned so much from your blog. I have started estro-block, and sort of felt like maybe I was cheating myself somehow by doing this. I’m so used to acne being a life-altering struggle that I’ve become adapted to having to manage and control every tiny aspect of my life to keep it under wraps (changing pillow cases religiously, eating an insanely clean diet, looking at every ingredient ever to come into contact with my face, not allowing myself to stress out ever)
Please don’t be hard on yourself, acne is such a multi-faceted problem and I’m reading so much about endocrin-disruptors in our environments, toxic estrogens from our water supply, the food we eat etc. Living 100% clean is essentially impossible, and certain people (everyone who follows this blog) has a big window into their internal health and it’s their skin. So when one aspect of this whole puzzle is truly, completely out of our hands, turning to a supplement that is doing your body a favor shouldn’t make us feel guilty. I think part of this whole problem is we just feel slightly guilty for enjoying life how most people do without worrying about their faces exploding, without putting in hours of thought into it.
Thanks again for all you’ve done!
Emily
Tracy Raftl says
February 18, 2016 at 7:54 amHi Emily – yep, like I was saying in another comment above… okay yeah I’m am idealist so I don’t like being dependent on something, but hey… this is definitely the easiest dependence I’ve had yet… so I’m going to roll with it!
Olena says
February 20, 2016 at 5:06 pmThis was such a refreshing post Tracy!
The never ending search for perfection is so exhausting and debilitating… I’m the same way when in comes to my skin. I know what to do to have great skin, but sometimes I just want to eat a mothereffing croissant. I don’t always feel like being a total purist..
I’m now interested in trying Estroblock… I know that my skin was absolutely perfect when I was taking birth control and eating milk chocolate every day, but I don’t want to mess with my hormones now. Estroblock may be the answer.
Thanks again for opening up and being real – it’s exactly what I needed, and I’m sure more of us love you for it.
With love,
Olena
Tracy Raftl says
February 21, 2016 at 6:40 amHey Olena – it’s worth a shot to try it. It’s definitely helped me take the edge off all that worrying and strictness
TT says
March 4, 2016 at 11:36 amI still want to comment about Estroblock. I used it for the first time in my life last year a couple of months. Then I had a break about 4-5 months and now I’ve started again.
It helped me and during the “break” my skin never returned as “bad” as it was originally.
In my first time, during the first 2 days, my urine smelled really strongly. Sorry if this is “too much information” :)…but the smell was unpleasantly strong, like a burned pop-corn or something and normally, urine does not smell anything, at all.
But now, after those days, this side-effect has never returned again.
I will continue with Estroblock…
Ale says
March 12, 2016 at 11:49 pmI love that you are transparent Tracy, and you don’t try to be something that you aren’t — that is so refreshing!
I’ve heard that estroblock actually increases testosterone and blocks estrogen. Is this true? Because if so, it sounds pretty unnatural to me (kinda like the birth control pills I was on). I have taken estroblock for about 4 months so far with great results. People say that it detoxes the body, and other people say that it “blocks” out certain hormones. I just want to discover what this seemingly “miracle” pill really does to my body!
Hope you can help.
🙂
Tracy Raftl says
March 13, 2016 at 8:58 amHi Ale! Yeah I don’t know, it is kind of confusing… my understanding is that it metabolizes the bad estrogen in your liver into healthier forms of estrogen, by which the byproduct of that is that it naturally increases the good estrogen and good testosterones, and now finding out that it may block DHT (which is the bad form of androgens that cause acne) at the receptors. I don’t know about blocking estrogen, although obviously the name infers that (which I imagine is where the confusion comes from there). I always assumed it simply was a catchy sounding way of saying it gets rid of bad estrogen through metabolism, not actually blocking it
Ale says
March 13, 2016 at 8:48 pmThanks Tracy!
Yes, they’d do well to change the name, or describe the product better. I love that it helps with so many woman’s acne, but like you said in the article, it’s so easy to become dependent on it. I guess that’s the whole point: it is a business after all!
All the best. And once again, thank you for your authenticity. It inspires others like me to be more honest with ourselves.
Emma says
March 29, 2016 at 1:48 pmHi Tracy,
I love you blog posts and your honesty! 🙂
I’ve been taking Estroblock and Liv-Detox for 4 months now, along with other supplements: burdock, milk thisle, vitex, cod liver oil – which I stopped because it tasted so nasty – and I also tried nettle (you brew it like herbal tea) (I buy the tea bags, I don’t actually go and pick nettle!!) Eliminating sugar (or most of it) and milk has been a tremendous help too.
Anyway, my skin is almost perfect now, and I’m not sure what has been the “miracle product” since I’ve been taking many of them!
I would have to stop one at a time to find out.
But there are two plants that seem really effective and that I’ve tried as well, and which I don’t think I’ve seen mentioned in this blog: sage and yarrow or milfoil (achillée millefeuille in French). I bought dried plants to brew (organic, of course) and I drink the milfoil during the day and the sage in the morning. From what I’ve read on blogs here in France, it works miracles. Here’s the link for those of you who speak French (the blog is about hormonal acne that appears after going off the pill, which is what happened to me)
http://petiteceriz.com/2013/12/29/637/
Scroll down to “ma solution” to see what she advises.
I think this could even replace estroblock (and it’s WAY cheaper!). It has an effect on the hormones, but is completely natural and doctor-recommended.
However, she also mentions Vitex (Gattilier in French) but BE CAREFUL: never, ever take vitex if there are hormone-related cancers in your family (such as breast cancer). It could be very dangerous!! Spread the word, Tracy!
I hope this helps!
Take care, girls! (and guys!)
Tracy Raftl says
March 31, 2016 at 7:43 amHi Emma 🙂 Congrats on the skin success! Very happy for you! Interesting about sage and yarrow, never even heard of those having any connection at all to acne. Will look into it. Thank you for sharing
Emma says
March 31, 2016 at 1:33 pmHi Tracy 🙂
I have to thank YOU for my success, your advice really helped!
Let me know what you find about sage and yarrow…
And DO warn people about using Vitex if there are any breast cancers or hormone related cancers in their family!
I love your blog, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
T.T. says
April 2, 2016 at 1:24 pmThank you, I became immediately inspired to try yarrow!
Have tried it now two days…The good thing is, the taste (as tea) is not bad! Quite neutral and mild. Bad thing is, that at least for me it seems to be very sedative! Ok in the night, but not during the day obviously.
I needed to laugh at myself, friday night and I’m sipping yarrow tea, instead of usual coca-cola or something stronger…using common sense, that replacement in itself already is skin-healing! 🙂
Thanks to Tracy, my skin already is pretty good most of the time. But some pimples I still occasionally get with PMS. I’ll keep drinking this tea and we’ll see…
Emma says
April 4, 2016 at 1:48 amExcellent, T.T!
And drinking herbal tea, whatever it is, IS better for your body than drinking soda, that’s for sure!!
I eat less sugar now and I really see a difference. The less sugar you eat, the less you crave it.
Yarrow doesn’t make me sleepy, I drink two cups during the day and then sage in the morning 🙂
Let us know how it works!
T.T. says
April 13, 2016 at 1:55 pmHi!
The “sedative” effect of yarrow tea seems to have disappeared. Of course, I might have been tired for a number of other reasons too. I have a large bag of this tea, taste is ok and I don’t notice any negative side-effects so I continue with it 🙂 But to see “results”, maybe it always takes time with these natural products/supplements?
Hey, I happened to hear from radio where they talked about health and nutrition, and it was mentioned, that vitamin c helps to raise progesterone levels. Isn’t that the reason to use vitex as well?? I put to google vitamin c+progesterone and got so many articles, even scientific studies, so it is not nonsense. Wow, I was delighted! I’m sure no-one will get any harm from eating a healthy diet with lots of vitamin c and vitamin c supplements 🙂
Have you ever heard about this Tracy? (I just read your older post about progesterone)
Rose says
October 16, 2016 at 9:11 amHi Tracy! Well I have to say that learning about Estroblock from the Love Vitamin was the thing that finally reversed the horrible, awful acne that I suddenly had for about a year and half in my early twenties. I bought some after reading your blog and the effect was immediate – I can’t describe how much of a relief that was!! I think I then kept ordering Estroblock for about two years – but then like you I also became frustrated with the expense, the feeling of dependency, and the fact that I always forgot to order before I ran out etc. So now I just get generic DIM capsules from The Vitamin Shoppe, and I pair those with Evening Primrose Oil – which is another amazing natural way to combat raging hormones! (I can tell it works because my normal menstrual symptoms were greatly reduced when I started taking it. An added benefit!) So I guess I”m still taking the same DIM supplement, but the fact that I’m not wedded specifically to the Estroblock brand makes me feel better about it – it’s just a supplement I take, not some kind of addiction to one product. It helps that the evening primrose oil is a great back up, too – I’ve gone weeks just taking that and my skin has been fine.
But long story short -I owe you the biggest thank you because DIM worked for me when I desperately needed it to and that’s what matters!
Emma says
October 17, 2016 at 12:38 pmHi!
Just to share my experience, I’ve been taking estroblock and Liv-detox for about a year and a half or two years and it works for me! This summer I ordered the supplements a bit late (I live in Europe) and my supplier who is Germany was waiting for her order to arrive from the US. To make a long story short, I didn’t take any estroblock for more than a month because of that… and my acne came back.
Now I have been back on estroblock for three weeks and my skin is almost perfect again. That’s convincing enough for me, because I didn’t change anything else in my routine…
I might try the cheaper DIM version from Vitaminshoppe, though. Thanks for the tip!
T.T. says
November 15, 2016 at 6:06 amHi Tracy!
I just noticed that the company that makes Estroblock also has a product called DHT blocker. Do you know what it is, have you used? It also contains DIM, like Estroblock, confusing…I don’t even know what “DHT” means? The label says “for beautiful skin and hormonal balance”. This product is suitable for men and women…I can’t understand, how this one product can do this all, I mean men and women have totally different hormonal issues? (I’m a woman) And what “beautiful skin” means here….acne free?
Yes, I’m also quite addicted to Estroblock…or actually, to the feeling of the perfect skin! 🙂 You advice in your book not to pick or pop pimples and it becomes very easy to follow the advice, because when using Estroblock, there’s nothing to pick or pop anymore! 😀
Unfortunately Estroblock is quite expensive…this DHT thing is little bit less expensive. I’ve also been thinking…is Estroblock balancing the body…or making the body somehow dependent on it (in other words, it works only as long as I keep using it)? I’ve been really thinking about this recently…it just doesn’t feel good or normal to me, that the body is not able to maintain balance, without the constant “help” from these supplements. What are your thoughts about this?
Tracy Raftl says
November 18, 2016 at 7:21 amHi TT, it seems like Delgado protocol markets it to those who have high androgens (like if that showed up on a saliva hormone test). DHT is the main androgen in the skin that causes acne, which is why it’s called that. It’s a really potent “bad” form of testosterone that testosterone gets converted into. So I guess this products supposedly blocks that conversion. But yes… it contains DIM. It has a lot of different ingredients in addition to DIM, but I don’t really understand what they do or how they work or how the product is distinctly different than Estroblock. I haven’t tried it, but there’s been quite a few people in my Academy program who have used it and seem to get good results.
As for your last thought there.. of course, I have thought the same thing, otherwise I wouldn’t have written this angsty blog post! haha 🙂 But I don’t know. Guess it’s how you look at it. Someone here pointed out that it’s like … well, obviously this natural supplement has something our particular bodys’ need to maintain some kind of balance. If you were deficient in a certain vitamin and you couldn’t seem to get enough just by eating a healthy diet, you probably wouldn’t feel that bad if you had to take a supplement. Like how some people are anemic and can’t seem to absorb enough iron even though they eat the same amount of it as the next person.