Hi everyone!
As you know, I’m still doing the caveman regimen… when I wrote the last post, it was day 14, but now it’s actually about day 22 (time lapse!).
And that means no makeup still …. but my skin is still blotchier than normal, I had a couple minor breakouts (although they healed incredibly quickly!), I’m looking pretty flakey, and my dead skin mask is growing.
But hey – I’ve only had two minor breakdowns where I’ve wanted to throw in the towel and quit, but I’ve held strong. Yay me.
But tonight is the test, as I am attending a big birthday party for my partner, Luke’s, sister, and I still feel naked and uncomfortable without makeup on … especially going to a big fancy party where it’s the norm to look ‘done up’. So I know I’ve been banging on about the no makeup thing quite a bit already this week, but I made this video to talk a little bit about how I’m feeling and my desire to move past this feeling of ‘ditching makeup on sheer willpower’ to really feeling comfortable in my own skin without it.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6lwboxCi2E
PS – I don’t mean this video to sound like makeup is always a bad thing – but my feelings of desperate “need” for it is what I dislike.
So tell me – do you wear makeup? How much? Do you feel a desperate need for it, or more of a playful relationship with it? Could you ever let it go – even if you had acne?
77 Responses
Hi Tracy! I don’t have active acne but I always wear concealer to cover what I see as huge dark circles under my eyes, and I sure would feel uncomfortable dressing up and talking to a bunch of people without it. I think you look fresh, vibrant and amazing! I hope it’s a freeing night!!!
Great video Tracy! I had some questions. I bought your e-book and I’m trying to follow everything in it. I have an issue. I’m 15 and I live with my parents and two brothers. They will not be joining me on eating healthy and no unprocessed foods. They eat VERY unhealthy. So, there is a constant temptation for me. I suppose I must exercise discipline. But do you have any tips? I need to compile a grocery list and I’m not sure what to put on it. Thank you so much! Your site has helped me SOOOO much! 🙂
Lizzie – I also live with my parents. I’m vegan but since my parents sure aren’t, it can be tempting seeing ice cream etc around the kitchen. I suggest that you eat a lot of your own food. Don’t deprive yourself of anything – as long as it’s the type of food that’s on your “okay” list. That way, you’ll feel less tempted by the other food at home. Good luck!!
Try not to drive yourself up a wall with trying to resist temptation. Try taking it a day at a time, or even a meal at a time– Instead of thinking “Okay, I’m going to eat this way forever”, wake up and tell yourself “I’ll eat healthy today”, or even “I’ll eat healthy for this meal/I’ll chose not to have this food right now”. If you do have something off-plan, don’t beat yourself up! I can’t tolerate wheat and have no wish to return to it even for a “cheat”, but I feel no shame treating myself to a gluten-free alternative food that may not be too healthy every so often. Keeps me sane and it keeps me sticking to a long-run plan of healthy food.
Also, make yourself really really tasty food that you thoroughly enjoy. I find that when I make a big batch of something, maybe a soup with some favourite spices that I can re-heat if I’m pressed for time, it’s a lot easier to stick to plan than when I just make something with clean ingredients that isn’t very, uh, creative, haha. But when I make something good, I feel like what I’m eating is at least as good (often better than) as whatever processed thing the person next to me is eating. Also, being able to re-heat what I made a day or two ago makes it easier to avoid convenience foods during that moment when I’m really hungry and need to eat right now.
Hey Lizzie,
I know EXACTLY where you are coming from. I also live at home (though I’m 21 and at University) and my family (apart from my Mum) are extremely unhealthy. They leave bars of chocolate around the kitchen, boxes of chocolate sitting in the living room, cakes in most of the cupboards and a freezer full of ice-creams and ‘ready meals’.
The one thing that I have found is to just do it because YOU know it will benefit your health. I know its really hard, but just think of how good you will feel and look if you simply resist putting ‘bad’ food into your mouth. Forget what everyone else is doing and just ignore what you see! It makes perfect sense to eat vibrant, nutritious, healthy food, rather than brown, dull and processed packaged junk. Something I also refer to is “Eat living produce”. Living produce like vegetables nuts and fruits have incredible flavour and texture and after a short while, you won’t ‘want’ to eat much else.
Stay strong and do it because it will benefit you. Anything that is ‘unhealthy’ wasn’t made for humans! (Like the Paleo diet, cavemen from 2.5million years ago, evolved on proper food, so why introduce the modern junk. (cereals alone are very new, only brought into the world 10,000 years ago)
Nathan,
You’re so right! I know all of that in my mind, but when I’m absolutely starved and there’s a big cheese pizza steaming in front of me, my mind doesn’t listen. But, I’ll keep telling myself all of what you said, especially about feeling and looking good (not to be vain, but thinking about looking thin and beautiful is more motivational than thinking about how squeaky clean your intestines will be!!). Thanks dude!
Nathan – when you’ve given up greasy dairy like cheese for a while (at least a few months for sure), then you eat a piece of pizza, you will feel disgusting after you eat it. After you make that mistake a few times, you’ll have no problem staying away from pizza. Good luck! 🙂
I wouldn’t suggest staying away from pizza for ever if that is the one thing you’re craving. You can make delicious healthy pizza yourself without wheat and cheese, or just a little cheese. Maybe your whole family can start making pizza at home and everyone can put stuff on it that they like! There are lots of food blogs out there! To be honest, once a week I eat something that isn’t really that healthy, it’s my guilty pleasure and I don’t feel “disgusting” after it – why should I?!
The best thing tho is, that you don’t even get into the “I’m starving, I need greasy food!!” mode. I definitely know the feeling when your blood sugar is so low and you could just eat everything. Make smoothies, eat nuts etc., when you’re full of healthy stuff you don’t have this tempting feeling. Good luck!
That’s true, Stella. Do you have an recipes for healthy pizza?
Also, could anyone on this page give me a list of “good” “healthy” “unprocessed” foods that I can buy?
Thanks!
Good point, Stella. In addition to making your own healthier pizza, it’s also easy to make a quick pizza-like snack by baking a tortilla with tomato sauce, veggies and your cheese (or vegan cheese) of choice.
I’d recommend this http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php/topic/205099-food-recipe-resource/
There are lots of shopping lists, recipes, food plans! It’s a really good start for you I guess. I also like this site for recipes: http://www.skinnytaste.com (don’t worry about the title, it’s kinda misleading because it’s about healthy, good food not about counting calories!)
Oh and watch Tracys youtube-channel, she also has lots of tips for food, green smoothies etc!
Pizza: if you want to start cutting down on wheat and gluten, which is always recommended, you could substitute wheat flour with rice flour, buckwheat or tapioca flour. Or at least whole wheat flour, which may be easier to find. I don’t have a specific recipe, just google “healthy pizza whole wheat” or something like that! 🙂
Hey Tracy.. I’m sure you will have a great night at the party. Have fun and don’t think about your skin! Really enjoy yourself! I wish I can do the same, but I have too many dark hyper pigmentation along my jaw from past jawline acne. I put mineral makeup on and I love how it conceals the redness and marks. But in truth I hate having to rely on makeup. Wish my skin was clear and beautiful without! It’s a love hate relationship. When I do wear makeup it decreases my stress levels as I’m not thinking about my face too much. I also don’t look at myself in the mirror or pick my skin as often with makeup on. For now I will have to use it but one day I want to free myself from it.. probably when my scars go away ;D
Hey Cindy. I am in exactly the same boat as you. I wish I could get rid of my foundation and concealer but my dark pigmentation is one barrier preventing me from doing so. Good luck on the scar fading!
By the way, any tips on fading hyper pigmentation?
A good anti inflammatory diet, really… same thing to get rid of acne will help to get rid of hyperpigmentation because it’s essentially just residual inflammation
You can also try this mask:
https://thelovevitamin.com/521/how-to-get-rid-of-acne-scars-and-hyperpigmentation-naturally/
Hi Tracy
Apart from a touch of eyeliner, I wear make-up only to hide inflamed acne and acne scarring.
I have acne mainly on my cheeks and used to use only concealer dotted over the spots. But I get flushed quite easily and I was noticing that after coming in from the cold my cheeks were red apart from white splodges where I had applied concealer, which was quite embarrassing and made it obvious to others I had been trying to cover my spots. So I switched to a mineral-based powder which I apply all over my face. But I hate having to do it every morning and reckon it can’t be doing the healthy skin any favours either. I don’t think I can go without covering inflamed acne though – in the past when my acne was really bad, I recollect conversations where suddenly someone would change the subject to volunteer their advice on what I could do to get rid of my acne (usually kindly old ladies in the shop I used to work in!) or, worse, I’d get insults in the street. I hated having attention drawn to me like that and I would be left feeling really embarrassed. If I can get my acne to the level where other people won’t really notice, I’ll go without make-up. I’m trying hard not to pick at my spots and, as you say on this blog, it really does make a big difference. I think if I could keep it up permanently, I might just be able to ditch the make-up! Personally I prefer the more natural look to the made up look.
I think you look great. I think you’ve got nice eyes and if I were speaking to you at a party that’s what I would be thinking and nothing at all would strike me as odd about your skin. Enjoy the party!!
People would give you insults in the streets??? dear god 🙁
Hey Tracy,
Great video, it has been something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately because I want to be able to not wear makeup by summer. First off, I had mild/moderate (sometimes) acne. My problem though is I’m currently having a hard time not picking my skin, although I’ve been able to stop in the past. I’ve given up wearing makeup on my forehead where i mostly got congestion or small red spots, and everytime i stopped makeup my forehead got so much better. Now, I don’t wear makeup on my forehead to prevent acne even if it looks a little splotchy and I’m okay with it. But my cheeks are where i get most of my pustules/red spots and the thought of giving up foundation there is the scariest thing in the world. I honestly don’t think I could do it until my skin has very little breakouts and scarring. The place I live in and the people I am around, there is a lot of pressure to be presentable all the time. I know it is something I’ve been conditioned to do, but giving up the makeup would make me stress constantly rather than be freeing.
I definitely think I could let it go when my skin is good because I actually hate the look of foundation, and feel ashamed sometimes when I’m wearing it because its noticeable(on me). It is definitely one of those situations where I don’t want to have to wear it, but I feel like I need to in order to live up to society’s standards..and i hate that.
I haven’t been able to leave my house without a full face of makeup (foundation, concealer, powder, blusher, eyeshaow, mascara) for about 5 or 6 years now. I really and truly regret the state of my self esteem now as a result. I just can’t bear my reflection unless I am completely covered. My skin isn’t dreadful, I’ve never had cystic acne or pustules, but I have oily skin, large, blocked pores and mild acne – around the chin, cheeks and jawline, around 3-8 blemishes at any one time.
I know I’m completely judged when I’m in the street or by people who see me regularly – I have no doubt they distrust me because I wear makeup all the time.
It’s become such an extensive problem for me that I can’t go to the gym without full makeup on, I also can’t even use my university accommodation showers without wearing full makeup, just in case someone saw me walking from the shower to my room.
I also barely socialise because I’m so paranoid about what people think of the way I look. It goes without saying that I’ve never had any relationships or any intimacy at all.
I felt compelled to say all that not because i want sympathy, but because I want anyone who thinks they are getting to a stage when they can’t go without makeup to stop NOW. Do not get like me. I was 16 when I started this, I’m 21 now and I’ve really made a mess of my social development because my insecurity is so deep and so warped now.
If anyone can read that and think, “wow, I don’t want to be like her” then I’ll be glad.
I was like you at one point and possibly even worse, and while i still don’t feel comfortable going out of the house without makeup, I’m much better than i was. I learned to not care as much what people think even if they are judging me. I even was able to not wear makeup(which I never ever would thought I could back when I was so terrified) around my new boyfriend and he still thought i was beautiful. Although I’m still insecure about it, I’m not at the point anymore where I cant let anyone see me without makeup. Once you start taking baby steps, you will be able to do it and be able to socialize or at least take showers at your university without caring too much. And I know that pain, I’m still making up for it, but start taking little steps and it will sting less each time.
Wow, my story it’s exactly the same.
I’m 23 now and I’ve been using makeup for 8 years. I have acne scarring and breakouts. I don’t go anywhere without makeup. I’m only not wearing it at home and just hate my reflection in the mirror. I hate wearing and putting makeup on my face, it never looks good, I like natural look. I have very pale (DitaVonTeese) skin and it’s always looks unnatural and weird with every foundation. I can’t cover up skin on my back and chest area, so I never wear cute, girlish tops. My biggest wish is to have spotless, porcelain skin, not perfect, but just “normal skin”.
My self-esteem is very low, I’ve never had boyfriend. I don’t like to go outside my house. I feel like everybody has beautiful skin and I’m so embarrassed. I’m not brave enough to go out without makeup.
Well I actually did this last week…I still have a lot of inflamed acne, but do feel like a slave to makeup. So I kind of did an experiment, to challenge myself. I went four days without wearing makeup…attending class, being around everyone I know etc. I actually am not sure if I’d call it freeing or not, b/c it gave me a lot of social anxiety. Like, I proved to myself no one would treat me differently, and that I survived what terrified me. However, I could tell that people noticed my skin, and I just felt really uncomfortable =/ So Idk where that leaves me…
Hi Lulu,
Yeah I don’t know where to draw the line with this is… because obviously major stress isn’t good for acne either :/ That’s why I decided it wasn’t worth trying to do this when my acne was bad
I left a reply in the last post already, but yeah it’s a psychological thing for me too. I always feel judged. Right now I’m doing the caveman regimen like you because I don’t need to leave the house but after that, I’m not sure… My skin is better right now than it’s been for at least 10 years (knocking on wood). It’s crazy that I still look into the mirror to search for the not-so-perfect spots instead of concentrating on how much my skin glows! It’s always like, hm I could cover this spot oh and here we have some redness – well, why not covering everything? The thing is if I’m just covering spots I always feel like I’m looking kinda blotchy and the skintone is not even, so it feels better to put foundation all over. Besides my nasolabial folds are always looking red, I hate that and don’t know whats going on there! Ugh.
But the worst for me is to remove the make-up because I’ll need “strong stuff” and my skin is horrible after that, red and dry and itchy! Thats the one thing that keeps me re-thinking all that make-up stuff right now because I don’t want my skin to get worse again! Maybe I’m going to try mineral powder foundation (I’m using liquid since forever).
hey tracy, so let me start off by saying that i think ’tis actually quite funny that i stumbled onto your youtube channel – and obviously thereafter your website – and especially this post because i have been on the caveman without having even known of such a thing for about 2, going on 3 weeks now. the long story short (which i am not good at so this is going to be long regardless) gist of it all is traced back to when my mom got hurt recently, and i was always anti-doctor; i never trusted them, never liked taking prescription or over the counter drugs and always thought they were just placebos to keep us coming back for more or really just like bandaids masking the real problems at hand therefore creating new ones. in fact every prescribed drug (with the exception of anti-biotics up until recently of course) that i was ever prescribed i never took and i noticed that just by resting, praying and eating/drinking good, nutritionally solid stuff i would forget what the doctor said was supposedly wrong with me in the first place. so anyway, a good friend of ours started seeing a nutritionist who is also a chiropractor and recommended him to my mom. let me tell ya, it was the hand of God moving in our lives! i had always considered myself to be a fairly healthy person; i drink water like a fish, hate soda, love herbal tea, love veggies and fruits, blahblahblah but as we continued to see him i found myself doing a lot of research based on what he was saying; since i was so skeptical of all doctors i wasn’t about to just start swallowing everything this guy was saying just because he claimed to be about “natural” healing. so yeah i discovered tons of overwhelming info like about the harsh chemicals in practically everything western society deems a necessity to survive, especially cosmetics, like parabens and sulfates, petrochemicals, etc. i found myself on ewg’s skindeep database almost every day, i stopped showering and washing my hair, or if i would shower i would just rinse myself off with water, started brushing my teeth with just baking soda, stopped putting on deodorant haha the whole shabang! now i use dr bronner’s pure-castile soaps for body wash and am researching recipes for diy wax, deorant, toothpaste, sunscreen, etc. i did a lot of research on Ayurveda and found that shikakai, coconut oil deep conditioning and neem powder are really great if you have a dry, itchy dandruff-prone scalp, like i do so yesterday i bought dr bronner’s shikakai hand soap because the website says doubles as shampoo so i am excited to try that out tomorrow. but getting back to the subject, as you can probably guess, i have acne prone skin, why else would i be here, right? it’s not extremely severe but let’s face it, one zit is one too many. i mostly have inflamed acne and i was also never big on make up, like you mentioned you would just use a concealer to fix problem-areas but never cake it on, that’s how i did it as well. i had been using bare minerals for about 2 years now up until a couple weeks ago, always thinking i was using the healthiest alternative to make up because it was made from minerals and it didn’t clog your pores yada yadayada and when i started doing my research i found out how they use nano titanium and zinc oxide which has been shown to bioaccumulate in the bloodstream and i just went cold turkey, just like that. also i had seen some people on ewg that commented that they had noticed after using bare minerals they developed these weird like tiny white bumps under the skin under their eyes and i was just devastated because i realized oh my gosh the bare minerals did that to me!!! thankfully i have noticed them going away since i have stopped using it so that’s good!! haha. soooo this is getting wayy too long but BASICALLY my point being that yeah at first it was extremely difficult to cut out my make up, i actually haven’t thrown the bare minerals in the trash like i did with all of my other toxic products although i definitely don’t use it anymore, and that within itself just opened my eyes to how much of a crutch make up really is. i’m not going to use this stuff so why can’t i toss it out?! i mean let’s face it make up sucks when you have break outs, it doesn’t even hide it! the bumps are still there and if people are looking directly at you they can tell you’re wearing it, they’re not thinkin’ “wow this girl’s skin is so nice it looks airbrushed!” or whatever. instead it’s probably more like “why do girls even wear make up? we can tell you’re broken out underneath girlfriend.” so it’s like this false sense of security we created in our minds. i definitely think it’s all preconceived, like when i first went “naked” into the world i felt like EVERYONE was staring at my face and honestly in retrospect it’s probably because they were just talking to me; how can you not look directly at someone when you’re speaking with them? and those burning eyes i felt from afar were probably just folks daydreaming in my direction or being judgmental, like we all are. you can’t go out and not look at people, you just can’t. whether you’re staring because you like their style or because you think they’re lame. but the feeling that i’m getting now that i can actually look in the mirror and see past my break outs and just see that i am beautiful, it’s awesome. so liberating! yeah i still have bad days where i wake up with a sour attitude and no matter what i wear i feel horrendous because of my face but i force myself to dress nicely and i tell myself that if people write me off because of my face, then that’s their loss. who needs people like that in their lives anyway?? yeah i know we’re always going to care and compare ourselves to others because we suck and we’re human but for the most part we can exercise self control and decide to get to a point in our lives where it doesn’t matter if you have good skin or not because you glow from the inside out. self confidence doesn’t come from a bottle or a tube or a tin or a vial or what have youuu, it comes from having inner peace. the bible tells us that “they who compare themselves amongst themselves are not wise…” how blatantly and undeniably true is that?! so whenever i catch myself staring at some girl with really nice skin and feeling bad about myself i remind myself: “self, you have NO idea how that person feels about themselves, they could be just as self conscious as you are and you’re not helping them out by staring. and either way, it doesn’t matter because we will never know what it’s like to be each other anyway.” we just got to embrace what God gave us, his ways and his thoughts are higher than ours so who are we to question what he allows to happen? maybe he let me have acne to discover how to love and accept myself and there in be better at loving and accepting others? the possibilities are endless and honestly, if he can heal leprosy, he can heal acne. obviously faith without works is dead so you gotta do your part as far as watching what products/foods you put in and onto your body/face, exercise and the like, but it all works together. so anywayyyy, i’m glad you’re pushing yourself to get past that fear and force growth into your life and i wish you all the best! whether you agree with me in everything, something or nothing i said i hope to hear an update of how the party went and maybe even get a reply from you 🙂 later!
Hi Sam – I like what you say about others being just as self conscious… it’s funny that we assume we know what everyone thinks and is feeling… when in fact, you have no idea about that person and their experiences. Assumptions will be the death of us
first off thanks for actually taking the time to read my essay haha i can’t summarize anything ever -__- but i couldn’t agree more; we’re always blaming others or miscellaneous outside factors for our problems when in reality we’re the gatekeepers of the prisons we create for ourselves. and i actually have noticed my skin improving, it seriously feels like it’s healing itself.
on a random note i totally just invented a delicious green smoothie recipe on the fly and wanted to share since you have shared some of yours 🙂 this one actually turns brown though haha yum poo smoothie 😉
1/4 cup frozen mango cubes
1/4 cup frozen organic raspberries
1 kiwi, peeled and cut
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp whole flaxseeds
fill the rest of the blender with mache (AKA lamb’s lettuce), about two handfuls
Hi Tracy,
I really love your site. I love that you take so much time to address the psychological issues behind acne! I’m definitely a slave to makeup, though I’d love not to be. I wear foundation and concealer. Only my husband and kids see me without makeup, though it definitely bothered me when one of my 3 year olds asked me about my “mosquito bites” on my face. Thanks to antibiotics (weaning off them now) and removing the real culprit behind my acne, Mirena IUD, my skin is clear but I’ve got too many marks leftover around my jawline to be free of makeup. Makeup definitely removes the stress of it though. I can interact with people and know that my skin isn’t the first thing they’d see. I tend to look at other people’s skin a lot, but probably only because I’m really focused on my own. If I were at a party with you I probably would be looking at your skin (because I do…), but what I’d be thinking is how lucky that girl is that she can go without makeup because her skin looks fantastic! Sometimes I think showing a flaw or two shows that you really aren’t covering anything up, so people KNOW your skin is that great. Not that it matters what other people think, but obviously it does!
While I’m not doing the caveman thing or anything close because I do wear makeup and sunscreen, I am able to do the less-is-more skincare approach. Since I now don’t have any active acne, I’m not tempted to slather on stuff to get rid of pimples.
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php/topic/292739-the-most-upsetting-thing-a-stranger-has-said-about-your-acne/
Hey Tracy, I cannot believe six months are over already! I really like this video and totally understand the struggle of wanting to be perfect all the time. I don’t get bad pimples anymore, I get small spots here and there, but nothing major. But I still have blackheads, and after years of skin picking I’m left with quite big pores and especially the skin on my nose looks destroyed. I have pores that look like piercing holes..which makes me sad. I also have broken capillaries on and around my nose. As I also have freckles you don’t notice blotchiness that much, as there is a lot going on on my face anyways. (That’s the impression I get or that’s what I hope) I never wear much make-up, but I cannot go out without evening out the skin on and around my nose. It’s in the middle of my face and sticking out!! I’d love to do the cavemen, but as an artist it’s part of my job to go to gallery openings quite a lot and socialise in super bright neon lighting! That’s something that has been stressing my out for years now, that super bright light I have to hang out in and be the relaxed artist at the same time. Almost everyone looks like hell in that kind of lighting. But of course I have friends with superperfect baby skin, that I envy to no end. And they never wear any make-up because they don’t have to. I never ever talk about this to anybody but it’s really something that is occupying me. I would love to let go off all of this, because I also speculate that if I would be able to leave my skin completely alone, then maybe my f… up skin parts would finally heal a little more. But under the stress of needing to be perfect and having to face that bright light all the time I often fall back into picking my nose skin. I am almost a 100% sure that I’m creating my not so perfect skin myself. And that kept me thinking lately: How is it that although I know I might have to hang out in that bright light again soon, I start picking my skin and make it all red? And then try to cover it with make-up and try to look ‘perfect’ again? How am I emotionally attached to this cicle, and how is it that I don’t seem to wanna face what my profession requires? I’m invited to a birthday dinner tonite and I’m debating with myself if I should go without nose coverage tonite. When I get close to the mirror I think my nose looks like a horror movie. I know, that’s exaggerated, but that’s how I feel.
Ha! I’ve spent many an evening at art openings and I have the exact same fear…… to the point where it often ruins the occasion because I’m too aware of how the harsh light will be accentuating all the lumps and bumps.
It can be very upsetting sometimes, locked in this perpetual cycle that if broken, will start the healing process.
I have scars on my temples that look like they’re here to stay…. had them for over a decade. The past two years especially, my cheeks have been home to lesions, pustules and my picking / scratching habit never gives them a chance to heal. I too pick and scratch under stress. Woke up this morning to find a huge new, painful lesion on my neck and that I’d scratched my cheek and chin loads in my sleep. Been feeling rather down about it all today so reading these posts has helped ease that lonely feeling I’m sure everyone experiences from time to time.
I wear foundation AND mineral powder. It can’t even cover everything properly because my skin’s so bumpy and flakey at the moment….. it lessons the red scars though. I would so so so love to not be tied to this routine, I know it doesn’t help at all.
I know the problem with the flakeyness, it just gets more visible through makeup. And often I think makeup only looks really good if you have almost perfect skin anyways. I actually made it to the dinner without makeup. I was only wearing lipstick (natural cosmetic brand) to look a little more alive and to distract from the rest. Although I even got a compliment about my look when I walked in I became totally self conscious when I entered a room with bright spot lights from above. I could clearly see all details of eveyone else’s skin and I immediately started sweating thinking about what they might discover on my face. It got better when I sat down in a darker room, but a weird feeling about my face stayed with me. I went to the bathroom several times to check if I’m alright.
I haven’t washed my face since friday night and haven’t put on any make up since then. Several pimples formed that are now already fading again without having built a head. They were almost invisible the whole time. A good sign I guess, because usually every pimple I get builds a pus-filled head. There is only one nasty one next to my lips, that somehow doesn’t wanna leave and that I started picking today, shame on me. Although it’s only been three days since not washing I have the impression that there is an improvement and that there is hope. It is a weird feeling, because my skin seems really dry and a little wrinkley (I’m turning 32 soon) and kind of dull, which makes it hard not to do anything to it. I will try to stick with not washing as long as I can. Not sure how long that is, especially if I go out here in Germany, people smoke a lot in bars and afterwards my skin and hair smells really bad.
A doctor once told me that a healthy body cleanses itself. Which means, if you are healthy you don’t even have to brush your teeth. I guess most people aren’t healthy. But trusting your body to do the job is a good step in the right direction I feel. I feel that my constant skin checking comes from a lot of mistrust, maybe in myself, maybe in life in general. Trying to focuse onto the emotional stuff behind my skin issues has helped me a lot lately. Keeping the pimples that should have left years ago often seems like a part of me doesn’t wanna grow up and take full responsibility for my life. Just a thought..maybe others feel similar?
i really like what you said about not wanting to grow up and taking full responsibility for my life. I’ve been thinking about it lately, and i feel the exact same way. I’m at the chance where my skin is improving for some reason, but i keep picking at it and making it worse. At the same time in my life I’m having to make very adult decisions(i’m 23) and some of those decisions terrify me. So I completely agree with you, and I think that could actually be holding a lot of acne sufferers back.
note: just yesterday I was hanging out at the mac cosmetics stand because I was waiting for someone. the sales woman approached me and I noticed how bad her skin was under her heavy make up. this is not the first time that I noticed this with different sales people at different mac cosmetic stands all over the world, which makes me think, is that brand really bad? maybe a coincidence, maybe not..(I like mac because of the wide color range for lipsticks, which is great when you are into lipstick. but I’m sure the stuff is not healthy..)
only if my skin was better. right now, i need at least a little bit. sad but that is the way it is. sadly, i can see your vid but not hear it due to this not being my own pc. well, as soon as i am home^^
Hi Tracy,
I wear makeup every time I go out. If I have a breakout, i’ll even wear makeup in my dorm room just in case I have to go use the communal bathroom. But compared to you, my skin is a lot worse, i have SO MUCH acne scarring and a breakout here and there, it’s very noticeable without makeup on, and once that clears up i want to move to not having to wear a full face of foundation.
Yes, many people depend on makeup to help them feel confident, but i don’t see anything wrong with that. Feeling good about yourself is what matters and being confident whether it’s with makeup or not. Makeup isn’t bad. It’s not the enemy here.
I don’t wear any make up mostly. Occasionally (if I’m going out) I’ll put on some mascara and a little eye shadow other than that I use an eyelash curler. My skin is far from perfect. I have hormonal acne on my chin/around my mouth and on my cheeks but right now it’s not too bad. On top of the acne, I have hyperpigmintation and scarring on both of my cheeks from acne of years gone by.
I stopped wearing makeup some time ago for a mix of reasons. First, I could never find a shade that was just right-so aggrivating (eye roll). Also, every time I’d try to cover my acne bumps up it’s like they grew! I know it was just in my mind but it seemed like my skin looked so much WORSE when I tried to make it look “perfect.” Probably the biggest reason I stopped wearing make up was because of all the chemicals in it. One day I stumbled across an article about the “hidden danger in makeup.” Hmm… The more I read the more grossed out I was! One woman stated her mineral level were 4x higher than normal (possibly from her mineral makeup??). I’ve always had a semi-healthy diet and for me, personally, it seemed like if I cared what went IN it shouldn’t I also care what went ON it too?
It’s taken years for me to get comfortable with myself and my body. I’m not too self consious about my acne anymore although when I see a girl who’s shoving her face with pizza, obviously wearing make up, and STILL has perfect skin, I do get a little envious. I don’t really look in the mirror much (seriously!) and when I do I try not to focus on the mountains on my face. This is going to sound really weird but I actually (out loud) give myself words of encouragement. Or leave myself “beauty” sticky notes (who doesn’t love sticky notes!?).
Ocassionally I do get people (they’re people I generally know) offering me advice on how to clear my face and sometimes it throws me off because I don’t really think about my acne so I “forget” I have it. Most recently, a 3 year old walked up to me and said “How did you get all those bo-boes on your face?” (he was a really smart 3 year old). I know at that age kids are brutally honest and they don’t intentionally hurt people; they’re just curious about the world around them and all the different things they see. Knowing all that didn’t stop it from hurting. His mom looked embarassed by the statement but I just smiled back and said “See all this candy here?” (I work at an ice cream store) “I ate all this candy and it made my face hurt. Now I have bo-boes.”
I know the consequences of my makeup-free choice and I’m getting better at handling the comments directed at my face. I get way more complements on how pretty my eyes are or what a beautiful smile I have (I’ve never worn braces or done any type of whitening treatment-at home or over the counter). If I act self consious then others will only see me for my flaws. If I act confident, and look past my scarring and inflammed acne, then others notice different things about me than just the mountains on my face.
It’s like that expression “fake it till you make it.” I’m not saying pretending like you don’t have acne will make it go away, but it’ll definity make your stress level about it go down and you won’t be looking in the mirror all the time worrying “omg is that a new spot!?” It takes practice but the less time you spend stressing over individual flaws on your face the more you’ll be able to see it in it’s complete picture.
EX: A sticky note starter: You’re eyes are gorgeous! Look at the pretty color flecks in them!
you might love reading about this. It was inspiring to me and I’m striving to wear less makeup too. This is about 2 women who are giving up all “beauty routines” including makeup for like 6 or 8 weeks or 90 days or something. http://www.thenakedfaceproject.com/
Hey that’s really great link! I have to look over that when I get a second. Thanks Mandy
I just wanted to say that your video really inspired me. I will tell you, that I have had severe acne since I was about 12 years old. I’m now 28 years old. That’s 16 years of severe acne and feeling self conscious about my skin, and I hate it. I think about it at least 5 times a day. I have tried the strongest topical creams and oral medications on the market, and nothing has cured my acne. It’s frustrating every day of my life and I have wished since I was 12 years old that I could go without makeup. That was the age that I started wearing makeup as a cover-up, and now I can’t go without it. When someone that I know sees me without makeup, I obsess over what they must be thinking about my skin. It’s really consuming. Others that have had this problem don’ t understand. But since you posted a video about this subject I wanted to let you know. My mom always taught my sisters and I not to leave the house without our foundation, but the funny thing is that my mom and my sisters don’t have acne, I am the only one with that problem. And I truly cannot handle looking at myself in the mirror without makeup, but I wish I could.
I wore full foundation until pretty recently. I don’t have acne but my skin is not perfect, struggled with dermatillomania until recently. Anyway, I got a huge stress-related rash all around my lip and make-up made it look worse, much worse, so I just stopped. I stopped letting water touch around my lips, also. It is finally close to healing though there are big skin flakes and dryness. The only thing I use around my mouth is argan oil to moisturize it and kind of clean it if any food gets on there.
Before that I had been using the oil cleansing method to wash my face at night with a few splashes in the morning of water. In the past I used some storebought cleansers and even if they are really good, all-natural ones, the oil cleansing method usually works better, and costs less. I recommend it to people who are still wearing make-up (and for eye make-up which I still wear often) – oil takes it right off. However, if you aren’t wearing makeup you don’t need to steam your face or put water on it, unless you are using a honey mask that day.
I used to hate the idea of even going to the grocery store without foundation. And if I were still picking at my face, I don’t think I could do it. But I really encourage girls to do aim for this. Once you get used to it, there is such freedom in it. You can reduce your make-up gradually, too. Like I wore blush until last week because I was looking a bit pale. Also, it forces you to take better care of yourself because if you aren’t sleeping enough or if you aren’t eating well, it will show up on your face. Get your diet/sleeping/cleansing and moisturizing habits natural and healthy before you go foundation-less would be my advice, though, to avoid unnecessary stress.
As a word of encouragement… no one realized I wasn’t wearing foundation. Even though I looked different to myself, they seriously didn’t notice and this includes my husband. As long as I had a bit of eyeliner on, as far as they were concerned, I was all made up. I went from a 30 minute or more makeup routine to a 2 minute one. I have no intention of going back!
I just read this last week and have been trying it out since then. I still let cold water hit my face in the morning but other than that I am not doing anything else.
I had a nasty breakout by my upper lip two weeks ago and it would not go away.It us now completely gone and the rest of my skin looks great except for one lonely pimple on my cheek that finally started coming out after having been under my skin for weeks.
I do not wear makeup on a day to day basis, only for special occasions, so the no makeup thing does not bother me.My skin isn’t terrible but it isn’t perfect either. I find that people really do not care about minor imperfections. I will continue this experiment and follow your journey!
Hey everyone, thanks for all your insight on this video. It’s been really great to hear your perspectives!
Just to let you know – the party wasn’t nearly as bad as I feared – of course. And I did have fun!
Hello Tracy!
I have this on and off battle with mild acne. My skin is very sensitive (as what I’ve observed)
I used a lot of facial washes, astringents, lotions and the like. Some of them made my face really clear! However, the effects didn’t last.
At 15, I used an astringent an attendant recommended to me when I visited the derma. My skin peeled for a couple of days, but after that. My face was so cleaaaaaan. Spotless. Perfect.
But that lady suddenly disappeared, and so did that astringent. my acne returned (still in mild form though) and the battle continued.
Then my college friend recommended St. Dalfour Whitening Cream. I tried it out of curiosity and I must say that that cream changed my life. My face was really really really flawless! There was no need for me to apply makeup. I always got compliments from people, people would stare at me, and I got noticed by some boys.
But it didn’t last. I found out in a news report that it supposedly had a high amount of mercury. I ditched it (#1 I was scared and #2 i was starting to breakout). That was also the time when i broke off with a guy I dated for 3 years (I guess emotional stress could have also triggered it)
The breakout I got after i ditched Dalfour prompted me to use make-up. to conceal those ugly imperfections. I cried a lot, because i didn’t want the world to see my face. that the once flawless face has been now covered with zits and blemishes.
I used another skin care product and it cleared my face! (plus, the face it was summer break and I just stayed at home). My face went clear for 3 months, until I decided to stop the product (because it had a lot of chemicals, too harsh for my skin. It also made my skin reddish)
Now, I’m 20 and I’m still having that on-off battle. I wear make-up at a minimum, not at the same intensity as I did before. I use a little foundation to cover hyperpigmentation spots on my skin and underneath my eyes. I also use a little blush-on and lipstick because i’m rather pale (i’m anemic). . I really don’t like the effort of applying so many things on my face. It feels like a drag. But for the sake of looking presentable in public, I wear them.
After reading some of your posts, I realized that I shouldn’t make a big deal of my condition. But it’s annoying when my friends and acquaintances ask me “Hey, what happened? Why did you get pimples?”
My face isn’t as white as it used to be before (during the time I used Dalfour). I’m actually very fair, recently, I got tanned because I walk a lot under the sun. I just remind/console myself daily that there’s more to me than about these zits and blemishes, and that my best asset is my smile and my kindness! 🙂
For most of my life, I’ve not worn makeup. Even when I had acne, I didn’t wear it. It seemed like a lot of trouble and I didn’t know how to put it on. But one day, after a sad experience with the OCM (using coconut oil), I bought some mineral foundation. Since then, I’ve come to rely on it and will not go out without having it on if my skin is looking bad. I really wish I didn’t have to wear it. I can’t wait until the day where I can ditch it and go back to being make-up free. But I just couldn’t deal with having to show my spots to everybody. I couldn’t take it.
It’s funny how our perspective changes when it comes to what we’re used to
Hi Tracy, I just commented about wearing make-up on another post. I too have always had problematic skin, but I am a professional make-up artist so I have to wear make-up.
However, I try to use make-up that does not contain typical skin irritants and it really does help.
Even though make-up is my job, I do understand what you are saying about conditioning. We are constantly being conditioned by the media every day.
Any way, I just wanted to say you are naturally beautiful and you really don’t need make-up! As you said in the video, other people won’t think twice when they see you with out make-up. We as humans are always beating ourselves up about the way we look, but as you mentioned it’s all about the conditioning. Hope that all makes sense! Any way thank you as always for the great video’s and posts!
How to cure pimples HQ
I dont wear make up anymore, it took time but you will begin to feel good about it and it will feel normal for you. For me, I would feel uncomfortable to put on make up now. It just takes time (:
Im really excited and scared about this caveman bit. I cant wait to try it out but I know its going to blow!. Im am super self concious about eveything! And my skin is no exception. About a year ago I got so fed up with hating my jair I discovered the no poo method which led to dreads which led to eliminating virtually every body product I was using… Except for makeup.my skin has always been a burden. Its rare that I dont have some mess of bumps staring back at me in the mirror and lately iv been getting extra down about otll. Im planning on starting this after church tomorrow ;). Anf maybe something that might help others… For about a month now I have only been washing my fac wih very warm water and a wash rag and splshing cold watr onafter. It has worked way betr than any fac wash iv tried matural or not. My breakouts are far less severe and they go away so much quicker. Maybe some people can start out doin g this for a while first to see if it might make the caveman proccess a bit easier. Sorry for all the errors. My tablet wouldnt let me see what I was writing and when I tried to fix mistakes it wrote over letters instead of inserting more. Goodluck ladies 🙂
Hi Tracy,
I think it amazing what you are doing!!… not wearing makeup!
I can’t remember a day without it! My acne is quite bad at the moment and i just can’t live without makeup. My mum would say to me everyyy day.. put some on because my spots look awful!
I was wanting to know; i have been trying to do your diet but it’s pretty hard because i live with my parents and they won’t really let me come off wheat or lactose because they think it would do me harm.. I am only 17 so it is hard to try and cut all that out when your mum practically cooks every meal…
I have cut out all chocolate and crisps, but i eat bread, and crackers, and yogurts, i eat quite a lot of fruit and vegetables and have quite healthy meals.. but my acne is as bad as ever?
Is it to do with my diet… wheat and lactose?
do they play a massive role on getting clear?
I don’t know what to do, i would loveeeee to not wear makeup! thanks 🙂
Hey Katie – Yeah I think gluten and dairy can play a pretty big role. I’m sorry your parents are unsupportive about it 🙁
dear tracy
girls in the US get so obesessed with make up (i dont know about canada or australia) they eather put on that full face at the age of 21 or dont do anything because they want to make a statement. a full face is not exactly a very fresh young modern look at least not in europe and it ages the face so much. on the other hand if you think a bit of mascara is very becoming for your eyes so then go for it. what i want to point out here is: RELAX!!! there is tons of organic makeup out there so no harm from that side. with people being too much against something there is always that bitterness to it, meaning there is no joy. but highest bliss is highest truth.
Yours Kat
I know this is a super old article by now, but I wanted to chime in–better late than never 🙂
Unfortunately, I wear makeup in order to protect myself from knowing for certain that others are staring disgustedly at my acne. With makeup, at least, I can pretend they don’t notice or forget about it more easily than they would otherwise. In a way, I won’t allow others to look at me without makeup because I feel like I’m a disgusting person for forcing them to look at my bare face. How sad it is… I really appreciate the validation you give to acne dysmorphia, Tracy. It’s very debilitating to suffer the self-esteem wreckage that is chronic acne. UGH!
I have also been using various brands of foundation (and/or concealer) every day of my life. I’ve always noticed that my skin clears when I don’t leave the house for a few days (due to illness) or when I’m backpacking (and, however embarrassed, I go without makeup)… but of course I can’t go in public without makeup due to my chronically bad skin (mild to moderate acne since age twelve). When I lived in a very rural, hippy-ish area for a couple of years, I was the happiest I’ve been in terms of my skin, and I was (1) rarely wearing full foundation, (2) eating very very organic and healthy home-cooked meals in general — plus lots of nuts and avocado [pre-Tracy, I didn’t recognize the pattern there], and (3) in the honeymoon months with Retin-A. I yearn for those days SO very much at times, and they keep me striving to clear my face once and for all so that I can be radiant and confident (as Tracy really should be with that skin!)… In general, minus acne, I think skin looks beautiful, much more glowing, without makeup; with acne, unfortunately, it’s not so lovely, as some folks have noted…
What a catch-22. I feel like so much of my life has been wrapped up in exactly that catch, as though others will think I’m disgusting without, but I am convinced people also think I’m an idiot for bothering to try to cover up something so obvious as a deformed face. Boo, acne. Yay, Tracy!
One other thing that kills me, and I’d be interested to hear others’ opinions and experiences… When I broke up with a very long-term boyfriend (it was a nasty split, to be honest), he took the ultimate opportunity to destroy my self-esteem before letting me loose, and told me in no uncertain terms that I was ugly without makeup (not true except for the acne, I know this!), and that I had better sneak away in the early morning if I planned to ever sleep over with another man or he would know.
Isn’t that awful thing to say? (For the record, he’s not a nasty person, which made this comment hurt even more. I know he was distinctly trying to hurt me, but WOW did that stick in my mind.)
Oh wow… that’s a brutal thing to say! I’m so sorry…. that’s definitely a rough thing to try and move on from. Much love to you <3
Hi Tracy,
I’ve been reading/watching a lot of posts on the site and finding them incredibly beneficial, so much of what you have been talking about has resonated with me. Thank you for making this site, I’m sure its helping so many people.
I wanted to comment on this one especially as I was using my concealer as a security measure. I would use it to hide the tiniest imperfection! Slowly I weaned myself off it. It wasn’t easy, going out I was convinced people would stare at me but nobody did, to be fair my acne is probably classed as mild/moderate but I was used to clear skin and coming off BC caused me to breakout on my forehead and chin like nothing I’d ever known before.
I realised that because I had to get right up close to the mirror to apply the concealer it was when I examined my skin and as a result got stressed causing more spots! Now I only look at a mirror to check my hair and only from a normal distance, since doing so for the last two weeks my partner said my skin is glowing and looking much better.
That’s awesome! Sure sign it’s stress related.. keep it up and hopefully things continue to improve 🙂
One of my best friends (a guy) has severe acne, but I still love him to death and don’t consider him ugly – I cannot say I don’t notice his acne, but I don’t find it repelling because he has a great personality. Yet this girl in my Calculus class has a wonderful skin, nice hair and a pretty face, but she is such a bitch it’s not even funny, so literally nobody talks to her (let alone date her – by the way, the “acneic” friend of mine has a girlfriend!). This is going to sound really cliche, but, really, I have learned from my experiences that the inside DOES MATTER MORE than the outside. Ditch the makeup, learn your manners and be kind to everyone – that’s all you need to be beautiful.
It’s so true. Sometimes it just helps me to feel a lot better thinking about awesome people I know who have acne or might not be the picture of ‘physical attractiveness’ that is constantly marketed to us. Personality truly does shine through.
I do know what you mean though – I would always get so stressed out when I was walking around with my severe acne and no makeup and people would just NOT STOP staring (or so it seemed?). Now it’s drastically improved (however, the scars are still there, and that’s not pretty), but I still decided to be makeup-free. It’s been week now and feel amazing about it!
Hi Tracy!
Thanks so much for posting this! I admire your passion for helping others with their skin and overall health. I recently stopped wearing face makeup in Feb and havent worn any since. I am going one year without it. I like to experiment to see how i feel emotionally from not having a security blanket. At first i felt naked and vulnerable because of my acne but then worked on balancing my life. I feel like my skin is breathing and it has cleared up but i learned stress was the cause of the acne to begin with. I agree with the holistic approach to healing skin! Keep on glowing girl!
Hi Cat! Awesome – yes, it usually takes getting out of your comfort zone in order to experience growth. Scary but rewarding 🙂
So Tracy, I just found the most AMAZING and helpful website. A lot of you guys probably already know about it, but it’s http://www.ewg.org/skindeep You can search for any product (sunscreen, makeup, shampoo, etc) and it will break down the safety hazards of each ingredient! Now, I know the “natural” and “organic” commercial industries can sometimes be just as bad as regular products, but for the people here that wear makeup/use shampoo, it is SO helpful. You should do a post about it!
Hi Bronwyn – that is a great site, thank you! I think I will do a post about it
Hi Tracy. I need your Advice.
1month ago I decided to stop all products that I used on my face.. Everything. Facial wash, Toner, Moisturizer, I only use Water on my face.. and I already eat healthy foods.. And now my face is almost clear.. My acne scars are almost gone.. but sometimes I still have some a lil bit of blemishes and its annoys me.. can you give me some advice on how to get rid my blemishes? My skin type is combination.. and a little bit sensitive..
And do you think using water is enough for my face or should i try a cleanser?
I will wait for your reply..
(anyway I am not that much good in english that sorry for wrong grammars) ^.^v
This is what worked for me when I had this problem: https://thelovevitamin.com/5643/how-i-cleared-all-my-clogged-pores-in-less-than-three-weeks/
Hey,I don’t have a love affair with makeup anymore. as it stands, I’m workin on being Foundation-free in 2013…its supposed to ryhme…:P I discovered makeup when i was 16-17 an i thought it was a god-send. I couldnt wear it to school so I battled wit low self esteem then. Once i got to university an realized no1 was there to stop me, whoo hoo…i did do the make-up.Not full blown like others an ppl most definietely saw my natural face but just enough. My acne is just now improving since doing this natural method however, my method is different but still great. I use Blackseed soap that has honey and apricot oil. No worries, no chemicals…AT ALL..literally…4 ingredients. After my blackseed oil soap, i use a mix of witch hazel, water and tea tree oil…its AMAZING an then I use aloe vera gel to finish it off. I understand the pull to makeup an the comfort it gives u but i also see the dark side. Worrying if its the right shade, about it rubbing off on ppl, worried about sweating an stuff. And honestly, it does irritate ur acne. For me it was a horrible cycle of wearing makeup to hide my acne but makeup actually making it worse which makes me put on more makeup…u get the point? Ppl r rite, makeup isnt the enemy but it should not be your Saviour. You should totally do a post about MEN and acne. They r so confident, wats up wit that an why cant we as women harness that?
Lol, Foundation Free in… if only it was still 2003 :p
Anyway… good comment. I agree. Makeup is okay, but it really sucks having to rely on it.
Hiya Tracy!
Just curious what your feelings are on IF you do want to wear makeup? I’ve got oily skin and I wouldn’t mind having a translucent powder to apply on now and then. I’ve done a bit of research and Aubrey Cosmetics has organic makeup made mainly out of tapioca and rice powder. Thoughts? I also like rice paper!
Reader suggestions for makeup here: https://thelovevitamin.com/3239/i-finally-found-a-great-makeup-that-doesnt-irritate-my-acne/
In my opinion, after reading through all the comments, I thought the Jane Iredale makeup sounded the best.
Hi Tracy! Interesting blog, here. I’m completely dependent on my makeup– I use it all. I struggled with bad acne and cysts for many years.. about 13 or 14 before I found what worked. Now, I rarely have a pimple, but I can’t quit makeup now. I do have a lot of redness and scarring from the past, and I just couldn’t bear the thought of going out in public without using foundation. And if I use foundation, I look silly without using everything else. So yeah, I don’t remember the last time I went to a public place without makeup. I was probably 13 or 14. (I’m 29 now). I use a lightweight liquid foundation for evenness, a good concealer, a natural mineral foundation, natural mineral blush (I’m super pale), then I have to fill in my eyebrows because one has a childhood scar and is only half an eyebrow, then I HAVE to put on eyeliner at the least, otherwise I just feel ugly or like I look like a boy.
Yeah, it’s pretty sad, actually. If I could get my skintone to be more even, and not so red, then I probably would put on mascara, fix my eyebrow, and go out like that occasionally. But for now, I’m stuck with my dependence.
On a similar note, I feel like I should share what worked, in case anyone reads this. I started taking an herbal supplement by Cosmedix– it took a couple of months before it stopped the cystic acne almost completely. I’ve used their skincare products for several years already. Then last year, I started a whole foods diet, and gradually cut out as many processed foods as I could, and started consuming a ton of fruits and vegetables. Now, usually the only time I get a breakout is if I’ve been eating badly, or eating a lot of fried foods. I’ve even been pregnant for the past 8 months, which I had no idea what that would do to my skin, and I haven’t had any of the horrible acne and breakouts that people so often have when they are pregnant. I’m very happy with the health of my skin right now. I just wish I had learned these things 10+ years ago, so my skin wouldn’t be scarred and red. Maybe then I wouldn’t be so insanely self-conscious about being without makeup. I hope to get some cosmetic treatments that will improve those things, so hopefully there will be a day in the future where I can not where makeup.
Hi Tracy!
Your video really speaks to me because I have been in a similar situation. As a teenager, I suffered from mild to moderate acne, and to make matters worse, I was in the habit of constantly picking and prodding at my skin. Of course, this behaviour only served to make my face look much worse. To counteract this, I would always cover up the red spots on my face with concealer and foundation. I became dependent on covering my face with make-up because I was caught in a vicious cycle of skin picking, which kept my skin in a perpetually red and inflamed state.
Over time, I made a conscious effort to stop touching my face and luckily my skin quality improved a lot on its own (at 22, I no longer have acne-prone teenage skin). As things were improving, I started using less make-up on my skin. I eliminated foundation completely and just covered up the odd pimple or spot with concealer. To then completely free myself and break away from concealer, I simply forced myself to go without it for a month. The experience of constantly seeing my bare, imperfect skin in the mirror everyday really made me realise that my normal skin is just that – normal. That normal is good enough. That a bit of acne really doesn’t matter. That my skin doesn’t need to be perfect because my face doesn’t exist to look flawless. More than that, I have reached a point where I feel most beautiful in my bare, natural form, complete with acne, scars and imperfections. No make-up. No covering. No hiding. Just me.
It is only once you yourself believe – truly believe – that you ARE good enough, that you ARE beautiful without make-up, that the quality of your skin DOES NOT define who you are or your beauty, that you will reach a point where you won’t be concerned with what other people think about you. And I can say from experience that I am a much more confident person now, bearing my real face to the world with all of its imperfections, than I was when my skin appeared flawless with the help of make-up. I’ve learned a valuable lesson: it isn’t how you appear to others that makes you feel beautiful. In reality, it’s how you think about yourself that makes you feel beautiful.
Hi Lisa, that was a beautiful comment, thank you for sharing that 🙂
This has been a big issue to me over the years. I wouldn’t be caught dead without foundation or concealer on 5 years ago. I’ve gradually become comfortable without it though. Starting when I went on a long bike trip and it was impractical to wear it. My acne actually pretty much cleared up during that, though it came back afterwards (when I started wearing makeup again and obsessing over it). Then I got a supportive boyfriend who preferred my face without makeup, ’cause he said that was the real me (aww :P). That helped a lot, but there were other people in my life who would encourage me to wear makeup still. Then I took a trip to another part of the world, where I did volunteer farming and such, and again it wasn’t practical to wear makeup. I found that it was a lot easier there, partly because these people didn’t know what I looked like with makeup on (so me without makeup was ‘normal’ to them), and partly because I think they were a more practical, down-to-earth (excuse the pun) sort of people who valued hard work and genuineness more than appearances. I used to think that me caring about how my skin looked was mostly in my head (you know, nobody really notices, etc), but I’ve come to think it’s not. I’m sure I worry about it when others don’t, but people do look at other people’s skin and judge them for it. I think city people do especially. No disparagement of city people intended – I’m one myself haha – but I noticed a huge difference in coming from living in the country and going back to the city. People I knew commented on my skin, and pressured me to cover it up again – even when I thought my skin was looking pretty good! It irritated me that people should make me feel like I should aim for flawless skin. So I came to the conclusion then that it wasn’t all in my head. Society pressures women a huge amount to look like we have blemish-free skin – especially in professional careers and such. It makes me feel like going out somewhere and farming for the rest of my life. 😛
Anyway, this is longer than I meant it to be. I am just rather passionate on the subject as you can gather. 🙂 My conclusion is that it’s going to be hard sometimes to resist society’s pressure, but I think it’s worth it myself to go without makeup the majority of the time, just for my own values’ sake – because I don’t like the idea of being made to feel less beautiful for just looking the way I am. It definitely helps to have people around you who support you in that regard too.
Hey JJ, thanks for sharing your thoughts on the subject! Way to rock it and stick with your values despite the pressures 🙂
Hey Tracy! I just found this article. I have been following you and your blog for quite a while now. I’ve turned my whole life around, and its getting there! I do still have problem skin, and its so difficult for me to let go of my makeup. I keep wanting to just drop it all, but I just started my own company, I should look presentable to my clients. I would feel so ugly in front of my boyfriend. I won’t let him stay over because I don’t want him to see what I look like without my ‘mask’ on. It’s frustrating. My major goal is to get to the point where I never have to where makeup becuase my skin will be so amazing. I’m just so worried to let it go right now. When your acne was really active, did you still wear makeup at the time? Or did you just stop and that helped in the clearing process?
Hi Hannah,
Yes I wore makeup when my skin was really bad. I wasn’t brave enough at that point. But if you want to get comfortable without it, you have to take the leap and scare yourself otherwise you will always be trapped with it. Instead of taking the leap with the going bare faced for work, try starting with your boyfriend. Talk to him about it. Tell him how you feel about it and that you’re embarrassed but ask him to be supportive so you can try going bare faced around him. He probably doesn’t mind as much as you think and would much prefer you let him stay over, rather than having to leave because of this. Anyway – sending you love and strength! xo
Thank you Tracy 🙂 And yes, my boyfriend is actually supportive of the whole thing, I’m worried he doesnt realize how bad it is underneath lol. I will give it a shot, thanks! Keepin my head up 🙂