How I Cleared My Skin

I have always struggled with my skin.  I haven't had serious acne, but it has been constant.  Since I hit puberty I have had steady breakouts.  As soon as one pimple or grouping of pimples healed, more would appear.  Not matter what harsh chemicals I used topically, no matter what hormones I ingested orally, my skin just wouldn't get clear.  Even going vegan wasn't enough.

But for the first time in my entire adult life, I feel comfortable ditching the concealer and foundation and letting my skin show.

So what changed?

ONE  I cleaned up my diet.

Yes, I was already vegan.  But no, my diet wasn't (and still isn't perfect).  

Cutting out high fat foods, oil, and too many packaged and junky foods has done WONDERS for my skin.

I also started drinking a lot more water and getting in as many green smoothies and juices as I could.

Check out my Instagram and YouTube to see what I'm eating day to day!

Hello, October! 💀🍁 What are you most looking forward to in the month ahead? I’ll leave my answer in the comments! 🍂

What would you want fo sip from this mug? ☕️ Hot apple cider? Chai tea? Pumpkin spice latte? 🍂

Continuing on with my fall-loving basic-b self... here’s a fall gratitude spread in my @archerandolive morning sun square notebook! 🍂 What’s your favourite thing about the fall time? 🎃🍁🕯 Swipe up in my stories to see the blog post where I walk you through the steps to make this spread 🍂 and use my affiliate code PBB10 for 10% off your @archerandolive purchase!

If being a basic fall-loving candle-obsessed white girl is wrong I don’t wanna be right 🍂🕯

The rolling weekly... where all the nitty gritty planning goes on in my bullet journal ✍🏻 The left side is for day-specific events and tasks, and the right side is for a weekly task list. I have a dedicated video explaining the method on my YouTube channel if you want a deep dive! Tap the link in my bio and scroll down for the direct link to the video. What kind of weekly layout do you prefer in your bullet journal? Or are you more of a daily person? Or are you like my husband, using your monthly spread exclusively? I’m always so fascinated to see how different our bujos are to suit our individual needs! ✨ Notebook: @notebook_therapy gentle giant B5 - affiliate code PBB10 for 10% off! Paints: @winsorandnewton designer’s gouache Nail polish: @lightslacquer citrine

Get you someone who looks at you like Yoda and I look at each other 👁👄👁

A little teaser for you 👀 My October Plan With Me is up on my YouTube channel now! Swipe up in my stories to watch 💀

Rocking my newest @analuisany pieces ✨ what’s your go-to daily jewelry? My necklace is the Ciel Locket (soon to contain tiny portraits of my cats), my earrings are the Rox Small Hoops, Mini Twisted Hoops, and Milo Huggies, and the jewelry case is their new green velvet Travel Jewelry Case 💫 Get 10% off your purchase with my code “ElizabethT10” and curate your own unique look with fairly priced sustainable pieces from @analuisany ✨ tap the link in my bio or swipe up in my stories to shop! #analuisapartner #gifted

The inner cover of my new BuJo, a constant reminder that we can always start again ✨ 2020 has made so many of us feel like our lives are on hold, but even with everything being thrown at us we can find a way to persevere. It certainly won’t be easy, but the older I get the more I find that life is largely made up of these moments where we must choose the path we wish to take to overcome the obstacles in our way. Don’t wait for 2021 to get back to living. Choose to leap into your new beginning on your own terms. 2020 won’t defeat us. Even if you can’t find a way to take that step for yourself right now, take it for the good of someone else. I’m setting up a recurring donation to @rainbowrailroad - a Canadian organization saving the lives of LGBTQIA people around the world (discovered thanks to @canadasdragrace 🇨🇦). @blklivesmatter also deserves your donation if you have a few dollars to spare. Let me know how you’re taking a step for yourself or someone else to tip the scales of 2020 towards a net positive impact in the comments below. With kindness and action we can be the change and make the world a better place for all of us❤️

Enjoying the afternoon sun ☀️ how’s your Monday going?

TWO  I cleaned out my medicine cabinet.

No more hormonal birth control.

I went on the pill to clear my skin, and it never worked.  When I realized that my hormonal birth control wasn't vegan shortly after making the transition, I decided to get off it for good.

And low and behold, not only did I drop a couple pounds without any other changes, but my skin got a little less rebellious!

That's a win-win if you ask me.

Do you want to know what I do for birth control now that I'm not on the pill?  Let me know in the comments below and I'll write a post or film a video on the topic!

THREE  I simplified my routine.

Bye-bye, 14 step skin care routines.  Bye-bye, products with 2,000 ingredients.  Bye-bye, harsh chemicals.

Hello, my new favourite thing.

My skin care routine went from a chore to the easiest thing I do every day.

It's literally one step.  I use one product.  That product is 100% natural and has only one ingredient.

How awesome is that??

At the end of the night, I head to the bathroom, turn on the warm water, plop some oil in the palm of my damp hand, and massage it into my face.  It removes my makeup and cleanses my skin, and moisturizes too.  I pat or air dry.  

The end.

This is BY FAR the best thing I have ever done for my face.

My favourite oils?

Jojoba, avocado, and sweet almond.

FOUR  I chilled out.

I took a step back, took a deep breath in, and a long breath out.

I am doing my best to remember that clearing my skin is a journey, not a destination.

I am pressing pause on my perfectionism and giving myself a break.

I still get pimples, of course.  But overall?  My skin is 10x better than it has been in almost a decade.

And that is MORE than good enough for me.

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What does your skin care routine look like?  Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time,