3 Sneaky Things That Have Been Breaking Me Out This Month

Sunday Sanctuary #18 - skin flare ups, quick remedies, and steps to clearer skin

So as you know, I moved back to NYC about a month ago

And within that month, my skin has not been happy 😒

Now, let me start off my saying that I’m already a pretty acne prone girl and my skin has been on a journey

Meaning, that my skin has come so far from where it once was

but with that, I do still have sensitive skin

• If I’m drinking alcohol, have too much caffeine, etc - forehead will break out

• If I use aggravating skincare - cheeks will turn red and raw

• If I eat too much sugar - skin will not be happy

safe to say, it’s frustrating

with that, I’ve gotten to a point where I typically *know why* a breakout is occurring and what to do

but this past month, something different has been going on

for no obvious reason, my skin has been super reactive

and honestly, it’s been a super emotional ride

so I’m getting into the vulnerable bits and pieces of it, what I discovered, and what I’m doing now 👇

So here’s what you can expect in today’s Sunday Sanctuary:

🕊️ Personal Musings: my personal journey with my skin this month, the sneaky ingredient that’s been breaking me out, and my next steps

☕️ Understanding: the role of copper, estrogen, histamines, and our skin

🕯️ Recommending: some clear testing to better understand your skin health picture

🙏🏼 The Action Step: a lil skin check list to run through for my acne prone girlies

So, I’m going to be honest here - I’ve had pretty low self esteem this month

I moved in and my skin pretty much immediately started breaking out

and it’s taken a toll on my sense of self

with that, let me say that I also practice what I preach - I have been meeting the breakouts with as much care as I can muster

I will actively tell myself that:

“ I love my skin, through all its stages “

“ I am beautiful in every iteration of myself “

“ My skin/body/hair etc. does not define me “

and it does help bring in the compassion and self love

and keeps me from getting stuck in fixation mode and towards curiosity and care

With that, we unfortunately do live in a world where beauty, clear skin, weight, etc. are tied to our value and it can be hard work be comfortable defying beauty norms

so with that, I want to start this personal musings section off by saying

1. It is tough to deal with breakouts. I get it 100%

2. With that, it’s important to remember that your skin/looks don’t define your worth, beauty, or value

3. When skin does break out, it gives us information that something isn’t necessarily in balance - i.e., it’s time to investigate

so with that, about 1 week ago, I had enough

I dove into investigation mode

what had been different this month than the last?

anything with my mind/mood? my diet? my environment?

I quickly realized the 3 biggest things:

• MIND: stress had been a bit higher than usual with the move, making changes to my business, etc.

• DIET: I started adding cacao to my morning matcha

• ENVIRONMENT: I moved into a new apartment that is a bit older and the water is a lil funky

So let’s break these down a bit more shall we

MIND 🧠

When stress levels rise, the body releases more cortisol, often referred to as the "stress hormone." Elevated cortisol levels trigger…

1. Blood sugar imbalance: chronic cortisol can lead to insulin issues over time, increasing androgens, oil production, and clogged pores

2. Inflammation: Chronic stress raises inflammation while weakening your immune defense, making it harder to fight off acne-causing bacteria

3. Oil production: Cortisol directly stimulates sebaceous glands, increasing oiliness and creating the perfect environment for acne

bottom line - stress = poor skin health

the fix: 1 hour of movement daily + 10 minutes of meditation/breathwork and/or journaling in the morning

DIET 🍵

Soooo I started adding cacao to my daily matcha

and let me tell ya - I loved it. Cacao is a beautiful heart opening plant and it added a creamy, comforting twist to my drink

With that, here’s the tissue for my issue: