The Mind and Skin Connection – Jaime’s Story
If there’s anything I’ve learnt over the years, is that if you do not believe you can achieve something, it’s not going to happen!
You can literally be and do anything as long as you believe and act in accordance. This links in with skin too: you are not going to wake up one day with perfect skin. It’s only going to happen with a little bit of effort and action.
Jaime’s tips for great skin:
- Firstly, you need to find what is best for your skin.
When testing out different products, give them time. I cannot stress this enough. Your skin needs to adapt. I know this is frustrating and I know we all want clear skin instantly, but there is a process! - A few things that can affect your skin are stress, anxiety and exercise.
It’s all very well using creams and medicine for your skin; however, you really should try find the source of why you keep breaking out!
Ask yourself these questions:
- Is it what you eat?
- Not enough sleep?
- Too much stress?
- Anxiety?
- Not enough exercise?
The best thing to do is to find the source of the problem.
- Keep an eye on your moods, feelings and activities throughout the day.
Tip: You can even keep a diary or reflect at the end of each day to work out any patterns. - Exercise is always good.
It gets the blood flowing, which is not only good for your skin, but also your health. Even if it’s a short run a few times a week or a home workout – anything is better than nothing! - If you struggle with anxiety and stress, try find some anxiety and/or stress tips & even look for foods that can relieve anxiety or stress.
Jaime’s Journey with Skin
My journey with skin started when I was 13. I went to a school that I really didn’t enjoy. It just simply wasn’t the right school for me. The whole experience was incredibly stressful. I remember having 1 – 4 projects, orals or tests due EVERYDAY! Some can handle this, but it really wasn’t for me. I was staying up late, getting up early and I was constantly stressed and tired. Needless to say, I just wasn’t happy!
Stress and skin – the link
During this time, I was constantly breaking out and the pimples just kept coming! I was really frustrated as it made me feel lower than I already was feeling. I just had no confidence.
I ended up moving schools after 6 months and things got better. After about 6 months to a year (this was probably about the start of grade 9) my skin started to clear, but I still had scars. I tried so many creams, gels and oils but everything was too strong for my skin or just didn’t work! I went to the local clinic numerous times as all the products I was using were just making my face sting.
By this time, it was around the end of 2018/end of Grade 9 and at this point, my skin was breaking out again – not as bad as before – but it was still frustrating me. Eventually I decided to see a doctor. I had previously thought that having a prescribed medication for my skin was bad and something to be embarrassed or ashamed about. And I still felt like this even after my doctor prescribed me a gel.
I slowly learned that, as long as medication is not harming you or having bad side effects…it’s not something to worry about. It’s normal!
Unfortunately, this gel did not work. It was WAY too harsh for my skin. I spent about an hour crying as it made my face burn and sting. My skin was even peeling off! My mom decided I must stop using the gel and go back to try something else. I later read that this gel has a process, that the peeling was normal and if I gave it a few months, things probably would’ve gotten better. I just wasn’t prepared to take on any more burning and stinging!
I went back to the doctor and she put me on a birth control that was skin friendly. I used this for a while (about 6/7 months) but saw no change. I changed to another birth control that was registered as acne medication, not just skin friendly. By this time my mum and I were both very frustrated as doctors are expensive, and we were also wasting money on products I wasn’t able to use. The new pill however, sorted my skin out in no time! To this day, I still use this pill.
Now, although it kept my pimples away most of the time, I was still struggling with the condition of my skin (too dry or too oily etc). I kept on trying over the counter creams and gels, but again they all stung and burned.
And one day I came across RITES.
RITES was the first company/brand I worked with on social media and just by chance – their products did not sting or burn. On top of this, they made my skin glow and feel soft. I was amazed…could it get any better!? I now take my birth control pill every day at 8pm and RITES is apart of my morning and night routine!
The point of all this is to show that clear skin doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a real process. Skin is precious and I do not believe beauty is pain! It’s just not worth it. I eliminated things like stress by changing my environment which was the main cause of my break outs and acne. I also spent time trying new products until I found the right one and I couldn’t be more grateful.
I believe that finding a balance is so important. Balancing your stress, good and bad food, exercise and anxiety are the answers to clear skin! Keep your body happy – and your skin will follow.
Submitted by our guest writer, Jaime Peetz.
Check out her IG account for travel inspiration, simple healthy recipes and genuinely good vibes! @Jaime_Peetz
