Glowing Skin Smoothie | The Acne Diaries

As you can read here, I've been enjoying making a smoothie every day because they are very delicious and very good for you.

This smoothie recipe is one specifically tailored to be great for the skin as it contains lots of vitamin C rich fruits. The recipe is...

1 apple

1 small satsuma

1 large handful of spinach

1 large handful of frozen mango

1/4 cup of water (or squeezed lemon juice)

1 kiwi 

The reason vitamin C is important for the skin is because its an antioxidant that slows down the rate of free radical damage which cause dryness, fine lines and wrinkles. It is also key to the production of collagen, a protein the aids in the growth of cells and blood vessels which gives skin its firmness and strength. Vitamin C also helps the skin repair itself. *science lesson over*

This smoothie also has lots of other vitamins and minerals that are you good for your skin such as iron, vitamin K and copper.

I have noticed a big difference in my skin since drinking one these smoothies every day. So go drink your way to healthy skin!

p.s. I forgot to mention that this smoothie also tastes delicious (the main reason I like making it every day)

♥

How To Cover Up Acne Scars | The Acne Diaries

Once you've got rid of your acne, your likely to get rid of scars. You might be thinking (as I did) I don't care about scars I just want to get rid of these spots! Well unfortunatley scarring can be just as, if not more difficult to get rid of than acne and, as I found, really difficult to cover! However I finally feel I have found a foundation routine that covers my scars...

Prime

Priming is an important step when trying to conceal your acne scars, it increases the longevity of your foundation keeping you flawless for much longer. There are lots of different primers out there but if you are trying to conceal acne scars I recommend a smoothing primer as some acne scars can be dipped making your skin look bumpy and uneven, a smoothing primer will help you skin texture look more even. I am currently using The Body Shop Drops of Youth Wonder Blur which I am really enjoying, it keeps my foundation on for longer and does smooth my skin a little too, read the blog post I did about it here.

Conceal #1

This is the first step to creating flawless foundation. I use this step to cover the redness of my scarring. I am currently using bareMinerals Correcting Concealer SPF 20 which is a creamy concealer with medium to high coverage that work reasonably well at taking the redness out away the redness. If your looking for a very high coverage concealer then I recommend the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. However the reason I like this concealer is that it has added skin care benefits as it contains lemon peel extract, a botanical brightener that work to visibly brighten skin and reduce the appearance of dark spots and discolourations over time. Whether this actually is true or not I am yet to find out as I have not been using this concealer that long however I like the idea that my concealer can help reduce my acne scars. 

Foundation

This step creates an even base for our make up, blending the concealer we have already applied and adding more coverage. I am currently using bareMinerals Original Foundation SPF 15 as it works really well at evening out my skin tone and creating a natural, yet pretty high coverage base, check out my blog post where I talk about it in more detail here. Use a foundation that you like and that you can build into a good coverage.

Powder

This is a pretty important step as using powder sets your foundation keeping it in place for much longer. You can use a translucent powder such as Rimmel's Stay Matte which is great for setting your foundation and taking away any shine if you have oily skin. Or you can use this step to add further coverage such as Revlon's Photo Ready Pressed Powder which is one of my favourite powders to use as it helps create an 'airbrush' finish. 

Conceal #2

Your face should be looking pretty flawless right now but somehow theres always a few scars that manage to shine there way through the make up. So this step is to deal with them annoying little blitters! I again use my bareMinerals Original Foundation with a flat concealer brush to tap the product over the scars. With this step you need to use a concealer that will blend easily otherwise it can look cakey. Using your foundation with a concealer brush is a good way to get the extra coverage yet it will blend easily into your foundation (as its the same product!) You can then apply a little extra powder to set the concealer however I often don't.

What are some of your favourite concealers?

♥

You Are What You Eat? | The Acne Diaries

Whilst suffering with acne and having no luck with any acne-fighting products, I decided to do some research into the route cause of acne and ways to fight it starting from the inside out. Whilst there have been no actually proven studies that there is a link between what you eat and acne I can't help but thinking that it is - if all you eat is greasy fatty food then surely that's going to reflect in your skin?

Eating healthy has many benefits to your body and this reflects in your skin. I have made a few alterations to my diet and have seen great results!

Firstly cutting out dairy. This wasn't difficult for me as I don't eat a lot of dairy except for milk in tea and on cereal and yoghurt but after reading about the effects dairy can have on your body and your skin it made sense to cut dairy out of my diet. In a nutshell milk and dairy products contain growth hormones and inflammatory substances that can clog your pores and cause acne. There are some great dairy alternatives to milk out there, I now use Alpro Unsweetened Almond Milk which as well as containing no dairy has lots of healthy plant based ingredients and in my opinion tastes better too! 

Cutting down on sugar and salt - the reasons for this is obvious and although we all hate to hear it, does make a difference. Although having a sugary treat every often won't do to much damage!

Eating more fruits and vegetables - again the reasons for this is obvious but trying to eat the recommended 5 day is important to getting vital vitamins and minerals that will benefit your health and show in your skin. Smoothies are a great way at getting lots of fruit portions all at once however its best to make your own as some supermarket bought smoothies have added sugar in.

Taking fish oil supplements also help reduce acne. I have been taking them for a few months now and have seen the benefits. This is because it increases your omega-3 in take which, again in a nut shell, reduces inflammation, helps balance hormone production and and slows down skin cell over production keeping your pores clear! 
One of my new years resolutions this year has been to drink more water and since doing this I have noticed a big difference! During our busy lives we often forget to keep ourselves hydrated and its not till you make a concious effort to drink more water that you realise what a difference it makes.My breakouts have reduced and my acne scars seem to be slowly fading. I also love drinking green tea as it's got other health benefits too.
These are just a few dietary changes that I have made and have seen great results in my skin. This is just a brief explanation of foods that can effect your acne for more information check out Clear Skin Forever's blog. This is were I read up on how to get rid of my acne by getting to the route of the cause. Obviously eating healthy has a heap load of other benefits and once you start its kind of addictive, there's loads of tasty healthy options out there!

Hope this helps!

♥

Don't skip the moisturiser | The Acne Diaries

It's often a misconception among those with oily skin that using a moisturiser will only make things worse. I'd be lying to you of I said I didn't once believe this myself. 

I have very oily skin that is massively prone to acne breakouts (I'm suffering from a serve one right now) and thought that adding more moisture/oil to my skin would only make things worse. WRONG! 

In a desperate attempt to get rid of my breakouts I was using every spot/acne treatment I could find instead of a moisturiser and my skin was suffering because of it. Rather than drying my spots out like I thought they would it made them a lot were. They were red raw and scabbing over which made them almost impossible to cover with makeup. I also have very sensitive skin around my eyes and nose and not using a moisturiser was causing these areas to suffer.

So after the realisation that not using a moisturiser was worsening my skin I started using one again and instantly saw a difference. 

It is however important to use a moisturiser tailored to your skin type. Having oily skin I use a moisturiser that is oil free. I am currently using Simple's oil balancing moisturiser and so far so good. It doesn't cause my skin to break out and manages to keep my oiliness at bay too. Sometimes when my skin is really bad I mix my moisturiser with a spot treatment. I am really liking The Body Shop's Tea Tree skin clearing lotion which by itself used to dry out my skin but mixing it with my moisturiser has stopped this problem. 

A few of my favourite moisturisers are The Body Shop's Aloe Vera Soothing Day Cream and Ren's T Zone Balancing Gel Cream.

Which moisturisers are your favourite? 

                                     ♥ 

The Acne Diaries

Up to the age of 14 I would say I had fairly normal skin, I rarely got any blemish of any kind and didn't use any products on my skin. However at 14 I started experimenting with different products including harsh chemical face washes and cheap make up (hello orange eyebrows!). I was very uneducated about anything skin related and didn't realise the consequences this would have on my skin in years to come. 

At 16 I was put on prescription medication for my skin that included various different creams and a pill neither of which I felt helped so decided to come of the medication and tackle the problem myself - boy I did not know what I was getting myself into! 

I am now 19 and suffering from the worst acne I have ever experienced which consists of big under the skin blemishes that cover my cheeks, for head and chin. Why I am experiencing these breakouts now I do not know - hormones? un-balanced diet? using the wrong products? I no longer care I just want to be rid of it!!

So after doing hours and hours of research I am making significant changes to my lifestyle in order to get rid of my acne. I have to decided to create this series called The Acne Diaries to share with you any tips or tricks that work and help me achieve clear, healthy skin! It's important to remember that I am not in any way a skin expert, these are just some tips and tricks that have helped me.

Hope this series is helpful. I would love to hear of any tips you guys have on getting clear skin. Stay tuned for the first post coming soon.

♥

Dealing with | Acne

Until you've actually suffered with acne you don't know how much it can drain your confidence! I've suffered with mild acne since I was about 14 and it gradually worsened till about 16-17 until I was put on antibiotics by the doctors which included a daily tablet and face lotion. I hated using it, it stunk of chemicals and really dried out my skin so I eventually made the decision to come off antibiotics and deal with it myself (causing my skin to get worse but now better*sighs with relief*) there are many things I tried after researching for hours and here are some tips that I've tried myself that help....

Hygiene is so important to your skin (I'm not saying any off you are dirty) I'm talking about the build up of bacteria and oil which are the two main causes of breakouts. Anything that comes into contact regularly with your face should be washed as often as possible! For example your pillow, phone screen (especially touch screen phones!), glasses, makeup brushes, even your own hands and hair! I wash my phone screen and glasses with an antibacterial wipe as often as I remember. Makeup brushes are the worst for building up oil and bacteria, I wash mine once a week with soap and water and leave to dry over night (you won't believe the dirt that comes off them the first time you wash them!) 

Diet is something that everyone blabs on about being the most important factor that cause breakouts and of course it's important to drink plenty of water and eat as much fresh fruit etc. as possible but it's not as important as the build up off bacteria on your skin. I struggle to stick to healthy diet and love me some chocolate, mcdonalds etc etc and eaten excessively does cause my skin to break out however eaten in moderation is fine. I like to try and drink a smoothie every day as I find this helps me get the vitamins I need. 

Skin routine is something that has taken me years to perfect. I've used every product you can imagine that claims to give clear skin. Unfortunately it's about being patient and finding products that work for you. Try avoiding products with alcohol and other harsh chemicals as these irritate your skin maybe clearing up your acne but worsening the condition of your skin. Using a cleanser with a gentle exfoliant works best as it gets rid of dead skin clearing blocked pores as well as removing makeup and oil. I am currently using proactiv (inspired by the gorgeous Kaley Cuoco) a product a little pricey but when it was reduced to £19.99 in the January sales I couldn't resist! It consists of a three step routine..cleanser, toner, repairing day/night lotion I've been using it for about two weeks and it's going really well..skin feels a lot softer and looks clearer, still getting a few spots but they only last for a day. It contains salicylic acid - which is very good for acne however can dry up the skin so be careful using it! If proactiv is not for you hunt around for other products on the high street that are similar but cheaper Simple have some nice cleansers that don't aggravate your skin. Another tip when using cleansers is to really massage them in (not roughly, especially if they have exfoliant beads) for at least 1-2 minutes and throughly remove with warm water, I truly believe that properly cleansing the skin really makes a difference. 

Makeup is a necessity for us with acne however creates a vicious circle as it can also make it worse. Try wearing make up only when your going out and stay bare faced around the house. BB creams are a good alternative to foundations as they are lighter and help your skin rather then clog it, however coverage usually isn't good so these are good to use once your skin has begun to clear up to help maintain it's clearness, I really like Maybelline's BB cream. As for foundations try to use one that isn't thick and pore clogging Seventeen (available at boots) do a really lovely foundation called On the Spot foundation that contains salicylic acid and claims to give you 'clearer skin in 4 weeks'. I can't say that it has cleared up my skin but the acne fighting agents that it contains means it hasn't caused me to break out and the coverage is really good too - it's a great foundation! However the most important thing with make up is too remove it all at the end off the day and NEVER sleep in it. 

Stressing about your acne really isn't worth it, although I know this is easier said than done because I used to get really upset and embarrassed by mine until one day I realised that when I was talking to someone I would never notice the spots or imperfections on their face but rather what they were saying. This isn't really a tip just something to give you peace of mind - remember that you are your worst critic and always pick out the worst in yourself, others tend not too and don't not notice acne as long as your confident and smiling all they will see is you! 

If you've made it to the end of this very long post then thank you for reading and I really hope some of these tips are useful to you however do remember these are tips based on my own experience and what works for me may not work for you but you can just adjust them and apply them to meet your own needs! Good luck! 

lots of love 

Daisy 

  x