Getting Clear

Today’s Reflection

As an esthetician, there’s an unspoken expectation to have perfect skin. Early in my career, I tried to attain this impossible ideal of perfect skin by buying every cleanser and cosmetic, trying to tan away my breakouts, and even taking miracle acne pills. 

After countless attempts and disappointments, I realized that “perfect” skin only exists in airbrushed ads (or these days, Instagram filters) and my acne-clearing ways weren’t as effective as I had hoped. My journey to healthy skin has taken time and is definitely still a work in progress, but my skin has come a LONG way since my teenage, pimple popping, pore strip days. 

The real shift began when I changed my mindset – I didn’t need to rely on harsh products or hate the fact that I had acne. The more I learned about the skin and leaned into the reality that it’s a reflection of our inner world, I began to view my breakouts as signals from my body revealing imbalances and an invitation to do some investigating – and inner healing.

I decided it was time to try something different. Natural, non-toxic products made a huge difference in the health and clarity of my skin (shoutout to Primally Pure). And I believe it had just as much to do with my diet and lifestyle shifts. Nearly 9 years ago, I gave up gluten, refined sugar and alcohol – cold turkey. 

Knowing all about the negative effects that gluten and sugar had on my skin, they had to go. Gluten affects digestion, and gut health is directly linked to skin health. Sugar causes inflammation, and alcohol is both a source of sugar and gluten. The decision wasn’t easy, but the results made it worth it – and made it a way of life for me.

Once plagued with problematic breakouts, my skin is now consistently more smooth and clear, my body feels stronger, my mind sharper, and my spirit more connected to myself, to others and to the world around me. And even more important than just acne-free skin, I’ve become more confident in my own skin – who I am, inside and out. 

And if a pimple appears again (which it does, and it will) I have a new mindset about beauty and know my identity doesn’t come from the state of my skin. Which is the sweetest gift I’ve been given throughout my clear skin journey.

Today’s Ritual

For me, clear skin started with a mindset shift. What mindset shift do you need to make towards your wrinkles, rashes, breakouts, fill-in-the-blank? How can you begin to view skin conditions differently and accept your skin’s invitation to discover deeper healing? Start here, with today’s breath prayers:

Inhale: My skin state doesn’t define me.
Exhale: My skin is communicating through this condition.
Inhale: It’s inviting me to deeper healing.
Exhale: It’s guiding me to glow from within.

May today’s reflection (and my personal story) encourage you to make the hard, yet worthwhile, decision to create a more clear, connected complexion – and way of life.

Courtney xx