I’m going to keep this as to-the-point as possible because I want you to get the gist of how to clear your acne. It doesn’t have to be complicated, even though the “behind the scenes” of what I’m going to say to you can get complicated, I’m going to do my best to give you the best, most concise, most realistic outline for you to clear your acne.

Skin barrier repair is of critical importance if you struggle with dry skin, oily skin, sensitive skin, acne-prone skin and aging skin. The best skin barrier repair products will be those that mind the cellular components of the skin barrier and help support biochemical process that happen right within the cell. And the best skin barrier repair products don’t just come in a cream or serum - your cleanser, toner and/or essence ingredients matter too. Read on to learn what the best skin barrier repair products are and why you need them in your skincare regimen.

If our skin microbiome is out of balance (something we call “dysbiotic” or having “dysbiosis”), it can set the stage for increased skin cell sloughing, a compromised skin barrier, a less ideal skin pH and virulent bacterial overgrowth. All of this leads to inflammation in the skin, papules, pustules…acne. So how can we repair and protect our skin microbiome?

With the K-beauty phenomenon a couple years ago, oil cleansing became a thing again. Of course, there are many cultures around the world and throughout history who have used oil as a cleansing method. And for good reason - there are a list of benefit to your skin with oil cleansing! But that doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone.

Ah oils…for many years we’ve been led to believe that especially if we have acne-prone skin, we should be avoiding oils on our skin at all cost. It’s now 2021 and this is so not the case anymore.

One of my greatest concerns with being hyper vigilant in trying to find a specific diagnosis for acne is that all of these diagnoses fail to meaningfully describe who the client is what exactly they are suffering from. Trying to identify with a diagnosis of “fungal acne” or “hormonal acne” is still missing the entire point of the diagnosis of “acne vulgaris”. Even the actual diagnosis itself fails to fully embody the impacts such a condition has on a client.

A frequent question I come across is various themes of the question, “how do I eat to clear my acne?”

While nutrition is one of the four foundational pillars I like to see clients pay attention to, in order to clear their skin, it isn’t the be-all, end-all. It’s simply ONE piece of the puzzle.

It’s easy to think that your acne is related to your hormones, and of course hormones can play a role in acne breakouts. But I believe that many people corner themselves with this “diagnosis”, thinking it’s only about their hormones and nothing else…leaving MANY pieces of the acne puzzle left unattended.

Light therapy has been gaining in popularity over recent years, as a tool for healing acne as well as touting other skin benefits like anti-aging. Here’s my honest, research-based opinion.

This has been a super common issue that has risen up in the past few months with clients. So what’s the science behind this condition and how can we fix it?

Getting enough fibre in your diet can be a game changer for great skin.

Testing is a great opportunity to get an in-depth look into what is going on in your body so we can identify and address root areas of dysfunction to understand why you are having skin concerns to begin with.

Testosterone can be related on some level to the severity of acne breakouts, but there are also a lot of other things going on in your body that can contribute to your breakouts.

Curcumin, like many herbal derivatives, can be helpful for acne. Here’s why curcumin can be so great but why I don’t always use it in a treatment plan for acne.

Let’s set the obsession with topicals for acne aside and talk about all the other overlooked things that can cause acne that need to be addressed…

While birth control can help acne, it can also mask the root cause of your breakouts (which will flare right back up again once you no longer have the band-aid hiding the real problem).