Clear Skin Guide - How You Can Achieve Clear Skin
Hi, I'm Cami, founder of Averr Aglow. I battled with breakouts for over 16 years...
Here are some tips I have found that will change your skin and I’ve put together some of my best insights on how to achieve a flawless complexion.
There are a lot of opinions on what causes or effects breakouts and here is my top list of essentials to pay attention to without the fluff you’ve probably weeded through before.
If you have oily or combo skin but minimal breakouts or none, the following can also relate to you but without the issue of the breakout.
WHAT IS A BREAKOUT?
When the following three factors are present, they create a breakout or a clogged pore.
1. Oil produced by your body (called Sebum)
2. Bad Bacteria
3. Dead Skin
PLEASE NOTE: ALL BREAKOUTS ARE HORMONAL. Simply put, when certain hormones in the body increase they turn on oil (sebum) production. When this oil increases, that harmful acne causing bacteria loves it and multiplies causing you to break out more. This is what the term hormonal breakouts means.
WHAT CAUSES BREAKOUTS?
Genetics
Genetics determines how likely you are to have issues with breakouts. This is basically what genetics plays a role in:
1. How well your skin handles this bad bacteria (think those that never breakout)
2. How fast your skin sheds (remember dead skin clogs pores)
3. How sensitive you are to changes in hormones in your body.
However, this does not mean that genetics is the only factor to consider. Genetics should only be looked at as if you are inclined to breakout when certain conditions in the body occur.
Breakouts do not occur by themselves for no rhyme or reason just solely from genetics. They occur when genetics combines with hormonal conditions. The following discusses what these conditions are that create the ideal breakout environment in the body.
Also, please note, that just because other family members do or do not have issues with breakouts, does not mean that you will or will not have breakouts. Genetics + hormones = breakouts. Hormones will be specific to you and what is going on inside your body.
Does That Mean I Can't Control My Breakouts if My Hormones Are Not Balanced?
No, absolutely not. HERE IS A BIG KEY: Hormones fluctuate based on how we treat our bodies and the lifestyle we live. It is not elusive and it is something we can control. Below is precisely what alters our hormones and how you have complete control over the situation to make it worse or better.
DIET
Diet a plays a considerable role in your skin because it affects your hormone levels. When certain foods are eaten, those hormones increase and turn on your oil production. Guess what, that acne-causing bacteria that causes breakouts love this oil, and this is how this bacteria spreads further on your face. :(
So what foods do this?
1. SUGARS (anything that contains sugar. Some people are even affected by the sugar fruit contains)
2. DAIRY (even organic, although butter may not be an issue for some)
3. REFINED CARBOHYDRATES (think bread, pasta, rice, cake, cereal, cookies, bagels, etc.)
4. FAST FOOD
5. THE FOOD YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO - THIS CAN EVEN BE FOODS CONSIDERED HEALTHY LIKE VEGGIES, FISH, FRUIT, NUTS, ETC (For those that have severe, patch-like red inflamed all over the face acne, something you should look into is getting a food panel test done. You will thank me later! If you’re allergic, then ditch them all together and you will see this inflammation clear up.)
STRESS
When the body is under stress, it releases certain hormones which again causes oil production in the skin to increase, resulting in breakouts. It is not uncommon for breakouts on the forehead to be related to stress.
Unfortunately, in today’s environment, stress hormones are triggered all too frequently.
If stress is present, the best way to deal with it is taking downtime. This is not fluff and super important. When you take downtime, it sends a signal to your brain that stress hormone isn’t needed and gives your body the rest it needs from producing these stress hormones.
Examples of things that can be done to turn off stress hormone production:
- Massage
- Yoga
- Hot shower, hot bath, or hot tub
- Reading a book
- Taking a walk
- Any other activity you find relaxing
- Breathing Exercises
- Listening to music
Does Where You Breakout Matter?
Here is a quick guide that helps you pinpoint what issue you may be dealing with.
So, if certain foods and stress affect hormone levels, is there anything that will help balance these hormones out?
There are a few supplements that may help based on what type of breakouts you are dealing with. This list is not all-inclusive, but these particular supplements have helped me and my customers see great results. Test your body accordingly and to your needs.
Dealing with straight hormonal Breakouts (think forehead, jawline, t -zone):
Zinc Picolinate
Saw Palmetto (we use this extract in our Clarifying Hydration Dew. It helps to balance hormones)
B Complex Vitamins
Vitex
Dim
Green Tea Extract
Flaxseed Oil
Dealing with Stress related Breakouts (think forehead, jawline):
B Complex Vitamins
Magnesium
Zinc Picolinate
Adrenal Support Complex (herbs specific to adrenal support, adrenals regulate stress hormone)
Vitamin C
Dealing with Digestion Issues (think high cheek area or small blackheads around the mouth):
Probiotics
Fermented Foods (sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles)
Digestive Enzymes (Betaine Hydrochloride, Hydrochloric Acid, HCL Pepsin, etc.)
Apple Cider Vinegar
So, if you are predetermined by genetics how likely you are to breakout combined with hormonal imbalance then is skincare necessary to seeing clear skin?
The answer is a big YES and not because this is a skincare website. ;) Skin is your largest organ, and like other organs in the body, it can absorb nutrients like vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, etc.
There are three components to breakouts mentioned above.
1. Dead skin
2. Harmful bacteria,
3. Oil (sebum)
These 3 are produced in your pores. When they mix they create a clogged pore.
A good skincare routine will help exfoliate that dead skin, help eliminate the harmful bacteria, and balance that oil production.
On the flip side, the wrong routine will oppositely hinder breakouts causing irritated skin, inflammation, and MORE BREAKOUTS.
KEYS TO A GOOD SKINCARE ROUTINE
It is essential to make sure you are not using a cleanser that is overly drying to the skin. One of the biggest myths associated with breakouts is that you need to strip that oil off. This isn’t looking at the big picture. When those pores overproduce your oil and you strip it off with harsh cleansers, this only solves the problem temporarily. In fact, the skin regulates itself, and if it feels dry, it will overproduce oil, leading to even more oil being produced than before. When this happens, that harmful bacteria will be a happy camper and set out to create even more bad bacteria on your face.
However, your oil produced in your pores is super pore clogging, so don’t you want to remove it? The answer is yes, but you want to make sure that if you are removing it off the face, you’re supplying something back to "trick" your skin into stopping producing this oil. This is where plant-based oils come in. Your bad bacteria does not spread in plant-based oils. These oils also do not contribute to clogged pores and in fact, help reduce harmful bacteria and also balance your oiliness.
Another factor to make sure your paying attention to is exfoliating dead skin. Now, most cases exfoliants come from either chemicals or ingredients like beads and scrubs. In most cases, if you are battling breakouts and are trying to get your skin under control, these methods are way too harsh with open breakouts. The other problem with them is that you would need to use them daily to keep shedding under control and this is just too harsh for the skin. These methods are useful for a couple of times a month or once a week, but dead skin sheds so rapidly for problematic skin, that daily exfoliation is super necessary.
So how do you exfoliate that often without damaging or irritating skin?
HOW TO CLEANSE SKIN IN OUR SKINCARE ROUTINE
This is where our Cleansing System comes in. Our #1 Clarifying Hydration Dew & our #2 Radiant Cleansing Nectar is how you cleanse your face in our Clear Skin Kits.
These two products work together to cleanse and exfoliate skin gently. These two are used together and create a unique process that doesn’t even require a sink!
How it works is that you spray your face with the #1 Clarifying Hydration Dew. It is a rosewater spray rich in minerals that preps skin for cleansing. It balances oil and contains saw palmetto to help balance hormones. It is also soothing and calming to the inflamed skin. This is an integral step in the cleansing process because wet skin absorbs more nutrients than dry skin and gives you faster results. Also, tap water is highly aging to the skin and full of chemicals. So, we want the surface to be thoroughly wet before the next step.
Next, our #2 Radiant Cleansing Nectar is shaken and held upside down onto a cotton pad. You keep this in place until it soaks through to the bottom of the pad.
With skin wet from the #1 Clarifying Hydration Dew, you then buff the skin with the top side of the cotton pad. This is where the gentle exfoliation technique comes in. The cleanser combined with the cotton pad gently buffs dead skin, harmful bacteria, and that excess oil while depositing plant-based extracts and oils to trick the skin into stopping producing that sebum that bacteria likes to spread in. So, not only is it balancing skin oil, it is eliminating harmful bacteria and dead skin. It’s a super gentle method that is effective to give you that added punch of twice a day exfoliation.
This cleansing process is done in both the morning and evening. A bonus is the ingredients are super rich in nutrients that also boost collagen production, eliminate scars, marks, and help with aging.
Flawless Nourishment Cream
After cleansing and toning, the final step in the morning routine is the #4 Flawless Nourishment Cream. Just a half a pea size of this is needed. This cream is rich in Rosehip, Camellia, and Pumpkin Seed oil that provides the moisture skin needs to stay balanced while also depositing super rich ingredients to help reduce scars, redness and inflammation, marks, and overall skin tone and texture.
This is a must-have in the routine too if you’re looking to balance breakouts while improving the look of the skin, its feel, and texture. These ingredients were combined for their ability to boost the immune system, these ingredients help reduce that bad bacteria while also stimulating collagen growth.
After cleansing in the evening, the next step is the Clear Skin Elixir. This is an overnight face mask. Despite being a face mask, do not visualize a dry, cracking clay mask you may have tried. It is a blend of 19 plant extracts, oils, and mineral based ingredients that create a smooth, non-drying coating over the skin.
This mask is effective at pulling inflammation to the surface of the skin, so it is up and out. Because of its unique formulation, it heals current breakouts and prevents new ones from popping up. It also balances that oil produced in your pores, exfoliates skin, and eliminates harmful bacteria. We recommend wearing this every night for the first month or two. There is a point that it will not be necessary every night because skin will become balanced and breakouts will be stabilized. We then like to introduce our Perfectionist Serum interchangeably on nights this is not used. The Perfectionist Serum can also be layered under the mask as well for extra nutrition.
I had super oily skin, and wearing this nightly for about three months wholly corrected my issue of oily/combo skin. I no longer breakout from the cysts I used to have on my jawline. Another thing this product is super great for is those pesky, little, white, hard bumps you can never seem to get rid of. I had been plagued with those bumps in addition to massive breakouts all my life. This mask eliminated them which is enormous because nothing ever came close to helping them.
Take a look at the video clip here to get a feel for how the mask is applied and what it looks like.
By now you have seen a common thread between our products in that they help with:
- Bad Bacteria that causes breakouts
- Exfoliation of dead skin
- Balancing your naturally produced oil
- Rich in nutrients (vitamins, minerals, omegas, essential fatty acids)
So, is it vital to use all of the products in our skincare routine? If you have been battling breakouts, then you know they stubborn. Each product in our Clear Skin Kit is a delicate balance of over 50 different plant and mineral based ingredients that work together to help heal and restore skin. They work together to create the right environment of taking care of those above four components.
Skincare is super important when dealing with breakouts because no matter how much clean eating and supplements you take, they still do not address exfoliating the skin, helping balance that oil as well as topical methods, and helping eliminate that bad bacteria that lurks in your pores.
Another reason skincare is part of your breakout puzzle is that nutrients can be absorbed topically whereas, with clean eating or supplements, other organs may take up the nutrition before the skin ever has a chance to see these nutrients. In most cases, acne prone skin is void of nutrition and is another reason to supplement with good quality skincare. Remember, since the skin absorbs what you put onto it, using poor quality or chemical laden skincare is like eating an oreo cookie and expecting to be healthy and lose weight from that dietary choice.
You probably noticed that I didn’t talk about other things like wiping your cell phone, changing your pillowcase, or not wearing makeup. These factors are just not as important as the above items mentioned. These factors that comprise top ten lists for clear skin are not whats going to cut it to see clear skin.
I PROMISE if you focus on the following recap of the items I mentioned, you will see a change in your skin:
- Limiting the trigger foods, I said above (Think 80% Clean Diet, 20% Free)
- Adding in the supplements based on your breakouts
- Using the right skincare that will help balance those 4 significant components
- Taking that "you time."
We have made it easy for you with the skincare. You can rest assured that if you are using our Clear Skin Kits, it is going work on balancing your skin so you can see the clear skin of your dreams.
If there is anything I didn’t mention and you still have questions on, shoot me an email at cami@averraglow.com, and I will be more than happy to answer your question!
As someone who had this issue for over 16 years, there is not a whole lot that I cannot, and I am happy to help you see the clear skin you have been on the hunt for! :)
These pictures were taken about 45 days apart from each other. I had turned 28 and was dealing with cystic acne on my jawline, oily/combo skin, tiny bumps, and breakouts on my forehead. If you want to hear more about my story check out the about page.
Clear Skin Kit
Our signature routine. See skin transform and improve in tone, texture, and feel. Reduces breakouts and prevents new ones from forming. Includes the #1 & #2 cleansing system, our #3 Clear Skin Elixir overnight face mask, and our #4 Flawless Nourishment Cream.
What people are saying about us...
I’m 32 years old and I never had to deal with breakouts like this until I reached 30. My face wouldn’t respond to any of the (safe) treatments that my dermatologist could recommend. I finally found Averr Aglow and after 3 months of using the products my face is on the mend!! I just purchased the new toner and I love how it makes my face feel. Thank you so much for offering CLEAN products! I finally feel good about my skin again!!
Kristin
You guys saved my skin! ❤️ I was dealing with acne and oily skin from a medication transition and literally trying everything to balance it out. I did so much research and tried chemical products that stripped and dried out my skin causing more breakouts. My skin is now combo and not perfect but it has never felt or looked healthier! I was planning on writing my full review of the products this week❤️
Allie
I absolutely love. Love. Love this kit. I recently broke out in hives for the first time in my life and needed something to restore my skin from it's dry state. I was so scared but anxious to try this kit. I do admit there are steps to follow which lengthens my routine but it's so worth it. My skin is smooth and soft. The products keep my skin hydrated literally all day. My skin tone is evening out again which I am so happy about and my skin texture is restoring from the horrible breakout. Worth every cent. No need for makeup I have my own glow now!
Joey
I have had BAD acne since I was 16, I am now 25. I have bumps, black heads and underground cyst pimples that cover my cheeks and chin. With black heads all over my nose. Image the worst kind of acne possible I have been told by every dermatologist that I need accutane. I've tried EVERYTHING, bought everything and eventually gave up and accepted I will never be that girl with good skin. When I found Averr Aglow online I had just purchases a mask that had pink sand in it that was kind of helping. When I read about how natural and plant based they were I said F*ck it I haven't tried that yet. My boyfriend told me THE NEXT day my face looked brighter and my pimples looked more muted. AFTER ONE USE. Im now on week three and if I could attach a photo I would, but the left side of my face is 100% bump and pimple free! The right side has always been worse and deeper rooted but it's almost clear! This product literally pulls all of the gunk out of your face whether it has been there for years or it's just random pimples. My skin has never been this smooth and pimple free IN MY LIFE. I literally don't use anything but Averr Aglow now and I won't use any other product again. This product changed my life. I never thought I would leave the house without full coverage foundation. Buy the whole kit it is worth it!
India