Acne can be one of the most distressing things to happen to you. It not only installs fear in you but affects your physical and emotional health. And the problem is that it is no longer a cause of concern for only teenagers, in fact a whopping 40 to 55 percent of today's adult population suffers from frequent breakouts and acne. And we can vouch for that, because more and more clients of ours have turned to us in need of not yet another hydrating facial or a gold mask, but of an acne programme and peel. As bad as acne is, we are here to tell you there is nothing to worry about, it is completely curable and maintained easily with the right type of diet, products and overall approach.

DIET

In order to maintain your skin clear on the outside, you need to focus on the inside first. It is true that it matters a lot what you consume, so we are here to give you some much needed information about what to avoid and what to consume more frequently. Our resident sinologist and CEO Anna shares her secrets on a daily basis and one of the main things she emphasises on is cutting milk. A relationship between dairy and skin inflammation has been prominently known for years. Researchers aren't yet certain why this might be, yet there are a few speculations. Milk spikes glucose, which can expand aggravation (prompting pimples). Additionally, it expands insulin levels, which energize the generation of skin oils. A great deal of dairy comes from pregnant animals, containing different hormones that can trigger the generation of oils, which in turn aggravate the skin. Alternatives such as almond milk and almond yogurt are perfect to satisfy your dairy cravings – make the switch and notice a difference! Another thing to look out for are sugars - this doesn't imply that eating a piece of chocolate will trigger your . It boils down to how much sugar you're eating in general, since blood sugar spikes are the main thing to blame for breakouts. Cutting down those foods would be sufficient enough to help restore your gut balance, however eating more veggies, fish and probiotic rich foods will increase the results and keep you fresh and glowing!

STRESS

We are sure that your fast-paced life is taking its toll on you, because it does that to us as well. Clients that suffer from acne are likely to come and tell us that they have been nervous, anxious and stressed lately, more than normally. The reason is cortisol – a hormone that is produced in times of stress and danger to shelter our body – think a hedgehog and how he spikes up when he sees a threat. When we are extremely stressed, our bodies produce adrenaline and cortisol, which are actually causes of breakouts. And one think that would surprise you is that adrenaline is not the best thing as well, it decreases blood flow and exacerbates any pre-existing conditions. So take a break once in a while, take some time for yourself, enjoy a massage or simply read a good book with a cup of camomile tea in bed. A cool tip we can give you is to try to find a hobby that would relax you – meditation, yoga and serenity classes are found all over the world and are gaining more and more popularity.

INSOMNIA

When we sleep, we recharge ourselves. So when we do not do it properly and long enough, our bodies go into shock and do the opposite. Insomnia and sleep deprivation slows down our metabolism and affects our immune system in more ways than you can imagine. It makes the skin more prone to build-up bacteria and inflammations become more apparent. Due to busy schedules and mom and dad duties, sleeping is hard to maintain at high levels. More often, young people suffer from insomnia due to stress-related issues or chronically, so not much can be done but just relax and let our body unwind. So put your phone away, dress in your favourite PJs and try to get at least 7 hours of sleep. Who knew “beauty sleep” wasn’t just an expression?