I never had cystic acne, but I’ve always had breakouts. As an athlete, always touching a gym floor, then my face, or a volleyball, then my face, or wearing a sports bra for years on end, or not showering right after practice and making a 2 hour drive home from LA… My skincare decision making for 20 years was pretty questionable.

Other things that have affected my skin that are really common issues for many people:

• Birth control

• Hormones

• Stress

• Sugar

• Dairy

• Gluten

These states of being, pills and food groups are all highly inflammatory. So although birth control is the answer for many doctors for acne, it’s throwing off your hormones, causing leaky gut and only suppressing what will likely be a horrific acne situation the minute you stop taking that pill.

Dairy makes me break out a ton along my jawline, which is very common for people with dairy issues. That’s also a place that’s common for hormone issues. So if yours are out of whack, you’ll likely see that acne pop up down there.

Okay, now that I’ve officially depressed you… I wanted to share my skincare secrets with you. I get asked all the time how I look so “glowy and don’t have wrinkles.” K, well, let’s clear this up. I have pimples AND wrinkles. I just do a really good job of managing the inflammation and working with my gurus to help minimize the issues.

First of all, this all starts internally. But getting gluten, dairy and sugar out of the picture are basically non-negotiables for me. My gut hates them, therefore my skin (the largest organ) will reflect that.

Now to the goods… The topical, non-toxic magic that keeps me clear, tight and “glowy” without fillers or injections because I’m doing all I can to avoid those forever. (Never say never, but as of right now, not for my bod!)

Immediately after working out, I wash my face with Arcona or True Botanicals. It’s important to get that dirt off your face before it has time to seal in your closed pores. Doing this made a huge difference in the amount of breakouts.

I get facials every 3.5 weeks with Abbie at Goodformskin in West Hollywood. I notice if I wait that extra few days, my skin tends to get a little more clogged so I keep it between 21-24 days. I know that sounds like overkill, but it’s still just once a month. We do extractions, tea tree masks, oxygen, high frequency, cold dermal rollers and whichever light peel is suited for my skin at the time. And then every few, we will do microdermabrasion, which I love! Gets off all the dead skin and primes you for all the clean products.

I started seeing Ivan Pol who created “The Beauty Sandwich.” He uses a couple different tools to plump and firm your skin without Botox. I thought it was crazy until I did it and saw immediate results.

I unfortunately got Melasma from an LED light mask and went on the hunt for a fix. I found Ross at Next Health in West Hollywood. He does a microneedling + PRP treatment that has worked absolute wonders. The melasma is reversing, and starts the day after treatment. I did 3 treatments and will continue to go back as needed every few months or so. It tightened my skin, improved the texture and is making the melasma and sun damage disappear. YES!!!

I have an at-home mask from Buca Botanicals that I love! It is this great clay mask that removes all the impurities and makes my skin so soft. Put that on while you take a luxurious bath! Perfection.

I use Suntegrity’s sunscreen daily. I love the tinted one because it gives a light coverage and it’s not oily or cake-y. It’s super smooth and beautiful and lasts forever.

I hope that doesn’t feel overwhelming to you. At the end of the day, I recommend hydration, sleep and a clean diet to make the most impact. If you want to do the treatments and try the things, then go for it! But it’s not going to do as much for you as the daily, consistent commitment to clean food and sound sleep.

Enjoy your masking!

 

Discount Codes:

• True Botanicals: KELLITRUE20 to get $20 off a first purchase of $40 or more!

• Buca Botanicals: KELLIT for 10% off!

• Suntegrity: KELLI10 for 10% off!