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Simply Sarena

Simply Sarena

Home | Toxin Free | The Best Acne Treatment (which actually works to clear your skin FOR GOOD!)

The Best Acne Treatment (which actually works to clear your skin FOR GOOD!)

Beauty, Toxin Free

***I am a Certified Holistic Nutrition Health Coach however, this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be used as nutrition or medical advise. See my blog’s disclaimer for more information.

I did a post back when I first started my blog in 2017 (before I relaunched it this year) about how I cleared my severe cystic acne. I’m happy to say that my skin has continued to stay clear! Through lots of trial and error, many failed dermatologist appointments, and my own research, I cleared my skin and it’s been clear for 5 years now! (Almost exactly! I went gluten free in October 2015 and my skin’s been clear ever since.)

While a gluten sensitivity was my issue which caused excess inflammation in my body and showed up in my skin via cystic acne, gluten isn’t the issue for everyone. In this post, I’m going to address,

  • The problem with how dermatologists treat acne.
  • Foods that could be causing your acne.
  • What you can do to get clear skin for good!

So if you (or your child) is suffering, definitely keep reading!

(Even though I caked on the makeup when my skin was bad, you can still see how bumpy my skin was…and this is with the not great 2010 quality camera’s…)

acne, bad ance, how to clear acne, gluten free life, gluten free, cystic acne, get clear skin

My Acne Story: (brief version)

I started getting acne when I was about 12 years old. Everyone attributed it to “normal teenage acne” and just brushed it off. The older I got, the worse my skin got. I not only had acne on my face, but it was down my neck, chest, shoulders, back, stomach, and I’d even get spots on my upper thighs. I’m sorry but common sense says that my acne was not caused by makeup clogging my pores or using the wrong skincare products on my face since it was literally ALL OVER MY BODY!

When I started seeing the dermatologist, he swore up and down that diet had nothing to do with my acne. (*If you have a dermatologist who says the same thing, run! Find a new one, or even better, start working with a holistic health/nutrition coach!) Even my primary care doctor was convinced that diet had nothing to do with my acne too.

Here’s My Big Issue With Doctors and Dermatologists:

My dermatologist started me with antibiotics (ampicillin) twice a day as well as a prescription cleanser and a cream called Duac Gel. When I went to see him 3 months later, my skin was still pretty bad, so he prescribed me a peeling solution that he had the pharmacy mix up for him. This peeling solution had large amounts of salicylic acid and alcohol in it. My skin was beyond dry, red, flaky, itchy, super irritated, and I STILL HAD CYSTIC ACNE. At that point, he took me off the Duac Gel and switched me to a different antibiotic (tetracycline).

In the meantime, I had an appointment with my primary care doctor. She noticed how bad my skin was and says, “I’m going to prescribe you this cream. It’s great, it’ll clear that acne right up!” I asked her what cream it was because I already go to the dermatologist and he has me on treatments already. She said the cream is called DUAC GEL. I told her my dermatologist already had me on that cream, it didn’t work, so he took me off it. She tells me, “No, it works. Let me write you the prescription and you can try it.” I told her, “No, don’t write me the prescription. I’ve already tried that cream and it DID NOT WORK.” This is when I really got mad… she tells me, “Well let me just write you the prescription, go fill it, but you don’t have to use it.” Let’s just say I did not go back to that nutcase who didn’t even try to hide the fact that she’s getting a kickback from the drug companies.

Anywaysss…I tried the new antibiotic (tetracycline) from my dermatologist and had a horrible reaction to it, so I stopped taking it after the first day. I remember going to my mom in tears just questioning what to do because nothing was working. So I went back to the dermatologist, where he prescribed me a topical antibiotic instead (clindamycin), as well as retin-A and cortisone. Again, none of it worked and my skin got even worse! (Keep in mind that diet was never mentioned and he swore up and down that diet had nothing to do with it.) At this point, he told me that if I didn’t want to do Accutane, then he had nothing else for me.

The big problem with doctors and dermatologists is that they treat acne like it’s the problem instead of treating it as the symptom of a problem (which is what it is.) They try to hide the symptom instead of looking for what’s causing the symptom and they don’t even acknowledge that there could be a bigger problem. This is especially the case with cystic acne as cystic acne starts on the deepest layer of your skin…you feel it coming before you ever see it.

Try this with me…

Use some common sense and critical thinking skills and answer this. How would something that’s irritating the top layer of your skin appear at the deepest layer of your skin first and not even show up at the top layer of your skin for days? The answer is, it doesn’t. Cystic acne is an internal issue and it needs to be treated as such. No amount of creams, face washes, or skincare routines will fix the problem. They may hide the symptoms of the problem temporarily, but you’re doing yourself a disservice by not looking for the root cause.

Root Causes of Acne:

Food Sensitivity:

Many cases of cystic acne can be attributed to a food sensitivity or intolerance. Did you know the most common, undiagnosed food sensitivities/intolerances are gluten, dairy, corn, soy, and eggs? For me, the culprit was gluten! Apparently I’m sensitive to it. I figured it out by doing an elimination diet. To start, I eliminated dairy. I was dairy free for months, but my skin was still bad. As soon as I went gluten free, within 2 weeks, I didn’t have a single new breakout and the breakouts I had were clearing up! When you’re doing an elimination diet (especially for acne), give it at least a month or even 2 in order to see if eliminating a certain food will make a difference.

A brief run-down on how to do an elimination diet is to eliminate all possible culprit’s at once (gluten, dairy, corn, soy, eggs) for a few weeks, then slowly add them back into your diet, one at a time. Give each food at least a week (or even more to give time for your skin to react) before adding back another food.

Poor Diet:

If you don’t believe your acne is caused by a food sensitivity, it could be caused by a poor diet in general. What I mean by that is too much sugar, preservatives, artificial flavorings and colors, additives, etc. If you’re not eating real food, but you’re eating food like substances instead, you’re not giving your body the nutrition it needs to function properly. Eating junk causes excess inflammation in the body. One place that inflammation appears is the skin in the form of cystic acne, eczema, rashes, and other skin issues.

Changing up your diet and eating real, whole foods can really help your skin look its best! (I did a post on how to eat real food, so if you’re struggling with eating a clean diet, check it out!)

***We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and other affiliated sites. Please see this blog’s Disclosure for more information.

Hormone Imbalance:

Another “root cause” of cystic acne is a hormonal imbalance. Too much testosterone in females can cause acne. But an imbalance in other hormones such as estrogen and even your thyroid can cause skin issues. I HIGHLY recommend reading THIS BOOK…it will teach you so much about your body and hormones which I believe is so important for every female to know!

Heal Your Gut:

Your gut is literally the center of everything going on in your body! If your gut isn’t healthy, you’re not healthy. 70% of your immune system is housed in your gut.  If your gut isn’t functioning properly, your body won’t be absorbing nutrients properly, and it can cause inflammation in your body which all effects your skin. (Having an unhealthy gut causes many more issues than just those 2, but this post is focused on acne.) If you need to heal your gut, you can also start with an elimination diet and see if you feel better after eliminating certain foods. You can take a probiotic and prebiotic and eat fermented foods to help restore the good gut bacteria. You can also take gut enzymes to help break down food and digest food easier. When I was having some gut issues and I started to heal my gut, I started taking Dr. Axe’s gut formula, fermented enzymes, and probiotics. Dr. Axe sells different combinations of gut healing products so take a look and see what may work for you!

I truly believe it is so important to find the root cause of not just acne, but any other health issue! Skin is just the surface and any reaction on your skin is most likely causing a reaction internally as well.

As important as finding the root cause of acne is, I also believe it’s so important to know what you’re putting on your skin for acne treatments as well. Unfortunately, companies can make claims that have no proof just for marketing purposes. They can claim to be non-comedogenic, but have ingredients in the product that are very clogging. It’s so important to read ingredient labels and know what you’re actually putting on your skin! I address skincare for acne in this post. There’s a lot of information on ingredients you should always avoid if you suffer from acne! (You’ll probably be surprised by a few of them.)

If you’re struggling from acne, you’re not alone. Please know there are better, more permanent treatment options than your typical drugs from the dermatologist (which do more harm than good.) There are so many different causes of acne, but getting to the root cause is the only “treatment” that will work in the long run. And beyond just clearing your acne, you’ll probably cure other issues you didn’t realize were related! Quick little story before I end this post…when I went gluten free for my acne, my chronic headaches went away as well, my “time of the month” issues improved, and my seasonal allergies improved TREMENDIOUSLY! (All of these issues are made worse by inflammation in the body…I got rid of a big source of inflammation which not only cured my acne, but was the most effective treatment for my other health issues!)

Just remember that FOOD IS THE BEST MEDICINE and it can easily be more effective than any prescription drug. If you’ve improved or cured your skin or other health issues through finding the root cause and making lifestyle changes, I’d love to hear your story, so please share in the comments below!

September 16, 2020 · Leave a Comment

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HI EVERYONE!

I’m Sarena


I’m a Northern Virginia based Integrative Nutrition Coach, a Toxin Free Lifestyle enthusiast, a dancer, and a dog mom to my sweet girl, Miss Cammie.

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simply.sarena

So many women suffer every month from debilitating So many women suffer every month from debilitating period cramps. The conventional way of treating them actually makes the problem worse!

❌Birth Control covers up the symptoms because you don’t get a real period. Meanwhile, whatever is causing the cramps in the first place is still going on in the body and probably getting worse! Birth Control does not treat cramps…it only hides the problem!

❌Ibuprofen may help in a pinch but it doesn’t treat what is actually causing the cramps in the first place. Also, ibuprofen is really bad for gut health (and poor gut health could also be a cause of cramps) so you could be making the problem worse!

❌A lot of women turn to junk food on their period however, junk food is inflammatory so if your cramps are caused by inflammation, you could be making the problem worse! If you’re craving chocolate, you probably need magnesium, so if you’re going to eat it, eat good quality DARK chocolate! 

The biggest favor you can do yourself is listen to your body and figure out what is causing the issues in the first place! The answer is different for everyone and there is no one size fits all solution!

Feel free to DM me if you need any support! 

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#womenshealth #periodcramps #periodcrampsrelief #nontoxicliving #lowtoxlife #lowtoxliving #hormonehealth #hormonehealthcoach #womenshormones #hormonal #hormonalimbalance #hormonalimbalances #nutritionforhormones #nutritioncoach #healthandnutrition #holistichealth #holistichealthtips #periodtips #periodproblems #periodpositive #periodpain
Sugar gets such a bad reputation, but not all suga Sugar gets such a bad reputation, but not all sugar is bad!!!

Natural sugar is necessary because it gives us energy! You can find natural sugar in fruits, vegetables, and sweeteners like raw honey, pure maple syrup, dates, coconut sugar, and more.

Watch out for sneaky sugars in processed food as they cause blood sugar spikes which gives us that instant energy but we crash. It also causes type 2 diabetes and insulin issues. 

When you’re reading the ingredient label on food, watch out for different (not so obvious) names for sugar. 

Just because something says 12g of sugar doesn’t mean that 12g is bad sugar…which is why you always need to check the ingredient label for the source of the sugar!

Also, people think Stevia is healthier which isn’t necessarily the case. Stevia is highly processed and should only be consumed occasionally unless you’re consuming stevia in its purest form! 

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#addedsugar #naturalsugar #stevia #holistichealth #holisticnutrition #sneakysugar #ingredientlabels #ingredientsmatter #lowtoxlifestyle #lowtoxdiet #sugarfree #sugarfreediet #sugarfreelifestyle #nontoxicliving #healthyeatinghabits #healthyeatingtips #sugartips #nutritioncoaching #nutritionfacts #nutritiontip
Birth Control does NOT cure a hormone imbalance!!! Birth Control does NOT cure a hormone imbalance!!! Birth Control hides the symptoms of a hormone imbalance, meanwhile the problem is getting worse.

A lot of women struggle with severe symptoms when they come off birth control because they never addressed the underlying cause of their hormone imbalance.

If you are struggling with hormonal acne, period cramps, severe PMS, mood swings, etc. and you think birth control is going to fix the problem, it will not!

There are a lot of factors that can cause a hormone imbalance from our diet, to hormone disrupting chemicals in our daily products, to external factors like stress, lack of sleep, etc. that can throw our hormones out of whack!

If you need support with your hormones, feel free to DM me!

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#hormonehealth #hormonehealthcoach #lowtoxlife #lowtoxlifestyle #crunchyblogger #holistichealthcoach #holistichealthandwellness #womenshealth #womenshealthmatters #womenshealthtips #womenshormonehealth #birthcontrolproblems #birthcontrolpills #birthcontrol #holistichealthcoaching #naturallivingideas #naturallifestyle #naturallivingtips #healthtipsforwomen #pcoslifestyle #hormoneimbalance #hormoneimbalances
Our bodies and hormones are so complex! If you’r Our bodies and hormones are so complex! If you’re eating right, limiting toxin exposure, and still can’t seem to get your hormones under control, it could be a different lifestyle factor coming into play!

We are not men, we do not have the same 24 hour hormone cycle that men have.

We have different needs for different times during the month! Being in tune with your body and doing what it needs at that time is so important!

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#hormonehealth #womenshealth #womenshormones #holistichealthandwellness #lowtoxlifestyle #toxinfreeliving #healthandwellnesscoach #healthandwellnesstips #birthcontrolproblems #birthcontrol #regulatehormonesnaturally #hormoneimbalance #womenslifestyle
These are foods that have been marketed to be heal These are foods that have been marketed to be healthy, but they’re not. There’s so many other actually healthy foods you could eat that are much more satisfying than these. Keep reading for why these aren’t the best options!

❌Whole Wheat Bread: This one comes down to the ingredients. One popular whole wheat bread contains Soybean Oil, Soy Lecithin, and Natural Flavors. Also because I have a gluten sensitivity, eating slices of any bread is a no for me!

❌Cereal: So many cereal’s are full of sugar and synthetic vitamins which are not properly absorbed by our bodies, not to mention artificial colors and flavors. Also, a lot of cereal has extremely high levels of glyphosate! Not a great way to start your day.

❌Flavored Yogurt: Any yogurt except plain yogurt has a lot of sugar. You’ll also find natural flavors and gums in some popular brands. Natural flavors is an easy way for companies to not disclose all ingredients and gums can cause digestive issues. In my opinion, you may as well have a bowl of ice cream and enjoy it than try to be “healthy” with flavored yogurt.

❌Farmed Salmon: You may think you’re making a healthy choice by choosing salmon however, farmed salmon should be avoided as it is basically big agricultures version of salmon. It is bred in crammed cages, fed an unnatural diet of fish meal & animal by products, and they are full of pesticides and antibiotics 🤢

❌Granola Bars: Granola bars are full of a lot of sugar including corn syrup. You may also find soybean oil or canola oil which are inflammatory, and natural flavors. You’re better off baking some cookies and knowing exactly what you’re putting in the cookies. 

Did any of these surprise you?? Let me know in the comments! 

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#healthyeatinghabits #unhealthyfood #lowtox #lowtoxlife #crunchygirl #holisticnutritioncoach #iinhealthcoach #iinalumni #iingrad #toxinfreeliving #nutritiontips #nutritionfacts #eathealthybehealthy #healthychoices #foodismedicine #dontbefooled #biggovsucks #biggovermentsucks #healyourselfnaturally #healyourselfwithfood
I’ve had so many women reach out to me lately ab I’ve had so many women reach out to me lately about wanting to get off birth control, but they’re scared how it will effect their body.

The truth is, if you got on birth control for bad period cramps, hormonal acne, irregular periods, etc., birth control was covering up the problem…not fixing it!

When you go off birth control, you’ll probably find you’ll have the same problems of not worse.

That’s why balancing your hormones is so important when coming off birth control!

These 3 tips are a great place to start! There are so many different things you can do to get your hormones in check. 

Follow for more holistic health & nutrition tips!

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#postbirthcontrolsyndrome #getoffbirthcontrol #hormonehealth #hormonehealthcoach #saynotobirthcontrol #womenshealthcoach #womenshealthmatters #womenshealthtips #womenshealthandwellness #womenshealthadvocate
✨Make sure you save this recipe for later!✨ T ✨Make sure you save this recipe for later!✨

These are the BEST healthy peanut butter chocolate chip cookies 🍪 

Recipe: 

1 egg
1 cup of peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (make sure you check the ingredient label and only use clean chocolate chips!)

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes!

Let me know if you give these a try! 

#healthydessertrecipes #glutenfreecookies #refinedsugarfree #bakingreel #holisticnutrition #hormonefriendly #womenshealth #womenshormones
It’s still January for a few more days! Last y It’s still January for a few more days! 

Last year, I did a lot that wasn’t working for me. I got so stuck in my routines, I was saying “yes” to everything, even if I didn’t want to, because I didn’t want to offend anyone.

This year, I’m only doing things that light me up and that are in alignment with my goals 💕✨

Health isn’t just about what we eat and the products we use, it’s also about how everything else in our life makes us feel and effects our physical health.

At the end of 2022, I realized I needed to make a change when I was starting to get headaches almost daily again. I had also spent soooo much money it makes me sick thinking about it.

No more! I’m putting myself and my goals first this year! 

#newyearnewme #2023goals #freshstart #holistichealth #holisticwellnesscoach
I ALWAYS have these 5 tea’s on hand 🍵 Green I ALWAYS have these 5 tea’s on hand 🍵

Green Tea: Contains caffeine so it gives me energy. Green Tea is also high in antioxidants!

Echinacea Tea: Has immune supporting properties. It’s even known to shorten symptoms of colds and the flu!

Dandelion Tea: This tea is a powerful liver detox! It also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Raspberry Leaf Tea: This tea is great for a woman’s cycle. It’s high in magnesium and vitamin B6 so it helps relieve PMS symptoms and helps regulate hormones.

Chaga Tea: Chaga is the king of medicinal mushrooms. It’s full of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. It helps regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, it boosts the immune system, and it may even slow the growth of c**cer cells. Literally the KING! 

My favorite brands of tea are @yogitea, @tradmedicinals, and @numiorganictea. These brands have organic teas and their tea bags are plastic free!
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