My Cystic Acne Story and How I Healed it Naturally

March 30, 2023 Kaelyn Hansen

Growing up I occasionally had small random breakouts and minor blemishes but I never felt like I had a problem with severe acne. Then in my early 20s (while on my honeymoon of all things) I experienced painful, cystic acne for the first time. It lasted a couple of weeks and then subsided, followed by another episode 6 months later but this time it was far more inflamed and painful. I continued getting cystic acne breakouts and noticed they started to become more frequent, and last longer until I seemed to constantly have skin irritation, excess oil, and painful blemishes.

When I went to the dermatologist to talk about treatment options I was told I should start hormonal birth control pill to regulate my hormones, an oral antibiotic to minimize bacteria, and a topical treatments of retinoids and strong active ingredients to fix my skin texture and reduce blemishes.. but I knew it wasn’t the path I wanted to take for myself. Instead I dug into how I could naturally heal my acne and bring my body back into balance. Here is what I did.

Skin Wellness and Overall Health

Cystic acne is an inflammatory acne that is deep, red, swollen, and painful. Mine was specifically around my chin and jawline which is often correlated with hormonal acne. This made sense for me because at the time I was not ovulating or having a menstrual cycle although I was told all my lab work was “normal”. I also noticed that my acne got worse when my hormone levels fluctuated. I could tell based off of my symptoms that even if my labs were “normal” they were not optimal, or else things would be functioning how they should.

It is well known that the health and integrity of your skin can be a window into what is going on in the body. This was the main thing that drove my focus from just healing my acne, to healing my body. This was what really prompted me into the world of holistic health and healing, because truly, everything is so interconnected.

My Approach to Holistic Skin Health

The cystic acne I was struggling with was a tangible, red flag for so many other symptoms- i struggled with inflammation, poor sleep, anxiety, and amenorrhea. And yet despite all of those symptoms, my lab work was always “normal”.

I didn’t want a bandaid topical cream or medicine that has possible side effects, but I wanted to heal my body from the inside out and tackle the root cause.

I started by focusing on nourishment. This included:

Swapping out processed foods for healthier, whole food alternatives
Completing Whole 30 twice (I knew I was struggling with food sensitivities but wasn’t sure exactly what they were. Going through this program gave me a lot on insight into what was working against my digestive system, and it also helped me reframe my habits around food and eating. Now I can tolerate foods that are considered "inflammatory" like dairy products without any issues because my body is healed and has more resiliency.)
Focusing on blood sugar balance (you can find some of my favorite blood sugar balancing snacks here!)
aim to have a protein-rich breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up
making sure every meal and snack I had was rich in bio-available protein
eating every 3-4 hours
Limiting my caffeine to one coffee per morning (prior to this I was drinking coffee all day long. My adrenals were wrecked, hormones out of wack, and anxiety could not manage!)
Making sure I was eating enough. This meant that for several months I tracked my calories and macronutrients to make sure that I was 1. getting enough energy in calories for my body, and 2. getting enough protein. I feel like my fat and carb intake naturally fell into place on their own and I could meet those requirements easily without much tracking, whereas protein took more intentionality.
Basically I was following a lot of principles that fall into “pro-metabolic eating” or bio-energetic nutrition.

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Next, I tried to lighten the toxin-load on my body.

This looked like removing all artificial fragrances, pthalates, sulfates, and other endocrine disruptors from my hair, health, beauty and home products. Prior to this healing journey I was always under the mindset of “it’s just a little bit”, but then I realized that I was easily using 10+ products a day that all had “ a little bit”. And then there was my laundry detergents, and home cleaning products, and hand soap, and deodorant… the cumulative amounts of all of these chemicals was shocking!

When focusing on cleaning out your toxic products, it can be really overwhelming (and expensive)!

I decided I was going to go with a slow and steady approach and replace items as I finished using them to make it more sustainable by limiting waste, and it gave me time to intentionally research which products I wanted to switch to.

I purchased a Thrive Market membership and started using that for many of my health and beauty products, and nearly all of my home cleaning products.

Finally, I simplified my skin care routine.

When I was desperately trying to fix my acne with all of the different topical products, creams, cleansers, and spot treatments it didn’t do anything other than piss off my skin even more. The products I was recommended were full of benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid- and while those work incredibly for some people's acne they were causing more and more inflammation and irritation.

So, I dramatically cut back on all the products that I was using to “fix” my skin and instead tried to support it.

That is when I found Primally Pure skincare- a non-toxic brand with products full of ingredients that work to nourish your skin holistically.

These 3 products are what I began to use to support my skin better:

Cleansing Oil- i used the one for oily and acne prone skin but they also have formulations for people with dry or “normal” skin
All you do is rub the oil into your face and you can see the oil dissolving all the dirt, makeup, and gunk off your face. Then I get a clean washcloth wet with hot water and lay it over my face for a few seconds— quite literally like a SPA.
Clarifying Bar- I feel like when I was in high school maybe?? i was told to never use a bar of soap for my face. So to be honest, I was a little weary about trying this one out.. but the ingredients 👏 raw honey and charcoal and calendula and tea tree
I love how it leaves my skin feeling clean but not stripped and dry
Clarifying Serum- This nutrient-dense serum leaves your skin so glowy✨ After a couple months I visibly noticed my complexion becoming more even and old acne scar fading away.

My favorite tool to recommend is their Skin Quiz. You answer a few questions and get a personalized plan for exactly what your skin needs! It takes the guess work totally out of it! Not to mention the quiz asks about hydration, stress levels, and how much time you’re wanting to commit to skincare— we loove a company that takes a holistic view at things 👏

For months that is all i used and I got rid of everything else. I truly simplified everything that I put on my skin and tried to focus on giving it time to breathe. I prioritized a lot of days of no makeup and when I did use any, it was really minimal and light.

One of my other best home remedies for when I had a painful acne cyst was using an ice cube on the affected area to reduce the swelling from the inflammatory response, and then making a DIY face mask with a small amount of raw organic manuka honey. Honey naturally has antibacterial properties, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties (without risking antibiotic resistance, impaired gut health, or side effects from prescription medication). It gave me the best results without any irritation or sensitivity!

I simply would apply a small amount over my entire face, leave it on for 15-20 minutes, and wash off with warm water! One of my favorite self-care rituals was doing this face mask, drinking a cup of hot green tea, and reading before bed.

In conclusion..

I have a deep respect for allopathic medical providers and dermatologists. They are incredibly skilled and knowledgeable in their profession and bring many people wonderful and effective treatment options. It just was not the treatment option for me personally! I think it is always a good idea to seek out the help of a medical professional when dealing with a health concern, but also know that you can advocate for yourself. You never have to agree to a recommended treatment plan if it is not what you want to do.

It was not a quick fix, and it was also not one thing that did the trick. From the first picture on the left to the one on the right there was a long time that passed- over two years! I believe it was everything cumulatively that reduced stress on my body, nourished it well, and allowed my body the time and energy to actually heal.

Now I enjoy clear skin, signs of strong fertility (I have had 2 healthy pregnancies since that first picture on the left was taken) and have no signs or symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome. Don't get me wrong, I still have a few small acne scars that are healing, and the occasional mild acne (usually when I am going through stress or eat more sugar than I typically do), but it is not even close to the type of acne I dealt with before focusing on my healing.

If you are just starting and trying to improve your health, you are not alone. It can be difficult and overwhelming, and disappointing when it takes longer than you’d like. But by actually getting started and making small steps today, it will turn into noticeable, sustainable changes later.

If you are struggling to get started or don’t even know where to begin, reach out! I love giving people the resources and support to begin their journey to a healthier lifestyle holistically.

-Kaelyn

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