Hi Friend!
Welcome to The Love Vitamin!
The Love Vitamin Basics
What can this blog do for you?
It can teach you how to live a healthy lifestyle so you can clear your skin and maintain a happy, acne free life.
It will also help you go beyond just having clear skin, and teach you how to you grow into your most amazing self and live the most incredible life of your dreams (seriously! I went from being miserable and covered in acne to living a gorgeous, amazing, life, and I want to help you do the same.)
Want to join over 8000 people on their journey to clear skin, a healthy body, and a happy soul? Just enter your email below to get my free newsletter and totally completely FREE ebook “Roadmap to Clear Skin – Acne Freedom in 7 Easy Steps”:
And who are you, Miss Author Lady?
My name is Tracy McCullough – I’m 26 and I’m from the West Coast of Canada. I live with my two little dogs and my almost-husband Luke in a tiny little house – I like outdoor festivals, painting, self development, nature, ‘n’ stuff like that. I like geeking out on the internet too though, so I guess you could call me a nerdy hippy. Click here to read my life story, and click here to learn even more about my personal life.
What’s yer’ deal with acne?
Well, after spending pretty much my whole life with mild/moderate acne (and hating every minute of it, mind you), I came down with severe acne quite suddenly when I was 23. Wow, how I wished for my mild acne back!
Having severe acne was just teeeerrible. Worst time of my entire life. I couldn’t believe that it was really happening to ME! (Me! Of all people!). People who have never had acne don’t quite understand how painful this condition is – both physically and emotionally. But mostly emotionally! Holy man! It was like my heart was getting run over by a bulldozer every time I looked in the mirror. I have never felt so desperate.
This is what my skin looked like:
I was sad. Real sad.
The good news is that I found a safe, permanent, and positively life changing way of getting rid of it and keeping it away. Nowadays my skin loots totally rad, and I feel great too.
Here is what my skin looks like now:
Not sad anymore!
I wanted to share these methods with others so that they could save themselves from the deep despair that I had felt. I wanted people to know that there was others solutions aside from scary drugs like Accutane. Plus, it’s fun to write and get out of my feelings about life and acne while connecting with others on their journeys to clear skin and happiness.
And, hey – starting this blog was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I love The Love Vitamin with all of my heart because I get absolutely giddy when I receive messages from people telling me that I’ve helped them clear their skin or see big improvements.
“Hi!
I just wanted to say thank you! you helped me a lot, to believe in myself and that I could cure my acne holistically. I now have a clear face and I am no longer down because of my skin problems. I have given up birth control pills 3 weeks ago and that worries me a bit, that my acne could come back, but I follow all your 7 steps (I began little by little,but I made it 
) and feel amazing inside & out. I just wish there were more people like you out there, to guide people in need. Again, thank you & I wish you a very happy life!”
- Rosana V, Romania
Hi Tracy!
Your website has been one of the hugest blessings in my life. My acne was a difficult and obvious issue but without it I wouldn’t have been pushed to become a healthier individual and I’ve cured myself of depression after I found out I was allergic to gluten and dairy…….all thanks to your lovely site and hard-work! Thank you so much! You’ll never know how grateful I am but you’re doing such a phenomenal job and you’re inspiring and beautiful and I could write a run-on sentence about you (I think I just did!).
-Marlene M, Toronto, ONT
Join our newsletter club and let me help you to clear your skin too:
How You Can Get Rid of Your Acne Like I Did:
Did you know that you can get rid of acne by improving your lifestyle? In other words, eating healthier things, exercising more, reducing your stress, and the like?
This is how I healed my skin (and pretty quick too… within a couple months). I didn’t use Accutane. I didn’t use antibiotics. I didn’t even use a single acne cream or wash or fancy product. I never considered these things to be safe or helpful to be putting on or in my body.
Your body can heal itself. It does all the time from things like cuts or a cold. And if you treat it well, it will heal your acne problem – no matter how severe it is, or how long you’ve had it.
The fact is, this is the only true way to get rid of your acne for good. Improving your lifestyle actually addresses the root causes and imbalances that are causing you to get acne in the first place. Using acne creams and treatments only covers up the problem, and the acne always seems to come back. This is why we’ve all spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars on the next quick fix… chasing that imaginary pot of gold under the rainbow!
The articles and videos on my blog cover:
- Acne and what’s up with it
- Natural nutrition (for those of you wondering, I don’t follow a specific dietary approach, and am more into encouraging people to find out which foods work best with their bodies! Everyone is different and I don’t believe in diet dogma!)
- Facing painful emotions
- General advice on life and happiness
- Reviews and recommendations
- Anything to do with holistic and alternative health, as any step toward health is a step against acne. It all works together!
I have a passion for health, but also self development. Getting rid of acne this way is a journey, and it’s not all about acne itself. It’s also our happiness, how we respond to it and the world, and how we can use our devastating experiences with acne to gain opportunities, change our lives, grow our self esteem, and become the people we always wanted to be.
I particularly enjoy blogging about this less-talked-about side of have acne, as I’m always trying to find my true passions and enjoy life to the fullest, yet I am a human and that comes with many trials that I need to work my way through. I’m lazy, I procrastinate, I get anxious, I cry, and yeah… sometimes… I even get a few pimples still – which upsets me.
That is life – let’s get through it together and make the most of it!
Resources for Love Vitamin Newbies:
Free Ebook
If you’re looking for a place to start, I’d recommend signing up for my newsletter (don’t worry, you can unsubscribe at any time, and I won’t be offended), because if you do, you also get my absolutely 100% free ebook called Roadmap to Clear Skin, Acne Freedom in 7 Easy Steps.
This book is exactly that – a roadmap for what you need to do to clear your skin holistically. It’s got some great information and after you read it, you’ll be able to start right away! Just chuck your first name and email address in the form below, and I’ll send it to you instantly:
Articles to Get You Started
Good news – there are hundreds of life changing articles and videos to keep you busy for quite some time here at The Love Vitamin!
Click here to view the articles page for popular articles organized by category (so it’s really easy on you to find exactly what you need!)
And here are some popular articles you can start reading right now:
- The Cause of Acne
- What Are The Benefits of Treating Your Acne Naturally?
- 10 Things You Can Start Doing Right Now to Improve Your Skin
- Is Coconut Oil an Acne Menace or an Acne Miracle?
- How Do You Make A Big Pimple Go Away Fast?
- The Love Vitamin’s Guide to the Different Types of Acne
- How to Choose the Right Jojoba Oil for Your Acne Prone Skin
- How to Do the Caveman Regimen: Clearing Acne by Not Washing Your Face
- Does Masturbation Cause Acne in Males?
- The Love Vitamin’s Guide to Eating Dairy When You’ve Got Acne
- The Lymphatic System: 5 Ways Stimulating It Can Make Your Skin Glow
- Why is Manuka Honey So Special for Acne and Acne Scars?
- Why Fermented Cod Liver Oil is the One Supplement You Have to Take For Gorgeous Skin
- “No Wash” Caveman Regimen for Acne – 3 Month Update
- Why Fermented Cod Liver Oil is the One Supplement You Have to Take For Gorgeous Skin
Again, if you’d like to get to know me better, you can read a three part article series that I wrote about my life so you can know who exactly it is that you’re taking advice from:
My Life Story Part 1
Everything You Could Possibly Ever Want to Know About Tracy’s Personal Life
Please visit the articles page for more!
Other Resources
As I started writing and as this blog started growing, I began receiving a lot of questions from people on different topics related to clearing their skin.
I do my best to answer all of them individually, but that isn’t sustainable over the long-term, and it only gives such a small picture – so I decided to create a comprehensive book that answers the pressing questions that people have and lays out an easy to follow plan for getting clear as quick as possible. Click here if you are interested in learning more about Ultimate Secrets to Acne Freedom.
I also now have two other products available to aid you in your journey to clear skin and happiness – 7 Day Candida Cleanse Challenge and Cure Your Skin Compulsions.
Visit my “Ebooks & Products” page to learn more about all three.
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Hi Tracy!
I agree with the stress that comes with strict eating habits, it’s just not the way to live. Your skin looks amazing, what a difference you have made. I also started juicing pineapple + apple juice every morning since late November and noticed an amazing transformation in my skin. I started doing this because I noticed that even on the BP regimen (started late August 2010) I was clearing up but my skin still didn’t look too healthy! So I started juicing every morning. My gosh…my skin just started looking healthier and healthier!
After seeing your recipes, I shall try adding the greens! Starting with going to the market tomorrow! Maybe separate concoctions since a homeopath therapist once told me not to add too many things at once so my body can happily focus on absorbing just a few items at a time.
Anyway, keep up the great work!
Hi Peggy! Thanks for visiting my site, and I’m glad you’ve gotten some value from it! Yes, juicing and green smoothies not only help clear your skin but make it so vibrant – unlike BP, which leaves it dull and dry. I actually just did a video about how to get off Benzoyl Peroxide, check it out!
Anyway, thanks again for the feedback, I hope you stick around, there’s lots more to come.
Peace and happiness Peggy,
Tracy
Hi Tracy,
I started the manuka honey + lemon + Cinnamon mast this week along with Aragon Oil which is apparently really good for fading scars. I will let you know in a month how this is working out. Thanks for the manuka honey tip, I really like it!
Cheers, Peggy
hi Tracy,
I found your article very encouraging. I am 30 years old and still fighting acne, I just so want it gone for ever..it depresses me & the more depressed I get, the more it flares on my face. I really really want it gone. I am on dermatologist recommended antibiotic called tetracyline, it helped some but affected my immune system negatively. I am going to try and follow your guideline and some recipes here to see if it helps.
btw your skin looks so healthy and its really encouraging to know how soon you can get that kind of a skin! good job… and thanks for sharing your story Tracy!!
Hi there! Don’t give up hope… even at thirty, you CAN find a solution, and if you’ve never had any such success with conventional treatments, a holistic approach will get to the root of the problem.
Since you’ve dealt with acne this long, I imagine its affects on your self esteem and mental health has woven itself very deeply into the fabric of your life, meaning it will take some work to unravel the emotions and problems at the core. But it’s so worth it… you have already seen the effects that the depression has on it… it makes it flare more. So you already know that it is directly linked to the way that you feel, and now you have the power to change that.
Keep watching the website, I will have many, many more articles to come on all aspects of treating your acne holistically, including techniques to release the painful emotions acne causes.
Thanks so much for the encouragement,
peace to you,
Tracy xox
Hey there, stumbled upon your site and I’ll definitely try out some of the stuff you recommend. Coincidentally, I bought some spinach the other day and I might as well make a green smoothie with it.
Out of curiosity, are you a vegetarian?
Hi Sampson! Welcome
No, I’m not a vegetarian. Some people thrive on vegetarianism, but I think I just do better and feel more satisfied when I eat a bit of meat (although I try to stay away from red meat and lunch meats), as I’m very thin and have a quick metabolism. I was vegetarian, and vegan for a short time, when I first began my journey to better health, but I don’t necessarily think it’s the way to go!
Wow, this post is inspiring. Just the fact that you were willing to put that “before” picture up is a testament to how secure you are with yourself. Was that te biggest part of your treatment? Learning to be secure with yourself? Something you are doing is working!
Yeah it took some courage to put it up, but I think good before and after pictures are important as inspiration. People want to know what is possible! I’m still not totally secure with myself, but I’m working on it
I just have a quick question – what types of makeup do you recommend/use for yourself? Do you have the same philosophy about makeup as with face wash and
unnatural products, being that the chemicals in it are unsafe? I’ve been watching your videos and I am planning on trying this natural routine, but I would also like to know about your suggestions for makeup! Thank you!
Hi Tori! Yeah, I don’t think slathering makeup on your face is great for the same reasons (irritation, chemicals etc). I don’t use any special makeup, I just try not to put it all over my face. I only put it on spots and red marks individually. I guess it takes longer in the morning, but I just think it’s better than covering your whole face in it. It sounds like mineral makeup is the best thing for not clogging pores if you want to wear it.
Hey! I just stumbled upon your website while reading acne.org. I’ve actually been interested in holistic curing of acne for the past year or so but haven’t completely gone through with it. I’ve tried for a month here and there but I always give into some topical to help out but then fall back into my old diet. I started the acne.org regimen about october and like you said in one of your videos all of my clogged pores turned into huge inflamed zits. It ended up helping decently, but scarred my face worse than any other topical. My question for you is do you have scars left over from healing yourself holistically? I really keep coming back to a holistic regimen and feel like its what I need to do, especially healing myself emotionally. Anyways I just wanted to say thanks for inspiring with this website. It’s always nice to find more people that have cured their acne this way.
Hi Sarah! Welcome
I don’t have many scars leftover. If you look reeeally, really closely at my face, there are some, but nothing anyone else would ever notice. Healing holistically (as well as stopping with harsh chemicals and popping and picking) will definitely help to minimize scarring and red marks. And healing emotionally is one of the best things you can do for yourself! I’m excited you’re here. Peace x
how do i get a hold of your recipe’s? I get the newsletter but haven’t found anyplace where i can do this? maybe some info on where to buy food and basically recipe’s are what i’m looking for or food ideas to liven things up…
great site btw!
Your blog is very inspiring. I am a 23 and I have been dealing with this crap since I was 14. I am reading your E-book now and so far so good!
Wishing you the best,
Brian
Awesome! Welcome to the site Brian… I hope after 14 years, this will finally be your cure
Not 14 years! Since I was 14 years old! Haha, Ive been eating healthy and juicing like a mad man for a month now and I feel great…still working on the self esteem thing though. I ran out of my regular BP and bought some generic brand stuff and if gave me the worst cystic break-out ive ever had..now ive been hiding out! Its hard to let go of the ego sometimes….ugh . I dont want to use BP for the rest of my life..im going to try and start cutting down like you mentioned on your blog.
Hi Tracy,
How long did it take before you saw that your skin was beginning to heal or that your skin wasn’t getting any worse? I never really had acne before and at one point I had no blemishes at all and I thought I’d figured my skin out finally but now I’m 22 and my skin is slowly starting to get worse and worse.
Hi Nikki!
Well, it got worse in the first couple weeks, then it would start to look like it was clearing up, and then I’d break out again. Then it would look like it was clearing up a bit, and then I’d break out again. It went through this over and over again until it got less and less and eventually faded away. It was mostly gone after 3 months, but I was still getting some pretty bad inflamed acne, so I got an allergy test done and found out I was sensitive to some things I had been eating. After that, it went away. The timeline is going to be different for everyone…. some people seem to clear at first, and then breakout more later (this is usually when they want to give up because they think it’s not working, but it’s just your body clearing toxins). It, of course, also depends on how much you’re putting into getting well. Anyway, make sure you check out these two articles:
http://www.thelovevitamin.com/244/what-a-healing-crisis-is-and-why-you-shouldnt-be-afraid-of-it/
http://www.thelovevitamin.com/351/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-clear-skin-naturally/
WOOOW your acne was way worse than I think it would be. It’s really strange how you don’t have acne on cheeks, only on your chin and forehead. I only have acne on my cheeks
.
I deeeeeeply respect you for this, you are living proof a good diet cures acne. I’ve always believed diet causes acne, I’ve always thought holistically, and you just made me happier!
Btw, you look GREAT (though you still looked good with acne, I must say).
Where is that like button
?
Yeah, I can’t even believe it got that bad… it seems surreal to me now. Yeah, it is strange how people only get it on certain parts of their face… my cheeks have never been acne prone in the slightest. Anyway, I’m glad I’ve made you happy! Diet (but please don’t forget all the other stuff with it) definitely works!
Greetings Comrad! ! !
Unfortunately I have suffered from moderate to severe for ten years.
On the other hand I have been on a holistic diet for about a month now. 
))
Its crazy how our bodies work!!! I have read all the articles on your website, and I would have to say almost everything you have said seems to make a lot of sense to me……. I have noticed throughout this first month that the acne seems to come and go. I’m trying to incorporate new things into my lifestyle every day!! One thing is for sure it is not going to happen overnight lol.
With that said, if i do things the right way I can say with the utmost confidence things will take care of themselves.
:):)
P.S. I know for a fact that I am a sexy beast under these blemishes. HAHAHAHAH
Be sure to read Tracy’s eBook, it’s not all about diet, and consider taking an allergy test. My acne is mostly due to allergy. The only thing I know for sure is that I’m not allergic to potatoes. Living on potato chips and french fries is fun, but when my parents cook I cannot tell them to make only french fries huh until I take an allergy test huh
.
What makes it easier for me is that I have hay fever, and the food allergies combined with it are often the same. I’m pretty sure I can eat grapes, for example, so instead of eating that much potato crap I also eat tons of grapes. I also know I can eat tomatoes all I want. Same for pasta. So I make homemade spaghetti. As soon as I get my allergy test I’m gonna remove all the crap (pasta and potatoes) and replace it with brown rice, quinoa, … (anything healthy I’m not allergic to).
Hahaha we are aaaalll sexy beasts under our blemishes. Good luck with your holistic journey, Tommie!
It’s really weird how acne changes a person’s look. When I look in a reflection (like in water or in the oven window etc etc) I look fine, but when I look in a mirror I gotta puke. I’m not worrying about it anymore though, I found out my acne is 70% allergy (rash and red spots and inflammation), if not more (I haven’t gotten any new pimple and I’ve eaten potato chips to reduce weight loss). 1 week of taking antihistamine, then I should be clear, and I’m gonna eat damn healthy to make me feel great inside too
. I hope I’m not allergic to grapes, as I’m eating kilos of those every day. From now on I’ll cook all my food as cooked food is less of a problem allergy-wise.
Thanks Trace!
As far as food allergies are concerned what is the best way to go about that? Also, I work out 3-4 days a week should I cut back on my resistance regiment? I hope not cuz then I might lose my cuts lol
Hi Tommie. The way I figured out my food sensitivities was by getting an electrodermal screening test at the naturopath. There are other ways, like checking your pulse after you eat the food, etc… I can’t go over all the ways to check, there’s quite a few, but if you want to take any guesswork out of doing it yourself, that is what I suggest. Anyway… 3-4 days of resistance should be okay, as long as you aren’t working out for hours on end at a time.
One more thing lol, I have a birthday coming up in eleven days, and for the record I started my journey in the beginning of march! Crazy Right!?! Haha
Well happy birthday! For … April… 17th?
Hi Tra Tra. Thanks for the helpful information
I set up an appointment with a food allergy doctor yesterday. They sad they were going to do some kind of skin back test. I hope its a reliable one that will tell me what i need to know. A couple days ago I had some land of lakes 2% milk and some cheeze its, and I crashed like the stock market back in the day lol. I woke up and fell like crap that must be telling me something right there unfortunately.
Thank you very much for the happy birthday!! you are correct, it is on the 17th of April! Very Nice!
Well, aaactually… I hate to tell you this but traditional allergists and the skin back test are probably the least reliable way of finding out what’s ailing you, because they only deal with immediate allergies, where as about 80% of allergies are delayed. I suggest an electrodermal screening (but allergists don’t do this), or you can google “pulse test for food sensitivities” and read up about that, it’s something you can do at home. Listening to your body is also another one… if you felt like crap after eating milk and cheese, you’re probably sensitive to it. Pasteurized dairy is terrible for everyone, whether allergic or not…. in fact, if you haven’t quit eating pasteurized dairy, you need to do that, as it’s the number one acne causer out there. It could be all your problems right there!
Tracy, you have been more than helpful, and I don’t know what else to say, bu thank you!! I have quit eating pasteurized dairy completely. I just ate it that one day after two weeks to see how I would respond. If you have any more advice I’m all ears
Hi Tracy,
I have been adding in green veggies sometimes in my morning smoothies and I really like it!
I was wondering if you had/ have any scars and what do you do to get rid of them? On acne.org people suggested subcision – I looked it up on youtube and it’s very frightening. So I’m trying to do it the natural way understanding that this may take FOREVER. Anyway, can you make a video about this? Thanks!
Cheers,
Peggy
Hi Peggy! Welcome to the blog!
Check out my video about getting rid of scars naturally: http://www.thelovevitamin.com/?p=521
Hi Tracy!! I’m a huge fan of your blog! I dunno if you’ve seen epicbeautyguides blog and rawradianthealth, but they are great too! You should check em out!
so anyways, I was wondering if you could tell me your diet, because I wanna know what you are eating so I can have clear skin like you lol.
Also do you get regular periods nowadays? I took the birth control pill for 5 months when I was like 16 (I’m 19 now) and ever since then I have been really irregular. I’m getting a blood test on Monday to see which of my hormones are elevated, but I just wanted to know some natural ways to regulate my body back to balance. Any tips would be great! Thanks!
Hi Emma!
I used to watch lots of rawradianthealth, but I hadn’t heard of epicbeautyguides until now… I just checked her out though, she seems really cool!
Check in the articles list for “Which diet is the healthiest diet?” to get an idea of what I eat, as well as the video called “6 Ways to Balance Hormonal Acne” or something like that… it will help you to balance your hormones! If you are still having irregular periods that long after the pill, something is definitely out of balance… I’m glad to hear you want to sort it out naturally! good luck Emma, x
Hey!
I’ve started treating my acne holistically, love your website/ e-book, it’s very helpful and interestingly fun at the same time!
Just curious, have you ever been to Gozo, Malta?
Thanks Therese! No I can’t say I’ve been to Gozo, Malta. Do you have any special connection to it?
Hi Tracy!
I just started following your blog and I think your work is AMAZING. I started changing my diet from probably the epitome of a ‘Western diet’ to something more natural and healthy and I love it. I have noticed a difference in my skin. It isn’t clear yet, but I am going to take all your advice and run with it. Sunlight (I live in Nova Scotia haha) and stress are my two biggest demons to attack next, but even just reading your thoughts helps calm me with your positive yet honest attitude. Please keep up the great work, and try not to let the pressure of the blog stress you out too much. Focus on all the people you are helping, you are making the world a happier place for many
Would you recommend a vitamin D pill for someone with little access to sunlight? It’s grey here all but 2 months of the year, and I work full time at a cubicle. I love camping during the summer and I do find my skin clears quite a bit with that relaxation, sunlight, and fresh air.
Also some ideas for future topics: warm lemon water in the morning. It has a big following for not just acne, but general health. Chromium and deficiencies related to high sugar diets, and THC/marijuana and acne. Is there a correlation? If it is a big stress reliever (as it is for many) is it worth it to put that in your body?
Thanks again!!
Hi Amy! Welcome to the site and thank you so much for all the lovely compliments!
Yes, I would recommend vitamin D for those in cold climates… it would be nice if we could get sun all year, but we can only do as much as possible! And thank you for the other suggestions
Glad to see there are women out there that can still think critically. Maybe they only exist in Canada. Girl, you are on the right path. I too started changing my diet after learning about the true causes of acne. Everything that shows up on the outside is a reflection of what is happening in the inside. It isn’t rocket science, but modern medicine wants you to be stupid and go against your instincts and ability to reason… they want to own you. Wherever there is profit, there are lies and in a sense, slavery.
First of all I just want to say that you are naturally beautiful. You don’t even have to wear makeup. Good job! I found your blog looking up no shampoo on youtube. I see that you are a little critical about your physique. I too had the same issues a few years ago. Girls would tell me I’m cute, but I needed to gain muscles. Most people, at least to me, are butterflies stuck in a caterpillar’s body. The problem is our neolithic diets. Humans need way more protein than what the RDA tells us to eat. The only way to gain muscle is to eat more calories. Wait a minute! Doesn’t that make you fat? Yes and no. If you’re eating neolithic foods, yea you’ll get fat. If you eat paleo foods, you’ll gain muscle. I have sat around doing nothing and gained muscles from just eating. It doesn’t even have anything to do with exercise. I think a fully developed human should be naturally lean and fit. You’ll know when your butt fills out and looks right in your jeans.
The vitamin D issue. People have no idea where to get it. No, it’s not naturally in milk. The sun is not our major source of vitamin D. You can only utilize the D3 form and it is only found in animals. Another reason why man is more carnivorous than we thought. The major stores are kidney fat and skin, especially pork. White people, you are white because your ancestors lived under the clouds. How did you get your vitamin D? Check out the traditional scandinavian diets. It’s mostly flesh. I got into a fight with my ex girlfriend because the Faroese people were killing whales and dolphins. I know it’s gruesome, but that is how man survived in places like that. I can’t blame them if evolution made us carnivores. I bet those people suffer less degenerative diseases than we do.
I hope I helped a little on your journey. Not too many real humans left on this planet. Keep on fighting the good fight.
Thanks Chan! You definitely the right philosophy! And I’m always interested to hear about more people who are doing well on the paleo diet… I agree with what you said about butterflies stuck in caterpillar’s bodies… things aren’t going the right way in this world, but I am happy that the internet exists to spread ideas for the good fight!
Peace, Tracy xx
Hey! I hope you are doing well. So I eat green smoothies every day, I have started taking probiotics and eating coconut kefir. I wash my face with honey and use aloe and joajoba oil. My skin is clearing up annnnnnd I’m loosing weight! Thank you so much for all the good advise. I need to work more on meditating thats my goal for the summer that and exercise but I just bought a bike and am hoping to get a job picking produce so that shouldn’t be a problem. I was wondering if you are still going to do a video about sunscreen
.
Thanks!!!
Crystal
Hey Crystal!! That’s awesome that you are clearing up and losing weight!! Way to go! I’m so happy to hear that!
I am going to do a video about sunscreen, I guess i’m just waiting for my new video camera to arrive (which should be any day now) and a sunny day so I can do the video outside!
hey tracey! just checking out your site here n showing you some looove! Kudo’s to you for showing us your before pic, i would’ve never thought that you had it like that, i mean look @ you now, you are beautiful! AM I RIGHT GUYS?! GIVE IT UP FOR TRACY! but yea, i’m on this love vitamin train, and getting rid of my derm! no more BP, no more atralin, no more doryx & no more lotions n friggin potions! to think he wanted me to get on accutane!!! pshhhhh, i don’t think so! he gave me a pamphlet on it, and i swear it had a picture of skull n bones on the back, and i’m not talking about pirates of the caribbean! yea it might work for some, but im not going to take something where i have to sign off on a waiver knowing that a possibility of side effects is at 80% or even more… so i’m glad i found your youtube vids & its on with the green smoothies, more fruits n veggies in my diet & hmf probiotics to start off with… alright, take it easy Tracy, don’t forget to give me a shout out in your kefir vid;) peace!
Haha thanks for the love J Stylz! hahah I can’t promise shout outs!! the whole internet will want a shout out! But you never know what could happen!
Good luck on ditching derms, you’re on the right path!
Hi Tracy,
I just discovered your blog tonight! Very inspirational to us who are still battling acne
I am 22 and have had the worst breakouts over the past 3 months all over my face, I have been to numerous doctors, had lots of tests done ranging from hormone tests, to food allergy tests, to heavy metal toxicity tests, just to name a few. I am still pursuing the gluten free, dairy free, wheat free diet with little changes for the better. I KNOW that I need to take the emotional part of acne into consideration, the worse it gets, the worse I feel about myself and that is not helping. Plus working 70+ hours a week in a stressful environment is not good either! Thanks for brightening my night, I hope that I can take your advice and start making things turn around in the coming months. Take care,
Nicole -
Hi Nicole! Welcome to the blog and good luck with your journey to healthier skin!!
I know you’ll get there!
Thanks Tracy!
What do you think is better to drink Barley Powder or Wheat Grass?
I think they are both really awesome and beneficial, so I don’t think it matters too much which one you go for. I’ve tried them both.
Dear Tracy,
I found your blog and youtube channel last night and was immediatly like “o my gosh this is so my thing”.
From my personal experiences so far I can totally second to what you say about, ok lets see: dairies, gluten, sunshine & air, non-hormonal birth control, sleep, meditation, green smoothies! ;P and – happiness. I’m still workinnnng on most these and very interested in your new suggestions. A few people I know (including myself) have also tried basic beauty stuff like no-shampoo-no-soap or using honey in the past few years (some are connected to the american longhaircommunity as well, they have interesting projects running about “water only” and “sebum only”), with well different results as not everything works out in the same way for different people, but I’ll probably give it another shot. At least I’m kinda motivated right now, we’ll see where it leads me to.
When it comes to skin I am also an acne struggler. I had a really severe breakout after an oil-massage-experiment last year which worked out great for a few others I know, but not for me. it forced me to skip everything but water, algue gel and some aleppo soap as I broke out immediatly again after using any other products, such as benzoyl peroxid or light creme or heavy cream or – whatever worked before. It took about six weeks, but my skin found back to a bearable balance by simply givin it some rest.
So, .. yay! Just wanted to say hello, and to tell you a) you look great! and b) you do a wonderful job. Really inspiring and fresh and lovely and full of positive energy, it’s fun to read and watch.
All the best and green greetings from Europe! Meike
Welcome to the blog!! (Is Meike your name or some kind of European greeting? haha) Thanks so much for the kind words and I hope that I can help you on your way to clearer skin
oh meike is just some phrase we use to bewitch our dialogue partners with
(it’s one of a billion dutch/german versions of maria).
thank you!
hi tracy…i’m someone who doesn’t have an organic food market by. there is farmers markets. ive just been eating healthier. no red meat,no dairy,low sodium,watching the sugar & exercising. i’m barely starting. i have a hard time with the sugar. i can feel my body crashing sometimes. also,i have to wear makeup cuz of my job. i’m starting off with almay. if i continue to see breakouts,i guess i’ll go completely natural. i’m cool with using honey…just not when i wear makeup. i feel like i need something to get that gunk out of my pores. what do u think? anyway,thank u for sharing ur story about acne. i’m learning so much.
Try to get to the farmer’s market! It’s the beeest…. but anyway, it isn’t necessary that you eat all your food organic… it’s more important that you eat meat and animal products organic than it is veggies. Once the sugar and stimulants get out of your system, you should feel better without all the crazy blood sugar swings….. and as for makeup, you can use a little bit of organic jojoba oil to remove your makeup first and then wash with the honey!
Thanks! You’ve cleared some stuff up for me. I’m not even eating organic & I’m already seeing a difference in my skin. I used benzoyl peroxide to kick off everything & i’m already weening myself off of it. Some days are frustrating,but I feel great…more energized,less sluggish…so its kind of a no brainer for me. Ur amazing! keep the info coming!
Haha…I read the words “Who is Tracy?” and I thought, “Tracy is awesome.”
Hahha I am very pleased to hear that Tracy and Awesome are synonymous in your mind
Oh my God! You’ve got me absolutely stunned here! I’m from Guatemala and I bumped into your blog looking for some solution to a small zit I’ve got right below my nose (it’s like a second nose I think) and after reading this and going through some of your entries I realized it isn’t even a big deal!
Congratulations, you’re doing a amazing thing here, plus, my mom has an holistic clinic and I used to think all the things she always said about that “being the best solution to all my problems” were nonsense, but you brought me together with her thoughts too. Thank you for that and thank you for sharing such an amazing experience (many people would believe it’s not a big deal, but it is!). You’ve amazed me!
Hi Andrea!! I’m pleased to know that I’ve helped you to get things in perspective!
Plus, I know what you mean about not believing anything your mom says just because it’s your mom… but when you see a peer with the same opinion, it’s a lot more believable! Anyway, thanks so much for letting me know your appreciated the site, peace and happiness xoxo
Greetings from Indonesia
Hey Tracey, I can very much relate to your story and knowing that you’ve successfully cured your acne holistically gives a new hope for me. I’m 23 and have struggled from acne since my early teen year. My mom suffered from it when she was young so I believed it’s genetic. Long story short, I moved to another city for work 3 years ago and that’s when it’s gone worse. I admit I didn’t take proper care of myself, I lacked sleeping (sometimes only 3-4 hours), ate fast food or skipped my meal, and generally was just stressed at work. I tried various topicals. The result? Acne and whitehead covered all of my face and left no clear space except my eye. I was devastated. Worst. Time. Ever.
Anyway, been reading your blog and been improving my diet for 3 weeks. I cut sugar, gluten and milk and all processed food. Still trying to figure this all out especially the emotional issue. Anyway, sorry for the long ramble. Your skin is radiant and you are pretty! Thank you very much for putting this blog and keep up the good work!
Hi there!
Yes I understand the pain of it being the worst time EVER. It’s devastating beyond words. Good luck on your journey to healthier skin and a healthier you… you’ll get through this and make it to the other side for sure!
Peace and so much love,
Tracy xox
Oops sorry for mistyping your name, Tracy. I should wear glasses now
. I have questions if you don’t mind. Do you count your calories? I’m a fairly skinny girl. I just found out I’ve lost 4 pounds and it concerns me since weight loss is not what I’m aiming for. How often do you eat (red) meat? How do you juggle your meals to make you satisfied and eliminate craving? Thanks for your kind words and support!
I’m also really skinny, and losing weight was an issue for me too. Sometimes you lose a bit of weight at first as your body sheds those toxins, but you gain it back as you build up a healthier body. Exercising and doing resistance exercises helps too. I don’t get hungry or cravings because I eat a lot of good fat. My diet is high fat, moderate protein and moderate carb at the moment and it’s working out great. I eat quality red meat often and a lot of nutrient rich vegetables, nuts, a bit of fruit, and some starches like sweet potatoes. I find it really satisfying! I just make a point to eat a full plate of food (most of it veggies) so that I feel good!
Im definitely struggling with my diet. Ive tried all kinds of diets, even scd/gaps, anticandida, and now raw vegan (high fruit, a la 80-10-10). Nothing seems to help much with acne and other problems (colitis, anxiety). U are so vibrant and healthy…im jealous lol
Can u post your daily diet so we can see how u eat? Also, do u know what % your macronutrients are? (Fat, carbs pro)?
What is your opinion of vegan diets? Do u feel that fruit can cause candida?
Lastly, what do u think about Dr Fuhrmans Nutritarian diet? (“Eat to live” book).
Thanks so much!
Hi Stacy,
Honestly… I’m totally not into diets anymore (aside from maybe a temporary candida one, or short detoxes, but only short, not long term). Out of all of them traditional and real food (Weston A. Price style) is what makes sense to me … doesn’t seem much like a fad because it’s based on whole, real food (which is healthy) and is very well rounded and doesn’t restrict whole food groups. So that’s kind of how I eat, but I’m not strict about it anymore (I eat processed foods sometimes too if it’s convenient with friends etc), I feel more relaxed, and my skin has never been better. It’s all about finding out which foods work with your body, and my most highly suggested suggestion is to stop restricting your diet and go see a naturopath or natural therapist who can test you for food sensitivities so you can see exactly what is up with YOUR body. Everyone is different. Diets are not working for you, I can see that, and the way you sound so concerned about macronutrient content and all this, I can tell it’s causing you stress, which is probably a big contributor to your problems. Diet is only one little piece of the puzzle, and I admit that the internet is making us all fearful and neurotic about eating! I admit to being a victim of it and contributing to it. I suggest maybe checking out Matt Stone and his diet rehab philosophies http://www.180degreehealth.com. Also this article here that I wrote: http://www.thelovevitamin.com/3906/10-ways-intuitive-eating-could-make-you-happier-and-healthier/
Oh well….just add more fat and I will be okay. Can’t wait to hit the market this weekend. Thanks! Hope you have a good day!
Hey, I just stumbled upon your youtube channel after looking at videos of people talking about how great Accutane was for them. Those side effects were pretty disturbing so even though I have some mild-moderate acne mostly around my mouth and chin, I’d rather not take any chemicals. I’ve noticed slight scarring, brown spots (hyper-pigmentation) and inflamed redness with the couple whiteheads I have and I got to say, it’s pretty discouraging. I’m 21 and it’s tough dealing with acne in college primarily because I want to go all natural and wear no makeup. After reading your ebook and site, you’ve encouraged me to keep trying and more importantly-stop staring into the mirror so much! My confidence and self esteem are really suffering due to this, so I’ll try to do more meditation and exercise while reading your articles. My pores get clogged a lot, so I’m not sure what’s really causing my acne. Hopefully in time, along with the natural products I’m using things will get better. I’m a bit reluctant to try adding jojoba oil and honey to my face, due to the clogged pores (and oily skin) but I’ll watch your videos on what you have to say about it. Thank you so much for encouraging me to keep trying the natural way. Peace to you as well! <3
Hi Jaclyn! I’m very glad you found my site before thinking about accutane or other strong chemicals.. especially for mild to moderate acne. I have confidence you’ll be able to get rid of it, and most importantly raise up your self esteem… sometimes we forget what’s important and end up getting so focused on the negative. Peace and love!! xox
Hey Tracy, I’ve had such a similar experience with acne like you, trying to find so many solutions but not ever getting answers, never seeing healing, and huge discouragement that follows. My face is really inflamed and exploding with acne, really terrible. Im a guy, and I have to shave, but when I do the blade always cuts open the pimples and I feel like I am tearing my face off. It hurts so bad. I am pretty sure its really bad for my face as well. I have been trying to not shave, but my facial hair is really oily and its itches like none other, which I think is under the influence of my acne underneath. It makes me want to scratch my face so bad, but I know that is the worst thing possible. I am kind of stuck. Any suggestions? Also, I am currently take garlic, fish oil, zinc, and probiotic pills, which is a lot and I just feel so confused about what I should do. There are so many wrong answers and I feel I have wasted a lot of my life pursuing after “solutions” that are worthless or make things worse. I read the RoadMap, and I am so with you on how the emotional state is the most powerful. Meditation is something I am going to start.
Hope you respond soon
Thanks so much,
Aaron
Hi Tracy, great blog! I was wondering if you’ve ever tried the Oil Cleansing Method and what you thought of it?
Hi Samantha! I did try the Oil cleansing method for a short while back when my acne was really bad and I was trying to figure out a natural skin care routine that I was happy with… for whatever reason, I decided that I didn’t want to keep going with it… I think I was just scared because it seems to be a hit or miss kind of thing. Some people love it, some people end up with less inflamed acne but a lot of clogged pores. I think it depends on the oils you use too… I’ve noticed more people say that olive oil clogs the pores… I think jojoba oil and a touch of castor oil would be better
I use jojoba after cleansing (with organic honey), and it hasn’t clogged my pores. The idea is that the molecules are the smallest of any oil, so they penetrate your pores to get stuff out. Could be a placebo effect, but I’m quite sure the blackheads I used to have on my nose are getting smaller and smaller…
Cool! That’s great to hear, I think jojoba is definitely the best oil, as it’s so close to our natural sebum
Hey Tracey! I am so so so happy that I found your blog!! I’ve been trying to catch up on ALL the videos so I’m very well informed about everything. I just wanted to ask you some questions. I started using Proactiv when I was 19 I used it for about 4 years and then decided I wanted a change because I noticed it was bleaching my towels and everything so thought it couldn’t be very good for my face! So I started trying anything and everything: Kate Sommerville, Vichy, Noxzema, Clean and Clear, Acne.org stuff, Ole Henrikson, Boscia, St.Ives, Dessert Essence, I can’t even remember them all. Anyways I recently started using Petite Marie Organics and totally came off Benzyol Peroxide. I started using it only at night about 4 months ago and recently came off completely. But my face has not been happy! I’ve never had severe acne but I have always had breakouts around my t-zone and time and time again I’ll get rashy looking acne across my forehead and temples, and I also tend to get breakouts along my chin and nose! I really want to try your regime that you suggest, I’m going to go pick all of the stuff you recommend on Saturday. Any other pointers you can give me in regards to starting this new system? My wedding is coming up in August and I just want to have clear glowing skin like yourself!!!!! I’ll honestly do ANYTHING! lol Oh and one more thing I should tell you is that I’m Vegan! And I exercise daily, get 8-9 hours of sleep a night, and will being to meditate!
Thank you so much for starting this site!!
Also what do you think about using the clarisonic?? too irritating?
Hi Sarah!
By new system and regime, are you referring to just the external stuff, or the entire holistic approach? I have to warn you that most acne comes from within and will never really be completely cleared up by an external skin care regimen.. however, a bad one can make it worse. And changing your skin care routine every other week is not a good idea, as it shocks the skin! Be gentle with it… and yes, the aloe vera, and honey routines will help. I don’t know about the Clarisonic as I’ve never used one, but it sounds a bit irritating. But overall, it is always more about internal care… it sounds like you are pretty healthy, but be careful with veganism… vegans diet tend to be deficient in powerful acne fighting vitamins like Vitamin A and quality Omega 3s due to lack of animal products, and are often full of allergenic things like plenty of soy and wheat! You also may have some emotional problems contributing to it… and probably some stress if you are planning a wedding!
I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying the blog!
Thanks so much Tracy! I am trying to work on the internal stuff as well. I have cut out all dairy, and soy and just cut out Gluten on Saturday. I’m going to see how that helps! I do take supplements that were recommended to me from a natural-path I saw a few months back and I also take Vega’s EFA oil daily. I’m going to try to stick to this more natural regime that you suggested (Manuka honey and aloe vera) and will also continue to work on the internal stuff as well. The emotional part is the last key ingredient I need to get figured out and settled.
I really appreciate you responding and can’t wait to see how everything progresses with both you and I! Your an inspiration to many!!!
Okay good luck with your journey Sarah!!
Hi Tracy:
I am so glad I found your site. I have been reading it awhile and just joined your newsletter. You are an incredible person ! Beautiful on the inside and outside. You have touched me in an amaziing and profound way. As an adult male struggling with acne the last 20 yrs, it’s been tough. I am a Quality Auditor for a large insurance company, and I am often traveling to other sites. Of course I want to leave a good impression. But, It’s tough to show confidence and credibility with acne. I have mainly struggled with acne on my nose, neck and scalp. Recently, I have changed my daily routine (thanks to you) and I’m walking daily, eating a good green smoothie daily as well as staying away from processed foods, dairy, sugar and soy. I am also using Jojoba oil on my scalp which has really helped. In the past, I have spends hundreds of dollars on Derm visits, antibiotics, ointments etc…. nothing worked. Thank God I found your site ! You are amazing… I really have seen a tremendous inmprovement. I feel so much better about myself too. keep up the great work. I’ll keep you posted on my progress. Your friend, Jeff.
Thank you so much Jeff!! I’m so happy to hear about the positive changes you’ve made, and that you’re seeing improvement! Especially after 20 years, I can imagine the relief… it feels super nice to know that the answer can be within your own hands and not from a doctor or derm or from drugs
I look forward to hearing how your progress goes!
Hey Tracy! I talked to you earlier about shaving, and how it really hurts my acne. I’m also suffering from really oily skin and it doesn’t feel good at all. I’m gonna start trying the sweet potatoes a day thing. I really need help with a food plan that is right for me. You mentioned a “natropath” but I don’t think I can afford that, plus I have the feeling they will only tell me what I already know….no sugars etc. I eat whole wheat almost on a daily basis, fruits and veggies, meats, drink lots of water, but is diet really the problem? Meditation and focus on the positives I know help but I also think its my hormones, and I don’t know how to get it balanced. I use to wash my face 100% all organic natural honey and the aloe vera every night. Should I leave the honey on my face longer? I have very painful acne on my chin and under my chin, my cheeks especially, scalp edges, my nose has black heads everywhere. Got any tips?
peace and love
aaron
If you think you have hormonal problems, you can get a saliva hormone test which will let you know what’s going on… I haven’t actually had this done yet, but I’m interested in checking it out. Don’t know how much it costs yet either…… but look into it! It might really help you!
Tracy, I’m brand knew to this blog {as of 01:20 in the morning (London)} and I’ve decided to stay up until I’m familiar with the site and I’ve read everything I can before dropping asleep on my laptop. I looked at your ‘after’ photo and have to say your beautiful! I’ll definitely be taking your tips.advice
Thank you Steve (or James??)! I’m glad you’re enjoying the site…. hope you aren’t on information overload right now! Get some sleep… it’s good for the skin
Middle name is James
. I’m actually making note on all of your articles right back from January – gosh I hope that doesn’t make me sound insane haha! I completely believe acne is related to what you eat so it’s actually really good to learn what causes acne and how it can be prevented.
Not at all!! there’s tons of good info back then!!
Wow you look beautiful now!
Amazing healing of the skin
Mint Mint Mint!
Thank you so much my secret admirer! xox
Hey there how are you I recently got my body sugared specifically my chest and abs and a few weeks later got ingrown hairs red bumps. There is quite a lot on center of chest and have been using tend skin. I have also just ordered thayer’s Aloe vera and witch hazel I hope this will work to get rid of them at least in a few weeks fingers crossed? How would you recommend of using this combo or other things to speed up the process?
BTW: I am never waxing r sugaring any more my body just can’t handle it. I am for now on just going to shave the area.
That’s what I would recommend! Aloe vera will definitely help and the witch hazel probably will too (although I don’t personally know that much about witch hazel, I haven’t tried it). And yeah… I tried waxing my legs once when I was like… 14…… never again. Waaay too painful. Also… I don’t even know what sugaring is? What is it?
thanks for your response here is what sugaring is I know a long thing about it but you will understand what it is. It isn’t offered everywhere only some places do it.
thanks for your response here is what sugaring is I know a long thing about it but you will understand what it is. It isn’t offered everywhere only some places do it.
http://hairremoval.about.com/od/sugarwaxing/a/sugaring101.htm
Forgot to post link
Wow! You are so beautiful; inside and out!!
I just stumbled on this website now feeling hopeless after years of facial and back acne (started when I was 12 and am now 21). I also have pretty bad candida, stress a lot, depression and borderline personality disorder… During the last few months, I have realised that I should stop trying to “spot treat” and treat myself as the whole being that I am. I honestly cried when I saw the above before and after pictures. Not because of pity or anything of the sort, but because I admire how incredibly strong you are and it is giving me hope to fully embrace what I want and work hard to achieve it.
I have a bunch of scars (from picking and pimples) on my back and face and have not worn anything backless or tank top styled in AGES… No beach swimming and even being naked in front of boyfriends is physically and mentally painful. Many people say that they do not notice because, in their words, I am a great person, but, for some reason, that is especially hard for me to believe. Do you think it is possible to heal these age-old scars?
I am aware that you are an incredibly busy woman, but is there no email where I can contact you directly?
Regardless, I think I will homepage your blog and start cleansing asap!
Thank you so much!!
Ekaterina from Montreal
Welcome to the blog Ekaterina! I’m sorry that you’ve had such a bad history with acne, but I do believe that it is possible to heal the scars – physically and emotionally, as long as you put the effort into healing yourself from within. The first thing you need to do is address any emotional issues. you ARE a great person! If you want to email me, there is a contact form … http://www.thelovevitamin.com/contact-me-2/
Thanks!
Hey Tracey,
I know that your not opposed to Veganism but you do think that vegetarianism is a healthier way to live. I wanted to know what food products you would recommend incorporating into a former vegans diet. What products would you suggest be added to take someone from Vegan to Vegetarian that are beneficial for them and their skin? I know you said Dairy products can be not so great for skin and I know Vegans consume no dairy at all….. so what would be added to take someone from Vegan to Vegetarian? Honey, Kefir, any others?
Yes, I would say raw milk kefir for sure…. honey – it’s basically just sugar… since it’s natural, it’s okay in small amounts for a sweetener, but I can’t say it really helps the skin when ingested, unless it’s super expensive antibacterial manuka honey or something. It’s great for external skin care though!
I’d probably incorporate some egg, and … well I guess fish isn’t technically vegetarian, but eating a bit if fish like salmon would be really beneficial for the skin because of the potent omega 3s!
Tracy,
Wow, I was referred to you from Highonhealth.org and just looking at these pictures makes my heart ache because it is similar to my face at its worse. I will for sure keep following you. Have you heard of Aldactone? As a last resort, I started taking it, it is an anti-androgen and has somewhat cleared me up but I have only been on it for a month. I hate being on medication but its not antibiotics….
Thank you for your insight!
Hi Kaitlin!
I have heard of it… and I do hear some people have a lot of success with spironalactone, but then again… I don’t know much about it, I haven’t used it. There are side effects, and I’m wary of long term use of anything with side effects … but! You know, if it helps, maybe you should use it until you can sort out your hormonal imbalances in a more natural way?
Hi Tracy,
First off I’d like to thank you for sharing such VALUABLE, honest, sincere, good hearted information with a lot of people suffering out there with poor health. When it comes to skin issues, I have had a horrible skin breakout this past year due to POOR health. I’ve gotten back to my old lifestyle which I followed during my modelling days, and voila, in 2 months they are gone. When it comes to skincare, I honestly have to say the idea of using honey to cleanse skin CAME FROM YOU! And I am sooo grateful to you for that, it was like the final touches for lifelong healthy skin. I wanted to tell you that people who wear makeup and are saying honey does not clean it off properly, instead of using oils you should mention the MAGIC MITT from JANE IREDALE. It’s a way to cleanse your skin with NO CLEANSER. Just gently pat/wipe off the makeup with this cloth, the difference between this cloth and other ones you can get is that it has very very tiny threads that work in and loosen the makeup. Trust me I have tried the regular wash clothes (none work as best as this). If you Tracy still do wear a bit of makeup I recommend you go pick up some of the Jane iredale pure pressed base and just put a bit of that on spots, it’s mostly natural, has about 6 ingredients in it, and is EASILY removable with the magic mit, and then follow up with your honey to really get the face clean. That way you don’t feel so guilty of even putting any kind of makeup on your skin
Anyway that’s one tip I just wanted to share with you.
Take care of yourself and God Bless you for helping others in their struggles.
Thank you so much Muneet! This Magic Mitt sounds very interesting…. I’m going to look into it!! Thanks for the tip!
I just stumbled on your blog this weekend and read article after article for hours. I couldn’t stop reading them!
You are just so relatable and inspirational. I don’t have terrible acne, just large pores, blackheads and uneven skin tone. I’m super hard on myself about it. I relate to your story and personality so well it’s nutty. I used to have bad acne from ages 10-22 ish (26 now) and I know it still affects my self esteem. I obsess over skin clarity and wrinkling constantly. Thank you so much for your blog and e-book. You’re helping me to realize that I can still be awesome and beautiful without being perfect. I’ll be coming on here often in my quest for self esteem.
P.S. Just read your MMS post. Sounds spectacular! I Can’t wait to hear your final verdict
P.S.S. You are an absolutely gorgeous person… Inside and out.
Hi Julene!! Welcome to the blog
hey my face gets very red. I eat fruits and veges all the time any advice.
Eat more of them? Exercise? Be happy? You don’t give me much info to work with! :p
I paid for your book and didn’t get an email to download it. Can you help?
Hmm very curious! Did you check your junk mail? I will resend it again, and be sure to check the spam!
[...] I get very angry and sad when I see people with completely clear skin that used to have severe forms of acne. I start to think things like: Why haven’t I found that miracle diet, treatment or regimen? When is my time going to come? But my anger is only superficial – deep down inside, I’m more than happy for these people. I am so, so thankful for people like Athena, Fran and Tracy. [...]
Hi, my name is Kalyn and I’ve been following your website for a few weeks now. I first got into natural healing methods after going through 7 years of tests, procedures, doctors visits and multiple trips to the ER for severe stomach pains. I was diagnosed with Acid Reflux, Esophagitis and Gastroparesis. For each of these diagnoses, I was suggested more prescriptions and more lab tests. It was a viscous cycle that never got to the root of the problem. Each pill was just a temporary fix. I was still having these “stomach attacks” and my wallet was getting lighter and lighter with each visit to the doctor’s office. My relief finally came when I was referred to a Natural Physician by a friend. He told me that gluten was my poison and got me started on digestive enzymes, a good probiotic and multivitamins. I was doing great with his program until my recent move to China to teach English for a year. Here, I find it difficult to know exactly what ingredients I’m eating in their meals. Also, every now and then I will cheat and have a piece of pie or something sweet that contains gluten because, I feel my blood sugar is off here.
Anyways, while trying to adjust to the Asian culture and food, I have been continuing my attempts to heal with whole foods. I have suffered from acne for as long as I have suffered with gastrointestinal issues. I’m currently doing The Meditation Program, joined a gym here, go outdoors more often and buy a lot of local produce for meals. I’d like to start taking online courses for holistic nutrition so that I can have more knowledge on how to help myself and eventually be able to start my own practice to help others. I noticed that you are going to school to be a RHN. I’ve been looking into schools based out of the States and Canada and found CSNN and a few other places that sound really good! Do you have any recommendations as to how to search for a good school/program? Also, I see all of these courses that I’m interested in, such as Functional Diagnostic Nutrition and Natural Health Coach. Since I eventually want to start up my own practice, are there certain classes I need to take in a certain order to be certified to give health advice to others? I would love to hear your thoughts!
Keep up the great work with your blog! I love reading your posts! You have been so helpful.
Hi Kalyn! Welcome to the blog
That’s very interesting about your experiences with trying to eat healthy in a foreign culture – I love to travel and this is something that I’ve wondered and worried about a great deal is “how can I be healthy while traveling without stressing myself out?”… so far I haven’t gone on any long trips to any third world countries since I began my journey to better health, but it’s not something I want to forgo due to fear of not being able to live healthfully. So anyway… definitely let me know how things end up working out for you there!
As for school programs…. the CSNN one is quite good, and I’ve enjoyed taking it. It’s well rounded and gives you lots of different opinions and options so that you can learn and make up your own mind. I know that CSNN gives you a registered designation, but I also think that the holistic nutrition field is not a government regulated profession… meaning that it’s not illegal to practice it without a designation… but obviously having one gives you more credibility for your practice. So that is something to look into! Are you from Canada? or the States? Or somewhere else?
awesome story. obviously everyone is different with sensitivities and allergies, just curious about a sample diet, or a “day in the life of” and what you eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. i eat pretty well, am a vegetarian, however i definitely have lots of room to improve – and feel very motivated seeing as my acne has just started getting really bad. i never had problems until about 2 years ago (i’m almost 29) and it baffles me! thanks!
Hey Becky!
And yeah… I totally understand…. there’s nothing like acne to give you a kick in the butt to improve your diet and lifestyle, that’s for sure. I hope everything works out for you and welcome to the blog!! 
I actually just wrote an ebook with all the diet info you could possibly need… and two videos that include a day in the life of my breakfast lunch and dinner, as well as a look into my fridge. Click on the books tab at the top if you are interested in checking it out
Hey Tracey!
So i’ve never really dealt with acne apart from the occasional minor breakout once in a blue moon, but the last 3 months have been horrible and i went from non-existent to mild acne to moderate and no topical treatment works..a few days ago i tried out the acne.org regimen usin BP and it was the WORST decision ive made so anyone out there interested please DO NOT use benzoyl peroxide to treat your acne, it severely dried out my skin and luckily its just my chin i applied it but now it is peeling like crazy. I was wondering tracey how long my skin will take to stop peeling and recover from the dryness caused by the bP? i know the peeling is part of the healing process but its so frustrating!
I’ve finally decided to turn to the holistic approach and im really excited to have your support in this journey to clear skin and i’ll be buying your book too!
I’m sorry to hear that
As for the BP… it’ll go away. Not that I would encourage you to keep using BP, but I remember going through a red crusty horrible phase when I first started using it… but I kept using it and it went away within a week or two. So I can only imagine that quitting it will also cause it to go away quickly! Anyway… the holistic route is definitely the way to go, so good luck with it!! Peace and love xoxo
Hi Tracey,Reading your blog is helping me to come to terms that I need to change my lifestyle. I was diagnosed with pcos two years ago and now the symptoms are getting worse acne, excessive hair I feel low and tired majority of the time. To top it off I can’t take the combined pill which really helps regulate my periods keep acne under control and hair. I can’t take it as I get migrane with aura which could lead to having a stroke if I carried on taking it…so I have kind of been in denial for a while. Reading your blog is helping me get on the right road, thank you x
Much love to you!! A diagnosis like PCOS is really tough and my heart goes out to you…. but I know you can turn your life around… its really not as difficult as it seems and you’ll feel so much better in the end. And empowered. Acceptance is the first step, so good for you!!! hugs xoxo
I’m from Florida in the States. Thank you for the advice! I was unaware of the registered designation. I’m still looking into different naturopathic schools as well as internships.
I have found that it is difficult to travel and know that you are being healthy. Especially in China, where they can put a label on anything they want claiming it is one thing when it is actually something else. They don’t have food standards and regulations like we do in the states or Canada. It gets frustrating at times, but it kind of forces you to become more in tune with your instincts and intuitions. That and doing some research using a proxy! The key is to not let it overwhelm you. At that point, you’re just working against yourself. The stress makes the acne worse and you end up “traveling blindfolded”, not seeing all of the beauty and uniqueness another country has to offer. Like anywhere else in the world, there are pros and cons. It’s the process of finding a good balance and truly allowing yourself to enjoy something completely strange and different that makes you feel good. Or at least in my experience. I will have to keep you posted on traveling and living healthy in China!
Hi Tracey,
I have a queston for you. I have strated using the jojoba oil as a cleanser/moisturiser and while I have not had the breakout some people experience I did get one nasty almost blind spot above my eyebrow which is not budging with gentle squeezing. Do you have a tip for anything natural that I could use as a compress or something to either draw it out or make it subside?
I’d recommend getting a jar of Active UMF 16+ manuka honey and using that as a spot treatment (you can also use it to wash your face)…. apply it and leave it on the spot as much as you can…. if you want to sleep with it overnight, you can put a bandaid or a plaster over it so it doesn’t rub off! I always find that with me, if I bombard a blind spot with treatment enough early on, it will usually go away quietly without becoming a disaster.
hey tracy-
I have gone to a nutritionist and have started taking probiotics because of the many antibiotics i have been put on as a kid, but recently because of stress my skin has been flaring up again. I have never had acne but the bad bacteria has been showing itself on my face and body. Is there any specific brand of probiotics i should try?
Hi Lydia! I recommend a line of probiotics called HMF by a brand called Genestra. There are different strengths… so get a strong one if you want something powerful! Look em up!
Hi Tracy, I’m a 16 year old Sydneysider, and I’ve read heaps of blogs and been through a lot of the sites you’ve recommended, as I follow Fran @highonhealth. You’re really awesome =) I like reading both your blogs because you guys have a lot of relatable information. From Fran, I have learnt to use honey as cleanser, lemon juice and baking soda for scars,etc, and from you, I have learnt the lemon honey cinnamon mask, which i just put on 5 minutes ago!! =) i have also relearnt not to pick, because after starting to read Fran’s blog early last year, i stopped using Proactiv, because I seriously didn’t think it was working. There was an improvement i guess, but I realised that i’d have to be spending $100+ every 2 months with little results, and it just didn’t feel right. So i reached out to the internet, and thanks to inspiring bloggers like you, it’s changed the way i control my skin, etc. after reading Fran’s blog and feelings satisfied with the fact that pigmentation scars will fade, i subconsciously started picking again, so then after reading your blog, it’s kickstarted me and i am now going to stop looking at my face and picking =) thanks so much for putting your voice out there into the blogworld and sharing your advice and tips. I’d also like to ask you about moisturisers and sunscreens. Do you know of any natural alternatives to moisturisers? Currently i am using coconut oil (refined, cold pressed, ‘organic’), it does make my face feel less dry, but it’s the oily feeling and sheen that still leaves me wondering if it’s actually helping my skin. do you know of any good moisturisers that don’t contain a lot of harmful chemicals that are under $25?
Hi Tina!
Good for you for wanting to change for the better! Very awesome… for moisturizer I like to use organic jojoba oil…. I’d recommend Organic Australian Golden jojoba oil, from the Jojoba Company… it’s a little pricey.. like 25-30 dollars for a bottle, but it’s so good. I wouldn’t recommend coconut oil because some people break out a lot from it. Put coconut oil in the search bar at the top of my site and you’ll find the article I wrote about it!
Much love Tracy xox
Hi,
Thank you for your website and articles.
I have deep pitted acne scars on both cheeks. do you have any “masks” or suggestions for this?
I could relate to what you shared on your tube video. I was so glad the acne was gone, i didnt mind the scarring at first untill i looked in themirror and realized one day how bad it is.
I cant find a smooth skin place all over my face without major hyperpigmentation or deep scarring.
I watched your video for scarring, but you said you are not sure about the deeper pitted scars.
Have you done any further research?
I have used castor oil packs for a few nites..but I am not sure yet.
Thank you so muc.
Hi Misty!
Yes I have done a bit more research on it.. and I hate to tell you but from what I know, the deep pitted scars won’t go away on their own…. the appearance of them may be slightly improved with natural methods, but it sounds like to get rid of them the only options are expensive cosmetic procedures
Hi Tracy! I bought your book about two weeks ago and I have some questions/comments, although a bit too long to write here. Is there another way I can contact you? Thank you!
Hi! You can contact me here: http://www.thelovevitamin.com/contact-me-2/
Holy cow, I just found you, (like, fifteen minutes ago) and I think you might have just curbed my attitude that I will never change. My own personal 30 day challenge starts now.
Timer in the bathroom to avoid spending un necessary time in front of a that stupid stupid stupid mirror
Kale 3 times a week (I love it anyways, why not eat it more?)
Reading your blog and getting inspired.
You just single handedly saved like, 90 future generations of my skin cells. They thank you. I thank you. You rock.
Well that makes me feel good Kate!
way to go on changing your life..!
Welcome to the blog…. and GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR CHALLENGE!
Hi Tracy, have you found that you’ve been able to reintroduce any of the foods you initially cut out b/c of allergy suspicions? Or are you better off avoiding those foods indefinitely? Your transformation/story/blog is among the best acne fighting resources out there BTW. Thanks
Hi Daniel!
Yes I mostly eat everything that originally was a problem for me… once you get healthier and your digestive tract is in better shape, as long as those foods that you were allergic to are healthy foods, they shouldn’t pose much of a problem… anyway… thank you for the compliment about the blog!! I work hard on it so I really appreciate that
Much love xox
Hello there. I am a 19 year old girl from Albania Europe. I moved to Portland, Oregon, a year ago and unfortunately got introduced to comercial products. My skin was nearly perfect when I came. I didnt do anything to it, I would just was it with water. Everytime I broke out I figured that I had used something on it, a beauty bar or some other cleanser. Just after getting lost on all your videos and posts i realized that those were the cause of my acne. It isnt that bad but of course I think it is horrible. This site and your videos are helping a lot. I just started using organic honey. I got aloe vera and jojoba oil but i might be allergic to jojoba since my chin started getting really itchy after use. anyways, this is getting long, in a few words, Thanks.
Hi Kristiana!
You know, don’t feel like you have to use any products at all. If all you did before you came to America was use water to wash and your skin was perfect, just go back to doing that! I know in North America they act like you HAVE to use products but you don’t…. in fact, one day soon, I want to try an experiment and go without washing my face or using any products at all for a while, and see if my skin does anything interesting. We kind of get addicted to them and it’s hard to let go.
hey first of all i just stumbled across some of your youtube videos today and then ur site
moslty i just want to say keep up the good work
i do have acne my self (not as bad as i thought … so some simple changes will fix that) i will deffinitaley be using your site and yea thats it. Though i don’t know you i think your a great person and again keep up the good work
and 2nd i just downloaded the 7 step book
though i cannot read it its in a different format i don’t know what i did i opened up in a adobe program but it said the format was unreadable
can u help with this
Hi Morgan, welcome to the blog
I’m not sure what the problem is with the book… it is in a PDF format, that is all I know!
Hi Tracy, I am 19 years old and like you, have been suffering with acne since around grade 7. upon noticing my acne starting I first began with over the counter products. ( mild facial cleaners aimed at acne prone skin). After they failed to reduce the growing collection of acne, I decided to order pro-activ. As you must know, this did not work for me. Becoming discouraged, my mother (who suffered from acne as a teenager and 20′s, still gets odd pimple today and has many many acne related scars) Decided to take me to a dermatologist as she did not want to see my go through what she had. (my dad also suffered from acne, he went on acutane and it “cured” his problem 89%) This dermatologist prescribed me countless medications over 3 years. Including tetracycline (pill form) and literally 5-6 other facial creams. I am soooooo sick of researching the root cause of acne and simple facial cream solutions. I don’t know if i should try this or not.. is it really going to be worth my time? I just don’t know what to believe on acne any more.. i have read to many contradicting articles that i am not left confused and irritated. I want to believe what I am reading here, and am going to try what i have read from your free ebook.. I don’t know really why i am writing this, this will not clear my acne.. most of all i want to say great job on the website. You are a very talented with words.
p.s. Should i really just stop using my face creams i have been prescribed?.. It has been so long since I have not used it routinely every night. ( about 1 year of this brand of cream)
Hi Nikki!
Either way, welcome to the blog Nikki, I wish you lots of light and love and that you find your path to clear skin one way or another!
I’m sorry you’ve been through the ringer with acne treatments, and it can be very scary to let them go, and suddenly realize that authority figures like doctors may not be right. I know there is a lot of conflicting messages about acne out there, but you need to follow your heart. If you feel that what i say resonates with you, then give it a try. If not, don’t
Hi Tracy, I tried holistic methods to cure my acne and I really regret it. I only lost 1 year of my life trying to “cure” my acne holistically, strict diet, no gluten, no dairy, meditation, allergy test, exercise, candida cleanse, even hypnotherapy! And it simply doesn’t work. And I don’t know person with persistent severe/moderate acne who actually cured his acne like this. I was really naive to believe that healthy lifestyle/diet will cure my acne.
Hey, I’m really sorry it didn’t work out for you. My heart goes out to you.
hello tracy ,
happy to have come across your blog. I am a current acne sufferer and am scheduled to go onto my second course of accutane in 3 weeks…not too excited!:( hoping i can find something worth trying before i take the plunge.
Hi Nicole! Welcome to the blog – and I too hope that you can find something here that might help you avoid another round of accutane
Lots of love, Tracy ox
Hi Tracy!
I am so happy to have come across you, your video blogs, blog postings and site! You are adorable, and really inspirational.
I think I am having a Benzol Peroxide withdrawl right now.. I never had acne too bad, but some minor spots here and there, that would bug the pee outta me, so- a good friend of mine had a good experience using proactive so I decided to try it- about 3-4 years ago. I never used it super regularly, just here and there, if I would stop for a few days I would break out a little just like before- start using again, and the problem would go away. I didnt even realise I had stopped using it regularly at one point cause my skin was just free and clear for about 6 months! I was eating a super healty diet- juices, fruits, veggies- a tiny bit fresh organic cheeses here and there, just for a little fun- still all good in the hood- no pimples. All of the sudden, I got a crazy bad fever and cough and sweats during the holidays 2011 (along with most of my household in slightly staggared phases) (not sure if the fever could be related- but the timing was weird, so I think its important). Anyway – woke up well from the flu a few days later with tiney white heads all over my jaw line- since then it has gotten worse and worse! my forehead, the sides of my face, etc :..( I have been trying to figure out if this is a proactiv withdrawl (its been about 6-8mo) or something else- (I used proactive for about a week on and off, and it started to clear up a bit- but then I did some ressarch- since im so healthy about what goes inside- I realised i wanted to be more healty about whit I am putting on my outside! so I am kicking the BP to he curb- and my acne is all flared up, worse than I ever had before BP)
Anyway- do you or did you use proactiv? do you think this could be?
I still eat a prety clean diet-lots and lots of fresh fruits! my fav- watermelon, Grapefruits, Papaya, apples, and vegg (mostly organic) nuts (which I am wondering could be problematic…?), Fresh seafood, (mostly raw actually- like sashimi style- Yummmm~*^ – Thanks for listening.
I would love to hear your thoughts- I am going to my dermatologist tomorrow. I also am waiting for the results on a blood test checking for hormones, gen health.
Thanks again- I really relate to you when I watch your vids- I love to cook and make healty treats too.
xo
Ali
Hey Ali!
Welcome to the blog
I can’t say for sure what made your acne flare up… whether it was the BP or not… I used BP for four years, and I quit using it approximately 4 or 5 months before my acne flared up really badly. Can’t say whether it was attributed to that or not! Read up about the caveman facial regimen I’ve been doing lately (recent posts), as I feel this might be a way to repair your skin from all the damage from topicals/washing – as it seems that many people don’t have acne problems until they start using stuff on their face and then it won’t go away even when they stop!
Anyway, lots of love and good luck with the derm (although they’re just going to try and put you on some kind of medication – antibiotics/accutane/whatever, so beware)
yea- I was kind of realizing that this morning before I went in- definitely got some antibiotic creams, and an anti allergen topical (the also thought it looked a little allergic) I am thinking now it could possibly be all the high glycemic foods I eat- although they are healthy- it is a LOT of sugars.
I just made a slightly altered green smoothie recipe sans the fruits I followed from your page! OMG! the cinnamon! the sweet! it is the most delicious way I have ever eaten a vegetable ever! (since I’m such a sweet freak) I feel like it is exactly what I have been missing in my diet! I think the greens are really really going to help- cause I was a lot of fruit, some nuts, and a few spinach leaves here and there- but this is a majorly delicious powerhouse! Thank you! THANK YOU!!!
P.S. I was sooooooo excited when you wrote me back this afternoon!! You are so cool! I have been watching vids and reading all morning- and I felt like my superhero from outer-space wrote me back! So fun :-p
Xo
Ali
Hey Tracy!!
I am so happy that I came across one of your videos on youtube! I was trying to find ways to clear blemishes on my skin. I do not nessessarily have acne but I do have sensitive skin. Almost every video I looked at used methods that would temporarily clear spots and acne. I really just wanted to keep all of it away for good so then I began looking for natural treatments and i stumbled into one of your videos!! I had no idea how much eating the right foods was important for your skin until I wanted one of your videos. I dont exactly have the best eating habits and I am really trying to turn that around. It’s so easy for me to get be tempted by unhealthy foods expecially when I have to eat lunch at my highschool because I have no idea what to pack. I want so badly to break my really bad habit. Everytime I watch one of your videos it inspires me to eat healthier and to get outside more often. Thank you so much for the support it means a ton.
Hi Kyndall,
Good luck with the diet and lifestyle changes! I hope it all works out really well for you and thanks a lot for coming to visit the blog… your support means a lot to me as well!
Hi Tracy,
I think your website is terrific…wow! I really wish that I would have known about all this great information 15 years ago, when I started using a glycolic acid toner to treat my very minor blemishes. Now, 15 years later, not only have I aged my skin tremendously, I still have acne because I severely dehydrated my skin for all of those years of glycolic use. Over the past few months, I’ve stopped using the glycolic acid and have been eating very healthy (i.e. cutting out daily and gluten and having 2 green smoothies daily) which has helped rid me of candida – yay! However, my dehydrated skin issue remains. I have tried using countless different drugstore moisturizers, aloe vera, manuka honey, as well as numerous oils; however, they all just irritated my skin eventually (usually around the 2 week mark). I had the most success using hemp oil topically but that too started to irritate my skin after 2 months. I’m also drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day, sleeping with a humidifier in my room, take evening primrose oil, fish oil, hemp oil, and flax oil daily, yet still have dehydrated skin. I tried the caveman regime (no washing my face at all) but, after 5 days, my face was SO itchy and irritated and my facial eczema got so bad that I had to stop. So now I just cleanse with distilled water once a day but my face is still so itchy and irritated (feels like I have a bad sunburn on my face) because of the dehydration. I’m 42 years old and, because of the dehydration, not only do I have pimples but I now have dehydration lines/wrinkles forming whenever I smile…argh. So, by any chance, do you have any recommendations for me to help with my dehydrated skin? I really hope so as I feel as though I’ve tried everything.
I really look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks Tracy,
CC
Hi CC,
Unfortunately I’m not entirely sure what to suggest, as it seems like your face can’t handle a whole lot. I believe, if anything, the caveman would probably help you the most if you could get past the itchy horrible stage. Mine went through that kind of a thing (not as bad as yours by the sounds of it), but it definitely got very dry and weird for a while before it got better. I believe the caveman is the right thing to do if you feel that your problems are caused by the use of a particular product or chemical. Anyway, I’m sorry you’re going through this, and I wish I could be more helpful. Keep going with the healthy diet, as things do take time to have the tides turn, and you may need more than a couple months to help your skin from the inside out. You may also want to check out the fermented cod liver oil supplement that I recommended in my latest article on the homepage: http://www.thelovevitamin.com/3452/fermented-cod-liver-oil/
Hey tracy i am just dropping by here to say thank you so much. you helped me alot. your articles, your vlogs. such an inspiration. i suffered from acne about 2 years. n i’ve been making your suggestions as my guide line. n i see amazing improvements in my skin. n i want to thank you for that.
Yay! Thanks Maya
I’m really happy for you!
Hey Tracy, I don’t usually join websites and such groups, but your mini-pleas at the end of every video are so convincing… I really really have taken your advice and experience to heart. I watched several of your videos one night about six months ago, and I made several major changes in my diet and the way I go about treating my chronically awful skin. (BTW thanks for posting that photo here. I never imagined your gorgeous face could have looked as bad as mine has. And, like many others, mine is the opposite, cheeks and chin.) It’s been a rough few months, but a breakout in March motivated me to start making serious lifestyle changes–for me. It’s hard, at first, to give so much attention to stocking this invisible life-force. Thankfully, I’ve recently been re-inspired to do just this, and your presence and empathy are probably the primary inspiration I have. I used honey and jojoba tonight for the first time… and, coincidentally, tonight is the first time I don’t have a single spot other than all the scarring–oh the scarring… Thank you so much for doing all of this. Your expertise will get you far, I’m sure, and I think it’s fantastic that you’re giving pro bono education for so many people who are suffering.
Hi Annie, thanks for the note! I’m so happy to have inspired you and I wish you the best of luck on your journey to healthy skin and a healthy life
Hi Tracy,
I was looking at youtube videos for dreadlocks and i came across yours. I didnt know if you had other videos on dreads so i clicked your page. I was surprised to know that you offer -nice, well detail information on acne. Personally, i never had it,still i love your work. Your an incredible lady(Hippie) and wish you the best of luck for the future…V
Thanks Jose
Hi,
but do you have any tips for rosacea? i don’t want to have to have a lazer treatment.. but it seems nothing works and just makes it worse.
so i came across your videos on Youtube by accident, but i totally agree with you when it comes to acne.. my acne is moderately severe and my mom is making me go to the doctor for it tomorrow. and now im scared they’re going to try to put me on accutane or something
Good luck, friend
all my tips on the site should help with rosacea as well as acne
hai tracy is it possible to cure initial stages of rhinophyma by consuming a vegan diet…..
Hi Kani – I don’t know a lot about rhinophyma in particular. But if you want my opinion, vegan diets are not usually what I recommend as I feel they are missing a lot of healing nutrients.
Hey Tracy! I’ve been following your videos and posts for a couple of months now, and well, I’m trying to maintain a healthy living in order to clear my acne, I’m seeing little results since I actually did have a pretty healthy lifestyle before, but the thing that has been worrying me a little is the fact that I wear make up to cover my acne and my acne scars. I really can’t leave the house if I don’t have make up on. You mentioned you put some make up sometimes when you need it, and I was wondering what kind of make up you wear, cause I have very sensitive skin and I’m afraid the drugstore make ups I use are not good for my skin. Thank you for all your helpful posts and videos
Hi Stephanie,
Check out this article for all sorts of reader recommendations on makeup http://www.thelovevitamin.com/3239/i-finally-found-a-great-makeup-that-doesnt-irritate-my-acne/
In my opinion, the Jane Iredale makeup suggested by Carli in the comments sounds like the best to me
Hi, Tracy!
I just found your blog after a 2 year battle with acne. I’ve already cut out gluten due to a diet I’ve been using for weight loss, but there hasn’t been much of an improvement in my skin. A little bit, but nothing drastic. I’m going to try and cut out dairy, but I’m worried I won’t be getting enough calcium, so I’m trying to think of other foods that could be the cause…
Do you think nuts like almonds could also be a cause for my breakouts?
I also eat a lot of coconut.
Thanks for such an amazing blog!
Found your Site after researching grass fed beef. I appreciate the heart behind your blogs here. Thanks for sharing your life with the world. Hope you’re well.
Cheers,
Bryce Palmer
Evansville, Indiana
Thanks for stopping by Bryce
ciao cara,ho una curiosità,con tutto quell acne avuto nel tempo possibile non ti siano rimasti segni?????possibile che ti diverti a prendere in giro le persone in questa maniera????possibile che fai pagare i tuoi consigli??????certo che è possibile,a quanto pare i tuoi consigli valgono tanto quanto il topexan!!!!!!adesso vorrei darti io un consiglio vai a giocare da un altra parte e smettila di dire solo cazzate!!!!
Hi there – and welcome to the Love Vitamin
Unfortunately I don’t speak.. is it Italian? So i’m not really sure what you’re saying…
hey tracy hello…gosh u look amazing..its been a year nw n my acne dosen seem to heal..have been usin loads of medicines..:(:( accidently i visited ur blog today…found it great!! plz tell i have loads of acne sacrs,tanned forehead n to make conditions worse i have got large visible open pores i have a very oily skin..:(:( plz help!!waiting for ur reply!!
Molly
Hi Lovely – thanks for visiting the blog
I’m sorry to hear you’re going through a rough time. There’s lots of resources available here if you’re interested in changing your diet/lifestyle in order to improve your skin. Have you downloaded my free ebook yet? Roadmap to Clear Skin? You can do that on the sidebar at the top there, and it will point you in the right direction
yeah i did download it..
n i hve started implementing…i’ll start wid meditation tommorrow… 
bt can u help me sugesting any remedy for open pores? does oil cleansing really help? i did not find olive oil effective though it did not cause any breakout…
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hi tracy , first of all i would like to let you know that you look beatiful even after you clean your skin, also i was wondering what is your connection with seppo pussa? cause in fact i found your website by a link in his site
greeting from mexico
alejandro
Hi Alejandro,
Well his ebook originally helped me to get clear. Now we’re just internet friends hah
Hi Tracy,
Your blog is great and very informative. I really enjoy reading your articles. I have suffered from acne since I was 12 and now I am 39, as you can imagine, I’ve had enough of this. I do wonder what my life would have been like without acne.
Do you think your book could help me? I just to be a vegetarian now I am a vegan in an effort to clear my skin, (so no eggs and no dairy) I eat super healthy, lots of veggies and fruits, nuts, quinoa, hemp, brown rice pasta,etc. I drink tons of water a day. I recently did a candida cleanse and liver cleanse. I drink kefir. I do yoga and meditation everyday. I am totally clueless. WHy is nothing working???? I also take a lot of supplements like iron, omega oils, vitamin E, etc.
Now I have to say that my skin is super oily, my father had severe cystic acne and looks like I may have inherited the problem. I have tried every kind of treatment out there, except accutane. I am really scared of becoming 40 and having to deal with both acne and wrinkles!
Could your book or this blog help me if I already live a super healthy lifestyle and my acne is genetic? Please help!!!
Hi Fabi!
I do think my book could help you, as there could be things in it that you are missing and not realizing. It’s hard for me to tell when people say they do everything right to know right off the bat what it is that is wrong, but you might read through it something might catch your eye. Get the ebook now, it’s 50% off and if you aren’t into it, just return it!
Is nutritional yeast helpful or harmful (or neutral) for acne? Lots of b vitamins and also GTF to help with glucose metabolism…but not sure how the skin responds to it (im vegan and trying to find ways to increase protein and decrease my reliability on high fruits, which inst doing my blood sugar well)
Thanks!
Just wanted to thank you for changing my life. I discovered your site in January of last year, and downloaded your ebook immediately. I’ve been eating healthily ever since. While I haven’t notice much improvement with the acne, the knowledge I have gained from your site has me more interested in nutrition than ever before. I will never regress to my terrible old eating habits. What you are doing here is fantastic. You should be very proud of the lives you have changed. Keep on spreading the love!
- Steve
Yay, thanks for the kind words Steve
I’m so happy to have inspired you to change your life!
Hey Tracy, I feel very inspired by you. Thanks so much for your work and have a great day. Your skin looks amazing now.
Thanks Igda! Love x
Hi Tracy,
I’m a fifteen year old boy that suffers from mild acne. I eat well (no chocolate, soft drinks, fried food ect.) but still seem to break out in 5-6 spots every second or third week. When my skin is clear I feel amazing and love life, but when my skin is broken out I find myself constantly angry at the world. My parents never had acne and even though i have it very mildly I still hate it! I can’t wait until pubert is over! How much longer will this last if I’ve been dealing with breakouts for nearly a year now?
Thanks!
Bill
Hi Bill!
I understand how you feel about that cycle of confidence vs feeling horrible when you have a breakout. With acne, it could be many things that are causing it… of course you are up against some wily teenage hormones, so it can be difficult, but they can be minimized or gotten rid of with lifestyle. Even though you eat well, you could have a sensitivity to some food, like dairy for example (and you might still eat a lot of processed foods even though you say you eat well, I can’t know from your comment), and food isn’t the only thing to do with health and clear skin. Are you stressed out a lot? Do you sleep well?
For most boys it seems like puberty acne lasts a couple of years and then disappears. For some unlucky people it keeps going, but that’s a lot more common in women (like 50% of adult women have breakouts). Just remember that while it’s hard not to get upset, nobody actually notices. I’m sure plenty of people you know have acne at your age, and even if they don’t, ALL of them are more concerned with their own self and how they look, and don’t give a care about your skin. Everyone is self absorbed. Think about it… do you notice/care about other people’s skin?
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Hey Tracy ! Sorry my message is a bit lengthy. Im messaging you on this site because I find its easiest to get a a hold of you :p I watch your vids all the time and i have lots of acne ( not particularly bad, just lots of acne scars and some pimples etc). I was wondering if you could do a skin care routine video for when you had your acne the worst. I saw your video on your face washing routine, is that what you did when you were trying to cure your acne or after your acne was under control? Sorry my question was so long, i didn’t know how else to explain it. Im working on a healthy lifestyle for myself and healthy eating habits.. but i really want to be able to wear NO makeup.. I wear make up ALOT and i understand that could be a contributing factor to my face not clearing up, theres SO many times I wear my make up to bed which has caused my face to look worse. I feel so gross when I wake up with a slab of make up on. I know I need to stop wearing it to bed and just except my face and start washing it.. But what to you think is the best natural skin care routine to get me started to clear skin?! I would LOVE to never have to wear make up again !! I have had acne ever since i was in gr.7 and now I am 20.
Thanks,
Lexi
Hi Lexi,
I used smooth raw honey, and then aloe vera after. And jojoba oil occasionally if my skin needed some moisture. But yeah, I don’t think you have to replicate that exactly to heal or anything, I think most of my healing was from diet and lifestyle changes and not picking at my skin anymore.