Hi, My name is Payal and I’m the co-founder of YBP Cosmetics. I am writing down my skin care journey from taking antibiotics and chemical treatments to taking a natural/ holistic route in sole purpose of helping as many as people as i can. Everything mentioned below is extremely personal and has no promotional or commercial tag to it in whatsoever. Please feel to write down your concerns in the comment box below and i will try to help you as much as i can/whenever i can.
I’ve suffered from every skin problem in the book (raging cystic acne, chronic dermatitis, dry skin, oily skin, sensitive skin, acne scars you name it) and tried every dermatologist-prescribed “cure” out there (antibiotics, Accutane, steroids, topicals, and more). All of it worked–for a while. Until it didn’t. Until a round of steroids left my skin resistant to any and all drugs and left me with chronic, recurring red patches all over my face. ( left me with forever sensitive, thin skin)
As someone who’s had “problem skin” “health Issues” since middle school, I’ve stumbled across some pretty out-there sounding treatments over the years, either through unending Google searches or unsolicited advice from strangers…things as ridiculous-sounding as cleansing with besan, chemical peels, or–worst of all–changing my diet.
The last thing I wanted to do as a college student was revamp my diet of diet coke,chocolates, and cafeteria pizza–and modern medicine made that easy to avoid. For every person who told me that sugar or dairy could lead to acne, there was a doctor assuring me that of course diet didn’t affect the skin! Instead, dermatologists put me on birth control at 15 and Accutane at 18 rather than investigate the root cause of my skin issues, and I was happy to let them. Less work for me, right?
Wrong.
We now know that diet does affect the skin, and what we put in our bodies will show up on our bodies. That’s why I love herbal infusions, health supplements, and occasionally non dairy diet–they’re easy to make/buy/include in your routine, they give you a mega-dose of nourishing nutrients (better than antibiotics and chemical peels), and have the power to make your skin clearer, plumper, and glowier from the inside out permanently
So when I developed all-over cystic acne in my teens, I didn’t give a second thought to going on antibiotics. Yes, please!
Over the years I’ve tried so many different types (tetracycline, doxycycline, and minocycline–and those are just the oral versions) to clear up my skin, whether from acne or dermatitis…and none of them has ever worked long-term. In fact, they’ve ended up making my skin worse over time. It turns out, antibiotics are not without their risks. “Antibiotic” literally translations to “no life.” Anti-bio. Their mission? To kill the bacteria in your body–but they don’t just take out the bad guys. Antibiotics kill the good bacteria as well, leaving you with a compromised microbiome and, as a result, the Gut that can’t function properly.
And more often than not, faulty gut function is the root of your skin issues in the first place! (In other words, a more reasonable treatment would be to nourish your immune system, not kill it.) Taking antibiotics for too long a period of time can also lead to antibiotic resistance, where your body basically becomes immune to the stuff.
What I’ve discovered along the way is that the only way to truly glow is from the inside out and the outside in. It involves nourishing our skin (not beating, scrubbing, and masking it or falling for quick fixes), nourishing our bodies, and nourishing our souls. After all, our skin is the largest organ on our bodies; You can’t convince me that one doesn’t affect the other. There are no instant results and there is no one product or treatment that will lead you to your perfect, dreamy skin.
So if you want to be on this journey with me, first of all drop all the faux expectations and stop looking for quick results
( I mean it)
Accept it that you have skin issues and you are going to fight it the right way, you are going to nourish your body and soul. You are going to listen to your skin and treat it with love and care. You will be kind to yourself and that you already are on a journey to beautiful that’s on the inside and not just on the outside. Everything I mention in the coming posts will require clear conscious and focus on the well-being. If you are someone who sees something on internet and gets lured by every product, treatment and right away wants to copy/paste it on your face without having a right frame of mind or knowledge about it, then I am sorry my posts are not for you. 🙂
Let’s get started ! xoxo
thankyou so much payal for sharing this here! I have had acne since i was 14 and it was not at all harmful for my confidence because it was not so much.one or two was the count of pimple i would get but in 2018 the situation started worsening suddenly . i waited patiently for it to get cured but it was not getting better so on 2nd january 2019 (lol i remember the date when i decided to fall into the trap of modern medicine) i went to a very renowned dermatologist and he handed over some medicines and it all went fine for 8-9 months but right now the situation is so bad i almost cry everyday seeing what i have done to myself.i no longer look vibrant my energy is always low and i have open blackheads (i dont know how should i describe them) but ya it is so worse.I am trying so hard to get back on track but seems like nothing is working.Hope somethings work for me and i can get back to who i was before. Because i simply dont feel good going to work,or with friends wwith this situation as everyone either keeps staring or keeps asking what happened to your skin.
this post of yours has given me hope that things can be reversed..
thanks,
kavya
I wanna share my story too.. I have been suffering from urticaria since my teen!! Its a condition that leaves skin very red, bruised nd itchy… So being a physical therapist, being in that feild i went to dermatologist nd started my therapy. Though i knew bcz of steroid i will suffer in future but i didn’t stop my therapy. After some months, eventually bcz of hectic schedules i forget to take medicine every day nd that’s how it stopped.. After two or more years steroids imbalanced my hormones nd i diagnosed with fibroadenma a condition in that lumps developed in my breast….now i dnt care how sensitive my skin is… I went towards wholistic purpose ‘ yoga’ nd that’s helping me a lot for my breast condition…..
Hi Brinda, I too had urticaria for almost 1 year. I tried Homeopathy and it completely cured me of it. You really should try it!
I am suffering from urticaria from last 3 years. Still no improvement. I jst have to take my medicine every 2nd day else the inching comes back. What would u suggest?? I am trying so much but in vain.. please help me friends
Thank you so much for sharing this natural way of skin care.. I am also having acne problems since my teen years and for that i have contacted top dermatologist of mumbai… He gave me isotretinoin treatment but the result only lasted for 5-6 month and it started all over again… After that i tried going natural but i wasn’t sure about what to have and how.. This article is really very helpful in that matter.. Thank you so much for all the information… Please keep sharing more about your journey of skin care.. ????????
I am so sorry to hear that you have been on such strong medications yourself. I hope you find more natural ways to fight your skin and health problems… they are any day so much better. sending love xoxo
Thank you for talking so openly about your skin journey. I myself have been struggling with skin problems like acne and hyper pigmentation for years now. So happy to see others have found a more natural and healthy approach as well. I got so mad when doctors would ruin my skin even more with all their medicine. Please do share more about your skincare journey and routine !!
omg i am so sorry that you had to go through the same course of treatments and it didn’t work. I hope your skin is healing and you are feeling better than before. I will
definitely talk more about other things in my upcoming articles. Thanks for sharing your story Mishale. XO