Bold & Bella

If you're an acne sufferer like me, you've likely heard many different opinions about what causes this pimple-formed version of hell on your face. Personally, I've only recently started believing that the way I eat has something to do with it, but all of the experts said that was a lie. I've seen three different dermatologists now, all of whom have said that diet is not an important enough factor to make major changes.  Well, they were wrong.  **Backstory: I do some copywriting for an online company that connects freelance writers with clients looking for articles, blog posts, website content, etc. One of the clients that I work with the most happens to be a dermatology clinic, and they recently requested an article about this topic so it's all fresh in my mind** There was a study done recently that linked dairy, chocolate and fatty/sugary foods to the cause of acne (insert jaw-dropped face here).  WHAT?  So, basically, if you're a milk choc...

The longer I live, the more invested I become in taking care of myself. I can honestly say that I feel a hundred times better now, in my 30s, than I ever did in my 20s, and it's because I started investing more in my self-care. I started reading labels (no, not the name brand kind, the food kind) around my 25th birthday, when my eczema and hypertension decided to make their glorious, highly inconvenient and highly uncomfortable appearance in my life. I watched everything from what I ate to what I put on my skin, but didn't give much thought to what was in my beauty products (yes, I know that goes on your skin too. I don't make sense!) Let me give you a little backstory... A few months before my 31st birthday, I went to the dermatologist to finally do something drastic about my acne. Almost 2 months and several hundred dollars later, my face looked worse than it ever had before AND I was in pain. I read about women turning to vegan diets and beauty products to cure the...

When it comes to caring for your skin, the very FIRST thing you need to have a good grasp of is the type of skin that you have. Most products and treatments are geared toward a specific type, so knowing yours will help you select the right ingredients/treatments for your face. There are technically four skin types: Oily Dry Combination Normal (this one is the technicality, because really, what's "normal?") Here are the characteristics of each: Oily THIS is the one I know most about because it's the one I've been dealing with my entire life. (OK, really since about the age of 12. Before that, I knew nothing about a T-Zone or a breakout). Oily skin is classified as one that overproduces sebum (your skin's natural oil) and is prone to looking shiny and feeling slick or greasy. This is also the skin type that's most likely to be acne-prone, as the oil can get trapped in the pores, causing a breakout.  Dry  This skin type is the op...

Fun fact about me: I'm a bit of a product junkie. I love to experiment with new ingredients and formulas for hair, skin, make-up, you name it. Recently, I've been on the hunt for a facial cleanser that is both acne and budget-friendly and stumbled across African Black Soap. Now, apparently, I'm super behind because this product has been a trend for some time now, but (as always) I had to do my research before trying it for myself.  What is African Black Soap?  According to Healthline, African Black Soap is an all-natural product that is handmade from plant-based ingredients in Africa. It's not your average soap in that it doesn't smell, or  look  like other soap bars that you may have seen. In fact, it looks for like a rock (in my opinion).  It's antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties make it the perfect, one-size-fits-all product to address issues like acne, hyperpigmentation, and stretch marks (among many other things). Th...

If you've had acne most of your life (like me), you've likely tried all kinds of products and treatments to try to get it under control. I have used everything from Proactiv and Dermalogica to Clean & Clear and Clearasil (remember when that was cool?). The only bandwagon I absolutely refused to jump on was the one that claimed that people should cleanse their oily skin with oil. Any person with this skin type will tell you that oil is an absolute no-no, and that you should stay as far away from it as possible...right? Wrong. Oily skin is actually parched skin that overproduces its own moisture because it's not getting enough (the human body really is amazing). I have always been taught that I should wash the oil away and slather on oil-free products and ingredients to keep my skin as matte as possible. Turns out, that really only makes the oil production worse.  Some initial research revealed that there may be some truth to this whole idea, but it became a ...

I am obsessed with taking care of my skin. Having acne most of my life, I've tried a million products and been given a TON of (mostly unsolicited) advice. Currently, I'm in the process of transitioning from commercial cleansers to essential oils, but more on that in another post. In this post, I want to share with you what I have learned from personal experience about what works (and what doesn't) for oily, acne-prone skin. Keep it Simple - Just like it's necessary to take a shower everyday, you have got to wash your face, BUT you don't have to go out and buy a fancy, acne-specific cleanser full of ingredients you can't even pronounce. The best cleansers are the gentle ones, like Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser, Cerave Foaming Cleanser, or my new favorite African Black Soap by Shea Moisture. Stay AWAY from ingredients you can't pronounce - Ok, Salicylic Acid and Benzoyl Peroxide are hardly ingredients that you can't pronounce but the poin...