I woke up in the morning like, ‘Hey, What’s wrong?’ It was not normal. My face was itchy, and my skin was with irritations. It developed into acne. So I went to the doctor, who gave me medication to treat it. It was a lot of pills, and I had to take them over three months. I took them for one week, then stopped because I would wake up every morning and see that my skin was getting worse. I went to see another doctor who was also a pharmacist, and she said I should continue with the medication. She put me on a skin routine. I had to do it morning and evening. I was like, ‘Oh my God, what’s this?’ I had no idea about skin. I would just wake up and apply my oil. But I wanted my skin to clear. She gave me a product to apply once a week, but I had no patience and applied it daily. My skin just got worse and worse. I didn’t want to look in the mirror or take pictures of myself and was like; this is not my skin. Everybody at college was like, ‘Oh Julieth, what happened to your face?’ Everyone was questioning me, and it hurt me a lot. Girls would pass me by, and I would feel inferior. I felt so bad, and I didn’t know what to do. I stopped going out as I didn’t want to bump into people. I couldn’t accept myself, which was not helpful. I thought I couldn’t see people with how I looked. When I was with people, I wondered if they would silently question my face even without asking.

Finally, I realized that if I am confident and let people ask me the questions, they will see that there is more to me than my skin problems, and it will no longer hurt me. It took a long time to accept my situation. I realized when you accept yourself; you can overcome anything. I couldn’t sleep without worrying, and I always touched my face. It took almost two years to find the answer. When I went back to the doctor, she said I was overusing the product, which is why my skin was reacting so badly. Then, at the skin clinic, they discovered my problems were caused by too much Sulphur in my system. This was from the medication I had taken previously for malaria. By this time, I had started researching what was going on with my skin. Finally, I found a product with many positive reviews, and after three months of trying it, my skin was back to normal.

Skin needs patience. It’s not something you put on a product now and tomorrow; it will be clear. I learnt the hard way, but I always tell people if the doctor recommends you a product, use it appropriately. Diet is also essential and has a big impact on our skin. I have a lot of followers because of how my skin got better. I tell them to be patient, that everyone’s skin is different, and what helped me may not be the answer for them. I advise them to research the products they use to check the ingredients and their effect on the skin. To look at their diet and, most of all, not let their confidence slip because, with time, it will heal.

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During the month of March, we delved a little deeper into green, conscious and sustainable living. So I thought I would try to incorporate that theme into one of my favourite topics here on She Evolves – Skincare. As a self-proclaimed skincare junkie, I can admit that I spend so much time and money on everything skincare related. I firmly believe that prevention is better than cure when it comes to good skin. I would much rather spend a considerable amount of money on what goes on my skin than on shoes or even clothes. Since I started working for She Evolves and thanks to our founder Christina, I started thinking and writing more frequently about green, conscious and sustainable living. This encouraged me to do more research about “clean skincare.”

While I must admit that in the beginning, “clean skincare” was always a bit of a mystery to me and sounded like a gimmick. It wasn’t until I was pregnant that I started to buy into the hype. Before I continue, I want to define “clean skincare”. Based on my understanding, “clean skincare” is skincare products made with very little or no chemicals in them. Of course, each clean beauty product is somewhat different, but the basic principles are the same. And that is creating products that are not known to be harmful to humans and the environment. This is why the move to clean beauty has gone up so much over the past few years. Especially as we have been thinking more and more about how much impact our lives have on the environment.

Over the years, as I have tried clean beauty brands myself, one thing has stood true time and time again. And that is that clean beauty brands definitely work. One way to measure this is to see how my skin has faired when using clean products versus non-clean products. While some brands will have us believe that for skincare to work, we need all these crazy chemicals in them. A few months of clean beauty and the results are the same, if not better. This is because most clean beauty brands use the natural derivative of something to get results. For instance, using detoxing natural clay for masks, algae for proper skin hydration, and vitamins to aid the skin’s healing process.

And while I would love to say that all clean beauty brands are the same, the reality is that they are not. So before you start, do some research on what brands actually work because some clean products are sadly are just all talk and no action. Also, give products time to actually work before dismissing them. For me, that means trying out a product for 2-3 months to see if there is any noticeable change.

Have you tried any clean, non-toxic skincare brands? And if so, what were your thoughts?

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We’ve all heard the saying “black don’t crack”. And whilst it is true that darker skin tones do age better. Taking care of your skin, no matter your skin colour, is essential, especially if you live in a big city with lots of pollution, germs and so much more. As someone who loves skincare, and has since about 16, I am always looking for ways to better take care of my skin, from the inside and out. I love to do this by masking at least twice a week. Not only is it relaxing, but it leaves my skin feeling young and supple.

To start, I like to cleanse my face as usual. I start with my go-to Bioderm Micellar water, which removes makeup and dirt. From there, I like to wash my skin with a hydrating gel cleanser in the winter and a balancing foam cleanser in the winter. Finally, when my skin is nice and clean, I like to follow up with a light scrub using whatever light scrub I have on hand, emphasising light. After all the cleaning and scrubbing, I like to steam my face with my facial steamer, which is easily one of my favourite beauty tools. From there, I chose one of several masks to help address whatever issues my skin is having.

If it’s a day like today where my skin feels good in general, I like to turn to my chemical peel from The Ordinary. It has a slight sting but leaves my face feeling fresh and tight. Afterwards, I wash my face and apply a hydrating oil like marula oil from Drunk Elephant or organic rosehip oil. One essential and, dare I say, crucial step to all this is also to make sure I wash my hands BEFORE I touch my face. I also have a rule about other people touching my face.

Finally, I like to end off my spa night with a cup of chamomile tea or, as a French like to call them, infusion, which is just a name for any non-caffeinated teas. This adds to the spa feeling and makes me feel like I am really taking care of myself.

When it comes to working from the inside out, I like to add collagen to my smoothies in the mornings to help with the elasticity of my skin. I also try to drink as much water as possible and stay as far away from many fruity juices. Keeping a balanced diet also helps me feel and look good. And finally, I love to sweat as much as possible. Whether it’s a run or jog outside or an online workout. I also love good steam and sauna to rid my body of toxins and use this particular ritual to connect with my girlfriends as we make a whole day of it by going to a hammam and scrubbing our skin from head to toe.

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..I can remember distinctly the day I decided to take my skincare routine seriously. Like any newbie, I was overwhelmed by the entire process and offering available to me. As someone who has fairly good skin, there was no one concern I wanted to address. Which made finding products and the perfect “do-all” routine that much more difficult. In search of the perfcet skincare routine and skincare products I first turned to my girlfriends. I wanted to hear first hand from people I knew and loved what had worked for them. And I was surprised by how many had a similar routine and even similar products. Next I took to the internet to do some research. There I got to find out more about various products what they do and how to use them correctly.

A few years in and I can confidently say I have a routine and an idea of what to use and how. Which is why I thought I’d share my findings with you all. After all, what good is hours of research if I don’t get to share it?

• Remove makeup & days pollutants: I know many websites and blogs recommend starting right away with a cleanser, but over the years I have found that starting with a makeup remover or micellar water of some kind gives my skin that extra clean feel I want. It’s not only for removing makeup, but also pollution and grime from the day. Personally I like to use the Bioderm make-up remover (If I am wearing makeup). Then I like to follow it up with an oil cleanser (which I use whether I’m wearing makeup or not). This may seem like a lot, but I have found especially as I get older and with a baby who touches EVERYTHING and my face. Making sure my skin is prepped for washing ensures the next steps do their job. Also I like how luxurious the whole process is and really take my time. If this feels like I bit much. I would recommend skipping the oil cleanser and making sure to use a makeup remover of some sort BEFORE cleansing if you wear makeup.
• Cleanser: This is the holy grail of a good skincare routine. And whilst it may seem pretty basic. How you cleanse and what products you chose to use depend on your needs. For instance if you have oily or combination skin like me you might want to turn to a foam cleanser. Or if your skin is on the dry side, try an oil or gel cleanser that isn’t stripping.
• Toner: This is another one of those steps that seems useless until you see how much gunk is still left on your skin after a clean. Not only that but a good toner also helps to balance the ph of your skin and get the products that follow to do their job affectively. Which is why I never skip this step no matter what. Personally I like to use my own mix of hydrating rose water which I mix with a little bit of apple cider vinegar and some witch hazel to clear up any spots.
• Eye cream/serum: I never quite bought into eye creams until I found myself sleeping less than 6 hours a night. Now I find myself grabbing it and using it both day and night for under eye circles which can make you look older than you are.
• Serums and essences: I don’t splurge on much in my day to day but I will easily splurge on a good serum. After all a good serum is like vitamins for your skin. I like to use one for day and one for night. What you use also depends on your skin care concerns. But from all the research I have ever read, the three you should consider having are; hyaluronic acid for moisture retention, vitamin C for collagen production (which is the stuff that keeps your skin nice and plump) and retinol for evening out skin tone. Personally I use all three. Choosing to use the vitamin C every morning. And turning to hyaluronic acid for night time and using retinol once or twice a week as it is a very active ingredient.
• Face cream: Finding a good face cream can take months and even years to do. And if I am being honest I am not even sure I have found my go to cream yet. Never the less I still moisturize my face every day no matter what.
• Sunscreen: Thank goodness for my mother because this is one lesson I learnt from her. Being a dark skinned girl, I never would have thought using sunscreen was important. But watching my mother use it on her face every single day and encourage me to do the same has helped me appreciate this simple step. Not only because I grew up in South Africa where the sun can be particularly harsh. But also because a good sunscreen is also an essential part of reducing premature signs of aging. For darker skinned girls I would recommend using an SPF30 and for the fairer skinned ladies I would go higher. What ever you do though do not skip this step. And make sure to find a sunscreen you like and will use every day come rain or sun.
• Weekly exfoliation and masking: Ok I know you thought I was done but hear me out. Nothing keeps your skin clean and clear like a good mask. Personally I have been using the body shop tea tree clay mask for years and love how it helps to repair and hydrate my skin. The best thing about masking is also that unless you really want to and have the budget. It is something you can do yourself. Recently I bought a face steamer and I am obsessed with it. I start by using a light exfoliator after removing my make up. And follow this up with a steam. If you don’t have a steamer I would suggest boiling water and pouring into a bowl then covering your head over it with a towel. Allowing the steam to open your pores get rid of any pollution and junk from your skin. Afterwards I apply my mask with a clean foundation brush and let it do its magic for about 20 minutes. I then rinse it off, tone, use a serum and moisturizer and call it a day. Ideally you want to mask at night and therefore don’t need to put on SPF. But also it allows the ingredients to do their magic and really go into your skin as you sleep.

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