For International Women’s Month, we wanted to highlight some of the amazing women that work at Evolve Beauty. They have kindly shared their skincare journey with us in our Skinshare Journey series.
Our founder, Laura, has shared her skincare journey having suffered from cystic acne from a young age. Read on to find out how researched her skin concern and what her skincare routine is today!
WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF SKINCARE?
Growing up, me and my family used to make a lot of homemade facial products like egg white and honey masks, and oatmeal scrubs.
My mother and grandmother are from Romania where there is a long tradition of herbal and bee medicine so I was influenced by that from an early age.
As a teenager I started suffering from acne though so I ended up on long term antibiotics and hormone medication.
HAVE YOU EVER OR DO YOU HAVE A SKINCARE CONCERN?
I suffered from cystic acne from my teens until my early 30s.
WHEN DID YOU REALISE YOU HAD A SKINCARE CONCERN? HOW DID THIS MAKE YOU FEEL?
My acne made me feel less confident and very self conscious. I also felt like I didn't have the information or the tools to solve my skin problem and the doctor couldn't really help me either.
HOW DID YOU RESEARCH YOUR SKIN CONCERN? WHAT DID YOU FIND OUT?
In my early 20s, I turned to natural medicine to sort out my skin problem when I started seeing a naturopath. She diagnosed digestive problems and that began a long process of improving my diet and nutrition, reducing my stress levels and balancing my hormones.
It took about 10 years to get my skin completely clear and I still see her to this day to improve my health. Beautiful skin on the outside is a reflection of good health on the inside so this process was amazing because it improved my general health so much as well as my skin.
Balanced hormones helped me have my 3 children easily as well when the doctor had warned that I might have fertility issues. I am so grateful for this journey.
This is really what inspired Evolve Beauty to become what it was today. I want to inspire people to make small changes in their everyday life that would allow them to be healthier inside and out whilst also making the environment a better place too.
ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR INGREDIENTS AND PRODUCTS THAT YOU FOUND THAT HELPED?
For me, what happens on the inside is more important than the outside so I would start with digestion as the main thing. Different skin issues have their roots in different lifestyle issues - it could be stress, gut, liver toxicity, immune dysregulation but all of them have lifestyle factors at the heart.
We have some amazing blogs written about how you can improve your skin from the inside out. Listen to your body and find out what it really needs and it can really make a difference to a variety of skin issues.
Build Your Body Wisdom and Understand What Your Body Really Wants To Eat
DID ANY MAJOR CHANGES IN YOUR LIFE AFFECT YOUR SKIN?
I am sure that teenage hormones played a part in my acne. But I think it was also driven by poor digestion because of antibiotic use as a child. I had several major operations when I was younger and that damaged my gut flora.
WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT SKINCARE ROUTINE?
I am super lucky to try out lots of new products all the time! I still have my favourites from our existing range though like the Gentle Cleansing Melt, the Daily Renew Cream, the Miracle Facial Oil and Bio-Retinol + C Booster for my face.
In terms of bodycare, I love using the Tropical Blossom Body Polish as a lovely exfoliant and the Superfood Shine Natural Shampoo.
HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC CHANGED THE WAY YOU CARE FOR YOUR SKIN?
Since the start of the pandemic, I find that I wear less makeup than before and so I do less to my skin as a general rule. I'm a big believer in less is more! I think this naturally occurred from being home more and outside less.
I'm exercising more which means my skin is getting drier, so I'm using more face and body cream.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF, WHAT SKINCARE ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE?
I would tell myself:
I was beautiful, even with my acne.
I couldn't see it at the time, but when I look at old photos, I can see it now. Appreciate what you look like now, as we only get older (and wiser) from here!
LASTLY, ANY ADVICE FOR EVOLVE BEAUTY CUSTOMERS THAT MIGHT BE GOING THROUGH SIMILAR SKINCARE CONCERNS?
If you struggle with cystic acne like I have in the past, I’d recommend eating an organic diet with plenty of plants to reduce liver toxicity. Be sure to include plenty of fibre to feed a healthy biome. Working on your body from inside out will help you to discover the root of your problems and better your overall lifestyle!
I find that stress is a big factor in the health of our skin so try to reduce stress levels where you can. I like to exercise regularly but being careful not to overexert myself. If you’re finding it hard to sleep at night, reduce your screen time because it can cause even more stress when we’re not getting enough rest.
For some daily reminders, make sure to breathe through your nose, not your mouth. Do things that bring you joy and make you happy. Try to connect with people. The pandemic can make us lose touch with some old friends so pick up the phone and spend some time catching up with them!
In terms of skincare advice, don't wash your face with products that strips off the oil as it will make things worse. Opt for products that are gentle and kind to the skin. For active breakouts, try our Rainforest Blemish Rescue Serum which I formulated especially to be gentle and soothe irritated skin. You can even try using our Daily Defence Moisture Mist to rebalance the skin’s flora.
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