How I Fixed My Skin

I’ve recently started receiving compliments for my skin which, believe me, is novel at the age of 33. When I tell people I have problem skin they normally give me a funny look and try to convince me otherwise. The problem with my skin is that it’s not obviously problematic. It’s only when I take my foundation off that you can see my rosacea (redness) and if you look at my skin through a mag-lamp you can see that it’s extremely congested deep-down. Dermatologists have confirmed my concerns, so I know it’s not insecurity or dermadismorphia (is that a thing?).

About 6 months ago I went to a new dermatologist to try to get to the bottom of things and sort my skin out once and for all; I was sick of STILL having bad skin wayyy beyond puberty and my twenties. Gah! It reached a point where my skin was extremely red, irritated and physically sore when I touched it. I was prescribed a light oral skin antibiotic, Skinoren gel and light regular peels.

They didn’t work. 

I tried the prescribed treatment plan for a few months but the rosacea and congestion persisted. I decided to stop said plan in search of something else; back to square one. My friend Christina who owns Pure Esthetics in Parkmore recommended I try a new all-natural skin supplement called MAPP. I bought myself a 30 day supplement pack and hoped for the best. At this juncture I also decided to swap out my beauty regime for Environ at the recommendation of Camilla at All Dolled Up. I’d used Environ a decade prior and had forgotten about it, but remembered loving the products and the way they felt on my skin. Camilla also recommended I visit the Environ treatment centre in Cape Town for a facial with Nina, which I did.

The facial was excellent and completely different to anything I’d ever had, complete with electrical currents and charged probes used to dislodge congestion and also aid in the penetration of the Environ products used during the facial. It ended with a masque and a foot massage (heaven!), but the best part was Nina’s advice to add Environ’s Intensive Alpha Hydroxy Cream to my repertoire, every second night, to exfoliate and get to work on my congestion. For the past three months I’ve been using both MAPP and Environ religiously and my skin is better than it’s ever been. The rosacea is almost completely gone bar some patches on my cheeks, the sensitivity has disappeared and my congestion is minimal.

On my most recent visit to Nina she added Environ’s C Boost to my repertoire to get to work on my pigmentation and skin-tone. I’ve only been using it for about a week so it’s a little too early to tell, but I’ll report back in a few months time.

A little more about MAPP, which I cannot recommend highly enough. Note, this blog post is not sponsored and I’m speaking strictly from my own experience. MAPP is a locally made all-natural skin supplement for problematic skin. It comes in two varieties, the MAPP 10 booster/starter course for a kick-start to really problematic skin, and MAPP 30 which is a monthly maintenance plan. I went straight to MAPP 30 and take two capsules at night as I’m bad at remembering to take pills twice daily.

Here’s what MAPP does:

• May relieve pain, inflammation and redness of the skin
• The active ingredient contains oleoresins which when ingested are excreted through the skin’s mucus membranes disinfecting secretions and promoting healing of the underlying cause
• Reduces excess production of sebum, thereby diminishing the volume of bacteria found on the skin
• Improves the function of the digestive system and the liver, both of which play an important role in maintaining a healthy skin
• The lipid lowering effect of the active ingredient helps control pimples, white heads & pus containing cysts or pustules

My plan is to continue to use MAPP for monthly skin maintenance, and I love that it’s all-natural. You can buy MAPP 10 & 30 from Pure Esthetics or from MAPP online.

A few other changes I’ve made on my journey to better skin:

Another product I’ve added to my repertoire is the Body Shop’s Chamomile Silky Cleansing Oil, also recommended by All Dolled Up, which I use religiously to clean my face. Oil comes off best with oil and I just love the way this product feels – cleansing and calming. It does require a facecloth or cotton rounds to remove the oily residue post cleanse. I’ve actually recommened this to clients of mine at The Browery and I’ve had good feedback from them too.

From a nutritional point of view two major changes I’ve made are to the gut:

• A monthly Imsyser intestinal cleanse to rid the intestine of toxic build up and to detoxify the body; it all starts in the gut. I get mine from Dischem, and no, you won’t need to dash to the bathroom. I now make sure I do this for the first week of every month.
• Adding apple-cider vinegar to my diet. Apple-cider vinegar has a ton of benefits (reduces cholesterol and blood sugar, aids in weight loss, reduces dandruff to name a few), but most important to me is it’s a digestive aid and really good for the gut, which as we know is central to our overall health. I drink it once a day in hot water with a little cinnamon, like a tea. Some people can’t stand the taste, but I’m the person who drinks pickle juice from the jar so I really don’t mind it. Make sure you buy the one with the ‘mother’, also available at Dischem.

I’m so grateful for my encounters with Christina and Camilla; my skin has never looked this good and I’m hoping it’ll continue to improve! I’ve even noticed a reduction in the size of my pores which I didn’t know was possible. I hope you’ve found this post useful, and if you’re battling on a skin journey of your own, I hope this brings some respite and relief. Please comment and let me know your thoughts; I’d love to hear what’s worked for you too.

Misha xoxo