HOW I GOT THE BEST SKIN OF MY LIFE

I'm not sure why I feel like sharing all of my personal stories lately. Last week I shared the story of why I went vegan and today I am sharing my skincare story and how I now have the best skin of my life.

I was around 14 when I first started getting acne and it just kept getting worse and worse. Part of the problem was that I wasn't taking care of my skin properly because I didn't know how. I started trying lots of different products and nothing was really working. I was young so I didn't research what products I needed or what ingredients to look for or stay away from. It was just a lot of trial and error and hoping that something would magically fix what was going on.

I don't have a lot of photos from when my skin was at it's worst because I obviously didn't want to be in photos. My skin really affected me and had a very negative impact, I had low self-esteem, it made me very emotional to talk about it, and it was just another thing to worry about. And something a teenager does not need is another thing to worry about...

I think this photo was taken around when my acne was at its worst. It makes me so sad to look at this photo and remember how I felt.

Eventually, I got referred to a dermatologist and he put me on pills that didn't work (can't remember the name) and then he put me on Accutane. And oh my goodness, what a wonderful and horrible drug. While I was taking Accutane my acne did clear up but this drug is so toxic that you cannot get pregnant while on it or your fetus will be deformed. It dries out your skin like crazy, it's very bad for your liver, and they don't even know why it works! I won't lie, it worked really well I had great skin for a few months but then my acne came back and the dermatologist gave me a second round of Accutane. After the second round, my acne was mostly gone but I was left with a lot of scars and hyperpigmentation and my acne slowly came back again.

I do not recommend Accutane for anyone, it's just a temporary fix and it does a lot of damage to your body which in the end doesn't seem worth it. There's usually a lot more going on inside your body and it shows up as acne and I've discovered that there are so many other ways to get rid of acne that are safe, natural, and effective.

Okay so fast forward to today, almost 8 years later. I still struggle with acne. It's nothing like it was before and since going vegan, cutting out major stress, and sleeping better it has been more manageable and the overall condition of my skin is so much better. There have been a lot of trial and errors with skincare products but in the last couple of months, I have seen the biggest change in my skin and it's all thanks to a very special space in Calgary called XO Treatment Room. One of the many things that make XO so special is the amazing owner, Annie. I reached out to Annie as a blogger in hopes to work together. She doesn't work with a lot of bloggers so I was very excited that she loved the challenge of creating a completely vegan facial!

Annie is so passionate about clean products (one of the many reasons I trust her) so I didn't have to worry about nasty chemicals in what she used but lots of products are not certified vegan so she checked every ingredient and made sure it was!

For our collab Annie did the XOA treatment, a completely custom facial based on your skin, live on Instagram! Yes, that's right, people watched me get a facial while Annie gave them all of her amazing skincare knowledge. My skin was textured and acne prone so she used a laser to kill bacteria and reduce inflammation and to not leave the skin too angry she finished with a protein and zinc mask with some ultrasound. My skin felt incredible after but it also felt a bit tight and dry but apparently, I had been over-moisturizing my face and I needed to make my skin glands work themselves.

My most recent treatment I had at XO was a life changer. We did the Laser Glow which kills acne and evens out the surface of the face and the best part is there's no down time. And just so you know, the lasers don't hurt at all they are just warm and tickly on the skin. The Laser Glow improved my overall skin tone and reduced the hyperpigmentation from my acne scars so much. My skin has never looked so amazing. About two weeks after I thought my skin was getting worse but now it is the best skin I have ever had. I have been also using a lot of products from XO like the XO PM. If you want to see my full skincare routine leave me a comment below!

I literally took this photo this morning. I have no makeup and I'm standing in front of my ring light. My skin isn't perfect but I'm happy with how it's looking and knowing that it will only get better.

"Smiling and laughing and being happy really is the glow in the end." -Annie

It has been such a long journey with a lot of wasted money and trials and mostly errors but I definitely feel that Annie is putting me on the right path for healthy skin.

If you are struggling with acne or any other skin issues I want you to know that it will get better and I would love to chat! Send me an email at hello@lifewithzandra.com. I also recommend doing as much research as possible when it comes to choosing products or treatments for your skin.

Take care of your body, it's the only one you get!

Disclaimer: This post was not created for XO Treatment Room. I wanted to create this to share how much I truly love it and what it has done for my skin.

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