Got acne?
I don’t know what’s worse. The angry red, oozy pimples that take over your face and rob you of your self-esteem or the harsh treatments that turn your skin as dry as sandpaper – and lead to more acne down the line.
Ugh. Isn’t there a way to get rid of acne naturally?
Yes. Just ask Tracy Raftl. Suffering from acne since she was a teen, Tracy tried all the conventional – read harsh – methods to get rid of it. But they only seemed to make things worse.
It was only when she went down the natural route to clear her acne inside and out that Tracy beat her acne and achieved the clear skin she always dreamed of.
Now Tracy’s on a mission to help women do the same, so they can say goodbye to acne, find joy and start rocking the life they were meant to live.
Her blog, The Love Vitamin, is a treasure trove of natural acne remedies while the Naturally Clear Skin Academy gives you access to every ebook, programme and resource Tracy has every created to give you beautiful, naturally clear skin.
In this interview, Tracy shares her skincare routine, her top tips for clear skin and the lifestyle habits that have made her acne-free:
1. When did you become interested in skincare?
I became interested in skincare back in 2010, when my skin broke out in severe acne. Of course I was totally devastated, and I turned to holistic acne treatment and natural skincare to treat it.
2. What’s your skincare routine like?
It’s very minimal and gentle with a heavy emphasis on moisturizing. I learned early on that the the more aggressive or drying your routine, the worse results you’d get. I actually just wash my face with water twice a day (I wear little to no makeup), and then I have three steps to my moisturizing routine.
3. If you could use only 3 skincare products for the rest of your life, what would they be?
Since I have three steps to my moisturizing, it’s those three products/steps that I would choose to use for the rest of my life. They are:
1. While my face is still wet from washing, I apply a Vitamin C serum (the SAP/sodium ascorbyl phosphate form). Specifically I’m using a product called “All Natural Advice – Vitamin C anti-aging serum“. Note that SAP is not only great for anti-aging but super powerful against acne too.
2. Immediately after I apply the Vitamin C serum, I apply a homemade mix of high quality aloe vera gel and glycerin. This my humectant step for bringing in moisture. My skin LOVES this. It’s never felt so good as after I started using glycerin in my routine.
3. Finish it up with a couple of drops of homemade oil and essential oil mix to seal all the moisture in and add nutrients. There’s a lot of stuff in my mix, but it isn’t exactly fixed. I play around with it. But what’s in it right now is argan oil, tamanu oil, red raspberry seed oil, and for essential oils: frankincense, lavender, myrrh, and I think helichrysum.
My routine has evolved a lot over the years, but I really think I might stick with this basic format for the rest of my life (and not just because you asked ;). My skin feels great.
4. What Are Your Fave Skincare Brands And Why?
I don’t really have favourite skincare brands, as I mainly make my own — but there’s a lot of amazing natural products out there these day.
5. What Are Your Top 3 Skincare Tips To Take Care Of Your Skin?
Top skin care tips:
1. Treat your skin with love. Which means don’t use harsh products that strip and dry out your skin. Don’t pick at it and squeeze it and harass it. Don’t beat yourself up because of the way it looks. Give it love and nourishment and gentleness it will heal and look its best. Think of it as a metaphor for your life and how you treat yourself and other people. How would you want to be treated? Treat your skin this way.
2. Moisture — so much moisture! Your skin needs water in it in order to function the way it should. Without water, pores get blocked, bacteria are able to enter, and facial lines look way more prominent. It’s really key.
3. Don’t worry about it too much and keep it simple. You don’t actually need a thousand products and a skincare routine that takes you two hours. You don’t need to feel controlled by your skin care.
6. What Skincare Treatments Do You Regularly Have Done?
I don’t do any regular skin care treatments — too lazy for that 😉
7. What Skincare Habits Do You Have That Keep Your Skin In Top Shape
I live a generally healthy lifestyle to keep my skin in shape, but I don’t take it as seriously as I used to. There used to be so much fear around food and lifestyle stuff — fear that if I ate something wrong or made a misstep with my routine, that my acne would all come rushing back. I’ve done a lot of mindset work in this area. Now I eat well (mostly whole foods), try to get lots of sleep, exercise, and keep a handle on my stress. But these things are just something I do now, and it’s not that big a deal. It doesn’t cause me anxiety the way it used to. I am a lot more lenient with my diet for example, and my skin looks just as good as when I was super strict. I’m a lot happier too!
8. What’s In Your Makeup Bag?
A small thing of concealer (from Juice Beauty) and mascara. That’s about it. Well, I’ve got some random makeup for the odd occasion, but 99% of the time, small dabs of concealer here and there and some mascara is all I use.
Thank you, Tracy!
For more tips on how to fight acne naturally, check Tracy’s website, The Love Vitamin or take her online courses at Naturally Clear Skin Academy. You can also keep up with her on Facebook and Instagram.
