Top Tips For Clear Glowy Skin - By Me & Experts

Summary

Pursuit of Wellness Podcast Summary
Episode: Top Tips For Clear Glowy Skin - By Me & Experts
Host: Mari Llewellyn
Release Date: March 6, 2025

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Introduction

In this enlightening episode of Pursuit of Wellness, host Mari Llewellyn delves deep into the multifaceted world of skincare, sharing her personal journey with acne and collaborating with skincare expert Jackie to provide listeners with actionable tips for achieving clear, glowing skin. The conversation also features insights from guest Emily, who discusses the impact of environmental factors and genetics on skin health.

Mari's Personal Skin Journey

Mari opens up about her extensive battle with cystic acne, which persisted from her teenage years into adulthood.
Mari Llewellyn [00:00]:
"I had 10 years of cystic acne, so as a teenager I really didn't have that much acne. My acne really picked up like end of college into adulthood and it just got gradually worse and worse."

Despite numerous treatments—including antibiotics like doxycycline and spironolactone, and various diets such as carnivore and keto—Mari found little relief until she identified a gut bacteria, H. Pylori, as the underlying cause.
Mari Llewellyn [04:10]:
"The only thing that ultimately worked was figuring out that I had a gut bacteria called H. Pylori."

Healing her acne allowed Mari to focus on issues like scarring and aging, enhancing her skincare routine, especially during her IVF journey.

Skincare Practices and Product Recommendations

Mari shares a comprehensive list of skincare practices and products that have significantly improved her skin health:

• Red Light Therapy:
  Mari [05:10]:
  "Red light therapy is amazing for face and body skin. Really good for scarring, inflammation, even like wound healing."
  She recommends Bon Charge, highlighting their red light face masks and panels.

• Steam Therapy (SAA):
  Mari [06:00]:
  "SAA steam is really good for sweating, detoxing, flushing out the skin."
  She emphasizes the importance of washing the face immediately after steam to prevent sweat residue from causing breakouts.

• Hydrinity Hyacinth Mist:
  Mari [07:15]:
  "It's an antimicrobial mist. It remains stable and will kill any bacteria."
  Ideal for post-workout or sauna sessions when washing the face isn't feasible.

• Clear Stem Products:
  Mari discusses using acne-safe products from Clear Stem, including body lotions, hair care, and lip balms.
  Mari [08:30]:
  "If you're struggling with breakouts, limited makeup and acne-safe products like Clear Stem are essential."

• Limited Makeup Usage:
  Mari advocates for minimal makeup to allow the skin to breathe, using products like tinted sunscreens and eyebrow gels.
  Mari [09:00]:
  "I don't put makeup on my skin unless absolutely necessary."

• Additional Tools:
  Ice Rollers for inflammation and Gua Sha tools for lymphatic drainage are part of her routine.
  Mari [09:45]:
  "I have been playing around with the gua sha. It feels good and helps flush out the lymph nodes."

Expert Insights from Jackie

Jackie, Mari's esthetician from Vixen, shares her professional expertise on effective skincare routines:

• Proper Face Washing Techniques:
  Jackie [10:55]:
  "Everyone is washing their face wrong."
  She recommends dedicating at least one minute to facial cleansing, ensuring thorough removal of sebum, dirt, and pollutants.
  Jackie [11:03]:
  "How is your skin supposed to breathe and absorb any of your products if it's not clean?"

• Balancing Skin Care and Lifestyle Factors:
  Jackie emphasizes that while skincare products are important, factors like diet and stress management play a more significant role—accounting for approximately 25-30% of skin health.
  Jackie [12:42]:
  "It's whoever you're talking to, if you're talking to an esthetician, they're going to say skin care is 95. If you talk to a nutritionist, they're going to say diet is 95%."

The Importance of Diet and Stress Management

The conversation underscores the profound impact of diet and stress on skin health:

• Diet's Role:
  Jackie [19:05]:
  "Literally your skin is a reflection of what's happening inside your body and the amount of inflammatory foods that we're eating."
  Mari and Jackie discuss how eliminating inflammatory foods like certain dairy products can reduce breakouts.

• Stress Management:
  Jackie [17:18]:
  "Stress is huge when it comes to skin and people often overlook that."
  She recommends incorporating stress-reducing practices into daily routines, such as morning meditation or quiet walks.

The Myth of "Clean" Skincare and Pore-Clogging Ingredients

A critical discussion emerges around the misconception that "clean" skincare equates to non-pore-clogging:

• Defining "Clean" Skincare:
  Jackie [20:51]:
  "Clean does not mean acne safe. It just means free of endocrine disruptors and toxins."
  The lack of standardized certifications leads to confusion, urging consumers to research ingredients diligently.

• Identifying Pore-Clogging Ingredients:
  Danielle [40:11]:
  "When you are using a product topically and it has any filler agent that is thicker than your natural oil, it can clog your pore."
  She advises using ingredient checkers and trusted brands to avoid breakout-inducing products.

Accutane: Risks and Alternatives

The episode addresses the controversial use of Accutane for severe acne:

• Risks of Accutane:
  Jackie [22:34]:
  "If you get pregnant you can severely deform your fetus... there’s a laundry list of things that can potentially happen."
  Both Jackie and Mari express caution against using Accutane, especially for those planning to conceive.

• Natural Alternatives:
  Mari and Emily discuss exploring natural supplements like beef liver and kidney, as well as glutathione injections, to support skin health without the severe side effects associated with Accutane.

Guest Insights: Emily on Mold and Genetic Factors

Emily contributes her experiences with environmental and genetic influences on her skin:

• Impact of Mold and Environment:
  Emily [24:36]:
  "Like when I moved to Nashville, my body just freaked out because it's humid there."
  She explains how moving to different climates can trigger skin issues due to her body's genetic inability to detox effectively.

• Genetic Influences:
  Emily [26:18]:
  "I have a gene where my body has a hard time detox."
  This genetic predisposition exacerbates her skin's reaction to environmental pollutants.

Makeup Choices for Acne-Prone Skin

The importance of selecting non-pore-clogging makeup is highlighted:

• Recommended Brands:
  Jackie and the team endorse brands like Priya, Euphoria, and Make Beauty, which prioritize non-clogging ingredients.
  Danielle [43:41]:
  "Priya is 100% safe and aligns with our acne-safe ethos."

• Avoiding Harmful Ingredients:
  They caution against using products with ingredients like hexal la found in some traditional brands, which can exacerbate acne.

Retinoids: Benefits and Side Effects

The discussion delves into the use of retinoids in skincare:

• Understanding Purging:
  Danielle [48:10]:
  "Pretty much all retinols are going to make you purge."
  They explain that while retinoids can be beneficial, they may cause initial breakouts as the skin adjusts.

• Prescription vs. Over-the-Counter Retinoids:
  Prescription-strength retinoids like tretinoin can cause severe purging and are often accompanied by pore-clogging fillers, making them unsuitable for acne-prone individuals.

Best Practices for Microneedling

Microneedling is examined as a treatment option:

• When to Microneedle:
  Danielle [53:02]:
  "If you're past the breaking out stage or you're in a stage where you're not really breaking out, then microneedling is fantastic."
  It's advised to avoid microneedling during active breakout phases to prevent exacerbating acne.

• Post-Treatment Care:
  Proper post-microneedling care, including using non-comedogenic products and applying sunscreen, is crucial to optimize healing and prevent further breakouts.

Conclusion

This episode of Pursuit of Wellness offers a holistic approach to achieving clear, glowing skin by integrating effective skincare routines, mindful dietary choices, and stress management practices. Through personal anecdotes and expert advice, Mari and her guests empower listeners to take control of their skin health from the inside out, debunking myths and providing practical solutions for acne-prone individuals.

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Notable Quotes:

• Mari Llewellyn [00:00]:
  "I had 10 years of cystic acne,... the only thing that ultimately worked was figuring out that I had a gut bacteria called H. Pylori."

• Jackie [10:55]:
  "Everyone is washing their face wrong."

• Jackie [20:51]:
  "Clean does not mean acne safe... free of endocrine disruptors and toxins."

• Danielle [40:16]:
  "Clean does not mean acne safe... acne is both internal and external."

• Jackie [22:34]:
  "If you get pregnant you can severely deform your fetus..."

• Danielle [48:10]:
  "Pretty much all retinols are going to make you purge."

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Disclaimer:
The content of this summary is based on the Pursuit of Wellness podcast episode and is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider for personalized health recommendations.

Transcript

[Mari Llewellyn]

This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn. Hi, guys. Welcome back to the show. My name is Mari. I am your host and today we are talking skin. We are going to hear from some amazing experts today. I've had so many incredible skin experts on the show. We talk about acne, aging, ways to just like, look your glowiest. I have personally been through my own crazy skin journey. I am so happy with where my skin's at now. I feel like I, for the first time in my life, I'm not struggling with breakouts. I had 10 years of cystic acne, so as a teenager I really like, didn't have that much acne. My acne really picked up like end of college into adulthood and it just got gradually worse and worse. And I really couldn't figure out why I got so much testing done. At first it was because I had high testosterone. I was put on all these different antibiotics like doxycycline and, you know, the classic dermatologist solutions. And none of it worked for me. And it would just come and go, come and go. Tried spironolactone. That worked, but not amazing. I tried crazy diets. I did carnivore, I did keto. I cut everything out. It was actually such a crazy time for me. The only thing that ultimately worked was figuring out that I had a gut bacteria called H. Pylori. I've talked about this many, many times. So you should go back and listen to some of my H. Pylori episodes. If you want more info, listen to my episode with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon as well. But ever since healing my acne, I feel like I've really gotten to focus on scarring, aging, kind of like the fun skin stuff, which has been so exciting, especially during ivf, to have some like self care tools to focus on. It's been really fun. So I wanted to just give you guys like some suggestions. I have some products I've been loving, tools I've been loving. I also spoke to my esthetician, Jackie from Vixen, which is where I get all my facials and got some suggestions from her of what to tell you guys with like products we've used on my face, treatments, we've done things like that. I actually do really want to get her on the podcast at some point, but tbd right now we've kind of put a pause on guest episodes, but coming back soon, I'm just trying to get through this IVF home stretch. So I want to talk to you guys about some of the things I do in my life that help with skin. Red light therapy, huge. I think red light therapy is amazing for face and body skin. Really good for scarring, inflammation, even like wound healing. I feel like when I'm consistent with my red light is when my skin looks the best. I love Bon Charge. Great red light therapy brand. I work with them, but I also just love the products. They have a red light face masks that you can do things while wearing. You just wear it 10 minutes a day. They also have panels, tons of different options. So red light therapy. I also feel like you can meditate, you can cook, like so many things you can do while doing red light. I also love the SAA or steam. I think really good for sweating, detoxing, flushing out the skin. Obviously wash your face right afterwards. But that has been like some a great tool for me. I think that saa, steam, sweating, detoxing. I feel like my skin always looks so good afterwards. I just make sure that I wash my face really quickly so that the sweat isn't sitting on my face. You guys can also get like sprays that kill the bacteria. I really like the Hydrinity Hyacinth mist. It's an antimicrobial mist. It remains stable and will kill any bacteria. So like I do that after riding my horse, after the gym, after the sauna. If you need a quick solution and you can't wash your face, really. I mean, when my acne was really bad, I used acne safe products like hair. You guys know I love clear stem. They have acne safe body lotion, hair care lip balm. Like I do break out around my mouth quite a lot. So I use acne safe lip balm. I will say now that my acne is gone, I do use like regular makeup products because I feel like my skin isn't breaking out from it anymore. So I kind of balance between acne safe and like toxic is the wrong word. But like, you know, normal products. Just something to keep in mind if you're struggling with breakouts. I would say limited makeup. Like if I'm not on camera, if I don't have important meetings, I'm just wearing my Chlora Science sunscreen, which is tinted and benefit lip tint, eyebrow gel and I'm curling my lashes and that's it. Like I don't put makeup on my skin unless absolutely necessary. I also love ice rollers if you're struggling with inflammation and as I just said, sunscreen daily. I also have been playing around with the gua sha. I have a stainless steel face gy gouache that I'll do in the morning if I feel like I'm a little puffy. I've definitely been dealing with face puff more with ivf, like with all the hormones and what, what have you. So I've been enjoying that and just kind of like you know, doing those self care moments. Some products I've been loving. Okay. These are kind of like fun additions. You guys have probably seen me doing these. My number one. I feel like I'm going to have to order more of these. I don't want them to sell out. I freaking love them. Are my Jouer eye masks. They are like the gold eye masks. I'll wear them to like workout classes, walk. They are so moist and make you so dewy under the eyes and I just feel like they're so hydrating. But they are so cute. Like I've had a couple people ask me if I'm wearing Gucci eye masks which is so crazy cuz they look, they kind of look like Gucci. I think I saw them on Haley Bieber and research them. I seriously am obsessed. My drawer is full of them. So I'll just like go about my morning wearing these eye masks and people kind of don't care. Like they're like, oh my God. Love your eye mask. So cute. It kind of is a vibe. It like fits with the pilates look. So I love, love, love my Jouer eye masks. J O U E R so it's like French. I think Jouer means to play in French, which is interesting. Epicutus face masks. These are my holy grail hydration masks. It's like in a. It's a black packaging, very chic, very gorgeous. Comes in a box. They are a little more expensive but these are like, they hydrate my face so well. I wear them for like 30 minutes before bed. It is like the perfect thing to do after traveling. Even after the sauna. Like anything that's drying your face out. Like when I was in Colorado I brought them with me. Really, really good for that. Like glow. Also, I posted this on Tick Tock today. I have seen all the Tick Tock girlies, like acquired style and Bridget and all of them. Maybe her name is Bridget. All the cute girly pops on TikTok are doing this face mask where it looks like they have like 3D shiny skin when they wake up. It's an overnight mask. I believe it's Korean. I'm not sure. It's called Medicube. Okay. I Get it on Amazon. I just ordered five more this morning. You wake up and you peel it off, and it's like, the most. I mean, you're like a lizard. Like, you peel your whole face off, and you're just so glowy and gorgeous underneath. I. I'm obsessed. I'm, like, really weird with wearing stuff at night. Like, if I do weird hair things or face things, I, like, feel it. And I wake up a lot, so I'm a little bit tired today because, well, I think I'm also just anxious. But this face mask makes you so glowy and gorgeous. So now I get why all the girls are using it. And I feel like so many of these products are from Asia. Like, I feel like Asia really has their skincare figured out, and we're just, like, catching on, you know? So Metacube. It's like a little pink squeeze bottle. Put it all over your face. Be careful of getting it in your hair. I definitely did that. And it looks like I have dandruff everywhere, but I really just have, like, the face mask in my hair, so that I've been loving. And then I mentioned to you guys the gua sha. I do, like, this part of my face, like, upper cheek, jawline, down the neck. I don't do much more than that. I don't really know the technique, but it does feel good, and I feel like it's, like flushing out the lymph nodes. Okay. Some notes from Jackie, my esthetician, of what we did in the treatment room. She wanted me to mention, if you have breakouts and acne, it's important that you find someone who specializes in acne. They should have good before and afters testimonials, just not all talk. You want someone who's trained in face reality and dmk, and I think that's really important. I've. I've tried a lot of different estheticians, and Jackie's been amazing for me because she's so acne focused, and she has, like, an acne boot camp here in Austin. Oh, God, I hope she doesn't get booked up either. Jackie, keep my appointments, please. We do chemical peels. We do micro needling. I have micro needling booked with her this week for my scarring. Like, she's really seen me through every stage of my acne. She's also really good because I'll text her, like, back when my acne was really bad and I'd, like, freak out about a breakout, she would talk me off a ledge, help me stop picking all the things. So she said I had a combination of inflamed cystic and non inflamed acne. We would do peels depending on what her skin could handle. They were face reality brand peels. We did LED therapy to kill acne causing bacteria and reduce inflammation. When we started working on my pigment, we used a brightening peel. That's what we use now, I think microneedling to address pigment and texture routine. We have me using a gentle cleanser from Clear Stem. We were icing the skin for inflammation. I do mandelic acid. I do beta gel, which is like a hydration. Vivid brightening, which is for scarring. I do acne med, which is benzoyl peroxide. Just a light amount on the face. We also used back when my acne was bad, DMK actual powder. It's like a powder that like controls sebum production and you can kind of use it as a makeup, which is really cool. So a lot of great tips here. And also, guys, I used to get extractions way too frequently back in la. These women would destroy my face. It was crazy. Jackie's very, like, selective with when she's extracting me. Always keeps it light. But like, extractions do help. You know, it depends on how much acne and what kind of acne. But like every other week or so, consistent peels someone who's just like very knowledgeable and helping you. So, yeah, I wanted to give you guys a little look at what I do for my skin. I hope this was helpful. So now let's hop into this mashup of our base, best and most popular skin experts.

[Jackie]

Everyone is washing their face wrong.

[Mari Llewellyn]

What? Am I washing my face wrong?

[Jackie]

I mean, probably.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay.

[Jackie]

This is one of my biggest, biggest things I like to talk about because think about the end of the day. We are, we're done, we're exhausted. We're literally. I don't want to mess up my mic, but we're doing a, a five second, like, cleanser to get our makeup off. If you took a white cotton round and put it on your skin, what would that look like after you wash your face?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yep. No, you're right. And I've actually tested this out and that's why I do multiple washes now cleanses. Because I was not doing it the right way.

[Jackie]

And no one is. I mean, we're just not thinking about it. So pow. Girls, I challenge you. Put a timer on your phone for one minute and then cleanse your face. Like facial massage. Get in there, make sure you're hitting Your upper lip, the bridge of your nose, all the way up to your hairline, your neck, like chin acne. I mean, are we even washing the sebum? Dirt, oil, indoor pollutants, outdoor pollutants, makeup. Like, how is your skin supposed to breathe and absorb any of your products if it's not clean? I just use one cleanser, just one gel based gentle cleanser for my makeup.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And if I use, everyone's gonna want to know.

[Jackie]

I love two. I love the honest simple gel cleanser. It's like 15 bucks.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay.

[Jackie]

Really good. And then the clear stem cleanser is also incredible. A little bit more expensive, but it's very nice.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay. We love clear stem.

[Jackie]

It's great.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That was my other question. With all of these recommendations with diet, stress, etc, how important is the actual skincare we're using?

[Jackie]

I think it's probably, it's, it's so hard because everyone's different. It's like if your diet is a hundred, then it's fifty. But it depends where you are in your journey and what you're, what you're doing. I always like to say it's probably 25 to 30%, which is crazy because.

[Mari Llewellyn]

People think it's the thing that will fix their skin.

[Jackie]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And it's not. It's like the added bonus.

[Jackie]

It's whoever you're talking to, if you're talking to an esthetician, they're going to say skin care is 95. If you talk to a nutritionist, they're going to say diet is 95%. If you talk to a dermatologist, they're going to say, you know, it's genetics and medication is going to be the 95% and just put Aquaphor on your face. So everyone, when you're listening to people online, just know your intuition and what you think is happening in your body is, is really what's happening. Sure. We have a lot of education to do and you're dealing with your skin and you're struggling, but you can't listen to everyone or everything you hear. Especially if there's some sort of motive that involves you paying someone.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. Like the whole slugging trend. I'm going to pass on that one.

[Jackie]

Hard pass. If you're acne prone.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Hard pass, like love it for you guys. Not for me.

[Jackie]

No, no. A crazy occlusive barrier that's literally meant to clog your pores.

[Mari Llewellyn]

They're using Vaseline, right?

[Jackie]

Yeah. If you have dry 55 year old skin, 60 year old skin, you've never had a breakout Go go off. Slug yourself. Enjoy. Like I'm not gonna put the byproduct of oil manufacturing on my face personally, but there's lots of things you could slug with I love that are non toxic.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I've been super into my hair and skincare lately and I wish I knew that satin is so bad for you. But Blissy Silk is an incredible game changer. It has made such a difference with my hair and skin. It's so much better than satin which is made from synthetics, rough on hair and skin and cheap for a reason. Silk has anti aging properties, reduces fine lines and wrinkles over time. It also helps eliminate frizz and preserve hairstyles and protects color treated hair. It's dermatologist tested and recommended, clinically proven to not clog pores which is really really helpful. It's also antibacterial and hypoallergenic. I feel like all of us girls are trying to maintain our blowouts, keep things looking cute for many days in a row and silk can help us do that. I am so obsessed with my Blissey pillowcase. It's like the one that I grab for every single night. I'm absolutely obsessed. Because you're a listener, Blissey is offering 60 nights risk free plus an additional 30 off when you [e-mail] podcast that's Blissey B L I S S-Y.com PowerPod P W P O D and use code powpod to get an additional 30% off your skin and hair will thank you. I have been obsessed with health and fitness for so many years now and there's definitely so many niche health brands that I like to have in the fridge in the pantry that are difficult to find at my local grocery store. And that is why I love Thrive Market. I've been using it for years. It's my go to online grocery store for getting all of my healthy essentials delivered and I don't even have to leave my couch. I absolutely love Chomps Beef sticks, I love Primal Kitchen, I love cat and they have all of my favorite health brands on the website. I also love the fact that Thrive Market is the no junk online grocery store. It bans over 1000 harmful ingredients so I know that they're filtering all of the food they have on there. I also love that they have so many on site filters which makes it so easy to shop for your needs. Whether it's gluten free snacks, high protein meals or non toxic cleaning products. I'm super focused on high protein and like paleo eating. So I really like to filter that way and I can find my favorite things quickly. I also love their Healthy Swap scanner. If you have something you love and you want a healthy alternative, you can scan the product and it instantly recommends a cleaner alternative. For example, they have simple mills crackers, lesser Eva popcorn. And I love that I'm making better choices. Ready to make the switch? Head to thrivemarket.com pal for 30 off your first order plus a free $60 gift. That's thrive market.com pal. Your content is amazing. The Eat to Glow recipes are my fave. What would you say are your key principles when it comes to skills, skin and like, what actually works?

[Jackie]

Yeah, I mean there's so many things, so it's like, okay, we'll get into it. Some, some things I feel like no matter what is happening with your own personal gut or hormones, like, this can be helpful and beneficial for you. The number one thing that I would see when I did private coaching, stress is huge when it comes to skin and people often overlook that. So what I always recommend is having some stress management practices. And it might sound silly and woo woo, but, but just having those first 15 to 30 minutes of your day being phone free, caffeine free and taking a moment. Whether it's legitimately petting Arnold for 10 minutes and just getting a serotonin boost or it's going on a silent walk or it's stretching, like whatever feels good to you, that moment of decompressing and starting your day on a more mellow note is going to be really helpful for your hormones and your skin.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yep. As a mum, do you wake up before OD in order to get that time?

[Jackie]

I wake up at 5.

[Mari Llewellyn]

In order to like have your own moment. Yeah. Okay. I like that. I want to give tips to any mums listening because I know I have a bunch.

[Jackie]

Yes. I mean, all you mamas out there, first of all, you're doing it. No matter what you're doing. You're incredible. Because it is truly the hardest job and the hardest job to balance, you know, having your own time to take care of yourself. But I will say, myself included, we spend way too much time on our phones. So if you had half of that time back, you could probably do all the wellness things that you wanted. Okay, so stress one, two is diet. And as Mari and I both experienced recently with cheese breakouts. Not the cheese, not me ordering pizza at my house.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I think it's, I got it for the boys. What is wrong with us? Like every weekend I'm Like, I could probably eat cheese now. No, still can't. Like what?

[Jackie]

No, you can't.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Because I have so many guests on the show who talk about the benefits of raw dairy and I'm like, let me dabble. But every time I break out and.

[Jackie]

We'Re all so bio individual. So Mari and I are sensitive girlies.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Super sensitive in every meaning of the word.

[Jackie]

We can't do anything fun. No, we can't. But there are consequences, including cheese.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I love when we both show up at Pilates with breakouts and we're like.

[Jackie]

I ate cheese, damn you. It's just so good.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It's so good.

[Jackie]

I will say cheese hack. Parmesan cheese. Aged good Parmesan cheese. Most of the lactose, which is, you know, potential to break you out, is metabolized by bacteria. So you can get away with parm. I can get away with parmesan cheese.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yep. I had it actually last weekend and I think my breakouts are just from micro needling right now. So I think you're right.

[Jackie]

So cheese hack.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Cheese hack.

[Jackie]

But diet is so, so huge. Literally your skin is a reflection of what's happening inside your body and the amount of inflammatory foods that we're eating. Unbeknownst to us, for the most part, we're crazy with labels after however many years of, you know, like stress and struggle. But the average pal girly may not realize how much sugar is in her food, how much inflammatory oils are in her food, what, the dairy, the gums, the additive preservatives. I mean, I cook like 95% of my food. That's how I keep my skin clear and I know it's in it.

[Mari Llewellyn]

How do we know if a product is actually non pore clogging versus it's just marketing itself as clean?

[Jackie]

This is something I've been getting into recently too. Like, this is very eye opening for me. They're completely different things. I mean, the hard thing is is that there's no real certification for clean skincare like there is for organic. We don't know. It's a greenwashing marketing term. It's really about knowing the ingredients and what their potential high usage result is. So is it endocrine disrupting? Is it causing cancer? Is it irritating your skin? And it is very, very challenging to distinguish product from product. Plus what no one really knows is say we figure out, okay, phthalates are bad, companies will then reformulate a chemical component and rename pretty much the same thing, a different jargony term. Once consumers have found out what phthalates are, they'll come up with a new jargony name. So like it's really impossible for you to know what's clean. Find your trusted sources, environmental working group, think dirty brands like Credo. And that's your first line of defense.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Jackie]

And the second line of defense, if you're an acne prone girly, is to find either an influencer you trust to shop their recommendations. Me, Emily, Mari and what she uses, brands that you trust. Maybe it's clear stem, maybe it's Cocokind like those brands that don't use pork logging ingredients even though Cocokind does have some. So it really, it takes a little bit of research or you can just find your people and know that they're doing the research for you.

[Mari Llewellyn]

You went through different stages of trying Spironolactone, Accutane.

[Jackie]

I didn't try Accutane. That was one thing. My dermatologist wanted me to do it as a last ditch resort. But I knew I wanted to be a mother and just the potential infertility and you know, the liver issues, I was not willing to deal with any of those side effects. Being a nurse, I actually read the information about the side effects and that was the one thing I didn't.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So same. I never took Accutane. What would you say are the crazies side effects of Accutane?

[Jackie]

I need to look again because like right off the top of my head. But I know that it can really damage your liver. I know if you get pregnant you can severely deform your fetus. I know it can sometimes kind of bring up autoimmune issues, skin issues as far as like really dry, irritated red skin. Skin that ages more prematurely because you have no oils. I mean there's a laundry list of things that can potentially happen. And as we know from TikTok, Alex Earl four times on Accutane. Yeah, it's not a solution that people claim that it is. Getting to the root cause of what's happening in your body and really being consistent about your health is what clears your skin.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It's wild seeing the popularity of Accutane now because influencers are posting about it. And it's tough to watch from our perspective because we've kind of been through the actual healing process and you have to be so patient and willing to put in the hard work. And I feel like watching these young girls take the Accutane and drink on the Accutane and continuously do it, it's kind of watching like a car crash happen in slow motion, you know. What I mean, and the sad thing.

[Jackie]

Is, is that there's not access to resources to help people heal their skin. Actually, like the dermatologists out there that your insurance pays for are going to prescribe you like they did with me and probably you. Topical antibiotics, oral antibiotics, spironolactone, then to Accutane. And you can't blame the young girls because it's. That's all they have access to.

[Emily]

I saw on TikTok something about mold and I was like, oh my gosh, that's what my skin looks like. Like, these are my symptoms. And. And yes, and I asked my doctor to take a test and it was positive for ochratoxin A.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That's exactly what I had. Yeah, exactly. And it sounds so terrifying and it really is terrifying, dude.

[Emily]

Yeah. I feel like a zombie.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I know. Mold. Mold is such a. A weird thing too, because it can keep popping up. Like we were just talking about before, you can do a cleanse and eat a certain way and it will go away, but then you can be in a new environment or something will happen and it comes back.

[Emily]

Like your immune system gets like triggered or something. Like, for example, like I went to Costa Rica and out of nowhere my skin got so bad again. All my symptoms came back. Like the candida was like roaring, like, wow.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So you had candida too?

[Emily]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay, I did as well.

[Emily]

Huh.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So wild. Do you know what's weird? I have a theory.

[Emily]

What is it?

[Mari Llewellyn]

And guys, this is not like a scientific theory. Like, I have no idea what I'm talking about. I just noticed a lot of girls with our coloring get this type of acne and I've literally asked an expert, like, is it a fair skinned type of thing? Yeah, and apparently not. But I just do think that's interesting.

[Emily]

This might be able to give you some more insight. I also got a genetic test and I have literally. Like, what do you. Oh my God, I'm blanking on the word.

[Mari Llewellyn]

What? Genetic testing.

[Emily]

A gene I have. Oh, it's a gene. I have a gene where my body has a hard time detox.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh, what's it called? A. It begins with an M. Yeah, it's something. It looks like the word motherfucker, but it's not. Do you know what I'm saying?

[Emily]

Sounds about right. Yeah, yeah, rightfully so.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It's the motherfucker gene. Okay.

[Emily]

And so I think I have that as well.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Where you can't detox. Yeah.

[Emily]

And so my theory is that when I went into Costa Rica, there was a lot of pollutants in the air and just things my body wasn't used to. And same with. When I moved to Nashville, the same thing happened to me. My body just freaked out because it's like, whoa. Like, I'm from Northern California, where it's dry and it's not humid.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And.

[Emily]

And so I think, you know, when it's humid, all that bacteria and pollutants can float in the air a lot easier. And so that's what I think happened.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And now I'm thinking, when I moved to Austin, it's way more humid in Austin than la. Perhaps that did the same thing to me.

[Emily]

It's possible.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I really appreciate you being transparent with even just showing your skin without makeup. Like, for someone like me, that's really, really powerful. Like, I even have a hard time going on camera without makeup on.

[Emily]

So hard. Yeah, it's really hard.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I can't even really.

[Emily]

I couldn't even go to the gym. I was like, I'm so embarrassed right now.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Same. And when you live such a healthy lifestyle and your skin doesn't represent that.

[Emily]

Oh, my gosh. It made me feel like a fraud online, too, because I like, talk about all this health, but then here I am with, like, all these issues, and I'm just like, yep, trying to figure it out.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. And, you know, comments really don't bother me. I very rarely care.

[Emily]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

But I occasionally will see a comment on my podcast videos where my skin was bad, where they'll, like, point it out and be like, who is this girl talking about health with acne?

[Emily]

That person, like, a healed, happy person doesn't do that. Like, it just really shows how upset they are about themselves. Because I feel like, at least what I noticed with myself, when I'm happy, I only have good things to say to people. I only have encouraging, uplifting words. But when, like, a little upset, I definitely have some thoughts going through my head that I'm like, okay, like, that's on me.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. But acne really is, I think, one of the biggest tests I've ever been through in my life. Because you need to start figuring out what you love about yourself outside of the way you look, which is such a reality check.

[Emily]

Like, teaches you where you place your value, too. Like, I didn't realize how much I placed it in my looks. And when I. Not saying I got taken away from me, but when I had was really insecure about it, you know, it made me realize, like, oh, wow. Like, I do think about it that much. Like, maybe I do need to take a step back and not be so vain and focus on the other areas. Like, it got so bad to where I'd be at the grocery store, and I couldn't even look the cashier in the face. I couldn't even give him a smile. I'm like, it's starting to affect how I treat other people.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Emily]

And that's when I was like, whoa, this. Maybe this is a problem I need to work on, and maybe my acne will go away when I can fix that. Like, who knows? Maybe it's, like, spiritual like that.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Maybe the second you accept it is when you begin to heal. People have told me that I'm still. It's always a battle with me. Like, some days I feel good about it, some days I don't. But I've been there where I can't even look people in the eye. I feel like it's all they see.

[Emily]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Living in LA for me was really hard. I mean, for a lot of it. I was on Spironolactone. Did you ever take that?

[Emily]

You know, I took it, like, for a little bit, and it messed up with my periods, and it made me, I think, lose my period, then have it twice in a month. And so, like, when I did that, I was like, whoa, good for you. And getting up after, like, a month. And then I even tried the topical. Still made my periods weird. I'm so sensitive.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Wow.

[Emily]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I mean, honestly, a blessing because it's become so normalized. But you can't. To me, if it's something you can't be on while you're pregnant, why would you take it?

[Emily]

Yes, exactly. You know, how is it safe for me?

[Jackie]

Right?

[Mari Llewellyn]

It's not. And people are just taking it like it's casual. And then there's a whole accutane craze right now on Tick Tock.

[Emily]

I know everyone's like, have you tried Accutane?

[Mari Llewellyn]

I'm like, babe, same.

[Emily]

And I'm like, it's not gonna happen. Okay.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Like, literally never. It's the one thing I've never done.

[Emily]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I will do just about anything for my acne and not Accutane. Like, I'm currently taking kidney. Like, I swallow chunks of kidney every.

[Emily]

Day of, like, beef kidney or something. Oh, my God. I did that with liver.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I know you did. How was that?

[Emily]

I mean, it's fine. I take it with, like, orange juice.

[Mari Llewellyn]

You still do it?

[Emily]

I mean, not really, because I don't like cutting it up, and I know.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I have Greg do it for me.

[Emily]

Yeah. Michael doesn't care enough to do it, like, not about me taking it. Sorry, that sounded so wrong. But he used to take it, too. But he, like, doesn't think there's enough of a benefit to continue taking it.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Emily]

And so I think that he doesn't want to cut it up.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Got it.

[Emily]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That was my thought, too, with the liver. But I also think. So here was a theory that I heard. I have completely cut out dairy and gluten for my skin.

[Emily]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

But I've also, in doing that, I'm not getting enough vitamin A. And I think organs are really high in vitamin A. Yeah.

[Emily]

Interesting.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So I feel like. And that's what makes up Accutane is synthetic vitamin A.

[Emily]

Right.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Kidneys are really disgusting. Like, it's bright red.

[Emily]

Oh, gosh.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I know.

[Emily]

How do you eat it?

[Mari Llewellyn]

I just do the same thing as you. I have a chunk. I freeze it.

[Emily]

Yeah. It's basically like taking a pill, is it not?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Like, no freezing. It's way better.

[Emily]

Really? Because I feel like if it's, like, slimy, it can just go down. I know, I know.

[Mari Llewellyn]

No, no, no, no, no. That. That honestly makes me want to throw up if it's hard. It's like a capsule to me.

[Emily]

Really. How small do you.

[Mari Llewellyn]

But I do. It gets a little bit stuck.

[Emily]

Yeah, exactly.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Are you continuing? No, I know I stopped for a while, but I'm back.

[Emily]

Do you notice the difference?

[Mari Llewellyn]

I've only been doing it for three days.

[Emily]

Okay.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Tvt.

[Emily]

Did you bring it here?

[Mari Llewellyn]

I was like, should I bring it in my little lunchbox? Like, I do travel the lunchbox, but I. It's just too disgusting. Like.

[Emily]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

You know? But when I get home, I also do. I mean, I've done just about everything at this point for my skin. I do glutathione shots in my butt every week. That's been helpful shots. Like an actual shot, an actual injection. Because glutathione is best absorbed through an injection.

[Emily]

I take that in, like, the powder, but it's in, like, a capsule. My doctor.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, injections are good, too. I know. No, I've. It's insane. My whole life revolves around my skin.

[Emily]

There's also these peptides. I don't know much about peptides, so just my personal experience, I'm taking LL37, which is actually for mold.

[Mari Llewellyn]

No.

[Emily]

Yeah. And it helps your body detox. And I. I don't know if it's helped really. Like, my symptoms have gotten better. I haven't taken another test to see, like, what it' done, but LL37.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I've done BPC 157.

[Emily]

That one really, like, my knees. Sometimes I'll have, like, knee aches from working out, and I take that, and the next day, literally gone. Like, it's fine.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Wow.

[Emily]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Insane.

[Emily]

That one's a big difference.

[Mari Llewellyn]

People love BPC157. Epithalon is good for fertility, apparently.

[Emily]

Are you taking it?

[Mari Llewellyn]

I did for a little bit. I'm on. I'm on so much stuff. It's crazy. I take so many supplements.

[Emily]

I know. I feel like I do too.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. I show it sometimes online and people.

[Emily]

Are like, I think I saw one of yours.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Are you dying? Like, are you good? I'm like, just trying to kill my skin. How do you handle makeup? Like, do you use certain clean makeup?

[Emily]

Honestly, I don't really even wear that makeup much makeup day to day, unless I'm like, filming. But I just use the luminous silk. And I don't know if it breaks me out, to be honest, because I used to wear it when I had no breakouts and I was like, fine. But I heard. I actually heard on your podcast that they change the formula to it. And so I was wondering, like, oh, maybe that's why.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh, not you remembering a fact that I didn't even know from my podcast.

[Emily]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Wow.

[Emily]

I was like, studying that. I had like, my. My browser up, like the clear stem one. Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. Those girls are great.

[Emily]

Yeah, really good.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, really, really good. I use Illuminaire. I get it on Amazon and it's like the non poor clock. I use all non pore clogging makeup.

[Emily]

Right.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Still not working. But anyways, right?

[Emily]

Because I've used like, Ilia or whatever.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, yeah.

[Emily]

Aren't they supposed to be clean and, like, not.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Apparently not anymore.

[Emily]

Makes me break out really bad.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Same. Yeah, same.

[Emily]

Which is a bummer because it has like, the zinc sunscreen that's like, better for you.

[Mari Llewellyn]

None of us is safe.

[Emily]

Like, what the hell?

[Mari Llewellyn]

If you're anything like me, you try to get in as much water as possible, but we can't always trust that we're getting clean water. According to the Environmental Working Group, 3 out of 4 homes in America have harmful contaminants in its tap water, which is not something I want to be worrying about for myself, my family, my dogs. That's why you guys need Aquatru. Greg and I have used this for a very long time. It uses a four stage reverse osmosis purification system. They even have countertop purifiers with no installation or plumbing. It removes 15 times more contaminants than ordinary pictures and are specifically designed to combat chemicals like PFAS in your water supply. PFAS are unfortunately found in 45 of U S tap water and can have harmful effects on our health long term. Plus, if you have pets, you want to make sure they're getting nothing but the best and Aqua True can do that for you. Long term exposure to high concentrations of PFAS can lead to cancer, endocrine disruption and liver toxicity, which is why Aqua True is so, so so important. I can truly taste the difference. It feels so much more pure and it gets delivered straight to your home and it's a super easy set. Never have to hesitate Drinking my own tap water. Aqua True comes with a 30 day money back guarantee and even makes a great gift. Today my listeners receive 20 off any Aqua True purifier. Just go to aqua true.com that's a Q U a T R U dot com and enter code power checkout. That's 20 off any Aqua Tree water purifier. When you go to aquatrue.com use promo code POW P checkout. I know so many women who struggle with period discomfort and I really feel like there's not enough brands out there talking about women's health. And that's why I love Foria. They create award winning products to support intimate experiences across every stage of life from menstruation to menopause. 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They also have a relief salve which is a game changer for taming the tension and muscle soreness you might get during your period. It's made with full spectrum CBD for ultimate relief plus organically grown Carver ginger, St. John's Wart, eucalyptus and other soothing botanicals. I can read insanely going reviews for 4 years website all day, but you really just have to try the formulas yourself to understand whether you're looking for period relief or something to get you in the mood and enhance pleasure. I highly highly recommend you check out their all natural formulas. The good news is that Fourier is offering a special deal for our listeners. Get 20 off your first order by visiting FourierWellness.com pow or use code POWER checkout that's F O R-I-A wellness.com forward/pal for 20 off your first order. You'll thank me later. You guys know that fitness and well being nutrition are all such important parts of my life, but I really think there's a way to do it and keep it fun. I think eating and socializing should be enjoyable. We should be able to eat chips and so many of them are made with seed oils, artificial flavors and preservatives. But Masa chips are made with three ingredients. Organic nixtamalized corn, grass fed beef tallow and Redmond sea salt. No seed oils, no weird additives, just real food that actually supports your body. I actually had friends over for a taco night this past week and I put out master chips and guacamole and they were literally gone before we started eating. So they are really freaking good. I have so many in my pantry. It's just a great snack to grab for and you know and trust that you're getting good ingredients in your body. I don't think you have to eliminate chips, but I think there's a way to do it and use good ingredients. Plus I feel like when I eat things with bad ingredients in them I just feel sluggish the next day. Masa is a better option that doesn't leave me feeling bloated or sluggish and I like eating in a way that's balanced and sustainable. Eat them with guac or a protein packed meal with a salad. There's so many ways to eat them and style them with your diet. If you want to try Masa for yourself, head to www.masterchips.com forward/discount forward/mari20 and use my code MARI20 for 20 off your order. M A R I 20 trust me, you'll never go back to regular chips again. I want to talk about poor clogging ingredients. I feel like this topic is really popping off right now. In skin care, in makeup, we're kind of all realizing as a society and you guys knew this Already. But clean doesn't always mean actually clean. It's like a marketing term. Right. So talk to us about what pore clogging ingredients are and where should we be like looking out for them.

[Danielle]

I love this question. So we're the ones making this topic pop off. We don't shut up about it.

[Michaela]

We don't shut up.

[Danielle]

We're like, we're the reason we heard it here first. So I love that you're mentioning this. Clean does not mean acne safe. It just flat out does not mean acne safe. And people get duped by this all the time because, you know, in our head we think clean. And yeah, that should mean free of poor cloggers, but it doesn't. It means free of like endocrine disruptors and toxins and things like that that are also very important to eliminate. But it doesn't have anything to do with acne. You can have the cleanest routine ever and be using things that have like organic shea butter and shaman blessed coconut oil. It's still going to break you out because it is thicker than our natural oil. And that's as simple as we need to be thinking about it. So pore clogging ingredients. So acne is both internal and external. Anyone who tells you differently does not know what they are talking about. So internal we touched on and we really dove into it episode one. But external is where people really need to have that crucial attention to detail and we made that simple for them. So when you are using a product topically and it has any filler agent that is thicker than your natural oil, it can clog your pore and you will break out relentless, like relentlessly forever, even if you're doing everything else right. So eliminating these is the crucial step one, you copy and paste the ingredients into the ingredient checker that we designed on our website. Hit enter. It'll tell you in red if there's a poor clogger. This is the number one thing you do before you change anything else. Before you change your diet or go eliminating anything, check your makeup, your hair care, your, your all skin care for poor cloggers because you will find culprits in there. And that's the first thing to eliminate and replace.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And everyone listening. I know this feels like a task and it is a task, but it is so worth doing like sitting there and putting everything in. I probably should go back and do mine again because I didn't use your guys as the first time. I think I used more of a vague one and I think I Need to go back and really check. But I always use clear stem and I love and trust your guys's brand. I lit my husband's mom uses it now, which I absolutely love. She was like, what is that orange bottle you're always using? And I'm like, oh my God. It's a clear stem cleanser, obviously. But anyway, I really think it's super important. What does, what do pore clogging ingredients do other than give us acne?

[Danielle]

They create dullness in the skin and they prevent the skin from being able to, quote, breathe. So even if you don't have acne, you just want to age well, because clear stem is equally anti aging and anti acne. That's why we talk about this so much. Because even if your concern is just primarily anti aging, if you're using things that are kind of weighing in your pores and like taking up too much space and interfering with sweating and interfering with other nutrient absorption from your other skincare, it's going to have a negative impact on how you age. So letting your skin, you know, keep it as breathable as possible, just think of it that way and eliminating things like coconut oil, for example. It's extremely thick, it's a wax at room temperature. It doesn't go in your pores. For some people, it's their holy grail for like maybe like 10, 15% of the population. For the rest of us, it's just not the best thing. Right? So eliminating those can help your skin do its own natural processes better and allow for better absorption of everything else you're using like anti aging ingredients such as peptides. Right. You want those to have full access to your skin and be able to penetrate as much as possible. So removing the things that are too thick will help for better penetration of the good stuff.

[Mari Llewellyn]

What I love about your guys's brand, what I love about Clear stem is the fact that you have both struggled with acne. And I always say this, but I don't trust anyone's advice if they haven't had acne.

[Danielle]

Oh yeah, if you haven't gone through, I won't even hire anyone at the clinic who hasn't gone through it.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Wow.

[Danielle]

Hard, hard.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Stop.

[Michaela]

So I went and got this facial and it was, I was just going for more lymphatic work, buccal massage, all of those things. And you know, I was trying to be cool and relaxed and not like hyper. Check every single product she was using on my face. I asked her ahead of time, there anything with pork, like ingredients. I listed off Some of them, she's like, no, no, no. Like, okay. And normally I grab the bottle and I look and I'm like, I'm just. I'm gonna be a cool girl today. I'm gonna really. It's like eating the RX bars. And you're like, I'm just going to relax.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I'm a normal girl.

[Michaela]

I'm a normal girl today. So just being chill, relaxed. I end up breaking out so bad from that facial. Come to find out, the exfoliating mask she used had shea butter in it. So, like, my skin's being exfoliated and cleaned out and then shea butter driven so deep into my pore. Cuz exfoliation, something. Another topical cream. She had shea butter. And I'm like, oh. So I end up having like five cystic ones. This was like three weeks ago. Around my cheeks. And I was like, I haven't dealt with that in a while because I am so hyper aware of everything causing acne. But I just go right. I went right back into the mindset. I'm like, all right, instead of getting really down about this, I'm gonna put myself on a protocol. And that was more external because this one wasn't caused from internal. So I did our exfoliating mask. I did our. We have a little diamond buff tool. I like buffed around it. And then I did our sulfur spot mask, which I hadn't got because we just launched our sulfur spot mask a few months ago. So I hadn't gotten to try it on my skin while I was actively breaking out. I tried it when I didn't have acne and oh, my gosh, Danielle. Danielle whipped this up in the lab. It's insane. It's insane. I was showing this on stories and I'm like, I know I'm biased. Like, we created this product, but like, oh, my God. I'm like shocked by my own product that we have. Because I got so I have really fair skin and so I can have pigmentation left over from acne for weeks and weeks and weeks.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Me too.

[Michaela]

And I use the sulfur spot mask two or three days in a row. And then so many pumps of cell renew, because cell renew can help a lot with the pigmentation. And I got my cyst to flatten in two days and all the pigmentation was gone within a week.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Wow.

[Michaela]

I was like, what?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay, so that's the hack.

[Michaela]

That's the hack. And so it's like you have your internal and your external protocol. We talked about the internal one. It's like all Right. Gotta whip it into shape for a few days, for a week. Let me get everything back in, back in shape. And then same with external. Like if you break out from poor clogging ingredients, you have your little protocol. And I going to get done about this. I'm just going to get right to the protocol. I'm going to zap these and we're going to be done. So it felt good having the confidence of knowledge in that of like, this sucks. I don't want to have to deal with these, but I'm going to. I'm going to get rid of these.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Do you sleep in the sulfur treatment?

[Danielle]

You can. I do. It's a spot and mask and you can use it a lot of different ways. So you can treat. I love to tell people you can treat different areas of your face wildly differently. Like, your forehead's the most perfect patch of skin I've ever seen. Right. But you have the zone. Your hot zone is what I call it. Right. So you can, if you're chilling at home, you can just leave that on that zone all day and then have a moisturizing mask on your forehead or an eye patch mask on. Like yours. Different zones of your face should be treated accordingly. So you can leave the mask on proactively for like, say like 30 minutes. Think of it like a clay mask on steroids, right? So you can do that for 30 minutes and then rinse it off and then continue with your normal routine. Or you can leave it just on spot, layer your makeup over it. Or you can leave it overnight. Like, a lot of people just break out red on their jawline. You can do your whole skincare routine and then just leave the spot mask on your entire jaw overnight.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay.

[Danielle]

And that's awesome. So play around with it. We want everyone to become their own personal esthetician and test things out and really learn. Like, oh, I can do two layers of this and my skin loves it. Or I should do my clarity every other night. That's my perfect, perfect, you know, reg, my perfect regimen. So, yeah, there's different ways to use everything, and the mask is extremely versatile.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay. I love that. I'm definitely gonna do that because I am such a, like, hair down type of person.

[Danielle]

A lot of people are.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. Okay. Yeah, that makes me feel better. So I asked the girls if they had questions for you, and I saw a couple things keep popping up. Retinoid. I feel like it's a huge topic on Tick Tock. What's the view on retinoids?

[Danielle]

They're. They're all different. I mean, if you got like a really low strength, you know, let's call it a vitamin A propriate, like a more, you know, gentle one. And it's in a formula that is, you know, also has some calming ingredients. It might make you purge a little bit, but you might like the benefits. Right? Pretty much all retinols are going to make you purge.

[Mari Llewellyn]

By the way, is purging good?

[Danielle]

It depends. So when we're purging in a detox, like an internal detox scenario. Yeah, it's coming out one way or another and we're forcing it out. And if you're acne prone, it's going to come out through your skin versus, like, say you were purging, you were doing a cleanse protocol, but you were really prone to anxiety, it would show up as anxiety. Right. So in that context, yes, it is part of a means to an end. Purging in skin care is sometimes necessary, sometimes not. So back to the, the types of retinol. So if you're using one that's gentle and it's appropriate for your skin, you might get a little bit of a purge and it might go away for you. If you're not that acne prone, great. You're one of the lucky ones. If you go and use one of the prescription ones, the prescription retin A or prescription tretinoin, those are known to create nasty purges. And there's two different kinds of it. One's a gel, one's a cream. The cream white one usually has a ingredient called isopropyl myristate, which is like one of the worst pore clogging fillers that exists. So what I have seen in my 10 years of doing this and my own personal experience, right, when people start using that one, they get a nasty purge. Their skin is very red and irritated and the purge never stops because their pores are getting refilled with the filler agent that that thing is made of.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Gives me so much anxiety. It's crazy.

[Michaela]

It's interesting when we talk about it and we post on Instagram and there's reels about it. You have a. We have a lot of people in the comments that are like, thank you so much for saying this. I like, I couldn't use any types of retinols. I couldn't use a prescription version. I didn't know what was wrong with me because my best friend could use it, but I couldn't. And I tried to stick it out through the purge, but it just crushed me like it crushed my mental health and it just did not work me. I thought something was, was wrong with me. Thank you for saying, like, this changed my life. And then there's a whole other grouping of people that are honestly kind of nasty in the comments. If I'm, if I'm being retinoid warriors, they are literally retinol warriors. And they are so mean, so nasty in the comments that we are simply educating about both sides of the story. It's like there are, like, there are people that cannot use it the same way. Like, there's some people who are highly allergic to vitamin C. There's some people that are, like, there's very specific ingredients that some people just cannot use for their skin. And that's back to bio individuality. But when you're talking about pore cloggers, like, the acne community is not going to be able to use those products that contain it. But it's just been interesting to see how activated and angry people get when we speak out against prescription retinols. In reality, we're just speaking to the people that want to feel heard.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Michaela]

That are like, I've tried this and it destroyed my skin. It destroyed my mental health. I never stopped about purging. We don't want them to feel alone and we don't want them to feel bullied into. Oh, no, you just didn't use it. Right. Or you didn't use it for long enough. It's like, no, it didn't work for their skin. They didn't like it. It just, it destroyed their skin. And so we want to make those people feel seen and heard in their own experience.

[Danielle]

Yeah. And a lot of, you know, we. It's not like us versus the dermatologist. Right. Like, we don't want to be positioned that way. But dermatologists have a very specific set of, of playbooks and a very limited set of tools that they're able to use. Antibiotics, birth control, spironolactone, topical retinols. There's some other stuff mixed in, but those are the big ones. Right. And then Accutane, when all of those fail.

[Emily]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

So those are the people that vehemently defend the status quo because those are the only tools they have.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

They literally can't go over your products with you. They don't have time in the appointment. They're not trained on nutrition for ACNE. The average MD gets about 19 hours of nutritional education in their entire career. And it's all about contraindications for prescriptions. Like, don't have Grapefruit, if you're on statins, like that kind of thing, it's not anti inflammatory eating, it's not egg white sensitivity for a certain part of the population affecting their lymphatic zone. None of that gets talked about. So there's just a lot of people get so activated because they're. The information is pretty siloed depending on what angle you're coming at the this from. And we just like to explain to people why they might be having a certain experience so important.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And I think when these trends pick up on Tik Tok it, it spreads like wildfire. And you almost feel like, oh, I haven't tried that. Like, is that something I need to try? And as an acne prone gal, I. I see these things and get tempted, but most of the time I don't react well. So I appreciate you guys speaking to that. On the topic of purging something that I've found that purge makes me purge really bad that I wanted to pick your guys's brain about is micro needling. And I know it's so beneficial. Is it worth doing if it's making me break out this bad?

[Danielle]

You're not supposed to do micro. So I love that question. And I'm sorry you're having the experience. I actually just got microneedled two days ago and I pushed the appointment because I was having a little bit of breakout from a makeup that I got done during a Make a photo shoot. It was breaking me out a little bit, so I actually pushed the appointment. If you are past the breaking out stage or you're in a stage where you're not really breaking out, then microneedling is fantastic. If you're still in the throes of a breakout cycle, hold off. I've microneedled people for years. And what I'll do is because I'm an acne specialist, right? Almost everyone's having some sort of issue with acne. What I'll do is I can go around the area and I'll just treat that area with a little bit of peel, but I won't touch the area that's actively breaking out. Like, you could do your forehead and your cheeks weeks and be totally fine. I highly doubt you'd purge there, but if it's in your hot zone, you're gonna purge.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay. I did it when I wasn't breaking out.

[Danielle]

Really?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

What did they put on after you?

[Jackie]

Sorry.

[Danielle]

What did they. What did they put on? Because I. The balm that they give me, I throw it away.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It was cold. It had some scientific name, not isotope. It was like. It was.

[Danielle]

Do you wanna, for your audience, let's look up the ingredients to that balm and see if that's what was actually causing it.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It was like a liquidy. She said it was great for healing. I mean, potentially. You're right. Do you recommend doing nothing after?

[Danielle]

So we use our selvine serum. Our Selvine new serum is actually so gentle that it can be used as a microneedling solution.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Wow.

[Danielle]

So I just use a ton of that and then that and I do with prp. And the good places will send you home with a little to go vial of your prp. So the first two nights I'm just doing sel renew and the prp and then after that I'm just doing our hydrating products. If you need a balm, which, you know, you should have that. If you're like doing like a laser treatment or your skin's really compromised. Aquaphor is actually okay for very acute situations. And it won't break you out.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay. PRP is blood.

[Danielle]

It's where they take your blood, they spin it and they get the platelet rich fibrin or platelet rich plasma. There's PRF and prp. But yeah, it's basically from your own blood.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay. Because I've never been given prp.

[Michaela]

Oh.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So I wonder if.

[Michaela]

I think you would like that. Yeah, that's my. I now won't do microneedling unless it's prp. Because with how pricey it is, you get more of a benefit from PRP than you do generally. Just an average hyaluronic acid solution.

[Danielle]

Yeah. It kickstarts the healing response that you're ultimately banking on. You know, all of these treatments, you're doing a controlled inflammation technique to get the healing response. Like you inflame yourself at a four, you heal at an eight, you net the four. Does that make sense?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Right.

[Danielle]

So a lot of times where these go wrong is you're not amplifying the healing process directly after and the 48 hours post any procedure is crucial. Crucial. Right. So. So having a practitioner who really understands your skin and can help make sure that that window is optimized right after the treatment. That's the fun thing to really dial in. And PRP is a big part of that.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay. So next time I go, I will get the prp.

[Michaela]

Yes. And SPF is so, so important in all the day. I mean, always. It's important every day, but especially in those following days after prp. And if they send you microneedling. If they send you home with one, make sure that you are quadruple checking those ingredients because 99% of the time SPFs are going to have pore cloggers in them. So I mean we have our ur sunshine, we have our Sunnyside. You can use those. But any non pore clogging SPF is fine. That is a mineral, not a chemical based sunscreen. So you want to be looking for zinc. No pore cloggers. And that's going to be your safety sunscreen for after.

[Danielle]

You're pretty much not going to find that anywhere but us. Just get ur sunshine. It's the best sunscreen ever made.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I use ur sunshine every single day.

[Michaela]

Every single day.

[Danielle]

The best. I make hate it to be.

[Michaela]

I don't house without it on.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I also use it when I'm going to an early morning workout and I because it has a little bit of a tint and it just makes me feel like a little cuter than yes.

[Danielle]

Oh, you know what you can do too? Mix a little bit of your makeup in there. I use loose powder and I have some liquids. You can mix both in there and make your own little custom CC cream.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Boom.

[Michaela]

Done. It's the best.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh, it really is the best. It's like one of my top three products from you guys.

[Michaela]

I love that.

[Mari Llewellyn]

The lips and cutes, the gentle cleanser and the.

[Michaela]

You are sunshine also so healing, so restoring for the skin obsessed.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Do you guys have any makeup brands that you would recommend that are non pore clogging?

[Michaela]

Yes, Our OG from the very beginning is Priya.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay. I just placed a very large Priya order.

[Danielle]

Yeah, you're the color. Warm beige.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. Oh, I think I got warm beige. Yeah.

[Danielle]

It's gonna look perfect on you.

[Michaela]

It's gonna look so maybe a little bit of caramel sprinkled in there for like if you have self tanner on to help balance it out. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay.

[Michaela]

We are obsessed.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And that's spelled P R I I A.

[Michaela]

Yes.

[Danielle]

And you can't. She's a small women owned business, but she's an acne specialist who follows the exact same ethos.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh my God, I love that.

[Danielle]

Yeah. So she's not going to reformulate with nasty stuff because that's what happens all the time. I'll recommend a brand. It's fine and then it's not fine anymore. Armani Luminous silk used to be safe and there's an ingredient in it that's called hexal la and it's popping up more and more on pore clogging lists. And if you're super acne prone like I am, it does clog me up a little bit.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It.

[Danielle]

Most other people are fine with it. So it's. There's a, there's always a scale. It's never 100 yes or 100 no most of the time. But Priya is 100 safe?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yes. Okay.

[Michaela]

I've also we found two others that are more in the liquid form that I've been trying out. I've tried Euphoria Euthoria.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I just ordered that too.

[Michaela]

Yeah, I've been trying Euthoria, which is a great liquid, and then one I've really been loving. It's by the company called Make Beauty and it's very specifically their dew skin tint. Again, with Priya, every single thing she sells is always acne safe. A lot of these other brands we're talking about, we have to pick and choose what products and they could potentially reformulate one day. So always triple check. But I've been loving the Make Beauty one and that's the one I've actually been mixing into my ur Sunshine Sunshine to create this like glowy, seamless foundation that I've been absolutely loving. And then But Priya, it's. I know we're like talking about it so much, but they have these calming ingredients in it and your skin just radiates truly when you wear it.

[Danielle]

Yeah. You can go to bed with a full face of Priya makeup and wake up better the next day.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Thank you for joining us on the Pursuit of Wellness podcast to support this show. Please rate and review and share with your loved ones. If you want to be reminded of new episodes, click the subscribe button on your preferred podcast or video player. You can sign up for my newsletter to receive my [e-mail] it will be linked in the show Notes this podcast is a Pursuit Network production brought to you by Michaela Phillips, Joel Contartese, Daviel Waldner, Jen Lauren and Mackenzie Meisel. You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Pursuit of Wellness podcast. Love you POW girls and POW boys. I will see you next time. The content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship. As always, talk to your doctor or health team.