Skincare

	Tea Tree Balm	Tea Tree Balm
Peppermint Lip Balm	Turmeric & Thyme Toner

Skin Care Journey
(Before and During Birth Control)

Keeping my skin clear has always been a struggle for me (see photos below for reference). Growing up I had perfect skin, all until Aunt Flo made her way into my life. Once I entered 'adulthood,' if you will, my skin was never the same. Although my skin wasn't bad enough for to take Acutane or any other acne prescription, I still knew I needed to do something. I was 13 or 14 when I addressed my biggest insecurity with my doctor and she recommended I try birth control. Well, that was a long seven year journey that unfortunately never helped clear up my skin. Throughout these seven years, I tried every single acne remedy, face wash, serum, and treatment there was. My drawers began to overflow with skincare products and my shower space grew lesser and lesser due to the obsession. I was beyond determined to find the perfect solution for my skin. I stayed home from school and watched YouTube for hours in my bed. Researching, sampling, ordering, returning any product I saw these 'influencers' using. But I only grew more and more insecure as each product failed to give me the perfect skin I was set out to find. I even tried different diets I read about on the internet, but was unsuccessful. It wasn't until the summer of 2021 that I was finally ready to kick my birth control to the curb and approach my skin from a more natural stand point. Don't get me wrong, I was scared shitless to go off of it. Something I had been relying on for such a long period of my life, pun intended. Something that quite literally controlled my body, my moods, my skin, my emotions. I was ready for change...

Skin Care After Birth Control

(And limiting dairy, alcohol, etc)

Although I always took my skin care very seriously, it wasn't until 2021 that I really started to crack down on my routine. It was soon after I stopped taking birth control that I noticed my skin actually started to clear up. At the time I was using American skin care lines such as Neutrogena, Cetaphil, and Cerave. They worked ok for me, but didn't do anything spectacular for me. So I hopped on TikTok and started looking into Korean skin care. Once I educated myself on Korean skin care and their approach to healing damaged skin, I was sold. I spent hours collecting data and doing research on which products were the best before soon placing a hefty order. I decided it was time to completely revamp my skin care and take a brand new approach. After using Korean skin care products for about six months, I also made the decision to go completely vegan. Removing dairy from my diet immediately helped my skin and I recommend every one give it a try if you are struggling with acne. I found that every time I consumed dairy, my skin grew inflamed and would soon break out. Although it is not confirmed that all dairy products have a negative effect on your skin, I personally believe it did for me. (It is also important to remember that every body is different and what works for me might not work for you)

Also prior to this transition, I was using nicotine and drinking pretty frequently. I have not smoked nicotine in almost 5 years and have limited my drinking to an occasional basis.

How / Why I started 'The Flav Natural Skincare"

In 2022 my boyfriend and I decided to move across the pond to Ireland for grad school. This was a stressful transition and it showed on my skin. A new environment, new products, a new life! After spending so many years perfecting my skincare routine, I felt as if I was back at square one. My skin quickly became inflamed again and the breakouts were soon to follow. Being in Europe, I started using La Roche Posay's Cicaplast B5 Balm and got some relief, but it was not enough. One day I was at a market in Dublin with my friend and I found a natural, tea tree balm that was rated good on Yuka, so she came home with me. Little did I know, that balm was going to be the inspiration behind my own skincare line. This balm did a 180 on my skin, it was a miracle! It wasn't until then that I thought to take the natural skincare approach. So, I started experimenting with the resources I had in Ireland and soon crafted a facial toner and hair oil. Fast forward a few months to when I moved back to the states-- I ran out of the balm and was unable to purchase it from America. So, I decided to recreate the balm myself and vowed to never purchase a skincare balm again. It took a few trial rounds, but a few years later, I have finally perfected it and it is my holy grail. I have further developed the toner, the hair oil and have added other fun products like hand/body scrubs, face oils, lip balms, etc. The Flav Natural Skincare is still evolving but she is opn for business! I am so proud of how far I have come and very excited about where it will take me in the future!