Hormonal despair . . . .
Following the complete lockdown, in order to combat the immediate impact of the Covid-19 crisis, the past months have seen reduced social interaction for most of us. Whilst comfort eating in front of the television may have seemed OK to begin with, many months of inactivity and confinement, without regular trips to my favourite hair-salon and beauty rooms, have certainly taken their toll on my appearance! Still, we are grateful that we are all healthy and other than limited travel opportunities, life in Guernsey has all but returned to normality.
Following on from our previous article, in which we discussed some of the causes and treatments for adult acne, I would like to share a story told to me by of one of our clients. The story begins with the onset of this lady’s menopause in her late 40s, and her subsequent struggle with weight, sleep, hot flushes and hormonal acne, which left her feeling increasingly embarrassed.
Having suffered for a number of months, she visited her GP, who put her on HRT, which lifted some of her symptoms, such as the hot flushes. However, her skin problems persisted and even a course of topical antibiotics did not manage to eradicate the problem. With continuing skin problems, including scarring, this left her feeling increasingly stressed and anxious and resulted in her becoming a virtual recluse, afraid to go out and socialise as before. This occurred prior to Covid-19 by the way and having been in lockdown for months, I think we can all sympathise . . .
Feeling overwhelmed and fearing she was sliding into full-scale depression, she went back to her GP and was prescribed anti-depressants. Whilst these did ease her anxiety somewhat, she unfortunately suffered unexplained weight gain in the weeks after. With her self-esteem in tatters, overweight and still suffering from significant outbreaks of spots and blemishes, she hit rock-bottom.
It was at this point that our lady was introduced to Maiiro by a friend, who had been using our products for some time and was impressed with their quality and effectiveness. With nothing left to lose, she decided it was time to change her skincare routine and ditch anything with artificial fragrances and preservatives. She started using Maiiro’s organic soap and Anti-Blemish cream in February of this year - since then, her breakouts have reduced significantly, leaving her confident enough to enjoy meeting up with her friends once again. In addition, she has become a regular client - that is a fabulous result in my books and one of the reasons I am so passionate about this business !
Unfortunately, what this lady told me seems to be a recurring theme, with quite a few of our clients sharing similar experiences. In many ways, this story could have been mine . . . I too suffered (and still do occasionally) from hormonal acne, which is why I became so determined to launch Maiiro, as a “Clean” alternative to mainstream brands and products. Having personally experienced the effects of the menopause, I want to help you - I understand what skin problems can do to a woman’s self-esteem and confidence.
At this point I do wish to make it clear that whilst I am all for using natural products where possible, I certainly do not advocate that people shun acne products, including antibiotics, altogether. Whilst they may not have worked for the lady in our story, I fully recognise that some conditions need specialist medical attention and nothing in this article should be taken as medical advice.
In conclusion, at Maiiro, we are committed to looking after your skin. All our products are formulated with ingredients such as Fenugreek seed oil, Liquorice Root extract, organic Tea Tree oil, Aloe Vera, organic Argan oil and our own blend of seaweeds Kelpogen5™. All are known for their extraordinary anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities, which help reduce impurities and calm inflammation.
We promise that our products contain no artificial fragrances or preservatives, just natural, organic and, where possible, vegan ingredients. We never test on animals and are committed to making our world a better place by reducing the use of plastics where possible. We do this by ensuring that all our ingredients are sourced responsibly and are pretty much fully recyclable.
Because your skin deserves the best !
Katy X