She was eventually able to find support in places she didn’t expect it. “Slowly but surely I started to open up about it,” Endres says. “That was really healing for me, to share with people and have them be so receptive and inquisitive about what I was doing to heal my acne, because so many people can relate.”
Now she has her skin pretty much under control, though it’s been a long journey, Endres says. She was initially very aggressive with her facials and extractions, but she soon realized that her skin was sensitive and could lead to scarring. She had to be careful with products and, through trial and error, has found a simple routine that doesn’t upset her skin. It was her internal changes with the help and guidance of Christie Kidd, an acupuncturist and nutritionist, that were most important.
Endres’s acne was under control thanks to Kidd. Kidd also helped her with her perioral dermatologtitis. “I was maybe 70% there when I started seeing her, but I wasn’t satisfied because my baseline was clear skin. That was something I always compared to, which is difficult. That was another piece of this, where I would get these rashes around my mouth, and I couldn’t figure out what it was,” Endres says. “They were so pesky. She really looked at my face like a puzzle: ‘This is what’s going on your forehead. This is yeast. We need Head & Shoulders shampoo for this, this isn’t going to respond to an antibacterial situation. Here we need X, Y, and Z.’ She picked apart my face, and we were putting different topicals on different areas, and it really cured me.”
Like anyone, Endres still has days when she doesn’t feel great in her skin. But when that happens, she has perspective and a mantra: “This too shall pass.” “I apply that to the good and the bad,” Endres says. “When I’m having a good skin day, I also tell myself, ‘This too shall pass,’ because you kind of have to bring yourself back down on both sides. If you ride high on a high, the lows feel even more miserable. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t celebrate the highs by any means, but I think it’s good to kind of remind yourself, ‘This might not be the way it always is,’ and that’s okay. It’s not linear.”
Endres shares below what she does to keep her skin happy.
My facials
Every month, I go to Pacific Touch in New York to get a facial that is acne-safe. She has been amazing and just a great source of calming energy. She wouldn’t put anything on my face that would make it react. I trust her completely.
My pillowcase trick
I change my pillowcase more than once a week, because you don’t even think about how much bacteria is on that. I like to keep everything as clean and fresh as possible. Also, I don’t towel off my face when I get out of the shower, and this is something Christie [Kidd]It is a must-have. The towel stays wet, so it keeps bacteria—I don’t want that all over my face. My first instinct is to wipe all the water off, and it’s the worst thing I can do. My products and topicals absorb better if I let my face dry before applying any creams or lotions. That’s been big for me.
My colonic
A colonic hydrotherapy session is also offered every six weeks. I know that’s not directly linked to the face, but the gut and everything is so intertwined. It really helps me detox.
My skin-safe makeup
In terms of makeup, I got really specific on that and weeded out everything that wasn’t working for me. I got a little too involved in trying new things because that is my job. AllThe things we were sent. That wasn’t meshing with my skin. All my makeup is BareMinerals. This is not sponsored—I wish it was! I know that nothing I purchase from them will cause any problems, and that gives us so much peace. Every little thing could cause a flare up for so long.
My skin care
My routine is so simple now. My routine isn’t the most exciting. Christie Kidd makes a foaming cleanser that is amazing; it cleans off my skin, but it doesn’t dry it. I also swear by Elta MD’s a.m. moisturizer.
Bella Cacciatore, beauty writer at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @bellacacciatore_.
Source: Glamour