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    My Skin Story (A Brief History of Consciously by Hannah)

    IG: @consciouslybyhannah

    Fact: whenever I used to have my photo taken I’d always want to be shot from behind, looking off into the distance. Not because that’s like, totally aesthetic, and I’d like, get so many likes, but simply because I was embarrassed by my skin.

    My skin and I, let’s just say, we certainly did not get off to a great start. From the time I was a toddler, my skin was always angry and inflamed. In fact, I can recall sitting on the dining room table, covered head to toe in betadine (current Hannah cringes), in an effort to soothe the itch and calm my eczema. Why the dining room table you ask? This was to stop my then baby brother, ingesting the product (he had a thing for touching things and then putting his whole hand in his mouth – but that’s another story).

    My parents tried every cream, every diet, every witchy trick in the book and we still couldn’t get it to heal. Doctors told them ‘she’ll grow out of it’… I certainly didn’t.

    As I grew older, my eczema began to calm (maybe the doctor was right), but then came the arrival of puberty and the skin on my face began to erupt. Pimples, while fun to squeeze, were my absolute teenage nightmare. I can remember crying to my mum, asking for make-up to cover it. Now, my mum and learnt her natural health lessons (god bless her!), and refused to let me put anything nasty on my face. She gave me a mineral foundation, I cried. It didn’t cover a thing, my acne was still visible, while the other girls at school walked around with flawless complexions.

    (Disclaimer: natural make-up has grown leaps and bounds since then and there are some totally EPIC full coverage options out there now!)

    Little did I know, that those same girls were wearing chemical laden make-up that ultimately made their acne worse, causing them to put even more make-up on each day. Mum, if you’re reading this, you’re a total legend. I’m sorry teenage Hannah didn’t realise this.

    Then my senior year commenced, and the acne got worse, I simply, totally COULD NOT get a good ATAR with bad skin Mum, argh! So, at a loss, Mum gave in, and we were back at the doctors. I started the pill. Hallelujah! Clear Skin! For the first time in my young life! Or so we thought…

    A few months went by and my eczema resurfaced with a vengeance (at least, I thought it was eczema?). The patches rose on my calves and my wrists, places my eczema had never been before. My skin was dry, cracked, and scaly. One night, I cried to my dad. He showed me his ankle ‘does it look like this,’ he asked. Well yes, it did. ‘Uha, you have psoriasis,’ he said.

    ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! What more could this world want from me, am I distained to be ugly for the rest of eternity!?!?!? Full disclosure, teenage Hannah was very dramatic!

    I was desperate, and we know I was desperate, because I started… researching (Again, I was a COMPLETELY different person back then, now, researching skin conditions is one of my favourite pass-times!) & off to the family Naturopath I went. This is where the real work began. I, reluctantly (I loved cheese), said goodbye to: dairy, sugar, gluten and…. My beloved pimple-clearing pill.

    It was tough, my skin got way, way worse before it got better. My period did not return for 18 months post-pill. But truthfully, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. My only regret is that I didn’t take photos so I could share them with my clients as living proof that you too – can heal!

    I like to think of this healing crisis as one of the defining moments in my Naturopathic journey. This true proof of beauty, grounded in nature, is a passion that I was then able to turn into a career. 5 years, a few health crisis’ and many tears later, I now hold a Bachelor of Health Science Naturopathy. My little superpower which means I can help YOU achieve the same results!

    Sure, it took work, and still takes work. But my skin is in the best shape it’s ever been. My skin is now the best indicator of my health, a spot of psoriasis on my leg, or a pimple on my face is like a gentle nudge from my body to say ‘hey, we need some extra support here.’

    I carefully supplement, and only use products as close to their natural form as possible. And ultimately, I’m confident in my skin, even when it’s breaking out. I will happily turn my face to the camera now. Lights, Camera, Action! Watch out world, the true, happy and most importantly, healthy Hannah is here….

    If you would like more information about how to rejuvenate your skin, drop me a line, I’d love to work with you!

    Consciously,

    Hannah