There’s such a big push towards taking care of one’s mental health – and that is great. I mean it. I’m not in any way diminishing how great that is.

But recently I’ve been realizing how important taking care of my skin and body is. As someone with rosacea, I’ve struggled with feeling comfortable in my own skin, and making sure I’m not “too red”. If the temperature in a room is one degree higher than usual, a red tomato replaces my face. Basically, rosacea is a skin condition that causes those to have it to redden way more easily, and is linked to other skin issues such as dermatitis, acne, psoriasis, eczema, hives, etc. For me, it means my face has a reddish hue, and can stay that way for long periods of time. Heat, the sun, wind, touching, embarrassment, stress, etc. can all activate the redness. Oh, what a fun time being a pre-teen was.

Things that aggravate this skin condition are talked about extensively here. It also discusses methods to tame the wild beast.

For over a decade, I have covered this over with makeup. But, surprise, makeup in general does not actually help improve the condition. It’s the equivalent of painting over wallpaper – you change the colour, but the wallpaper is still there.  But you gotta get under the surface.

If you have skin issues, please, of course see a dermatologist. But I realize that this isn’t always feasible for everyone. This post also is not a complete skin-care help post, but simply my own experience.

But after changing my skin-care routine, making edits to my diet, and exercising regularly, my own skin issues have diminished. I’m not wearing makeup quite as often, either, although I haven’t progressed to being make-up free when actively engaging with people. Whether it’s a result of less aggravated skin, or self-acceptance – I’m not entirely sure, but sometimes I like going au naturel. Sometimes I don’t. And I think right now that that’s okay.

Whatever it is – it’s worth the smile. Look at that au naturel summer glow.

Featuring: Myself, taken on my camera phone, and using lighting angles to my advantage.