GETTING TO THE ROOT CAUSE OF ACNE
BY KLARSKIN FOUNDER, ANTONETA BURSAC
MY STORY
In 2016 I was 26 and working in Switzerland in Finance when my acne was probably at it's worst. I was studying for exams, working long hours at a really demanding job, in a long distance relationship, thought I was eating a healthy diet, and was working out excessively to stay ‘fit and healthy’.
I became obsessed with my skin, as the flare ups I was experiencing only started 2 years prior. I started taking the pill at 16 so had never really experienced teen acne, and had come off it when I was 24. A few years of aggressive breakouts and cysts followed.
My skin obsession led me to found Klarskin so no regrets - but these were some of the worst years of my adult life. I felt so not in control over my own body and skin and was confused about what was causing the reaction.
Like most people who start experiencing bad acne later on in life, I tackled the problem first and foremost by concentrating only on my skin. I spent money on beauty treatments, on skincare, make up and devices for my skin. I did this for 2 whole years, and I have to say that the skin around my cysts, open pores and pimples looked great – but it did nothing to stop new underlying acne and inflammation coming out every other week.
THE ROOT CAUSE OF MY ADULT ACNE
Two primary forms of acne tend to show up on adults on average.
The first is Digestive or Gut related acne which is associated with sluggish bowel movement, gut dysbiosis, the absence of proper beneficial bacterial strains, IBS and how well our elimination organs are working. This type of acne most commonly turns up on the forehead and cheeks if you follow TCM (traditional Chinese medicine).
In my case I had tests done to conclude I had small intestinal overgrowth (SIBO) and leaky gut. My gut has always been a weak point for me, and after a few years of taking penicillin for my tonsillitis and eating a diet full of natural sugars (too many fruits) and refined foods (to go salads and takeaways), it really affected my gut health and took me years to get to the root of my imbalances and finding a permanent solution.
The second type of common adult acne that I also had was hormonal acne, which comes out in cysts on your jaw, chin, and even your cheeks – essentially the bottom parts of your face.
For me, there were several root causes of my acne
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Stress and inflammation from work and lifestyle factors (disrupted my hormones).
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My diet’s blood sugar highs and lows (both affecting digestion and hormones).
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Coming off the pill after five years (hormones).
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Gut and detoxification organ/liver dysbiosis (due to penicillin overuse).
Acne skin care products have never been it for me, and more and more studies are emerging showing that the rise in acne in adults is mainly due to internal misbalances.
For me addressing my digestive inflammation, gut and liver health, microbiome, and hormonal imbalances (especially on my chin and cheeks before my cycle) was the only thing that genuinely worked long term. When I founded Klarskin, there was nothing on the market addressing these issues directly, which is where my medical family started with their research and product development and how we came up with what our range of products is today.
Keeping up with my supplements, internal formulations, diet, and sleep schedule was the only way to maintain 100% clear skin.
Klarskin launched with Europe's leading retailer Douglas in 2019
HOW KLARSKIN WORKS
Here are the pillars of what was causing my acne and how we created products to tackle each pillar.
GUT + LIVER + DIGESTIVE ISSUES
Food is the number 1 factor you should concentrate on if you have a gut imbalance, want to support your detoxification organs and elimination pathways.
Move your body, get your blood pumping to flush the waste, and nourish your body with fiber and plant-rich foods. Avoid all processed food and meat, especially if you have any of the above acne symptoms, because these foods feed pathogenic bacteria.
The Radiance Powder was created to work alongside the above lifestyle changes to repopulate your microbiome with good, high-quality bacteria and promote digestive ease, helping to strengthen your entire body and eliminate toxins.
It is rich in high-quality soluble fibers that majorly help with gut diversity, reviving the trillions of bacterial strains already living inside your GI tract (and repopulating with some micro-encapsulated strains too).
TheRadiance Powder is scientifically developed to activate and revive the pre-existing bacteria that has depleted and become malnourished over time from poor diet and lifestyle stressors and feed these bacteria what they need to activate, thrive, and bring them back to life.
Beetroot Powder is a raw material found in ourPowder that adds a grounding, moving, clearing element to your diet that will support your natural detoxification pathways.
Digestive Enzymes found within aid in the breakdown and absorption of nutrients from your diet.
HORMONAL ISSUES
Exhaustion from work, inadequate sleep, and anxiety from everyday life were a big part of my hormonal disorder, which impacted my immune system and responses.
Ultimately chronic stress increases the amount of inflammation within the body, as this is the immune system's way of responding to this stress. As our bodies use micronutrients from food and supplements to create immune cells, these nutrients can directly cause changes in the functioning of immune cells thanks to their impact on the gut microbiome - where the majority of our immune system is regulated and found.
We all know that stress is bad for us - but our bodies change when it's continuous. Our immune systems get very triggered by stress disrupting our hormones.
Stress is known to deplete the levels of B vitamins in our bodies majorly. Inflammation can cause an increase in our body's need for folate (vitamin B9) and decrease Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (vitamin B6). Deficiencies in Vitamins B2 and B12 cause hair loss, a symptom closely associated with stress. Upping your intake of a high-quality B complex will support your body through these times.
TheRadiance Powder tackles this element too. It contains Vitamins B1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 12 in a potent dose, mixed with other raw materials meaning you are supplementing with a high quality and well-absorbed B complex.
During times of extreme anxiety, I use theReforming Liquid alongside theRadiance Powder as it contains a bioavailable form of Vitamin C and Magnesium.
Nutrients such as Magnesium and Vitamin C support the heart, lungs, and muscles. During infection, nutrients will be directed to these areas and used up by the body to protect your tissues. You will be utilizing Vitamin C to ensure this is getting done correctly as part of that inflammatory response to infection. You also have to consider that your Adrenal Glands will be working overtime to produce stress hormones such as Adrenalin and Cortisol. This is why I recommendtaking both daily to support the body in the most sophisticated way.
A final fact to remember is that liquid supplements are absorbed at a rate of 90% by the body, compared to capsules or solid form supplements with an absorption rate of 35%. How a supplement is formulated also has a lot to do with how much of it is affecting your body positively and is being effectively absorbed.
HELPING THE SKINS SURFACE HEAL
Finally, the Universal Serum helps get the skin back to homeostasis - essentially, in its natural regulated state. Although we never advocate just using topical skincare to solve adult acne, having high-quality products that support and heal skin's barrier function versus tearing it down is always beneficial.
The difference with our serum is that it only contains active ingredients (we achieved this by sourcing high quality stable forms of those actives). Four out of five of the ingredients are already found within skin's cell structure, meaning we are supplementing back in what the skin already knows how to use and needs to heal. The only additional active that is 'foreign' is Silver, which we included for its antibacterial and wound-healing properties. Otherwise, water, Hyaluronic Acid, Organic Sulphur, and Zinc are all already in the skin and deplete over time. The Universal Serum supports and brings it back to its original prime function.
THE SIMILARITY IN ADULT ACNE STORIES
What I found from speaking to many people who suffer from acne later on in life is how similar people's stories are. We have done clinical research, and our formulations have undergone dermatological testing. Even from the trial participants we used in our studies, the stories about their acne and how it affected their lives were similar.
Here are a few images from reviews and features we have done over time that hopefully make you feel less alone and show you that knowledge is power when healing adult acne for good.
OFFERING A LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO A GROWING PROBLEM
Our aim is for you to get to the root cause of what is causing your acne. You can use our products, but you can also immediately start by learning about your internal health and the fluctuations that might be causing your acne. Here are our most recommended articles and free resources for you if you don't wish to start with the Radiance Powder just yet:
The link between liver health and acne, and why it is often an organ left out of the conversation when it comes to skin that is breaking out
Nutrient deficiencies in our food and how it is affecting our digestion, hormones, and skin
The Proof and Clinical Trial Results showing the true benefit of our Radiance powder
