Instead of attacking acne at the surface, liquid chlorophyll fights inflammation on a cellular level and detoxes the body.
A couple of weeks ago my skin began breaking out- bad.
Call it the perk of having dry skin but growing up, I rarely had to deal with pimples. It’s when I hit my twenties that my complexion changed. Oily in some areas and patchy in others, it became clear that I could no longer get by with a quick scrub and go.
But honestly, it wasn’t unbearable until about a month ago when these small but mountain-like creatures began appearing on my face. They were red, swollen and too deep to pop. And let’s be real, you know I tried to pop them.
According to The International Dermal Institute, 54 percent of women over the age of 25 deal with adult acne, and the number is rising.
Although there are many things that can cause acne (dirt, makeup, pollution, diet), one of the biggest culprits is stress. If you’ve ever broken out right before a big work presentation or the morning of a date, you’re probably not surprised by this.
Stress, especially the chronic kind, disrupts our hormones and can cause the sebaceous glands of our skin to over produce oil. This results in congested pores and zits. Fun stuff.
Given that more than half of Americans report feeling stressed on a regular basis, it’s understandable why more of us are also fighting adult acne.
I was fairly certain my skin woes were due to my hormones. Besides being dangerously close to that time of the month, I had been dealing with anxiety over work and family obligations.
I knew when I washed my face at night I had no business pinching my already prone to scaring skin, but I couldn’t help it. Those mofos hurt!
In an act of kindness (or shade), someone gifted me with a tube of acne gel. #Unbothered, I slathered it on my face but as one pimple diminished another one began to appear. I was already cleansing, toning, exfoliating, using facial masks and retinol serums. Maybe adding another topical treatment to the mix wasn't the answer.
Desperate, I did what a million of other millennials have done before me and hit up YouTube for direction. I came across an influencer sharing how Chlorophyll had helped her adult cystic acne.
If you don’t recall from school, chlorophyll is a plant pigment that absorbs light and converts it to energy during the photosynthesis process. It’s found in green veggies like spinach, broccoli, kale and wheat grass. It’s rich in free radical fighting antioxidants and minerals, such as iron and magnesium which is why it’s amazing for the skin.
Because of its antioxidants (think Vitamin E, C, A, and K) it’s anti-inflammatory. If you didn’t know, stress and inflammation go hand and hand. In fact, it’s part of the normal stress response, but when our stress becomes chronic, so does our inflammation levels.
Inflammation hasn’t only been linked to skin issues, but digestive problems, fatigue and joint pain.
The beauty about chlorophyll is that many of its naturally occurring properties address the various systems impacted by stress. Its alkaline, and its magnesium can improve digestion. It also has a chemically similar structure to hemoglobin, the protein that helps carry oxygen around the body.
Chlorophyll helps removes impurities and toxins, has been shown to reduce damage from oxidation, and balance hormones. Although you could technically get it from food, most of us won’t eat enough of the green stuff to fully experience chlorophyll's benefits.
My parents are Seventh Day Adventist, so I’m not stranger to supplements or holistic health practices. I would see Chlorophyll in their pantry but didn’t know what it did. I decided to give it a go and purchased a bottle from my local health food store.
I opted to purchase my Chlorophyll as a liquid. While you can find it also in a capsule, I wanted to go the other way. Totally unscientific, but something about liquid has always made me feel like I'm getting a more potent dose.
Similar to Apple Cider Vinegar, you can have up to two tablespoons of liquid chlorophyll a day. However, because of its magnesium (which sometimes causes upset stomach), I stuck to only one. I’d pour it into a bottle of water, mid-day.
It was virtually tasteless, but I felt like the texture had become smoother like when I drink alkalized brands. It smelled slightly green (and turned my drink the color), but overall, not bad.
After a month of using it most days, my skin looked noticeably better. I had stopped breaking out and the scars from my previous bout of acne had faded.
Of course, I don’t expect my skin to remain this way indefinitely. Like I said before, adult acne is related to stress and that’s a constant. But now that I have this liquid weapon, I feel better equipped to deal with it.