We're back again with The Confidence Club! This time with Izzy Care!
We were so excited to chat with the lovely, skin-positivity influencer, Izzy, who shares with us her battle with acne, how her mental health was affected and her journey into finding self-confidence!
Hi Izzy, could you tell us a bit about yourself and your skin journey?
I’ve struggled with acne ever since I hit puberty (about 12 years old). It was something I was always a little self-conscious of, but other teenagers had acne so it wasn’t like I stood out massively so it wasn’t a big deal to me that I had spots. I tried a few things for it like the pill, prescription meds and creams, and I went on roaccutane at 16. I had clear skin for about 2 years and then my acne came back just in time for university and all of sudden I was unbelievably self-conscious, as most people had grown out of their ‘teenage acne’ phase. Why hadn’t I? So I tried a few more meds, wore tons of make-up and starting really learning and getting interested in skincare/beauty. I recently completed another course of roaccutane (22 years old), and mow at 23, I’m the most confident I’ve ever been in my skin.
How has your relationship with your skin changed since starting your skin account @izzy.skin.care?
I know I’m not alone with acne. I think that’s the biggest change for me in terms of my relationship with my skin. I felt like no one but me had adult acne and that’s just not true. Starting my Instagram account showed me how enormous and how loving the skincare community is.
What are some common misconceptions, comments, questions that you get about acne?
People think that make-up is the main cause of acne. That’s about 90% of my negative comments, and of course that’s just not true. My acne is hormonal too, and a lot of people don’t realise just how vast the list of causes is for acne. Genetics for one does play a role in my acne. It isn’t just a case of ‘wear less make-up’ or ‘drink more water’ or even ‘cut out dairy’.
How do you think social media has impacted the visibility of different skin conditions?
I think there are positive and negative impacts. Awareness of these different conditions through social media is fabulous. I have learned so much not just about acne, but also about things like TSW which I didn’t know about before. However, there is still so much editing in beauty adverts that skin conditions that are so common are still not normalised enough because some brands won’t drop the editing.
People often talk about the link between skin & mental health, what are your thoughts on this?
There is a massive link. It’s not as simple as ‘clear skin = good mental health’, but it is so draining to wake up every day, look in the mirror and be upset by what you see. People don’t realise that acne (and many other skin conditions) can be physically painful too. That can take it’s toll as well. It’s all about the support networks that we build.
Self-care is so important, especially when you have a demanding lifestyle, how do you like to practice self-care?
I love the little things like bubble baths, peppermint tea, face masks, long walks, and movie nights. I think a lot of people feel guilty when they aren’t being typically ‘productive’ in every waking minute. But self-care is productive too, and it’s the self-care things that look after our mental health.
What is something that you love doing in your down time that just fills you with happiness?
I love playing netball. Sports and exercise is one of those things that you never want to do, and then you do it and you feel amazing. I love the rush and the feeling you get when you are so happy that you decided to do something. Netball is something that is mine, and that I do with my best friend. It’s our thing and I love that.
What do you want to tell people who struggle with self-confidence?
You have good days and bad days. You are never going to be 100% all of the time. That’s not the goal. Share you thoughts, feelings and experiences with like-minded people, and you’ll be surprised how good it feels to be surrounded by people who lift you up. You’ll notice you get more good days than bad.
And, finally, what does ‘beauty’ mean to you?
To me, Beauty 100% means being unapologetically yourself. We are all so amazingly unique, yet we all share so many similarities, and I think that’s beautiful.