I had a Routine Review call with a client who has battled acne for over a year.
She sent me a detailed and super comprehensive email about her skin’s history, her health history, her diet, and her products…
From her email I could see that her skincare routine was not helping matters, since she was using jojoba oil and manuka honey and other terrible for acne-prone skin nonsense.
But the kicker was when I got to the pictures…To me, the acne didn’t look like acne. It had very precise placement, mostly on the forehead and outer cheeks and it was almost like it was a living organism that preferred some areas to others.
By looking at her pictures, and asking her the question, “Is it itchy?” during our call that afternoon, my client learned from me that she didn’t have acne, she had malassezia folliculitis (a yeast overgrowth resembling acne).
Not even her doctors nor her previous naturopath skin coach mentioned this possibility…The former had her on antibiotics, and the latter had her on JOJOBA OIL.
Guess what worsens malassezia folliculitis?
Antibiotics and topically applied OILS.
I’m pissed off.
Why?
Because people who are trusted to help should be able to help otherwise they should quit their day job and do something that yields results.
Professional help is not supposed to REVERSE your progress or make the problem worse. Professional help should yield improvement, not frustration.
The signs were so obvious that it wasn’t acne. Sure it looked like acne, but the pattern was all wrong.
How am I the only one to recognise this?
Because I check my premises. All. The. Time.
If your premise is that you have acne, then you will try all the things that might help acne…But what if it’s not acne? Then your premise is wrong.
If your premise is that oils are good for skin, and yet you continue to break out on them…You won’t switch to proper skincare, instead you will convince yourself that you’re sick and will look for other reasons for the breakouts. But your premise is WRONG.
A year of acne WITH professional help means the professionals don’t know what the f*** they’re doing. Because they are not checking their premises.
Acne should start healing the first month after implementing new beneficial steps (skincare + self-love). Your skin should look much better in 2-3 months, and transform after 6.
I’m in a natural skincare community (a forum) — I joined to see if the jojoba oil/manuka honey thing could possibly work. To my chagrin, I silently observe comments like, “I’ve been on this program for over a year and my skin has gotten worse” time and time again.
The person running the forum gives reasons for why this might be: hormones, diet, stress, bad thoughts, self-loathing, blocked chakras. Basically there’s something wrong with you.
Or maybe your premises are just dead wrong?
Ok, so what is malassezia folliculitis?
While real acne is caused by hormones, sebum clogging, and bacteria (to put it simplistically)…so called “fungal acne” is caused by an overgrowth or a yeast called malassezia in your hair follicle!
Check out these pictures on google.
Calling it fungal acne is inaccurate since it’s really yeast, but such is life.
Malassezia is found on all of our skin in some amounts, it’s the overgrowth that can create a total disaster on your skin.
It seems to thrive in temperatures from 32 to 37 degrees Celcius (89.6-98.6 Fahrenheit) which means that you are more likely to experience flare-ups in the summer. According to this research article:
This disease occurs more commonly in hot, humid environments, especially in individuals with excessive sweating or occlusions of the skin.
Side note: I notice that my skin is smoother and clearer in the winter, because the cold also lowers inflammation and is why cryotherapy is such a popular fad.
MF and acne can coexist…and a lot of experts misdiagnose MF as acne and treat it as they would treat acne…Which can make it worse.
Anybody who tells you to try antibiotics or plain oils on your face to deal with acne…is cray. Run away from these people and seek real help. My Youtube channel is a great place to start.
One huge glaring difference between acne and MF is: MF itches.
Another huge glaring difference between acne and MF is: acne is usually all over the face, while MF will grow on certain areas but avoid others…Like there will be clear patches on your face, where the skin is awesome while other areas will have itchy bumps all over that resemble whiteheads.
But don’t freak out!!!
Simply imagining an itch can make you itch. I literally itched for hours after speaking to my client about MF and researching it more thoroughly.
However, if before reading this article you felt your skin itch regularly on the areas that you thought were acne, then consider doing more research and checking your premises.
Ok, I’m itchy again now…ugh. The mind is powerful.
Why Do I Get Malassezia Folliculitis?
Hygiene. Effing, simple hygiene.
A reason why I loathe the caveman regimen or so called natural skincare is because it’s not hygienic and it’s irritating AF…These methods cause long-term ridiculous damage.
Doing nothing to your face as with the caveman regimen results in buildup of dirt, dead skin cells, sebum, pollution, sun damage etc. on your face. If that’s not a recipe for malassezia overgrowth, then I don’t know what it.
Natural skincare on the other hand tricks people into believing that they’re really cleaning their faces when they’re actually leaving a fatty film on the skin that ultimately is malassezia food (as with the oil cleansing method).
Then natural skincare usually contains oils in every step, so malassezia food…
Some natural skincare products literally contain no preservatives because people are so scared of “chemicals”, yet no preservatives in your skincare products especially if they’re water based (think: aloe, glycerin, rosewater) ensures that they go off and grow fungus and whatever else.
Then you put all that nature on your face…and your face starts to itch…and you’re like WTF is all this?
I’d rather have tiny amount of preservatives (i.e. parabens) on my skin rather than putting rancid fungus or oils on it that feed a yeast and cause an itchy overgrowth. Ammaright?
Watch this video on Parabens.
According to Dermnet Nz some other risk factors for MF are:
- High sebum production
- Excessive sweating
- Occlusion from emollients and sunscreens (i.e. OILS!!!!)
- Antibiotics
- Oral steroids such as prednisone (steroid acne)
- Immunosuppression
How Do I Heal From MF?
To put simply, you’re gonna have to eliminate all your questionable DIY/natural skincare and use the real stuff.
You’re also going to have to make sure your skin is properly cleaned and maintained.
Step 1: Simply eliminating fatty-acids (oils) on your skin is the first and most important step. If there are oils and esters in your products then they gots to go in the trash.
Step 2: Cleanse properly with a PH balanced cleanser 2x a day. Make sure to remove excess sebum, and maintain clean skin.
An MF approved cleanser is Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micelle Solution.
Step 3: Salicylic Acid can prevent yeast overgrowth on the skin because of it’s anti-fungal properties, so it can be incorporated into your routine.
An MF approved salicylic acid toner is Paula’s Choice Clear Regular Strength 2% BHA
Step 4: Moisturise using my 3 step method, which ensures you use very little of things that can feed the bacteria.
An MF approved moisturiser is Bioderma Hydrabio Light Gel Creme.
Step 5: Don’t touch your face during the day because you are picking up all kind of bacteria on your hands all the time from your phone, computer, door handles, etc.
Step 6: Keep your skin dry and clean during and after workouts, and shower and change right after working out without hanging out in your sweaty clothes. MF can affects the body too (chest, neck, back, forearms..) and unfortunately is not limited to the face.
Step 7: Avoid sharing razors, towels, and washcloths until the infection has healed because it can be contagious. (Source)
Optional: Cold compresses can be useful at making an uninhabitable environment for the yeast. But don’t use actual ice on your skin, because this will cause an ice burn!
Once again, antibiotics and oils will make the MF worse.
If symptoms persist for longer than a month, do not try to fix it with natural remedies, please. I know many people try coconut oil and tea tree oil and end up making the situation FAR worse. Don’t do it!
Consider seeing a dermatologist and getting an anti-fungal oral medication (like fluconazole). There is no shame in doing this, otherwise it can persist for years.
But point out to them what you have so that they don’t misdiagnose you with acne AGAIN.
Final Thoughts
You brush your teeth with toothpaste right? Not with a fungus laden DIY mixture? Please do your face the same courtesy — it deserves it.
Your body is an intelligent machine that when cared for properly WILL THRIVE. But that means it needs to be kept clean and supported with good hygiene habits and products (oils don’t count!) otherwise the bacteria and yeast will thrive.
Did you know that just the invention of hand-washing made humans live that much longer? Hygiene matters, and so do safe formulations of products.
We live in a time where skincare science is making huge strides to bring us amazing products, so take advantage of this technology instead of regressing into the prehistoric era.
And remember to always check your premises.
Love,
Olena
PS. By all means, if you need help finding the right products for your skin, I can help.
