InMySkin: @SkinWithLea teaches us how to achieve clear skin

Acne—regardless of the cause, be it hormonal or oily skin type—can be tricky to navigate. It is known for making some feel uncomfortable about their skin, leading them to look for the perfect acne-prone skin treatment to get rid of their blemishes. Lea Alexandra, self-proclaimed skin mentality expert, host of the Happy In Your Skin podcast, and author of the positive Instagram account, @skinwithlea, thinks differently about acne than most. She believes that those with acne have a lot more control than they think when it comes to getting rid of their blemishes. Secret? Positive thinking, acceptance and ultimate self-love. After sitting down with Lea and talking about the different ways acne affects people, how to deal with it and how to get rid of it, we believe her message and mission is something everyone should hear. 

Tell us about yourself and your skin. 

My name is Lea, I'm 26 years old and I'm from Germany. I got acne in 2017 after stopping birth control pills. In 2018, after a year of feeling like I was the only person in the world with acne, like so many of us, I decided to start documenting my skin and acne journey, and to spread the positivity around acne and the exposure it can bring. on my Instagram page @skinwithlea. Now my acne is almost completely gone. I still get weird pimples here and there, and I'm left with some hyperpigmentation, but other than that, my pimples are gone.

Can you explain what is Skin Mindset Expert?

I think most people don't take into account how much your thinking and what you decide to focus on, what to think about, what to talk about all day actually affects your body and its healing abilities. I teach my clients, as well as my social media followers, how to take their attention away from acne and change their attitude towards it. I mainly help and teach women with acne how to stop worrying, obsessing and stressing over their skin and how to change your attitude towards it so that it really becomes clear. I focus on using the power of your own thinking and the Law of Attraction (more on that below) to heal your skin and regain your confidence. So, Skin Mindset Expert is a term I coined to describe what I do because it's not really what a lot of people do. 

Could you briefly explain what it means to "show clear skin"?

Simply put, the Law of Attraction means that what you focus on expands. When you have acne, people tend to let it gobble it up and that's how they treat everything. This dictates their lives, they have terrible negative conversations with themselves, they stop leaving the house, they fixate on their acne for hours and worry about it. This is everything I experienced for myself when I had acne. In my work, I teach people how to take their mind off their acne so they can think and feel what they really want and live their lives again so their skin really has a chance to heal. When you start using the Law of Attraction and apply the tools of thought in your skin healing journey, you won't wake up the next day with clear skin. In fact, the manifestation does not work that way. Manifestation is not magic or sorcery, it is simply your energetic alignment with your purpose and what you want, and it comes to you in physical form. It's you focusing on what you really want, how you want to feel, what you want to happen, and actually giving it a chance to come to you instead of subconsciously pushing it away by focusing on what you don't want. . It's about making that inner and energetic shift and allowing clear skin to really come to you.

How can your thinking affect your skin?

When you focus on bad skin and how bad you feel all day, you only get more of it because like attracts like and what you focus on expands. You give out this negative energy and in turn you receive it back. Your brain and universe will do their best to give you more of what is "important" to you (meaning what you focus on all day long) and create more opportunities for you to have what you constantly think about. And if that focus is acne, stress, and anxiety, that's what you get more of, because that's the energy you give away. You are basically subconsciously pushing clear skin away or blocking it from coming to you simply by what you focus on. A huge part also has to do with stress and anxiety, which can trigger a surge of hormones and break you down. Often people think that certain foods or products are causing them to fall out, when in fact it is the stress and anxiety they experience about it that may be pulling them out, not the foods or products themselves. This doesn't mean that certain foods, foods, or other things can't put you out of action, or that foods, medications, and certain diets can't help clear your skin, they absolutely can. But your skin will never clear unless you believe in it. Your pimples won't go away if you constantly stress and obsess over them. 

What is your Happy In Your Skin podcast about? 

In my podcast, I talk about everything related to the law of attraction, thinking, happiness and wellness on your skin and your acne. Basically, it's your way to get your power back and live your life again when you have acne. I share practical tips and tools on how to use the Law of Attraction and the power of your mind to clear your skin and regain your confidence. I also share my experience with acne and mental health. 

What is your daily skin care routine?

I wash my face in the morning with just water and put on moisturizer, sunscreen (wear sunscreen, kids), and eye cream. In the evening, I wash my face with a cleanser and apply a serum and a vitamin C moisturizer. To be honest, I don't know much about skin care, it's pretty boring for me and I don't understand much about it. I am much more involved with the mental and emotional aspect of acne.

How did you get rid of acne?

I stopped letting it rule my life and started living again. I put on foundation at the gym, at the pool, at the beach, had breakfast at my parents' house, and so on. Once I stopped identifying with my acne, let people see my bare skin, and stopped dwelling on it all day, my skin cleared up. It was as if my body was finally able to heal itself and catch its breath. I basically used the same principles to get rid of acne that I now teach my clients.

How has your relationship with skin changed since you started caring for it? 

I used to identify with my skin as a girl with acne. I used to hate and curse my skin for “doing this to me,” but now I look at it in a completely different light. I'm so grateful that I had acne. I'm so grateful to have gone through something like this. I am so grateful for all the times I cried in front of the mirror and told myself how disgusting and ugly I was. Why? Because without him, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be who I am today. Now I love my skin. He is by no means perfect and probably never will be, but he has brought me so many things for which I should be grateful.

What's next for you on this skin-positive journey?

I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing, teaching people how incredibly powerful their thoughts, words and minds are. Doing what I do is not always easy because a lot of people don't understand me. But then I get these messages from people saying I've changed their lives and pictures they send me of their skin and how it's cleared up since they changed their mindset or just tell me how they today went to the mall without makeup and how proud of them and it's worth it. I am doing this for the person who needs it and I will continue to do so.

What do you want to say to people who are struggling with their acne?

Well, first of all, I would advise them to stop saying that they are struggling with acne. When you say that you are struggling or something is hard, it will remain your reality. You are not fighting, you are in the process of healing. The more you tell yourself this, the more it will become your reality. Your thoughts create your reality, not the other way around. Get a clear picture of what you tell yourself every day, how you feel about yourself, what your habits are, and then work on replacing them with love, kindness, and positivity. Acne isn't fun, it's not glamorous, it's not pretty—no one needs to pretend it is—but that's not who you are. It doesn't make you worse, it doesn't mean you're rude or ugly, it doesn't mean you're unworthy. And above all, this does not mean that you have to stop living your life until it is gone. 

What does beauty mean to you?

I'm going to answer this with part of what I once wrote in an Instagram post because I think that sums it up nicely: you and your beauty are not about what catches the eye and I think that's the biggest lies presented by society. telling us. Your beauty consists of those simple moments that you will never see on your face. But that doesn't mean they don't exist. Because you only see yourself when you look in the mirror. You don't see your face when it glows when you see someone you love. You don't see your face when you talk about things you're passionate about. You don't see your face when you're doing what you love. You don't see your face when you spot a puppy. You don't see your face when you cry because you are so happy. You don't see your face when you're lost for a moment. You don't see yourself when you talk about the sky, the stars, and the universe. You see these moments on other people's faces, but never on your own. That's why it's so easy for you to see the beauty in others, but it's harder to see your own. You don't see your face in all those tiny moments that make you you. Have you ever wondered how someone can find you beautiful if you are not? That's why. They see you. The real you. Not the one who looks in the mirror and sees only flaws. Not someone who is sad about the way you look. Only you. And I don't know about you, but I think it's beautiful.