How I finally quit the pill and healed my skin. Created in November 2015.
In 2014, I met a holistic nutritionist, who I would learn from and work for over the next 2 years. From the moment we first started working together, my life began to change drastically for the better. I was on a mission to completely shift my lifestyle, from chemical laden foods and products to natural, healthy, homemade options. One of the last big shifts was getting off the birth control pill (for more on that story, make sure you check out Part 1).
I wrote Part 1 after my first 3 months off the pill in 8 years. In those first 3 months, I was met with incredibly challenging acne and an irregular cycle (no period for the entire 3 months!) as my body and hormones were trying to come back into balance. I decided to go back on the pill (it was that bad), do some extensive research on how to support the process, and try again. Part 1 is the compilation of that research, my reflections, tips and strategies. In Part 2, I'm going to share with you the refined regimen that I ended up following and the exact pieces that really made this work for me to detox birth control, balance my hormones, and clear my skin.
My Birth Control Detox: Balancing Hormones, Clearing Breakouts
Morning:
· Lemon water upon waking
· Vitex (2 capsules) + Milk Thistle tincture + Burdock tincture away from food
· Zinc (1 capsule) with breakfast*
Midday:
· Milk Thistle + Burdock away from food
· B complex vitamin (Premier Research Labs Max BnD) away from food
Night:
· Milk Thistle + Burdock away from food
· Water with apple cider vinegar
· Probiotic (2-3 capsules – PB8) before bed
General Additions:
· No Vitex on Saturday (or pick one day of the week to have off)
· Each serving of milk thistle tincture is about 1 dropper full or 15 drops
· Each serving of burdock tincture is about 1 dropper full or 15 drops
· Stop Vitex, milk thistle + burdock after 6 weeks. Take a 2 week break and resume if needed, or finish what you have left
· Chopped fresh garlic and ginger in olive oil right before or after food*
· Rinse face with water
· Clay mask once a week (Sunday or Monday)
· Avoid makeup/skin products
· Eleuthero tea, maca + rhodiola with breakfast
· Estroblock
· DIM supplement
· Pau D’Arco tea
*Some stomach upset
The items in the pink highlight (Vitex, milk thistle, and burdock) are the parts of this regimen that I followed through with full commitment, and they are also the items that I believe had the most impact on clearing my skin and supporting my success in quitting the birth control pill.
If I were sharing my to-the-point plan and success story, I would probably just share those items! I ended up omitting a lot of things, like the zinc and garlic. I never did end up taking Estroblock and DIM. But, a lot of work went into the research, developing a plan, and there was a lot of trial and error. I believe the more information I can share from my process, the more people can benefit from it. So here it all is, for the highest health and well-being for all.
Please note: We all must do what is right and best for our own health and body, and that can be very different from person to person. This was written in 2015, and there have inevitably been new nutritional and reproductive health developments. I am not a doctor. This is not a prescribed plan. I am sharing my story and methods as a young woman based on my experiences. Please check in with your body, a trusted doctor, and do the research when addressing health concerns.
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