ST. PAUL, MN - I always suffered from acne. I never benefited from any reduction of it from my teen years to adult years. In high school, my acne was so bad that every yearly photo session needed editing. My senior photo turned out pretty good despite the editing, but through the years I had developed insecurities that made me a nervous wreck any time someone pulled out a camera. Looking back on it now, you didn't see much smiling in these photos due to this insecurity. You see, I didn't have just any old acne, I sometimes got the really big, red, sore ones that seemed to last for a couple months at a time. It surfaced on my face and the whole area around my mouth, the back of my neck, my upper back, and shoulders. To this day, I still have scarring that will probably never completely diminish.
I tried acne medications like Tetracycline and Monocycline but was allergic to
many of them.
And here is another thing some of you readers might identify with: In the winter, my skin was SUPER dry, and in the summer it was SUPER oily.
In February of 2005 I started helping my friends, Bryan & Melissa Penney, get some things ready for their ensuing schedule of craft shows. Highlighted by their participation in the Minnesota Rennaisance Festival, Seventh Sojourn had already built quite a name for themselves as crafters of high quality, all natural soap.
Like many others, I wasn't a fan of any kind of particular soap. I really had no idea that one kind of soap could be so different than the next. Melissa and Bryan suggested I tried their soap, so I took a couple bars of Unscented (Simple White) home with me. I was in for an important learning lesson that would drastically improve my life!
My Results
My results were immediately noticeable! The next day, my acne was less red and sore. It seemed as if my skin was healing itself like it would a cut or abrasion. Also, I noticed that my skin seemed more balanced; not too oily, not too dry.
Within 4 days there was very little indication this breakout ever happened, except the scarring of almost a decade of acne that literally caused pain. From 2005 to present day, 2023, I have used Seventh Sojourn's soap and even tried my hand making my own under their tutelage. I went from a guy who only thought about soap during shower time to an ambassador of all natural handmade soap. I wanted to tell everyone, like it was the world's best kept secret!
Why?
Because Seventh Sojourn's soap litterally impacted my life in such a way that I wanted others to enjoy improvements like I did.
Why Does Handmade Soap Improve Acne
Not only did I share Seventh Sojourn's soap with everyone I knew, but also did a little digging about why this worked so well in combating my acne? Here is what I found out:
1) This has become pretty popular knowledge over recent years, but many mass
produced name brand soaps contain ingredient such as phthalates, parabens, formaldehye and diethanolamine. Not only are these ingredient harmful to your skin, but studies have suggested that they also disrupt your hormones, create allergies, and some have been linked to cancer.
2) Large name brand companies siphon out glycerine, which is the most beneficial property of soap. Glycerine promotes soft skin and moisturization. Once the company removes large percentages of glycerine, they add it to their other products such as shampoo's and conditioners, in an effort to reduce cost.
Next time you are in the store, try to remember to walk down the soap aisle. When you do, count how many different brands actually have the word "soap" on the packaging. You would be amazed how many use terms such as "beauty bar" or "bath bar" instead. This is most likely due to the fact that the product contains harmful ingredients or lacks the proper amount of glycerine.
Other Practices That Helped Me And May Help You
With my acne issue becoming a thing of the past, I wanted to work at having even better skin. I would still get an occasional pimple if my diet wasn't great or if my skin became irritated in any way. Here are some other things that definitely helped:
1) I stopped using wash clothes, and now only use the bar of Seventh Sojourn soap without the assistance of linens or scrubbers. Some people have asked me if a loofah would be acceptable? It wouldn't work for me because my skin is so sensitive, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't for you.
2) Over time, towels "stiffen up" and are no longer soft, making them a possible irritant. Always make sure you are using soft linens and towels.
3) I would recommend you always dry yourself in a "damping" motion and be sure not to scrub.
4) As mentioned before, poor diet can cause a multitude of skin problems, not just acne. It doesn't necessarily mean that you have a poor diet, it could just mean that your skin doesn't like particular kinds of foods.
5) Stress can also cause acne breakouts. I found that breathing exercises can reduce stress and therefore reduce breakouts due to stress.
6) Here are the soaps that I use most frequently and have been excellent in the fight against acne: Simple White (Unscented), Oatmeal, Milk, and Honey, Cleansing Tea Tree, and French Clay. Honestly, I've tried every soap in their collection and none of them have been less effective, this is just the list of ones I lean on the most.
And finally, if you suffer from acne and haven't tried Seventh Sojourn soaps, order some today. I can't promise you that your skin will react exactly as mine did, but I do promise you - consumer to consumer, that you will notice improvement and find yourself (one day) like me, wondering what you would have done without these soaps.
Your own life altering skin improvement awaits you!
Try Seventh Sojourn Soap today by ordering six bars of soap for an $8 discount by purchasing the Soap Lover's Choice Bundle!
Note: Everyone's skin is different. If you have a skin condition such as our customer in this testimonial, please consult your physician or dermatologist to make sure bar soap is right for you.