Tajda - Veganism, Stress, and Skincare Issues

When I turned vegan, I had extremely high and unrealistic expectations of how that would influence my whole entire life. Don't get me wrong, it certainly had a noticeable effect on many aspects of my life, and now being a vegan blogger and food photographer, a fully plant-based diet is something I can't imagine walking away from anytime soon. Or ever.

But it doesn't change the fact that the year that I turned vegan was also one of the most stressful, demanding, and busiest periods of my life so far – I studied abroad, finished my master's degree, emigrated to my dream country, started my own business while still being employed part-time, and moved 5 times in 15 months.

It was one of the best and yet craziest years of my life, which had a massive effect on my skin. 

Sudden outbreaks of pimples

Growing up, I had largely unproblematic skin. Secondary school did greet me with occasional outbreaks of pimples, but nothing long-term or out of the ordinary. All throughout my school years, my makeup was simple and my skincare routine was kept to the point. Then came my crazy year of 2017/2018, and all hell broke loose!

All the stress really took its toll on my skin, and it seemed like NOTHING was able to cure the bright red spots popping up on my cheeks. I struggled with quite painful pimples for almost 6 months and tried out so many different products in an attempt to get rid of them!

That was the time I got really into minimalism and the zero-waste movement and ended up believing that a simple and completely 'natural' skincare routine was the best option. It definitely didn't work, and while I'm still a huge supporter of all things natural (I use essential oils, grow my own herbs, make my own body butter, etc.), I can safely say that solid soap + 100% aloe vera moisturizer did nothing but prolong my skincare issues. There was something good that came out of my skin issues, however  – I did lots of research, found out about active ingredients, acids, and different types of ingredients.  

That's when I first 'met' Akvile on Instagram and her charisma and endless enthusiasm certainly grabbed my attention. In January 2018, I tried out her original skincare range and went into the whole thing expecting nothing extraordinary. That wasn't due to my skepticism, but simply a result of me being exhausted of trying just about anything to clear up my skin. 

Is it a miracle? 

Now comes the disclaimer – I absolutely despise the world miracle being used to describe how effective a certain product is.

Instead of calling it a miracle, I would say her skincare range was exceptionally effective. No false advertising. No fancy campaigns. You will have to be dedicated to her program and really stick to it, rain or shine, day or night, in order to see results.

The photos speak for themselves, but I'm not going to pretend my skin was absolutely spotless and photoshop-perfect afterward. However, it has improved significantly and the items worked miles better than anything else I’ve tried. More than anything else, I’m so relieved to have found a brand that really works like a charm for me.  

Before

6-week later 

What now? Milia and System Akvile relaunch 

Almost 6 months later, I'm beyond thrilled to see Akvile taking a massive step forward with her brand.  

I'm a sucker for branding (I work in digital marketing, which should tell you everything you need to know right there) so I was excited to see that the relaunch is so visually attractive and added an extra product. I have worked closely with over 20 brands in the past 6 months, and yet System Akvile is something that has stood out to me.

I'm still using her original collection products on a daily basis (just ran out of the cleanser, but a little goes a LONG way) and have struggled with milia these past few weeks, so I’m really intrigued to find out how her newly launched items can help me continue on my skincare journey. 

 

This review was written by Tajda, who is the founder of My Vegan Minimalist. She writes about sustainable living and captures her daily vegan adventures on Instagram @myveganminimalist