Uplifting women throughout their hormonal cycles & beyond is at the forefront of everything we do. With this in mind, we are starting a new series, Wednesday Women, to share real experiences of women and their struggles with womanhood, hormonal cycles, and their skin. We want to celebrate our cycles, which are oftentimes some of our least glamorous moments, but embrace them as a symbol of our powerful womanhood.

Today’s spotlight is on skin positivity preacher, Megan Wicks, as she shares her journey in finding peace & confidence amidst struggles with her hormonal acne and skin.  

1. Can you tell us a little bit more about your struggles with acne? 

I struggled with acne for almost half a decade. It was a long journey and I tried what felt like everything: chemicals, natural products, antibiotics, spironolactone, washing my face a lot,not washing my face, the list goes on. For me, the answer was: accutane but it isn't the solution for everyone. Be open to the chance that something can happen to you with anything you try. 

2. What advice do you have for women out there who are struggling with their skin?

You are not alone. You are normal. When my acne was at its worst, I wish I knew that I was not alone and I wish I was bold enough to live my life normally. Tons of other people are going through it too, so take that picture, go out to that dinner, go out on that date. Even if it seems you can't do these things because of your skin, you have to push yourself. Once you do that, you will finally get to a place of acceptance. It's easier said than done and I'm on the other side of it now, but know that you are worthy and deserving of a full and beautiful life whether or not you have acne.    

3. What has been your experience with past skincare products? 

I have had experiences with SO MANY brands. The thing I like about Knours is that they place an emphasis on hormones, which have A LOT to do with our skin and our skin health. I don't see a lot of other brands opening up about how hormones affect our skin. I have hormonal acne, so acknowledging that that's part of it is super important to me. The expectation nowadays is perfect skin, but there is no "perfect skin." I don't like when skincare companies push the message that if you use their products, you will achieve perfect and clear skin. Instead I wish they would push that they are thinking about us and thinking about our overall experience with the product. Is it gentle? Is it kind to your skin? When you have acne, you want your skin to feel good and nice at a time when you don't feel good. You want to find a product that smells nice but doesn't have fragrance. Knours does a great job at balancing useful yet gentle ingredients. 

4. How do you personally find peace within yourself and your skin?

That's hard... because when my acne was at its worst, I really really struggled with finding that peace. The thing that finally changed the way I viewed my skin was when I started my account. I started documenting and taking pictures of my skin and face. I used to always just take pictures of my acne but not my face as a whole where I was smiling and living my life with my acne. When I finally started doing that, I started seeing that maybe my acne was not the first thing that people looked at and maybe it was my eyes or my talents. I really just tried to repeat the mantra that "I am more than my skin. I am more than my acne. My acne does not define me." At first I didn't have any followers so it didn't really matter, but as my account started to grow, people were really encouraging and positive. Their comments really helped me to overcome my acne insecurities and made me finally believe that I looked awesome even with acne. So, it took other people leading the way in the skin positivity movement to inspire me to do the same. 

5. What are your favorite Knours products and why? 

It has to be the Be Kind Double Duty Mist. I am obsessed with this mist! I think it is so unique and interesting that if your skin is feeling one way, you don't shake the bottle before using it. However, when your skin is feeling another way, you do shake the bottle. The product emphasizes the fact that our skin can change every single day, week, and month, and it is nice to have one product that can be there for all that. I am excited to see how the moisturizer is because I'm always looking for a solid moisturizer. But, I have to say that the double duty mist is *chef's kiss* beautiful. 

To learn more about Megan, follow her on Instagram @skinpositivitymovement.