Natural Skin Care for Acne Prone Skin
I feel like there is not a topic I am more equipped to write about than acne. I have dealt with every type of acne for decades, cystic, congestion, body, whiteheads, blackheads, none of them are fun. If you have ever suffered with acne you know the toll it takes on your self esteem and how you approach life. Only in the last 5ish years have I figured out what works internally and externally for me. I don’t even want to think about the amount of money I’ve spent on every cream, potion, lotion, treatment, etc. Live and learn and once I realized acne is part of the bigger picture of what’s going on inside your body did I really begin to heal. While healing the inside is crucial for outside healing there are also natural skin care products I use for my acne prone skin that are inexpensive, effective and safe!
My skin is nowhere near perfect but it’s come so far! I wear minimal makeup and finally feel confident in my skin.
Internal causes of acne
I could write for ages about the internal causes and effects of acne, but that’s not what this post is about. However, I do want to touch on it briefly because it is a HUGE part of healing acne. Our skin is our largest organ and is a mirror into our insides. Most commonly your detox pathways aren’t properly open. Every body has a toxic threshold and once yours is met disease and symptoms begin. We are constantly bombarded with toxins daily, air pollution, food, personal care products, unclean water, etc. The more toxins you minimize the better your body can keep up with detoxification. You can’t flood it with toxins and expect it to be able to keep up,
Your body has to detox on a constant basis and if those pathways aren’t working efficiently it can show in the skin. Not everyones’ internal issues manifest on the skin but as awful as this sounds be grateful you are being shown there is an issue inside! Eating real food, minimizing toxins and harsh chemicals, managing stress, drinking lots of water, decreasing caffeine and getting enough sleep will do wonders for skin!
Hormonal acne
Hormonal acne is a growing issue among 30-40 year old women because of the amount of chemicals in our environment. Excess estrogen or testosterone is often the cause of hormonal acne and is again linked to your detox pathways. Excess sex hormones are detoxified through the liver and then eliminated from the body through stool. If the liver and intestines aren’t detoxing to the best of their abilities the excess hormones float free in your body wrecking havoc on many systems including the skin.
Dietary factors
There has been such a misconception about food and acne. Research shows studies now that show the link between diet and acne, specifically dairy. Again I’m not going into this but once I changed my diet to a primarily plant based one my severe cystic acne on my chin and back that I had for decades cleared. It’s worth seeing if removing or dramatically reducing dairy will help your acne. The good news is your body is made to repair so it’s never too late to work on healing from the inside out!
There are also studies that show zinc helps with acne and I have found that to be true.
Harsh ingredients
Before we talk about what’s good for acne-prone skin let’s discuss what is too harsh and most likely harming your skin. Fo years my pillow cases and many of my shirts (because I was always treating my back) were bleached from the massive amounts of benzoyl peroxide I was using. Benzoyl peroxide is so harsh for your skin. It’s very drying and makes your skin think it needs to produce more oil which causes an overproduction of sebum. Excess oil is not what we want.
Oil cleansing for acne prone skin
Ok before you freak out about putting oil on your skin hear me out. I have used oil to cleanse my face for years and I believe it along with diet are the two biggest factors in clearing up my skin.
Have you ever heard “like dissolves like”? Cleansing with oils breaks down the oils and dirt on your skin without harming your skin’s natural protective layer. When you wash your face with traditional cleansers they wreck havoc on the pH of your skin and pull all the needed oils and moisture from your skin. Acne specific cleaners are even worse. A face wash should not make your skin feel tight after washing, that is not a good thing.
Now you can’t just go slap any oil on your face and cleanse with it. Please please please never use coconut oil on your face!! There are many companies that offer oil cleansing products that have the correct ratio of oils for your skin type. I have used Primally Pure’s oil cleanser for years. I do have a 10% discount code for Primally Pure you can use, enter “housefiveliving” at checkout. They are an amazing company that provides natural and safe skin care with organic products for acne prone and all other skin types.
How to oil cleanse
Start with dry skin, yes this freaked me out at first too. Take about a tablespoon of cleansing oil and massage it all around your face. It will remove all makeup including eye makeup, even waterproof eyeliner and mascara. Continue massaging for about a minute. Next get a washcloth wet with very hot water, as hot as your hands and face can comfortably handle. Ring the towel out and press against your face and let it cool. This is similar to steaming your face. The heat helps break up the dirt and oil. Now begin to wipe away all the makeup, oil and grime!
I typically repeat the washcloth step twice. It feels like a mini spa treatment every night! Like I said I use Primally Pure’s oil cleanser but I also just use straight jojoba oil more often now that my skin is clear. Jojoba is the closest oil to our skin’s natural sebum so it doesn’t clog pores or mess with the natural balance of our skin.
Toners for acne prone skin
A facial toner is a way to bring your skin back to a happy pH after cleansing. Now if you are oil cleansing you really can skip this step because we didn’t strip any of the good stuff away when we washed. I love the toner I use so much and it has done wonders for my skin so I will always use it. Again I use Primally Pure’s Everything Spray. I use it on a cloth and wipe over my face. It’s also another step to get any extra oil off I may have missed. I also use it in the morning after I wipe my face down with only water. I do not wash my face in the morning.
It is made with raw apple cider vinegar, witch hazel, and lavender and tea tree essential oil, which have amazing antibacterial properties. All of these ingredients are organic as well. It’s called the Everything Spray because of it’s versatility. It can be used for razor burn, sunburns, bug bites, skin irritation, etc.
Serums and treatments
More is not always better. I have found that the less I do to my skin the happier it is. With that said my late 30’s skin needs some anti aging help. Acne and wrinkles at the same time just isn’t fair, amiright?! Most anti aging products on the market are filled with harmful chemicals that are endocrine disruptors and are are linked to cancer and can aggravate acne. We have ditched all those nasty products in our home years ago but I still wanted something that was effective.
Three companies I have found to work and have clean and safe ingredients are Beauty Counter, Dime, and Primally Pure. These are a few of the serums I have found to be gentle but effective even for sensitive skin.
- Beauty Counter All Over Acne Treatment
- Dime TBT Serum
- Dime Hyperglow Serum
- Primally Pure Clarifying Serum (discount code “housefiveliving”)
Natural ingredients that work
- Willow bark extract acts as a natural salicylic acid and increases skin exfoliation to remove dead skin cells (great for helping with acne scars and keeping pores unclogged).
- Lavender essential oil heal and regenerates skin.
- Tea tree oil disinfects the skin.
- Apple cider vinegar is antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral. It helps balances pH levels and contains powerful healing enzymes.
- Witch hazel reduces inflammation while toning the skin.
- Green tea’s main active compound, EGCG, is a potent antioxidant which powerfully fights free radicals and acne. EGCG also has strong anti-inflammatory properties
- Aloe vera helps soothe acne prone skin and increases skin’s moisture.
Vitamin c increases skin’s brightness and evens skin tone (also great to lighten acne scarring).
There are many more natural ingredients that fight acne. These are just a few natural skin care ingredients I have had great success with for my acne prone skin and are in most clean skincare brands. I have added in a couple extra targeted products now that my skin is healed. I initially started with oil cleansing, toner and moisturizing with jojoba and a drop of frankincense essential oil, that’s it!
My nightly routine for acne prone, aging and combination skin
- At night I oil cleanse to remove makeup and cleanse my skin with jojoba oil.
- Tone with Primally Pure’s Everything Spray (discount code “housefiveliving”)
- Hyaluronic acid serum (also great to spot treat with)
- I alternate between Dime’s TBT and Hyperglow serum
- Finish with Dime’s TBT cream with has which is a natural form of retinol
My morning routine
- Splash face with water and wipe with a washcloth and ONLY water
- Tone again with PP’s Everything Spray
- In the winter I will use hyaluronic acid
- Moisturize with a DIY serum I made (jojoba oil with frankincense and copaiba essential oil)
I have used this combo for close to 8 months with great success and significant improvement. The less I do especially harsh treatments that cause skin irritation the happier my skin has become. My skin has came a long way and it just keeps getting better.
When breakouts do happen
Obviously if you’re reading this you probably are or have suffered from acne and know there will always be occasional break through acne. I have found a spot treatment that works unlike anything I’ve ever used! They are the Power Patches from Dime Beauty. The are hydrocolloid patches that have many of the ingredients I mentioned above. You place it on clean skin before bed and literally wake to a markedly decreased or even completely gone pimple.
I also like to do a face mask with bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar 1-2 times a week. Bentonite clay draws out dirt, sebum and impurities from pores which will help with future breakouts. As it dries you can see it working! Mix equal parts until you get a paste like consistency and spread it evenly over your face. Let it dry about 15-20 minutes (it will itch and tingle as it dries). Rinse off with warm water. Your face may looks flushed for an hour or two.
Put your best face forward
As children we are taught it’s what’s inside that counts and that’s absolutely true, but dang it acne sucks! I have spent countless hours applying makeup to cover my acne, and probably even more time crying over it. But once I understood it truly is what is going on inside our bodies that is typically causing acne and then harmful ingredients on the exterior that is exacerbating it I was finally able to see clearing of my skin. My daughter is approaching her teenage years and is using many of the same products as well (not any of the anti aging products) and has also had a clearing of her skin. It feels good knowing I have found natural skin care for acne prone skin she can safely use!
Once you find clean skincare that works for you swap out your makeup too! I hope this was helpful! I also wish I could hug each and everyone one of you struggling with your skin!
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