Acne is a very irritating skin condition to begin with, especially for adolescent girls and boys with particularly sensitive skin already. This skin condition greatly lowers their self esteem most especially when the case is severe. Such people tend to use any treatment, even if it is just too rough for those with the sensitive skin type, just to get rid of acne.

However, this is never a right choice to make. These treatments vary in terms of how strong they are and the possible effects on the skin, whether negative or positive. It is therefore important to know your skin type. People with sensitive skin should get acne treatment for sensitive skin.

The best acne treatment for sensitive skin is a natural product. Compounds like sodium lauryl sulfate which is often included in acne skin cleansers are very strong and hence inappropriate for sensitive skin.

This type of acne treatment will destroy the skin and in the long run make it susceptible to other skin infections. It is therefore important to invest in sls free acne treatment as it is gentler on the skin.

Essential oils like jojoba and tea tree are very good acne treatments. These are gentle on the skin and are sls free. The oils are just the right amount on the skin and therefore chances of having clogged pores are minimal. The oils are also easily absorbent in the skin. This makes them less sticky than other oils which trap dust.

Tea tree and jojoba oil are usually combined to provide faster and better results. The two are combined in a ratio of 3:10. These are 3 parts of tea tree and 10 parts of jojoba oil as tea tree is stronger than jojoba oil.

Tea tree mainly works as an antibiotic. It kills the bacteria that cause acne. These bacteria are also responsible for the formation of pus in the bumps. If they are eliminated early, chances of the acne developing into severe type are minimized.

Jojoba is important for its non-greasy and absorbent aspects. Aloe Vera is also a good natural treatment for acne. This works by killing the bacteria and at the same time moisturizing the skin.

Natural treatments should be used on the affected area at least twice a day. This should mainly be after a bath when the skin is fresh. It is very important to ensure that you do not use harsh soaps on the affected skin area while you use these treatments.

In conclusion, before you embark on any treatment for acne, ensure that it is good for your skin.

Just about everyone suffers from rough, dry skin at some time in their life while others may suffer more seriously and have rough brown patches that are noticeable by other people. This is particularly a problem for people in the winter time who live in drier climates or whose winter tends to drag out.

Not only does the freezing cold weather increase the symptoms of dry skin, but the lack of humidity in the winter time adds to the problem.  There are many products on the market today and it can be confusing on which one’s will give you the smooth look that you desire.

Living in a very cold region can make this matter worse and cause patches just about anywhere on the body but more on the parts of the body that is exposed to the elements. If not properly attended to can lead to worse conditions and may be harder to get rid of.

Some conditions are so bad that it may start to bleed and you may want to check with a dermatologist.  If you are one that suffers from these conditions such as dry, brown skin, there are natural things that can be done.

First thing is to make sure you are drinking plenty of water to keep the body moisturized. You really do “hydrate from the inside” when it comes to the softness and smoothness of your skin.  Do not take a hot bath or shower, use warm water.

Use a gentle soap and avoid perfumed products as these have chemicals that are even more drying to the delicate facial skin in the winter time. After taking a shower, pat the body dry and add a moisturizer while you are still damp.

Certain foods can help you from the inside out. Food products that contain Omega 3 can help. The nicotine from smoking cigarettes can pass through the blood stream and cause dryness.

Add some moisture to your home by running a humidifier, it is especially important to keep the humidifier clean too. Some natural oils like argan oil or coconut oil work great and since it is safe enough for a baby you will have the satisfaction of knowing it will be good for you too.  No baby oil – this is a petroleum product.

Even though this may not be a life threatening condition, it can sure make a person uncomfortable and may interfere with the simple things in life. So go ahead and start taking care of this now to avoid worsening conditions later.

It’s officially been kicked off. The holiday rush to get the decorations down, get the holiday bills paid off, bake your usual holiday goodies, coordinate a million New Years events and parties, and generally have the entire month of December and beginning of January pass you by like a train that never stops at any station.

Sound familiar? Well, if you celebrate the holidays in the typical traditional way that most Americans do, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.  You can definitely put the kaibosh on some of the stress and the ridiculous fanfare that is now surrounding the normally happy holiday season and make yourself a safe nest of calmness and tranquility.

The rush, confusion and general angst of the holidays is something that definitely can become pronounced physically in the way of skin conditions.  People with acne and rosacea for example, may experience more symptoms on their skin during the stressful holiday period.  They may experience increased flushing, more breakouts and generally less “calm” looking skin.

It is especially important to make sure you are using sulfate free, gentle and natural cleansing products, as well as gentle treatments during this time.  Using harsh detergents and chemicals can only aggravate the skin, causing more “internal heat” under the surface and making your skin break out the defenses by inflaming  and becoming more prone to irritation, redness and bumpiness.

Be kind to yourself. When you start to feel the anxiety and inevitable feeling of constantly being rushed or the pressure to be perfect coming over you, do something that you know relaxes you. For me, it’s getting a massage scheduled, doing yoga, getting in a sauna, having a really tough sweaty workout, or taking an herbal calming remedy such as kava or 5htp (of course, these come with warnings, and interactions with other medications, so be sure to read up on them before taking).

If you can schedule some time to kick back, relax and do the things you normally do when the holiday season isn’t constantly on your mind, then you can at least tame the feelings of no control or of being always “on” and feeling the need to have this perfect, utopian holiday season.

Of course, the holidays weren’t meant to be like this. But in the age of commercialism and the “Black Friday” thing being pushed up further and further, with the most attention being focused on materialism instead of the real idea of the holidays which is the idea of giving, forgiveness, kindness, peace and love, it’s hard to remember what they are really all about.

Acne is one of the major skin conditions that affect adolescents and some adults. This can be a very minor problem but in some cases, it can be very severe. Acne is brought about by bacteria which disrupt the skin’s hormonal balance. This results in bumps appearing on the skin followed by pus in severe cases.

Acne affects several parts of the body that has non-glabrous skin, especially the face. This skin condition can also affect the scalp. Scalp acne affects both sexes of all ages. This type of acne can be very difficult to detect as the bumps are covered by hair. It is also a troublesome type of acne to deal with.

There are several treatments for scalp acne. Most of these are natural as the causes of these bumps on the head can easily be dealt with naturally. Scalp acne is mainly caused by overproduction of sebum but also poor hygiene, high stress levels, food allergies and malnourishment.

The best acne scalp treatment is prevention. Preventing the causes of the skin condition will deal with it. Ensure that you wash your hair every day. This will keep it clean, hence avoiding build up of bacteria and sebum. There should be good blood flow in the head. This will lower the stress levels as components of the head such as the skin layers will work at their optimum, hence less chance of infections.

Another acne scalp treatment is avoiding eating foods that you are allergic to. These foods tend to increase the rate of acne development on the scalp. The reason for this is that the foods will make the chemical composition of the scalp skin unstable, therefore making it susceptible to infections.

Avoid using any hair products that are oil-based. These products will clog your scalp pores and in the long run, force a buildup of sebum in the pores. However, ensure that you do not deprive the skin of oil too often as this will cause the skin to become too dry. The end result will be a different skin condition known as dandruffs.
Products meant for styling should not be left on your hair overnight. Shampoos and conditioners should be rinsed off thoroughly to avoid any buildup of residue.

You can also invest in anti-dandruff shampoos, which is are good treatments for scalp acne. This shampoo contains zinc, which is very effective in eliminating acne.

Treatment of blackheads with facial masks

Blackheads are one of the worst forms of acne. They usually are not painful and sensitive like whiteheads and cystic types of acne are, but they can be more difficult to get rid of, and can stay on the skin for months or even years if left untreated.

Acne is usually caused by dirt or oil blocking a hair pore. When this happens a pimple is foremed and if a pimple is created you will want to rid of this very soon. There are many different treatments meant to remove anyforms of acne.

A good way to treat acne is through the form of masks. A mask is applied to the face or affected area and is let sit until it dries completely. You should usually wear the mask in your down time since it is pretty obvious you have a mask on your face and you may draw some stares.

Mostly because it is pretty noticeable to walk around with your face completely white and chalky. A mask is a good way to remove the pimples. There is a side affect from applying masks though, if you wear them for too long.

The mask works by drying out the acne and when this happens the area it is applied to is also dried out. Most bottles are labeled with a warning that says there can be an excessive amount of dry skin after prolonged use of the product. Masks are only used for a last resort or if your acne is out of control.

Many of the treatments out there that help to remove blackheads use the same method of drieng out the skin to release the fluid inside the blackhead. Alcohol pads have been used since acne has been around (forever).

Alcohol pads are rubbed on the blackheads daily until they are gone. They can also dry out the skin, but not as extremely as a full-face mask.

These programs can be expensive, but they are very effective. These programs come with a schedule and many different treatments. For example a kit can come with a bottle of masking cream, a face cleanser applied in the shower, and a cream to quickly remove pimples before they come to a head.

Blackhead masks can be especially helpful because they help to draw out the blackhead pimple so that it can be more easily extracted without scarring. Our next blog is going to be on blackhead extraction tools. 

These can often be used in combination with a blackhead mask, which sort of “preps” the skin for extraction.

Sodium lauryl sulfate is a destructive chemical that is often used in facial cleansers and other soaps. It creates foam, which consumers have been conditioned into believing is a sign of effectiveness, but it is actually a derivative of sulfuric acid. It dissolves the top layers of skin, drying it out and causing premature wrinkling.

The skin’s oils are removed, which causes the skin to overcompensate by creating more oil and, consequently, very bad acne blemishes. Skin that is prone to acne needs to be cleansed with gentle products that do not contain SLS. It may take a long time to become accustomed to facial skin still feeling somewhat soft and oily after being washed.

In addition to being bad for skin, SLS is bad for hair: when used in shampoo, sodium lauryl sulfate completely strips away all of the healthy moisture and oils. It is so harsh and abrasive that is it used in household cleaning products and automobile maintenance fluids.

It is used in facial and body cleansing products because it is inexpensive and disperses naturally occurring oils for a feeling of being clean, but one is not really cleaner after using these cleansers than after using gentler soaps with less foaming action.

SLS seeps into the body and mimics the effects of female hormones, raising the odds of contracting breast cancer, developing menstrual problems, and experiencing lowered fertility. When facing an almost absolute probability of aggravating both body and acny with sodium lauryl sulfate, it is best to seek out washes and creams that contain natural botanical ingredients and do not lather into the deceptive foam that has made SLS such a common ingredient in most popular cleansers.

Sodium lauryl sulfate is also bad for eyes, the respiratory tract, and is dangerous when swallowed. It is not a chemical that is conducive to healing acne or perpetuating healthy, glowing skin. In some people, it can cause rashes, itching and painful breakouts.

Consumers are advised to read product labels and ensure that their favorite brands do not contain this dangerous chemical additive. Acne sufferers should see a licensed dermatologist who can prescribe medication targeted toward the patient’s individual needs.

What is the number one rule when it comes to “popping pimples”?  Hopefully you answered “You should NEVER pop pimples, you should always let them come to a soft head on their own and own gently extract them when they are good and ready”.  Why is this?

Well, because when you extract a pimple before it is ready, which is when it is not really under the skin any more, but almost completely surfaced to where it only has a very thin and fragile layer of skin on top of it and almost comes out at the softest touch, you do damage.

You do damage to your skin because you are essentially breaking small capillaries and busting the skin around the pimple, simply to get it to surface. Nine times out of ten, you won’t even get a pimple to surface that way. Instead you end up with redness and irritation, and an even worse looking area surrounding the pimple.

It also increases the chances of acne scarring by tenfold when you cause trauma to the skin around the pimple like this before it is ready to surface. If you even have to push with a little bit of force, you are doing it too early.

If you are impatient and you aren’t seeing the pimple surface within a day or two before you felt it form, then there are some ways you can help it to surface a little more quickly.  One of the best ways is to hold a warm washcloth on the area for several minutes. This helps to encourage the pimple to the surface a little quicker.

You can actually go in to a professional aesthetician if you are worried about messing up your own extraction. A trained aesthetician can extract blackhead as well as whiteheads. They can gently heat them, and they have special extraction tools that will help them to minimize trauma. The pimple still has to be “ready” though.

For pimples that are deeply under the surface of the skin, you can actually make an appointment with a dermatologist and get a shot. They shoot an anti inflammatory literally right into the pimple, and it usually heals and dries up within one day.

Now, of course this can get expensive.  Typically only people that can afford this type of luxury get this done – such as starlets who have a deep pimple before a red carpet event!  But if your dermatologist offers them at a reasonable cost without an expensive office visit fee on top of it, this may be an option for you.

Sea buckthorn essential oil is an oil that is extracted form the sea buckthorn berry. It’s not the cheapest thing in the world, so it is often used sparingly in skin care products that contain it.  Sea buckthorn berries are rich in something called palmatoleic acid, which has skin soothing and moisturizing properties that get deep into the skin.

It has naturally anti inflammatory properties as well, and has demonstrated some success in helping to heal acne scarring as well as burns, cuts and other wounds as a salve.  It is high in vitamins A, C and E naturally as well. These are all excellent vitamins for the skin.

Sea buckthorn extract has a very distinct scent to it.  I would personally described it as a very earthy, dense scent that has a hint of fig or raisin to it. It’s not unpleasant by any means like other essential oils can somtimes be such as carrot seed oil. Again, that’s my personal opinion. What one person deems offensive to the nose another deems delightful!

Sea buckthorn essential oil shows its potent antioxidant capability in its deep orange color. This often shows that an oil is rich in antioxidants, as many of them are naturally rich and dark in color when found in nature.  I have used it on my skin in the past mixed in with lotions as a way to help heal my skin as well as to help keep wrinkles and fine lines at bay.

It has never caused me to break out, which makes me believe it is not pore clogging. However, this may of course vary per individual.  Since it was most commonly used in skin healing for things like contusions, burns, bumps and bruises, it can be very useful when an acne lesion first begins to heal to help along the process.

Since it contains vitamin E naturally, it helps act as a soothing agent as well as an antioxidant that helps prevent further cell damage and scarring from the original wound. It is also excellent for mature skin as it shows properties that it retards aging in older skin (this would be true for younger skin too of course).

While it is not an “acne treatment” oil in and of itself – in other words, it would not be used in a natural acne cleanser, it has powerful healing qualities that would be good in a lotion or cream – noncomedogenic of course – in lower concentrations if you were looking for something with a healing effect.

In order to have good healthy clear complexion, it’s very important to develop healthy habits. Maintaining good skin cleansing and diet habits is imperative in order to have clear healthy complexion. Here are some tips that one can use on a daily basis. Remember to use gentle care when attending to your skin.

Over washing your skin on your face and other areas, can result in extremely dry areas. One tip, that is essential is never go to sleep with make up on your face. That will lead lead to clogged pores, which in the majority of cases lead to acme. Another tip, the temperature of the water you use to rinse off dirt and or make up should be room temperature, versus very cold or very hot.

Always use extreme gentle care when removing makeup from your face – you know from reading before if you’re a frequent reader that I’m an advocate of natural acne skin cleansers that are gentle because over drying or irritating the skin with harsh chemicals or surfactants is a surefire way to increase breakouts, not defeat them.

The following tips seems to be very beneficial to a nice natural glow, is to use natural products, on your face. They tend to be less harsh. Harsh chemicals in commercial products can cause a lot of damage. Some natural products that work well are Almond oil, it probably is the best natural moisture one can use. It is only necessary to use extremely small amounts, around the eyes and mouth, and in any other dry areas.

This is much more potent then any commercial product you may have used in the past, so it’s important to use as little as possible. A little goes a long way. Mayonnaise works very well as a moisturize too, but not for people with acne I might add – people with acne are better off to use  noncomedogenic moisturizer that is all natural. These products are to be used on dryer complexions, if they are used on oily complexions, it may make the condition worse.

Scrubs are very good products to use on all complexions, mud based ones, or apricots scrubs work best. Gentle is the word that is very important in all rituals for a great complexion. Make sure to always keep your hair out of your face, if your hair has a tendency to fall onto your face, use a headband or elastic to keep it off of your face.

The oil from the hair can make acne worse, or in some cases bring it on. Many think that the sun can make acne better. It can for a very short period of time. You should always use sunscreen, because sun burn can cause permanent long range damage, in some cases it can lead to death. Avoid junk food.

If you suffer from acne, salicylic acid may prove beneficial. If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, then you know I strongly prefer salicylic acid over benzoyl peroxide. Salicylic acid is a topical solution which can help heal skin that is irritated and inflamed from acne.

Products containing this ingredient may easily be purchased over the counter at a variety of retail stores.  I like it because it relies more on pore clearing and exfoliation, while benzoyl peroxide I feel, dries the skin out.  Salicylic acid, to me, seems more like an exfoliation agent. It is an acid, so it helps clear debris and clear the pores so that they don’t get plugged up with the stuff that causes an acne lesion.

It may come in a gel or liquid form, but some soaps and facial cleansers contain it as well. It is simple to use and can be used daily. It is a good idea to gradually increase the number of times it is used per day.

If any irritation occurs, you will need to reduce your daily usage – perhaps you can scale back to using it once every weekend or maybe twice a week. Using it regularly may also help prevent future breakouts from occurring. The benefits are fewer breakouts and clearer, smoother skin with clear pores.

This product causes the outer layer of the skin cells to shed, eventually revealing the smoother unaffected skin underneath. Continually using this product helps soften and smooth the skin. You will want to avoid using other products which contain the same ingredients, as drying of the skin may occur.

It reduces the size of pimples and can minimize blackheads. By using a product which contains this ingredient, you can have clearer skin that is also smoother and brighter due to the exfoliation component of this ingredient.

There are relatively few side effects from choosing this over the counter treatment and it is generally well tolerated. Those who have had sensitivities to other acne treatments may have success with salicylic acid. Minor side effects include redness or peeling of the skin.

Sometimes a tingling sensation and increased sensitivity to the sun can occur. It is important to use sunscreen if you will be outdoors. This can easily be rectified by choosing a lesser concentration of the product. Most products contain a 2% solution, but if you find this too harsh for your skin you can reduce it to 1%. In most cases, the benefits outweigh any potential side effects.