Ten Ways to Banish Breakouts That Actually Work
You asked, dear readers, and we answered! We are no strangers to panicky icky temperamental bad skin, but we’ve had some great luck with some truly natural things, and so we wrote a post about it. It just went up at GOOD in slideshow form, with art by this chick we’re certifiably obsessed with, named Brianna Harden. She’s a student (student!) in L.A., a GOOD intern, and we heart her. Check our her site, and swoon.
From the post:
If you’re no stranger to the kind of breakouts that make you want to put a paper bag over your head and cry, well, chin up—but step away from the benzoyl peroxide. Because they are formulated to penetrate deep into the skin, traditional acne products are extremely harsh and can contain some of the more unhealthy chemicals used in personal care products. BP is the most popular over-the-counter spot remedy in the United States, but that doesn’t mean we should be using it. Studies have shown it to be free-radical-generating (that’s bad—free radicals age the skin), and it has caused tumors in mice—to say nothing of its skin-peeling harshness.
But take heart. Here are 10 completely nontoxic ways to clean up your skin from the outside in, and the inside out.
Read our top 10 tricks here.
Illustration by Brianna Harden (obvs)
I cannot tell you what a good time this article came because my skin is going berserk! I just placed an order for some Argan oil and I am really looking forward to trying it out. Thanks!
I’ve recently started a blog, the information you provide on this site has helped me tremendously. Thank you for all of your time & work.
I’m so glad you mentioned probiotics and clay. Green clay is particularly good at pulling out toxins. In fact, we’ve found it to be so good that we recommend people keep it in their first aid kit. It’s good for pulling the venom out of bee stings, gravel out of skinned knees, and toxins out of arm pits after stopping antiperspirants. It’s incredibly detoxifying!
Three other things to mention are getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, and minimizing stress. Also, exercise helps your skin detox. Just make sure to wash your skin after to remove the impurities that have been released. Also, making sure to wash your face every night before going to sleep, even if you haven’t worn make-up to get the environmental toxins off your skin before laying down on sheets for 8 hours.
Thank you so much for this!
I am looking for a natural solution for my acne — I’m currently using a program that works OK but I want something more natural. While these are great ideas, many of the products suggested are pricey — are there any affordable options for natural acne solutions? Also, I’d be interested to read a recommended routine for caring for acne-prone skin — such as cleanser, treatment, moisturizer/sunscreen?
Is there a purging period during the beginning stages of using Argan Oil? I have been using Argan Oil for about two weeks and I have noticed an improvement and some slight purging. Is that normal?
I think so. Some people break out a little bit when they switch to oils… But it’s not one size fits all, so definitely stop using it if problems persist.
I am so happy to have found you! I have been a proactiv user for almost 10 years and I have tried going off it it many times in search of an all natural solution. Each time I end up in tears crawling back to the stuff! I am currently working on becoming a certified holistic health coach, and I want to be able to mentor to people in an open, honesty way, through my own experiences. This is something I need to overcome once and for all. I have been vegan for a couple of years and I have only been on a progesterone pill for 2 1/2 years, yet the acne is a constant. I have had luck with proactiv but in reading your blog, my skin is dry, fine lines, discolored, etc. I always thought good skin meant no acne! But I can and should be able to do better! My diet is clean and I exercise regularly, so I am determined, through keeping a detailed journal, get to the bottom of it!
With that said, are there any products I need to have? I have green clay, I use a honey mask and raw aloe gel. Any other oils or cleaners that I need to stock up on in this transition time?
Thank you, thank you, thank you!