The Best of NMDL: Natural Adult-Acne Cures (Plus: What’s Your Clear-Skin Strategy?)
(Because mine is having sleepover parties with my girlfriends and doing cucumber eye masks, naturally.)
Actually, and this should come as a surprise to no one, our skincare strategies are completely holistic. We’re not really the spot-treating type, even if we do love us some Stark green-tea clay. And that new mask from Acure is, indeed, awesome. But if you’ve read our acne coverage in the past, then you know we are much more about prevention, root medical/hormonal causes, and the psychological toll that bad skin days can exact on one’s sense of one’s, well, prettiness. Which is ugly.
With that in mind, below is all our strategy for clean skin—plus all our best content on adult acne. Be sure, when you’re checking out the old stuff, to read the comments because our readers are way smarter than we are.
To recap, here is my strategy. We’d like to hear yours in the comments.
1. Stress and sleep are the biggest determining factors for me, bar none. When I’m happy and rested, I feel like I can eat anything, drink anything, put anything on my face and nothing will happen. Of course that’s not totally true, but I exaggerate to make a point: Literally nothing wreaks havoc on my skin more than missing zzzs and being a stressball. Meditation, yoga, therapy, awesome friends, and sufficient rest help with this.
2. I take omega 3s. I take three 1,000 mg capsules per day, and I never skip. More on why below.
3. I don’t switch products a lot. I have highly reactive skin, so if something works fine, I stick with it for months, even years.
4. I avoid dairy, other than parmesan, which has very low lactose. I’m not sure I have a lactose issue, but when I eat dairy, I get weird tiny bumps on my chin that drive me completely bonkers. Avoiding dairy means avoiding these bumps.
5. I see an endocrinologist semiannually and an acupuncturist regularly to keep tabs on any underlying issues that might make my skin suck.
Now, here’s the best of NMDL adult acne coverage…..
What to do when things have already gone awry:
10 Natural Ways to Make a Spot Go Away Faster
10 Ways to Make a Bad Skin Day Feel Better
A Natural Alternative to Benzoyl Peroxide
DIY Manuka Honey and Lemon Blemish Elixir
How Having Fun Can Clear Up Your Skin
10 Ways to Banish Breakouts That Work
How to avoid big breakouts in the first place:
How to Balance Your Hormones, Part 1
Can Your Phone Really Give You Zits?
The Dairy-Acne Connection: Confirmed?
Face Mapping: What Your Acne Means
Okey smokey, your turn. Share your favorites, and your own skincare strategy, in the comments.
Nutrition and exercise are my number one priorities for skin (and pretty much everything about health, really). Totally in agreement about sleep too. Light cleansing and exfoliation, such as with honey and a Pai muslin cloth, followed by nice oils/serum and truly clean cosmetics are essential. When I can tell a problem is brewing, an overnight spot treatment with clay and lavender EO is my go-to. Also, my chest and back are almost blemish free with daily dry brushing. I think the exfoliation and stimulation of blood flow are just what I need.
How did you know I already looked up and read half of these links this morning?? :)
I got off the pill about three months ago…needless to say, my hormones are ravaging hell on my face, so that’s been fun. I have worse skin right now than I ever did going through puberty, and I literally have to give myself a motivational pep talk every morning before I leave for work, it’s that hard for me to be seen by people. My husband’s been super supportive of me trying to fight this the natural way, but I’ll admit, after much suggesting by my mother, I used some Tazorac this morning in desperation (it was the cream though, which the book said was the cleanest out of the dirty stuff! lol).
I’ve been using Evan Healy products, Manuka honey, almond oil and argan oil with tea tree or lavendar or geranium ( I heard geranium helps balance hormones, but I don’t know if that’s really true), green tea masks, and taking my omegas. Plus I’m vegan, so no dairy (except for special occasions, I make an exception for wedding season, ha). I just ordered some Sequoia Beauty products from purecitizen.com (if you don’t use them, they have a new sale everyday on green beauty, clothing and health products!!) that promise to be anti-inflammatory and non-drying, since that seems to be the problem with my skin. It’s just so red and inflamed and sensitive. Any advice fellow acne-sufferers?
For me stress is enemy numero uno for my skin. To that I’ll add:
—Booze. The stuff never does my face any favors, so I try to keep tabs on my intake.
Some of my current strategies:
—Energy and body work, along with breathing exercises and other morning rituals to help my stress levels (and hopefully my hormones).
—I’ve been getting extractions every few weeks, and it’s doing wonders for my congestion.
—Clay is still a spot-treating staple for me.
—Oils just make my skin happier in general. I have a few in rotation.
—Sleep! I almost never skimp on sleep, no matter how much I have going on.
@Mustang Sal: The very same thing happened to me when I went off the pill – my skin (my face, neck, and back) was worse than it had ever been for about 6 months (and my mother was NOT subtle about her ideas on the subject, i.e., that the dermatologist had all the answers and I was being ridiculous for not going to see the derm). Anywho, my naturopathic doctor helped me figure out which hormones are out of balance (all were present, but all were low) and is helping to fix them. It is not a quick fix, but it’s been getting much better the last couple of months (I went off the pill in January). My naturopath has me on herbal phytoestrogens for the first 14 days of the cycle and a progesterone cream for the last 14 days. (Organic Excellence makes a progesterone cream that’s readily available.) Suti is the line of face oils I like the most and I use a clay mask almost every night (but I’m trying to cut back to every other night). Also, Acure Face Scrub is awesome for when I shower at the gym and need exfoliation (at home I use manuka honey and a Pai cloth, but washcloths don’t travel well). Sleep and lots of water have helped, too. Good luck!! (and find a naturopathic doctor!)
@Mustang Sal, it sounds like you pretty much do what I’d advise already (and I love Evan Healy). I say eat as healthy as you can, noting if you have any food sensitivities and avoiding them. Gluten is an issue for me, and I’m vegan too so I know it can complicate things to eliminate gluten. Keep the products as simple as possible, and include a nice oil with a texture appropriate for your skin type. And don’t be tempted by the dirty products…they may help in the short term but shoot for long term health.
Truthfully, I usually don’t really know why my skin does what it does. For instance I’m having quite a breakout-free month; it could be because I traded the pill for a copper IUD three weeks ago; that’s going well so far…
Still, I will try to keep doing what I’m doing, which is basically:
- Maintaining a healthy lifestyle (lots of veggies, exercise including yoga, limited booze, and enough sleep)
- Keeping a simple skincare routine with oil-based products (and few ingredients!)
- Doing a clay mask every week
- Not touching my skin, because I believe that I create at least half of my pimples by picking at random bumps
- Remembering that nobody cares that I have pimple, so trying to forget about it.
Also finding out that there are two types of acne really helped me understand my problem better (which is rosacea really). Apparently the ‘regular’ type of acne will be around the chin and T zone, while rosacea acne is mainly on the cheeks (me!). Rosacea acne is also more like bumps (without whiteheads). I think in my case it is more linked to allergy/inflammation than to hormones and sebum.
All the same from me! Lots of sleep, no dairy, lots of greens, drinking a lot of water & green tea, good oils (I alternate Kahina argan oil & Stark CY oil, both amazing!), then green tea clay masks and the Evan Healy blemish roll-on when something pops up. Sounds silly, but laughing and feeling happy also seem to affect the way I look.
@Mustang Sal, don’t fret, it’ll pass!! I stopped bc in November after 10 years, and my skin got CRAZY. It was the absolute worst in March, like total pizza face. And I’d never had acne as a teen, so this was something I didn’t know how to deal with. That freak-out in March was really the worst of it, then it came around. I still get a couple rogue zits that creep up on hormone-y days but for the most part my skin’s pretty clear. The Evan Healy products helped me, I think (tea tree cleanser/green tea clay mask) and just generally riding it out. Now I’m using a combination of Stark & Kahina products and just spot treating when necessary. I feel your pain though, that was a rough time! It’ll clear though, don’t get discouraged!
I swear by coconut oil! Cleansing and moisturizing with it have cleared up my acne and blackheads. I don’t even get my hormonally induced cystic acne anymore!
@Emma B, You are so right on with NOT touching your face! If you are out and about, running errands, going to the coffee shop, pushing a shopping cart, touching money, using someone’s pen to sign a credit card receipt and then you touch your face, well I hate to sound like the germaphobe that I am, but you are spreading germs and bacteria onto your skin. It’s better practice to keep your hands away from your face throughout the day. I also like that you use oil based products because they actually work better to heal acne and calm sebum production if they are plant or fruit based oils than any cream can. I would suggest a little facial steaming when you feel your skin is congested and then using a little oil after. It feels amazing!
Lately, I’ve been mixing an active mask and applying it at night for 15-25 minutes. It works to slough off dead skin cells, brighten, and perform miracles to the congestion my skin has suffered during this super hot and humid summer. I’ve been beyond delighted with the results. It’s an indulgence to take the time to do this a few times a week, but well worth it. I also eat my berries and fruit at night with a glass of water. I feel the health effects work best while my skin repairs overnight and I do notice my skin feels better when I wake up.
Eating a couple brazil nuts every day keeps acne away too! I also mist my skin with a mix of homemade floral water and a little coconut water. Raw coconut water is excellent for treating hormonal skin. I could go on and on…
Love reading all of your comments. So much fun.
Victoria
I actually realized this year, after about 8 years of struggling with cystic acne, that it’s wheat that causes it for me. I could not get myself to accept it for a few months, but once I stopped eating it, my skin completely cleared up. And every time I try a little bit (my mom is a great baker, so once in a while when I visit I have a tiny piece of whatever she baked), within two days my skin freaks out. I think every person is different, so there is no one cure that works for everybody, but I haven’t heard too many people mention wheat causes acne, so maybe it will help someone out there :)
@Mustang Sal The same thing happened to me! It took me a few years to get it under control just because I didnt know what I was doing! (I thought I was buying \clean\ products at Sephora before NMDL. Eek!)
I found really clean products were amazing. I couldn’t use aggressive scrubs, it made the small bumps on my forehead worse.
I switched to all clean products from head to toe and for house hold.
I added raw dairy and raw cheese to my diet. I was a vegetarian all my life and started craving meat. So now occasionally I have grass fed meat. Soy free eggs and cod liver oil has also been added. (I’m not saying dont be veg, this just worked for me)
I also did more yoga and in the process of a career change (less stress)!
It does get better! You are in the right place for advice that’s for sure!
AHH I am bookmarking this page right now! My normal routine is to put latex gloves on, puncture with a sterilized needle (probably SO BAD but I find that once it’s opened a tiny bit, it seems to help, because then whatever I apply can get to the source faster) and then put on a paste of apple cider vinegar and raw honey followed with a bandaid before I go to sleep. It takes swelling down in an AMAZING way, at least for my skin! I’ve tried clay as an all-over mask and it makes my skin itch like crazy, I don’t know why I’ve never thought of using it as a spot treatment!
@MustangSal same thing is happening to me. I went off the pill at the start of this year and for a few months things were okay, but once spring/summer hit things got waaay out of control. My skin is always worse in the summer with the heat/sweat/humidity, but it’s the worst it’s been since high school and I’ve been so tempted to go back on the pill or go to the dermatologist or…. I don’t even know!
I am in the process of cleaning up my act.. no gluten (I am gluten intolerant and it wreaks havoc on my skin, but I find adjusting my diet a HUGE challenge), less dairy, regularly taking my supplements and exercising. Also trying to focus on stress reduction (the fact that acne results from stress and then you get more stressed because you have acne.. ugh).
I’m really loving all these tips, though. If anyone has tips for acne scarring (the pigmentation kind), I’d love to hear those too, since I have an olive skin tone and when the pimples finally disappear they leave me with a not-so-lovely uneven skin tone.
eating healthy, vegan, lots of greens, little stress, and more exercise all help me. even so, I still do get hormonal acne around my period that drives me insane. I’ve been working on eating better and exercising more during that time, and using aloe and tea tree oil as spot treatments. On a more daily/weekly basis I’ve started putting raw honey on my face at the beginning of my showers, leaving it on, and rinsing right before I get out. This has helped a ton, my skin feels more balanced and it calms any flare ups I’m having. I’ve also been using the Stark green tea mask weekly and moisturizing with Kahina argan oil daily (yay quarterly goodies!)
In the past I’ve noticed a connection to dirty products not at all near my face causing acne. dirty deodorant, conditioner on my ends, and body lotion have all caused breakouts on my face. I firmly believe that keeping everything chemical free and healing from the inside out is the best cure.
Thanks everyone! It’s nice to know others are dealing with the same thing so we can all give each other advice and encouragement!
I have noticed that the acne is really only concentrated on my face…which I feel is a little strange, since I’ve always had a few bumps on my back and chest, even while I was on the pill. I do use an apple cider vinegar rinse on my hair at the end of my showers in lieu of conditioner, so I’m wondering if the ACV rinsing down my back is what’s causing it to be clear? Anyways, yesterday and this morning I figured I’d try out ACV as a toner and see what happens :) I’ll let you know!
I get adult cystic acne (and sometimes smaller bumps) and lately have had it under control. I used to use Differin (prescription), but I got sick of my acne not getting better and of having to rely on products that I felt were doing more harm than good to my body. Here is the regimen I’m using that works for me:
- gently wash my face with ground oatmeal mixed in warm water
- sometimes use Desert Essence blemish touch stick, although it can be drying; it works fast on really small pimples that I occasionally get on my upper chest (like, they’re gone in a day!) but on bigger facial acne it will sometimes work but it takes more time
- use Alba oil free moisturizer; it’s not that clean but it doesn’t seem to aggravate my acne. I’ve tried oil-based products but they break me out really badly with cystic acne, and I just can’t handle that! Sometimes I add tea tree oil to my moisturizer instead of using the blemish touch stick. I try not to use tea tree oil too often because it dries out my skin, I think the trick for me is to use it occasionally.
- I’ve switched from MAC and CoverFx foundation to Alima pure foundation. I think makeup can be comedogenic even if it says it’s not, depending on the person. I apply my Alima powder with Helichrysum floral water, which is supposed to help reduce inflammation, although I’m not sure if it works like that for me. I like the smell though. I also found lavendar floral water in the past to really help when I had an irritated/picked at pimple.
I still get acne, but not as often and it’s not as huge, so it doesn’t bother me as much. Anyone have any tips for scars?
Acne can really lower your self-esteem, so good luck to everyone. Remember that you are beautiful!
Over the last decade I struggled with acne (I am 42). The acne was not really treatable, nothing helped. Two month ago I stopped using supplements with vitamin B6 and B12. And I did ban all drinks and food with artificial Vitamin B6 and B12 from my fridge. Here in Europe they are almost wonder vitamins. But not for my skin. Within a month I saw a major improvement. Today I use a clay mask once a week and that’s it (knock on wood).
I love Egyptian Magic with a drop of tea tree oil on a monster zit, but with the cystic acne I’ve found prevention to be the best cure. I take omega-3s, too, along with probiotics and Nature’s Cure Homeopathic Acne treatment for Women. I toss out the tube of cream that comes with it, but I swear this has changed my cystic outbreaks from every other week to one or twice a year!
As for the damn hyperpigmentation left after these cystic assholes FINALLY disappear, I’ve found a lemon juice and full fat yogurt mask to really help brighten up my skin! I add about a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice to about a 1/4 cup full fat greek yogurt, slather that baby on a clean face, and chill for half an hour. It really seems to brighten up the dark spots! I also spot treat with a lemon and yeast paste. Just add a few drops of fresh lemon juice to baking yeast to form a paste, cover the dark patches and wait for the paste to dry.
Also, sunblock sunblock sunblock on zits and the spots left behind! The sun will set that hyperpigmentation “stain” in your skin, so wear your sunblock. I like Josie Maran’s facial sunblock, as it only has physical blockers and gives you a little dewy glow.
@Alexa For me it is deeply rooted in diet. I had tried all kinds of topical solutions for years and not found the answer. I recently read ‘The Clear Skin Diet’ and removed dairy from my diet completely. I also added in large daily doses of Omega 3s (making sure that the DHA and EPAs are really high). It, of course, did not have an instant effect, but within a couple of months my skin cleared up completely. This is the first time in years I am not having to use any chemicals on my skin. I am not even having to use things like tea tree oil. All I am using is a gentle cleanser (Dr Haushka) and aloe vera. That is it! I have always eaten a ton of veggies and fruit so did not think it could be linked to my diet. It is amazing what discovering what does not work with one’s system will do.
I want to ask a candid question about retinoids. I know that they bring along all kinds of nasties but for me and my skin right now I decided that the potential good is balanced (especially especially for my emotional well being– the acne I’ve been experiencing for several months now has taken too much toll on my self esteem). I’ve adjusted my diet and cutting out gluten in particular helped calm the cysts that had been very inflamed. But my skin still has a long way to go back to its former relatively cooperative and happy self. Tretinoin has been clearing and, as I’ve been going very slowly with it, without too much irritation to speak. So knowing that retinoids are not the cleanest, what have been your experiences with caring for skin while using them and what clean products complemented them well? I want to be as clean, careful and gentle as I can in every other way, especially as my skin adjusts.
One of the greatest revelations I’ve had in combating acne is with my nighttime regiment. For years, I have been told by the dirty cosmetic companies that a “special” nighttime cream without SPF is needed for regeneration while I sleep. However, after reading No More Dirty Looks, I was introduced to Evan Healy. Since January, I have been using her products and my face has not looked this good in a long time. Unlike the traditional cosmetic companies, Evan Healy believes the less we tamper with our skin the better it will be. So, now at night, I wash my face and spray her lovely, hypnotic hydrosol and get some shut-eye. Incredible! I still breakout some when I am stressed or hormonal, but otherwise my skin is fairly clear. I highly recommend her products!
Can someone recommend some good Omega 3 supplements, and a recommended dosage?
Thanks!
I need someone to give me a straight answer….A few months ago I switched to using only organic oils as moisturizer, in attempt to de-congest and calm my skin — and rid my routine of dirty chemicals. I feel like my skin has been purging — getting worse before it can get better — but yesterday I just had a facial and the facialist is telling me the reason my skin is clogged is because of the oils. She says I should never ever use them. So do I revert back to other moisturizers (which weren’t making my skin any better) or do I stay patient with the oils and hope the purging ends soon? I also recently stopped eating dairy so I think that’s a more likely culprit than the oils? Thoughts? Suggestions?!
I can’t think of anything to add–your list is terrific!! I love the idea of seeing an acupuncturist regularly. I’ve never been to one!!!
I was having these horrible little breakouts with tinny pimples and a lot of clogged pores that where not inflamed. NOTHING would get rid of these little clogged pores. They made my skin bumpy and it looked clear inside but TERRIBLE in sunlight because of the texture. I tried the Grapefruit Glycolic Wash from the Made From Earth brand, and within a week they are 95% gone. My skin is smooth and the color is evening out. I use it once each night before bed. The price seems high, but the bottle is huge and lasts quite a while. I will definitly be buying this again!!
@ Emma i will advice you If you really want to get rod of acne fast, a simple explanation to it,is by first keeping yourself clean, using clean and dry towels to your face after washing it. Eating healthy food like fibers and less fatty foods will also help ease acne cause. Good proper hygiene should be considered such as changing your pillow cases and beddings every other day.
I suffered from really bad breakouts a few days back.Almost entirely acne free now.Waht I did was a) not touch my face and b)Used a home made face mask consisting of Neem,Fuller’s Earth,SandalWood,Turmeric and lemon juice.For more details please refer my blog post below,I have put in before and after pics as well.
http://www.happinessnlove.com/2012/10/getting-rid-of-acne-3-how-i-got-rid-of.html
Found the No.1 cause of acne (in my case) since I switched to green skin care!
I have made a dramatic change to life-style: organic food, skin care and household cleaning, being a Go Big or Go Home kind of girl as I am:) (like the phrase btw). I have been doing this for 6 months now.
I noticed alot of difference happening to me: loosing alot of those bumps and lumps on my body including lumps in my breast, not to mention a much slimmer countour and an off-duty supermodel shinny hair:)
But one thing that perplexed me is how come my skin, especially my chin area, is full of less desirable inflammed, black, and gross acnes since the time I switched my lfie-style after 10 years with clean and smooth skin even with dirty products??. Imagine trying to be an ambassador of healthy life style to your family and friends with far-from-convincing appearance on your face lke that!
In the beggining my apologetics to them (and myself) is that it’s still purging (why 6 months straight?). Then after much thoughts and introspection, I noticed that my skin inflammation always happens after I used any skin care with ALCOHOL in it, even when it said it’s “plant-based”, wild-crafted, “organically derived, blah blah. Unfortunately all my (previously) beloved organic skin care, e.g. alkaitis, amala, tata have them esp. in their cleansers:((.
Then my reading from Organic Apoteke, my intuition is concurred. Please see below.
Therefore, I suggest we all organic skin care lover to be careful with what we put on our skin. Just because it’s organic doesnt mean it can’t cause hazardous reaction on our epidermis. We need strong skin to fight against various environmental challenges.
Now, I believe that to fight against premature aging and acne, the first priority is to make my skin strong first. This includes creating its ph balance by using good pure oil and hydrosol, don’t use any kind of alcohol-based products, and don’t dissolve it by harshly scrubbing it with acidic face scrub; in addition to green life-styie that I have been practicing, of course.
Love,
linda
“Alcohol draws water out of skin cells.
Alcohols in skincare products draws water out from skin cells. Hence alcohol dehydrates skin cells. These cells which are normally plump due to being filled with water (almost 80 % of the cell is water) are tightly packed together to form a protective barrier. The skin is an organic which has many functions of which the following two are the most vital:
Preventing moisture loss from the body and also preventing too much of water from entering the body, like when we take a shower. Can you imagine what would happen if we absorbed all that water?
Preventing bacteria and environmental toxins from entering the body.
However when the alcohol draws out water from the skin cells they shrink, think of a grape that is dried to become a raisin. When the cells shrink spaces around the cells gets larger. Environmental toxins and bacterial that normally will not be able to enter the skin can do so now due to the spaces being larger.”
Same problem for me when I went off the pill a few years ago. I solved the hormone issue with acupuncture– it really works! But my biggest skin improvement happened when I started taking cod liver oil. That stuff is absolute magic. It actually makes my face look smoother and glowy. If I forget to take it for a while my skin looks visibly duller and the acne starts coming back. That’s my top recommendation
I can’t disagree with much of this. I was almost half expecting some wild remedy. :) When I was younger I had very bad cystic acne. I took tetracycline, minocycline, doxicycline, I used topicals like Retin-A, Cleocin-T, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide.
I began using the Citrus Clear products on a regular, daily basis. Also I never touch my hands to my face, and the result has been acne free. NOt even an occasional pimple.
These tips are so helpful, I have jotted down a list of several that I can’t wait to try. I have tried so many different products since I first developed acne as an adolescent. I tried prescriptions and everything over the counter, it did actually subside for a while in my early to mid twenties. But now back in my mid thirties, here comes the adult acne! I try to research as much as I can for way to prevent it since it is often much easier to deal with than breakouts. Good luck to everyone!