West Kurz advises against using non-natural skin care such as harsh concentrated foaming cleansers to remove oil. Instead, she says, acne-sufferers need to overcome their fear of of putting oil on their skin, and use natural skin care treatments containing oily extracts of healing and antibacterial herbs.
If you put natural skin care treatments containing oil on oily skin, you are helping to loosen impurities and refine the pores. It also sends a message to your skin that it is producing enough oil and your skin responds by slowing down oil production. Remember that you can't clean an oily surface with water because the two substances don't mix. Acne sufferers who remove the oil from their skin often get dry, flaky skin on top and oily congestion in the lower levels of the skin.
The right oils and serums can also help to smooth out the appearance of scarring as your skin heals from blemishes. Help beat acne with a consistent and effective natural skin care routine:
Cleanse gently
Cleanse only twice a day and avoid vigorous or frequent cleansing. Use an exfoliating scrub containing natural AHAs which also may help to fade post-acne hyper-pigmentation.
Choose a natural skin care toner
Choose a facial toner that contains witch hazel, tea tree oil or calendula to soothe inflamed skin and try applying milk of magnesia before going to bed.
Choose a simple moisturiser
Wear a natural daily moisturiser with antioxidants and botanical anti-inflammatory ingredients such as chamomile, green tea, evening primrose oil or arnica.
Make your own natural skin care acne-zapping treatments
Try these fab recipes from Julie Gabriel's Green Beauty Guide as a natural skin care treatment menu for zits!
Sweet Tea Balm
● 1 tablespoon Manuka honey
● 1 tablespoon aloe vera juice
● 10 drops tea tree oil
● 500mg vitamin C
Combine all the ingredients in a shallow bowl and blend until smooth. Transfer into an empty lip balm jar. This natural skin care blend can be stored in the fridge for up to six months and used on all sorts of blemishes and minor cuts.
Tea Tree Healing Oil
● 1 teaspoon apricot kernel oil
● 10 drops tea tree oil
● 3 drops chamomile essential oil
● 2 drops geranium essential oil
Combine all the ingredients in a small pump bottle. Use twice daily on areas affected by acne. Avoid using this natural skin care treatment during the first three months of pregnancy.
Spicy Tea Poultice
● 1 organic green tea bag
● 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
● 10 drops tea tree oil
● 5 drops chamomile essential oil
● 1 drop eucalyptus essential oil
● 1 band aid
● 1 piece of sterile gauze
A poultice is a natural skin care treatment in the form of a soft, moist mass that is spread over an affected area and left to work its magic for an extended period of time. You can leave this poultice on overnight to see a noticeable improvement in blemish size in the morning. A powerful emergency treatment for use in skin crises only!
1. Prepare a cupful of green tea. Remove the tea bag. Open the bag and scoop out the green tea mush. Blend it quickly with salt and the essential oils.
2. Apply a five-cent-sized blob of the blend on the blemish. Cover with gauze and secure with band aid.
3. Be prepared to see temporarily wrinkled skin around the almost invisible blemish in the morning. Wrinkles will go away in 10 minutes at most.
