How To Treat A Breakout (all safe products!)

Hello hello everyone!

Today I am sharing with you how I treat breakouts and blemishes using -you guessed it-all natural products and no harsh chemicals whatsoever.

Obviously everyone’s first concern with a breakout is to make it disappear. That “just put anything on it to make it go away. I don’t even care what it is!” kind of feeling. I understand. However, there are some scary, harsh chemicals and active ingredients in many acne medicines, cleansers, and scrubs that shouldn’t be ignored.  Also, these types of products may treat symptoms temporarily, but we know that acne and blemishes are signs from your body regarding bigger problems than just their annoying manifestation on the skin.

In this post, I will start with the products I use to treat breakouts, then have a little discussion about why acne occurs and how to address the root causes of it.

When it comes to your strategy for treating your blemishes topically, you do want to aim to dry the blemishes a little- but be careful not to over-dry. Certain products out there are over-drying and this can just worsen the situation.  Also over-washing is counter-productive.  Over-washing will lead to over-drying whichwillleadtoOVER-PROBLEMS. A vicious cycle.

Product #1: a good, clean facial cleanser

There are tons of great skincare companies out there that provide gentle cleansers full of safe and natural ingredients.  It may be obvious, but a great facial cleanser is the first step to maintaining clean, healthy skin. I love Avalon Organics and Alba for inexpensive cleansers.

Product #2: witch hazel

I just mentioned witch hazel in a recent post, but I really rely on it for those days when I want an extra clean after I’ve washed my face.  On days when I have some breakouts creeping up, I do a couple swipes of witch hazel on a cotton ball on my face in the morning and night.  It is all natural, plant-based, inexpensive, and available almost anywhere- supermarkets, beauty supply stores, Target etc.

Product #3: Burt’s Bees Blemish Stick

I love this little stick. It’s full of all different oils and a little alcohol. The oils include lemon oil, fennel oil, tea tree oil, and parsley seed extract. I looove oils and essential oils for healing all sorts of ailments, and I can see how much it helps to treat blemishes overnight.

Product #4: A good face mask

Any mask- store-bought or DIY- is a great idea for helping to tame a breakout.  See this post of mine with natural DIY face masks for some masks you can make with ingredients from your kitchen!

My favorite store-bought face masks are by the company Alba.  I trust all masks by them because the whole line is free of parabens, sulfates, and other ingredients to avoid. Even if these masks are for other purposes- like the one I have pictured above for evening out skin tone- they all help to dry and treat the blemish by natural means.

Product #5: Egyptian Magic

I’ve written about Egyptian Magic approximately 54876 times, so that just goes to show how much I depend on it for happy skin! I honestly believe that it plays a large role in keeping breakouts down, and would recommend it to anyone suffering with acne.  Morning and night, it is my dearest friend.

---

Other ways to treat and understand acne/breakouts:

On the physical level:

Acne = toxins trying to leave your body.  If you have a diet high in toxic foods (dairy products, animal protein, white, refined carbs and sugars to name a few) your body is desperately trying to rid itself of these toxins.  In the same way that cellulite is the body protecting its vital organs from toxins by pushing them out toward the surface of the skin, acne is another way that the body looks out for itself.  So, less toxins in= less toxins being forced out. Changing your diet will drastically reduce acne and breakouts.

On an emotional/energetic level:

Energetically speaking, acne can represent a lack of acceptance with the self, and/or a lack of self love.  I mentioned in my post “Connecting with (and loving!) your body” how our body sends us messages via our health to bring our attention to various emotional and mental issues we are dealing with.  The book “Heal Your Body” by Louise Hays is really amazing for helping us understand the emotional root of our physical ailments.

So, though self love is a HUGE topic, and a life lesson for many of us, the first step in fostering it is recognizing that it’s there. Particularly if you have more chronic acne, I would suggest looking into this possible connection and asking yourself if you do love and accept yourself. And if not, you can start by saying some affirmations (affirmations specific to each physical ailment are also found in Louise Hays’ book).

---

Please let me know your thoughts on this topic below and I hope this was helpful!

A presto,

Amanda <3