How to clear acne, naturally
I cannot begin to tell you the amount of times I have been back and forth to the doctor from the age of 14 about… you guessed it, my skin. Antibiotics, creams you name it, I’ve had it. And they have worked! Some very quickly, some more of a slow process, but for a sustained period in my life, classic acne would start to creep back once I had stopped any kind of treatment. Now I can’t claim for sure that a natural skincare routine is the cause of clearing up my skin, I mean who actually knows what it is. But what I can tell you is that since I started using BYBI’s natural skincare the improvement in my acne and skin has been pretty impressive. Of course I still get the odd spot now and then, but (touch wood) I haven’t had a proper cluster of angry spots, also known as an acne breakout for a good 7 months. So below I have tried to lay down the skincare and lifestyle tips that you can use to naturally keep your acne at bay and hopefully try to clear it up! Alongside medicine or on its own, I hope it helps you like it has me!
SKINCARE
I use Crystal Clear every single day, twice a day (I’m an addict). AM in the shower and PM before bed. This might be a bit of an over use for some, but the key is to get to know your own skin. I always assumed I had oily skin due to my acne history and after really observing it over the past few months, I’m certainly right. Crystal Clear gel cleanser is perfect for those with oily, congested or breakout/blemish prone skin (like me) but also good for those with normal skin. Start with once a day and a small amount and keep an eye on how your skin is feeling. It's best used in the PM, but due to my over productive sebum glands, I like to use it a little bit in the morning too. It’s been formulated to deeply cleanse your skin, breaking down dirt and grime with natural antimicrobial and antiseptic ingredients, like rosemary and cypress. Salicylic acid (an acne sufferers BF) from white willow bark helps to unclog pores and prebiotic inulin balances your skin's microbiome. If you feel you are just as oily as me and want to up it to twice a day but worried about over-washing your face, don’t fear it’s designed to not strip or dry your skin out!
Got a really angry spot that is not budging, or your skin feels a bit red, inflamed and something could be brewing? CBD Booster balances and calms the skin helping to ease the signs of blemishes and irritation. I love to use this little yellow gem when I feel a little friend might be rearing their head or calming down my skin post breakout.
What’s worse than an acne breakout, is the red marks they leave behind! Two little beauties helped me here; firstly Bakuchiol Booster. Primarily it helps to boost collagen production, improving skin texture and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. In doing this, it helps to renew and regenerate skin. When recovering from a really bad breakout I used this every evening after cleansing and before moisturising, to help improve skin texture. I now use it once or twice a week to help condition my skin and increase moisture levels. Yes oily skin friends, you can still use oils, in fact they are good for you. Bakuchiol Booster contains 1% bakuchiol + olive squalane, a light facial oil that helps balance oily skin.
Finally since the launch of Acid Gold in May, I’ve been using it religiously twice a week. Acid Gold is an AHA resurfacing face mask formulated with naturally derived AHAs; lactic (from bilberry extract), glycolic (from sugar cane extract) and malic and tartaric (from sugar maple extract). It helps to banish dead skin cells, helping to renew, replenish and brighten skin tone. AHA’s can be powerful even in a natural form for figuring out how often your skin likes the mask is vital. I like to up my use to three times a week if i’m recovering from a couple spots but twice a week standard to keep my skin fresh, strong and healthy removing dead cells helping with scarring and overall brightening and improving skin tone. Very handy blog here on how to correctly use Acid Gold on blemish prone skin!
LIFESTYLE
Not so fun as skincare and there's a whole internet out there of what's good and what’s not for your acne but I like to try and stick to the two below that I think have helped to keep my breakouts at bay!
Sugar
Sugar, best friend or worst enemy. We’ve all heard that sugar can affect our skin conditions but I’ve never really bothered to understand how till this year. In summary, sugar causes your skin to inflame. And inflammation can aggravate skin conditions such as acne and eczema. So if you are prone to acne breakouts, think about cutting down your sugar intake. I mean, i haven't cut it out completely but I try (emphasis on try) to make a conscious effort to limit it but don’t get me wrong, I love my treat choccy bar.
Water
We all know it, and I’m not going to bore you, but, seriously... Drink. Your. Water. Water helps flush toxins and bacteria out of the body and these toxins and bacteria are not helping your acne.
This has worked for me and I hope it helps you but please remember acne is a medical condition and I have been on many rounds of different medical treatments in the past, so we advise you to check in with your doctor also.
Isabel, BYBI Commercial Analyst