Acne Care For All Ages
And Conditions!

When do you decide you need acne care? My name is Nanette and as a practicing Herbalogist, I see many, many cases of acne. This includes newborn babies (that's right!), teens and yes, full grown adults.

You see, there are 5 major factors that act together and are responsible for causing acne and the related pimples. They are:

2) Blockage of the skin pores (often caused by chemicals in the very skin care products we use everyday as well as our hair products !)

3) Activity and rapid growth of destructive skin bacteria.

4) Inflammation and irritation from foreign substances.

5) Internal illness or disease with toxins trying to exit your body.

I often give my clients the following list of forms of acne. This helps them to understand what they are seeing on their skin.

Pustule - forms several days later when white blood cells make their way to the surface of the skin - referred to as a "zit" or a "pimple".

Blackhead - occurs when the trapped sebum and bacteria partially open to the surface and turn black due to melanin, the skin's pigment.

Whitehead - When the trapped sebum and bacteria stay below the skin surface, a whitehead is formed and shows up as tiny white spots.

Papule - occurs when there is a break in the follicular wall. White blood cells rush in and the pore becomes inflamed.

Nodule - When a follicle breaks along the bottom, total collapse can occur, causing a large, inflamed bump that can be sore to the touch.

Milia - are tiny white bumps that occur when normally sloughed skin cells get trapped in small pockets on the surface of the skin. Common in newborns across the nose and upper cheeks and can also be seen on adult skin.

Lesions - Sometimes a severe inflammatory reaction can result in very large pus filled lesions.

Acne Rosacea - appears as a red rash normally confined to the cheeks, nose, forehead and chin and often accompanied by bumps, pimples, and skin blemishes.

This is very important so that excess oil, trapped dead cells and debris can be removed. I recommend using a non-soap liquid cleanser that is plant based. It should cleanse the skin 7 layers deep to unpack sticky, damaged cells while supplying vital nutrients. It must be gentle and pure enough for every skin type.

I recommend it include a very important ingredient called urea , which is a “humectant” and actually binds water below the surface of the epidermis, right down to the stratus corneum. This is the skin building layer allowing your sensitive skin to unpack damaged cells and repair from “the bottom up”.

I tell my customers to avoid harsh, grainy scrubs as these can also irritate your skin and has no place in their acne care.

You must couple your acne care with a hypo-allergenic cream that will further unpack accumulated cells and oil and restore and repair your 7 layers of skin. It should have anti-bacterial qualities to inhibit germ growth and damage.

I strongly encourage my clients to stay away from any product containing mineral oil and petroleum which simply sit "on top" of the skin, suffocating your pores.

I recommend staying away from is anything that even has a hint of fragrance! I can't tell you how many people I see that use products that are loaded with perfume.

Fragrance ingredients in cosmetics are a key trigger for many persons. A single fragrance may contain 600 or more different synthetic chemicals, many of which have been shown to be allergens, irritants, and sensitizers, and to also possess long-term adverse health effects.

They are a leading cause of allergic sensitization and contact dermatitis among cosmetic users. Reddened skin, acne, stinging eyes and dryness can all be caused by fragrances. Thus, elimination of fragrances goes a long way towards acne care.

Never use anything with formaldehyde-based preservatives which are leading causes of sensitive skin reactions. Instead, use formulations with gentle, yet effective, preservatives such as antioxidants (vitamins C and E) and citrus seed extract that will promote better skin health.

A quality face cream should be formulated with these vitamins as well as herbal botanicals to penetrate the deepest layers of the skin repairing problem skin.

Acne care, as with any skin problem, it is all about restoring balance, to your body's natural processes.

And please be consistent with your regimen. Consistency helps to build the healthy skin we all enjoy.

Click here for my high recommendation of natural and herbal remedies for acne care that can restore the balance of your skin for what I call, "acne control".

My best friend told me about the face wash and cream she was using on her "zits" that really worked so I tried it. They got rid of my acne really fast! I had tried Proactiv Solution and Stridex along with some other products that just didn't work. Now I use your recommended program on my skin whenever I see any zits starting and then they're gone!" C.P., 13 years old, Naperville, IL