Acne...it affects a majority of teenagers and many adults well into middle age. It is dreaded and despaired over by many who suffer from this common skin condition. Clearing acne begins by understanding what acne really is and what triggers it. Then we will consider how it can be controlled by lifestyle choices, skin care choices and wise use of make-up.

Who suffers from it?

Teenagers struggle with acne, but so do many adults. Acne breakouts can result from fluctuating hormone levels at various stages of life, such as puberty, pregnancy or menopause. Outwardly, acne can reveal internal signs, such as poor elimination or buildup of toxins, a lack of exercise or high stress levels. Both men and women contend with acne, and as good health and beauty are intertwined, causes of acne can reveal solutions to managing and reducing skin breakouts.

What is it?

Acne occurs when oil glands produce excess sebum, skin's own oil, which accumulates with dead skin cells to form a plug which results in a clogged skin pore. Bacteria trapped inside pore feed of sebum mixture, multiplying and producing agents which irritate walls of pore. As immune system works to attack bacteria, pus is formed leading to an inflamed pimple, blackhead or whitehead. Picking or squeezing a pimple can cause pore to rupture, releasing bacteria into surrounding area, and can cause more pimples, cysts or scars. For many, certain areas of skin have overactive sebaceous, or oil glands which produce excess sebum. These areas are typically forehead, nose, cheeks and/or chin. Comedones, or blackheads, are not caused by dirt, but rather by sebum which has clogged a pore, oxidized and discoloured by melanin.

What triggers it?

Often a spotty complexion denotes a diet high in sugar or saturated fats found in fried foods, refined or processed foods. Conversely, a diet low in fat may lack essential fatty acids, and can also affect appearance of skin. Breakouts can reveal toxin buildup, resulting from constipation, kidney or lymphatic problems. Other triggers include a polluted, dry environment, and seasonal climate changes. Genetics also determines whether a person will be predisposed to acne breakouts. In general, acne is caused by a combination of four main factors:

• Genetics
• Skin Care
• Lifestyle
• Emotional State

We cannot change our genetics, but we can change other three factors to help reduce likelihood of acne breakouts.

How can acne be controlled?

Skin needs to be cleansed, fed and nurtured. Externally, skin benefits from a simple regimen:

1. Cleansing with a mild, slightly acidic and all natural soap. Other kinds of soaps can cause redness, soreness, irritation or tightness because of harsh chemicals, colorants detergents and fragrances they are made with. Avoid any products which contain ingredients which may irritate or dry out skin. Most often culpable ingredients are petroleum derived, synthetic or animal based.
2. Tone with an alcohol-free, all natural toner, since alcohol is drying to skin and will cause oil glands to produce more sebum. Toner also helps reduce bacterial population on skin, decreasing number of bacteria which will migrate into pores.
3. Moisturize with a petroleum free cream. Petroleum is comedogenic and can clog pores unnecessarily. Creams which contain natural waxes such as beeswax do not have a comedogenic effect on pores. At night, massage a facial oil into skin as this helps increase circulation to surface of skin and suppresses oil glands from producing excess oil.
4. Once per week, use a gentle exfoliant to remove dead skin cells which accumulate at surface of pores and lead to blackheads. A mud mask used once every couple of weeks also helps draw out sebum in pores as clays present in mask are highly absorbent.

There are four basic steps to successful skin care: cleansing, toning, moisturizing and special needs such as make-up. Our skin types are genetically determined, but can vary depending on following factors:

diet environment, such as climate change or pollution stress or anxiety cosmetics and skin care products illness or trauma hormone levels, such as during puberty, pregnancy or menopause exercise levels age degree and length of sun exposure

To determine your overall skin type, use this simple blot test. Press one ply of a dry tissue onto your face for ten seconds, then remove and examine results. Balanced skin is damp with no traces of oil. Dry skin has no oil or moisture residue on tissue. Oily skin has left oily and possibly dirt traces on tissue. Combination skin has oily and dry marks on tissue.

Dry Skin

This skin type is characterized by:

dry, flaky patches and is easily chapped feels tight across forehead, cheeks and chin itchy and easily irritated sensitive bruises easily can appear powdery or scaly prone to fine lines and wrinkles

Dry skin is a result of decreased sebum production, skin's indigenous oil, which is important in keeping skin moist and lubricated. Consequently, this skin type has less of an oily barrier, allowing water to evaporate easily through skin. This process can be worsened by detergents, heating or air conditioning, pollution, inadequate skin care, certain chemical ingredients in cosmetic products, overexposure to sun and wind and overuse of soaps and alcohol-based products.

Helping to 'restore' dry skin involves protecting skin with creamy, oil-based products and avoiding harsh soaps, scrubs or products which contain alcohol. The Organic Make-up Company recommends its line of gentle, all natural products, specifically: oatmeal soap, floral toner once or twice per week, rich formulation moisturizer in avocado, calendula or jojoba and facial oil in geranium or avocado at night.

Oily Skin

This skin type is characterized by:

overall shine enlarged pores coarse texture acne spots and comedones (blackheads) sallow complexion tendency to repel and run make-up resistance to fine lines and wrinkles

Oily skin is result of excessive secretions of sebum. It can be exacerbated by poor health, or a diet high in saturated fats and sugar. Emotional upset or stress can also trigger more sebum deposits on skin. Oily skin is worsened by hormone level fluctuations, alcohol-based products and harsh soaps, both of which dry out skin, thereby activating oil glands to produce more sebum. Comedogenic ingredients, such as mineral oil and other ingredients which are derivatives of petroleum block pores and can lead to acne spots.

Regular cleansing aids in removal of bacteria and waxy oils from pores. Oily skin responds well to alcohol-free toner and a lightweight, natural moisturizer. Try following products from The Organic Make-up Co. to help 'normalize' oily skin and reduce significantly frequency of acne break-outs and blackheads: Wild Oregano or Chamomile & Calendula soap, acne-prone toner once or twice per day, regular moisturizer in calendula, jojoba or grapeseed for daytime and acne-prone facial oil at night. A gentle exfoliant once per week, such dual action exfoliant system offered by The Organic Make-up Co. will help loosen and remove blackheads.

Balanced Skin

This skin type is rare, and is characterized by:

a creamy colour thickness smoothness firmness few irregularities or blemishes an even distribution of skin's natural oil dryness with age

Balanced skin is worsened by many of same factors which can afflict other skin types. Any skin care product offered by The Organic Make-up Co. will benefit this type of skin.

Combination Skin