When Adult Acne Strikes

By Arvette Hammar

Healing adult acne naturally

I thought my days of acne were over at 18.  Wasn't 5 years of teenage acne the price to pay for entry into adulthood?  Well it appears that acne after 40 is a common occurrence.   Acne may come in the whopper smack dab in the middle of your forehead or a scattering of constellations on your cheeks.  In whatever form your adult acne comes in, finding ways to reduce incidents and quickly handle outbreaks when they occur.  

Fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you look at it - adult skin does not have the same issues as teenage acne; which is usually caused by fluctuations in hormones. Find out more about the causes of Adult Acne from the American Academy of Dermatology here.

Acne is often the result of bacteria clogging pores and unregulated sebum (oil) production.  The key is detoxing the body and skin and eliminated pore clogging products. Try these tips:

• Wash face twice a day with a gentle natural cleanser (Buy our African Black Facial Soap HERE)
• Do not scrub acne zones (this will only irritate)
• Allow acne to heal naturally (do not pick, squeeze or burst; this also spreads the bacteria)
• Use a Kaolin Clay mask for Dry Skin 2x per week (Kaolin detoxifies and does NOT draw oil from the skin
• Use a Betonite Clay mask for  Oily Skin 2x per week (Betonite detoxifies and draws oil from the skin)
• MOISTURIZE - Use a natural product that is:

                                                                               Non-comedogenic 
                                                                               Non-acnegenic
                                                                               Oil-free
                                                                               

• Detox your diet 
  
• Drink Plenty of Water

Try this Natural DIY Acne Healing Mask 

Adult Acne Healing Mask

Acne is often caused by bacteria and clogged oil pores. Often times as adults, we forget how irritating and uncomfortable acne was as a youth as well as not being quite sure how to deal with it.  Try this soothing acne mask at night.

1/4 cup of Oatmeal  - Anti-Inflammatory
1/4 cup of Water
2 tbsp Raw Honey - Anti-bacterial/Natural skin healer
3 drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil - Anti-bacterial/Anti-Inflammatory


Soak the Oatmeal in the water overnight in the refrigerator.  Puree the Oat and Water mixture in the blender until well mixed.  Strain the oat mixture in cheese cloth to reserve the "Oat Milk". You should have a liquid the consistency of buttermilk.  Discard the strained Oats (in the compost is a wonderful place).  Set aside.

Warm the honey slightly until semi-fluid, but do not get it hot as this will destroy its healing properties.  Add the oat milk and honey to the blender and blend well. Pour mixture into a sealable container. Add Tea Tree Oil, replace top and shake vigorously.  This mixture will keep in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Cleanse face gently with a natural facial cleanser (Buy our African Black Facial Soap for Problem Skin Here).  Pat face dry.  Apply a thin layer of Acne Mask to face and let sit for 10 minutes (avoid getting in eyes as the Tea Tree can irritate).  Rinse thoroughly. Pat dry and apply a light natural facial moisturizer.

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