Is It Because I Stole the Candy?

Isn't it something when you think you've escaped a common problem known to mankind that affects just about everybody only to find out that it got you in the end?

Now, I'm not talking about some communicable disease but rather a common skin condition that everyone in every race experiences at some time on another...Acne

Yes, I thought I had it made during my teen years, skating nicely through high school without a zit in sight.  Nope, not a zit in site at all.  Some would say I was lucky. However, the acne imps finally caught up with me in my mid 30s.  All of a sudden I was no longer experiencing clear unblemished skin.  What went wrong?

Was I being punished for stealing candy from my co-worker's desk? Or maybe it was because I snuck off to Uno's that time for a feast while my family sat home eating leftovers?  Ok, that's probably a stretch but more practically could it be my hormones?? My diet??

God knows. All I know is that every few days I was waking up with a zit somewhere along the side of my face that eventually led way to cystic acne.  *Sigh

Getting cystic acne is no fun. You get these fine micro pimples that are kind of hard and not easy to get rid of.  So, I started my investigation to figure out why I was having acne issues at 34 years of again and how do I make it stop?!

I saw dermatologists and tried pharmaceutical drugs for a time. They stopped the breakouts for a little bit but didn't clear up the little cysts that were annoying me mad.  Around the same time, I started seeing an alternative health practitioner who practices applied kinesiology and uses whole food supplements to address common health issues...including acne.

Fast forward...at 41 years old I am finally on my way to clearer skin.  Yes, I still get the occasional outbreak like you probably do too.  The difference is I'm finally experiencing real results and relief from the dreaded cystic acne.

It's been an emotional battle but here's what I discovered I need to be on top of to keep my skin clear (yours may differ):

• Avoid processed foods
• Avoid unhealthy oils. Stick with butter and extra virgin olive oil
• Drink plenty of water
• Cut way back on my sugar intake

There you have it. My pathetic little story. What's yours? Hey, everybody has a story. Share it. I'd love to read it.  Makes others feel good to know they are not alone in the world of acne...

About Michelle:  Michelle Howard is creator of Blended Naturals, a hand crafted natural skin care line for women.  As an advocate for women of color to care for their beautifully pigmented skin, Michelle helps with this pursuit by providing an array of information and skin care resources.  Subscribe to her Skin Natural newsletter for monthly tips, beauty information and a Free Basically Beautiful Tips Guide.

Black Skin Care Problems

When it comes to caring for your skin, the type of skin you have should be considered. Is your skin oily? dry? combination? Do you have fair skin? dark skin? Today, I'd like to talk about how black skin problems and how to care for African American skin. Since I'm African American, and 40 years old (no, I'm not ashamed of my age), I have some experience caring for dark skin. While I'm not amongst the darkest skin types around, I have experienced some of the challenges common to African Americans. Common skin problems amongst African Americans are acne, ingrown hairs, keloids and vetiligo.

When it comes to acne, African Americans usually have oily skin resulting from an excess production of oils from the sebaceious glands. This produces acne and blackheads. African Americans with acne are also more prone to having skin discolorations or blemishes resulting from acne. Long after the break out has gone, blemishes are a common problem for black skin. One problem is the picking of pimples. I have this problem. There's something about knowing that there is this ugly pimple sitting there that keeps one self conscious and to start picking at it. This is however a bad idea. Picking at the pimples or bumps causes blemishes and scarring.

African Americans also have naturally curly hair. This curly hair often curls up into the hair shaft causing ingrown hairs. It's very common amongst African American men and in private areas of the body on women.

Keloids is also a big problem in the African American community. Fortunately, I do not suffer from keloids but it can be a painful condition that can make one feel embarrassed. Keloids are a type of scar that occur as a result of a wound that heals beyond the size of the original wound. It appears as a large growth and usually requires surgery to be removed. However, surgery can also cause the keloid to grow back larger. Some African American women get keloids on the ear lobes after having their ears pierced.

Another skin care problem amongst the African American population is vitiligo. Vitiligo is a condition where the pigments in the skin attacks each other and the result is damaged pigment that appears in the form of white patches. There are not many effective treatments for this condition but there are some herbal treatments that are available which may prove effective for some.

If you have black skin and experience any of these skin care problems, how you care for your skin will vary. Since, I'm of the oily skin type and am prone to break outs I'll talk about that a bit. For starters, NEVER use soap on your skin. Actually, it doesn't matter what skin type you have, soap is a no no to cleanse skin.

Cleanse Oily Skin with a gentle creamy cleanser that will unclog pores and remove excess oils without stripping the skin of essential oils. Exfoliate oily skin twice a week to remove dead skin cells from pores. Moisturizing is still important, even for oily skin. Oil is not moisture. Oil is oil. Your skin needs hydration (moisture), regardless of the type of skin you have. Oily skin should use gel or lotion moisturizers as opposed to cream moisturizers. Cream moisturizers provide more oil which is what you are trying to control if you have oily skin.

If you have oily skin, you should also drink plenty of water and focus on using products that are non-comedogenic (doesn't block pores). Your body is made up essentially of water so it makes sense that you should consume lots of it to stay hydrated.

I've also discovered that there are a number of essential oils available that are quite effective for oily skin care. Lemon, Rosemary, Grapefruit and Orange Essential Oils can help with oily skin problems. It's important to note however, that you should only use Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils to ensure purity. I use an essential oil by Young Living called Purification. Purification has been amazingly effective at treating acne. I have literally applied Purification to a bump and overnight, it shrank in size by 75%! I was amazed and love this blend of Essential Oils. Purification is a combination of Citronella (Cymbopogon nardus), lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Melaleuca aka Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) lavandin (Lavandula x hybrida), and myrtle (Myrtus communis) essential oils. If you suffer from acne, Purification is very effective. You can get it at Young Living. You'll need distributor # 1066504 to purchase.

Fight Acne

Acne sufferers have searched for decades on ways to improve acne prone skin. I'm an advocate for the fresh and natural so I've researched a bit about what natural ingredients can help fight off acne:

Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is a natural source of glycolic acid which is used to treat acne

Dead Sea Minerals: The Dead Sea has a salt concentration that is 10 times higher regular sea salt which can help reduce inflammation and heal skin tissues.
Dead Sea Salt contains twenty-one minerals including magnesium, sulfur and bromide. Magnesium has anti-allergic properties and helps the skin tissues to heal quickly. Sulfur is a naturally powerful disinfectant. Behind every case of acne is a bacteria. Bromide is beneficial for soothing the skin.
Dead Sea Salt is also beneficial for Seborrheic Dermatitis

So there you have some very powerful natural ingredients to help fight acne.

Where can you get a product that contains
ALL of these natural wonders?

Reviyve Dead Sea Cosmetics online store offers a combination Brown Sugar Scrub and Mask that contains Brown Sugar AND Dead Sea Salt. All reviews on this natural acne fighter are a rave!