mean the end of acne drama. “Often, women are getting acne later in life,” notes Susan West Kurz of
Dr. Hauschka Skin Care, who insists there’s more to acne than oily skin. “We try to look at the whole
picture, consider a person’s eating habits, lifestyle, and age. Acne could also be an allergy to a
certain kind of protein. Sometimes, when people cannot digest something, even psychologically, it
shows up on their skin. We have known hundreds of people who were treated for their acne with
cortisone creams and Retin-A, but all these treatments address only symptoms, not the real cause.
When you just treat the symptoms, it’s the same as putting your hand on the yellow flashing light on
your car’s dashboard. Wou try not to look at it instead of fixing the problem.”
Sometimes, when people cannot digest something, even psychologically, it shows up on their
skin.
Instead of removing oil using concentrated foaming cleansers and drying lotions, holistic skin care
experts rely on oily extracts of healing and antibacterial medicinal plants. “Your skin is responding to
oil in a homeopathic way: if you put oil on the oily skin, it will help loosen impurities and refine the
pores. It also sends a message to your skin that it is producing enough oil,” says Susan West Kurz,
“and your skin responds by slowing down its production of oil. So, if you overcome your prejudice
against putting oil on oily skin, you will notice that your skin produces less oil. I remind people that
you can’t clean an oily substance with water because these two substances do not mix. People who
remove oil from their skin often get dry, flaky skin on top and congested oily skin below. But if you
put oil on a congested oily complexion, it will loosen impurities trapped in your skin and direct [the]
metabolism to produce a healthy flow of sebum again. Oil also helps reduce the size of pores,
because when your skin is blemished, your pores are enlarged. Oil flow is reestablished in a healthy
way, and pores diminish, because elasticity returns to the skin. Oils are highly antioxidizing, and as
your skin is healing from the blemishes, oil also helps prevent any kind of scarring and other
problems associated with acne-prone skin.”
If you have suffered with acne since your teenage years, past outbreaks have left lots of postacne
brown spots and maybe even scars. To fade them and prevent new acne blemishes from arising, you
should use a mild daily exfoliating product such as Santa Maria Novella Sulfur Soap or almond-
based, anti-inflammatory Dr. Hauschka Cleansing Cream. Don’t forget about sun protection, which
will help prevent further postacne hyperpigmentation. Avoid inflammation by strengthening your
skin’s own defenses. Enrich your daily skin care regimen with antioxidants, vitamins, and anti-
inflammatory substances.
Green Tip
When you switch to green skin care, your focus should be acne prevention, not treatment.
There are many easy, natural, and inexpensive ways to treat acne. Because acne-prone skin is
usually thicker and oilier, acne sufferers tend to overindulge in strong foaming, often abrasive,
cleansers, caustic astringents, and oil-free moisturizers. This triple whammy leads to increased
sensitivity, new breakouts, and faster skin aging due to a broken skin barrier, which results in
increased moisture loss.
To successfully battle acne, you need a consistent and effective green skin care routine. Here are
some general guidelines for taking care of acne-prone skin naturally:
Cleanse gently. Wash your face with a nonfoaming or lightly foaming water-soluble cleanser that
does not sting or leave the skin feeling dry in the morning, and double-cleanse with a cleansing oil
and a foaming cleanser at night. Cleanse only twice a day. Frequent or vigorous cleansing will