Expert Advice on Natural Acne Treatments to Try at Home

5 min read

Angela Turovskaya, founder of clean beauty e-boutique BALMESSENCE, shares her advice on an all-natural skincare routine for acne-prone skin

A common skincare woe caused by a number of different reasons — including  stress, genetics, hormonal imbalances and environmental changes — acne, which is often considered a teenage problem, can continue well into adulthood; leading to scarring, low self-esteem and even depression. 

While there is no straight forward cure, and different types of skin reposed to different treatments, there are a few simples steps you can take toward a cleaner, more natural skincare routine that can help fight acne-ridden skin.

“My first word of advice is to swap to clean beauty products, they are essential for acne-prone skin”, said Balmessence founder Angela Turovskaya. “Organic and natural ingredients will gently treat skin unlike generic beauty products with aggressive preservatives and ingredients.” Here’s Turovskaya’s advice on a natural skincare routine to fight acne-prone skin.

EXFOLIATE YOUR SKIN
Make sure you exfoliate regularly, everyone’s skin is different, but it’s recommended to exfoliate twice a week. Do not use scrubs with very harsh abrasive ingredients for acne skin, especially if acne is inflamed. It will overstimulate skin for more sebum, increase irritation and accelerate breakout. A product to try would be Living Nature skin Revive Exfoliant, the cleansing properties of the hero ingredient Kumerahou gently loosen the cement (oil, dirt and debris) around dead skin cells, allowing them to be more effectively removed by the Jojoba and Candelilla wax beads without micro tears or damage to the skin. 

Skin Revive Exfoliant, LIVING NATURE at BALMESSENCE

I would suggest enzyme peelings for acne skin, those are gentle ones and can be used 2 times a week, one suggestion is the Codage Micro Peeling Mask. It’s a light emulsion composed of AHA, BHA and fruit enzymes. Within only a few minutes and without abrasion, it unclogs pores and eliminates impurities, spots, dead cells and others skin imperfections. 

Micro Peeling Mask, CODAGE at BALMESSENCE

CLEANSE YOUR SKIN
But do not over cleanse. Due to over cleansing can be dehydrated and skin flora affected. Cleanse in the morning and evening in order to remove bacteria that love oily conditions, makeup must be removed from your skin at night before bed. I recommend trying the Codage micellar water, the Eau Micellaire all at once cleanses, removes makeup, purifies and moisturises the skin. Its high tolerance formula gently removes all impurities and traces of makeup. 

Micellar Water, CODAGE at BALMESSENCE

Another thing to remember is to avoid oil-based cleansers, use gel cleansers or even better, use foam cleaners, toner and light hydrating serum. One foam cleanser I would recommend is the Senteales Foaming Cleanser Cream. It removes make-up, purifies and cleanses. A rich and gentle soap free foaming cleanser which removes impurities and all traces of make-up. Extracts of green tea, magnolia, grapefruit and kelp purify the skin gently and regulate water balance. Once clean, the skin feels fresh and silky.

natural acne treatment

Foaming Cleanser, SENTEALES at BALMESSENCE

If you used to over cleanse your skin and your acne skin feels tight, then your skin flora was affected, you may need to use a probiotic serum for a certain period to boost skin’s microbiome. A product that I strongly believe can help this is the Essence Sensitive Serum, it increases probiotic microbial populations to the point that there are no available niches for invaders. This prevents activation of your skin’s immune system and reduces redness and irritation.

natural acne treatment

Sensitive Serum, ESSE at BALMESSENCE

TONE YOUR SKIN
This is a very underrated process, but very important. Toner prepairs the skin for moisturizers and serums, helps hydrate the skin and removes any excess dirt not removed by a cleanser. User toners specially designed for oily and acne skin. It works best if toner contains natural astringent (pore tightening) ingredients, such as witch-hazel, rose water, orange, green tea, mint, cucumber. I suggest the EsseToner, which completes the cleansing process with actives to revitalise, protect, and improve skin texture. The olive leaf extract combats the negative effects of pollution and provides some protection from sun damage.

MOISTURISE YOUR SKIN
Use water-based instead of oil-based serums and creams, that hydrate the skin and leave it looking fresh. Oily skin produces enough oil but still needs hydration. A product to consider is ESSE Light Moisturizer, a light, mattifying moisturiser that adds probiotics to optimise your skin’s microbiome. Spearmint encourages micro-circulation and elimination of toxins.

natural acne treatment

Light Moisturoiser, ESSE

BE CAREFUL OF MAKE-UP
Chemicals and harsh ingredients inside your make-up products can lead to irritable acne, one suggestion I have is to use a natural mineral powder foundation instead of foundations containing oil and harsh preservatives and ingredients but apply a light moisturizer first.

Mineral foundations are formulated by grinding minerals into very tiny particles, such as iron oxides, talc, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide. As mineral foundations are free of oil and fragrance, they are ideal for oily and acne-prone skin. My all time favourite and go-to product for this is the Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation – which is coming soon on Balmessence.com.

natural acne treatment

Mineral Foundation, LILY LOLO

The most important when it comes to acne and makeup is that don’t forget to clean your foundation and powder make up brushes regularly to avoid bacteria. This is the simplest thing you can do to help prevent acne from spreading and developing, but it makes the biggest difference.