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Friday, August 15, 2014

Help for Breakouts

Why does skin break out? 

 Quite simply, hormones cause breakouts. Hormonal imbalances can occur at any time in life. As puberty starts, the hormones are activated. For women, our monthly cycles can cause breakouts; pregnancy causes great hormonal changes and can either improve your complexion or cause mild to severe breakout; and perimenopause brings yet another change in a woman’s hormone levels. Men, too, have fluctuations in their hormones, which can affect how clear or broken out their skin is. Diet is a huge consideration when looking for the cause(s) of breakout, and stress should not be overlooked as being a factor in skin troubles. There are several beneficial things you can do for breakouts that will help them go away without causing damage to your skin.
  • A clay mask is my number one at-home treatment for breakout. It has a calming effect and helps to temporarily lift redness from the skin. Clay draws to itself, helping to encourage movement of the debris in an embedded pore. Clay has antiseptic properties, which helps to keep bacteria away.
Clay can be used in two ways: as a mask, covering the entire face and left on for 15 minutes once or twice a week, or dotted on the blemishes at night before bed and left on while you sleep. If the spot is small to medium without a lot of infection, this dotting method can really reduce its size overnight. For deeper cysts and large infected areas, clay can still do wonders, but not miracles.
  • Essential oil of geranium is my next wonder treatment for breakout. Throughout the years I’ve been seeing clients, more and more I have been recommending lavender essential oil over geranium. This change is solely due to aromatics. Simply put, many people just can’t take the smell of geranium oil! Lavender has a wonderful aromatic and is generally accepted by most noses.
  • After you have completed your Basics 1-2-3 routine (cleanse, tone, hydrate), dot geranium or lavender oil directly on any infected (red) blemishes. Please note: Do not get geranium, lavender, or any pure essential oil in or around your eyes! 

Essential oils are not “oily” oils; they are more gaseous and vaporous. They have a thin viscosity and do not feel oily. By their very nature, essential oils are antiseptic, antibacterial, and in many cases soothing, which makes them perfect for infections.

Essential oil of geranium is especially good for problem skin. It has antiseptic and astringent properties as well as a balancing action on oil production. Geranium also helps to stop bleeding and promote healing of injured areas. Lavender has many equally wonderful properties and many clients still have great success with this essential oil. 

She has the right idea, however she’s used way too much clay!
Combining a clay mask with geranium oil is the most effective, overnight treatment for blemishes. 
  • After you’ve completed your evening 1-2-3 program, dot some clay mask on any problem spots and let it dry for a minute or so. 
  • Then take your geranium oil and dab a bit on top of the clay and leave it overnight. 

 In the morning you should see some reduction in size along with diminished redness of the blemish. Continue this dotting method for several consecutive nights or until the blemish is gone.

Breakout is one instance when essential oils and clay are ideal. Even though you may have to contend with red spots already present on your face, these products will go a long way to help expedite the healing process. 

There is no fast and easy way to get rid of blemishes. They weren’t created instantaneously, and they will not disappear overnight. Give a clay mask and essential oils a try, and see if they don’t work better for your skin than the blemish-control products you’ve been using.

For more information, see: 

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