Question from Terry
My daughter recently returned from Iraq with blemishes on her once beautiful, flawless skin. I made her some exfoliant with baking soda and sea salt but it didn’t help. She said most of the women who return from the middle east end up with acne.
PROACTIV is heavily marketed but I researched all of the ingredients and was shocked. It seems most of the treatments ALL have parabens and other toxic ingredients.
A website Acne Skin Guide.com recommended PROACTIV, which leads me to believe they are ‘connected’ to Proactiv. Apparently, this toxic mix is highly effective. To me, it just isn’t worth the risk.
What is an effective but SAFE product or remedy?
Debra’s Answer
I haven’t researched natural products for acne, but I’m sure that my readers will respond to this.
I do know from my own personal experience that acne can be caused by a variety of factors. I had horrible acne as a teenager, but now I have flawless skin.
Acne can actually be caused by a buildup of toxic chemicals in the skin. The fact that your daughter’s skin began to break out in Iraq and she says other women have the same problem leads me to believe there is some environmental factor.
So a cleansing diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and pure water would help more than a topical product.
The topical treatment that helped me the most was applying a clay mask, as the clay pulls toxins out of your skin. You can get clay masks at any natural food store. Just get the plain clay, mix it with water, and apply. Leave it on til it dries and wash it off with warm water. Another good mask is oatmeal. Just just regular oatmeal, and apply with the same instructions. If it’s too think, put the oatmeal in the blender and whiz it to make a powder before mixing with water.
There’s a website at www.bestacnereview.com/ that compares quite a few acne products. Proactiv is down at the bottom of the list, but there are many natural products you can explore, including a book on natural acne treatments.
