As we depart from adolescence, the cause of blemishes can become increasingly difficult to pin down and zits can be equally tough to heal – and by difficult and tough, we mean it’s a serious pain in the ass. A slight tweak in our hormone levels, particularly right before that time of the month, can cause a spike in oil production, resulting in a face full of constellations – a sight we’ve become all too familiar with during puberty. Managing acne is enough of an ordeal, so when coupled with skin sensitivity and various allergies, it’s absolutely insufferable.
If your initial instinct is to slap on the benzoyl peroxide (spoiler alert: that’s way too harsh for sensitive skin), put it down and step away from the product. Instead, place your focus on gentler treatments. Here, we’ve gathered some of the best natural blemish remedies formulated to tackle painful pustules as they soothe and reduce inflammation.
Dr. Alkaitis Organic Purifying Facial Cleanser
The sight of shine might annoy you, but you have to stop yourself from using those heavy-duty foaming cleansers – lest you want to throw off your skin’s pH balance and invite bacteria to a welcome party in your pores, of course. If you wear make-up, use a mild oil-based cleanser to take it off at night. Follow up with this gentle cleanser by Dr. Alkaitis to cleanse and lightly exfoliate oily, spot-prone complexions. Your skin will be better off without all the unnecessary suds and scrubs.
$95, available from budcosmetics.com
Tata Harper Clarifying Mask
Made with naturally-occurring salicylic acid as well as a superfruit blend of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), this mask works to combat blemishes and relieve redness without drying or irritating the skin. Remember to use this mask only at night as AHAs may increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun, and wear sunscreen the next morning (you should be applying it on every day if you aren’t already).
$98, available from naturallybetterco.com.sg
Kimberly Sayer Deep Cleansing French Clay Mask
Clay masks has a reputation for being dehydrating and harsh, but we discovered that it’s not always the case. This one by Kimberly Sayer contains mineral-rich French green clay to sop up excess sebum, remove blackheads, and slough away dead skin, revealing a fresh complexion when you rinse it off. There’s also willowbark and dandelion extracts in there to shrink the appearance of pores and nourish the skin, so your face won’t feel dry and tight after. You can also dot a little of it on your zits and leave it on overnight as a spot treatment.
$44, available from budcosmetics.com
Pai Skincare Copaiba & Zinc Perfect Balance Blemish Serum
Serums are often overlooked in skincare routines, but they make for incredibly effective acne treatments. Pai’s Perfect Balance Serum has been formulated not just for skin that’s prone to breakouts, the brand is committed to looking after sensitive skin types, too. Part of a triple-action complex, copaiba’s anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties addresses persistent blemishes, while zinc aids in balancing the skin to reduce sebum production and congestion.
$90, available from puretincture.com
Living Libations Zippity DewDab
Goes without saying, but targeted spot treatments are lifesavers. However, plenty on the market have high alcohol content and are also loaded with aromatic essential oils – a big skincare no-no in our book. The Zippity DewDab (don’t you just love saying it?) by Living Libations is one that leaves out the strong tea tree and lavender essential oils, and contains gentle carrot seed, immortelle, and rosemary oils to reduce inflammation and stimulate cell renewal. It also contains the powerful blue tansy, a calming ingredient that soothes and puts angry skin to bed.
$52, available from anupliftedday.com
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