Finding which oils suit you is a matter of trial and error, as some things are more suited to people with dry skin (such as those that add moisture), while others are not (those that dry it out more may only be suited to people with oilier skin).

Emu Oil – being from Australia I actually see this quite a lot in stores, it is derived from Emu’s wings (it’s a large bird for those of you who have never seen one). This is a great oil that has lots of healing properties, it’s so good it is even used to help heal burn victims. Why is it so good? Well is contains 2 essential fatty acids. Lipids which help keep moisture in the skin, and linoleic acid which helps skin cells rebuild and heal.

Avocado Oil – Use this if your face needs a boost of moisture, as it provides a lot of moisture to the skin.

Almond Oil – Same as above, it’s great for a boost of moisture (some people like avocado more, some people almond oil)

Jojoba Oil – this oil is special because the molecules in this are exactly the same size as the molecules in the oils on your face, which means that unlike other oils it gets absorbed properly and can hydrate the face instead of the oil just sitting on top of the skin. This is great to use as a daily moisturizer, and does not clog pores or cause acne.

Orange Oil – I don’t know if any of you have used that natural orange multipurpose cleaner to clean around your homes (if you haven’t you should, it’s miraculous), but this is based on the same stuff. Orange oil is a natural antibacterial, so gets rid of any bacteria on your face causing acne.

Tea Tree Oil – Another Australian product, this one comes from the leaves of a tree. This is a natural antiseptic and so it kills bacteria that cause acne. Unlike orange oil this is more used as a spot treatment as it can really dry out the skin.

If you find that a certain oil is working for you but dries you out too much or causes some irritation, you can dilute the oil. Good things to dilute it with are usually water or aloe-vera gel.

So here are a list of natural products that are known to be not good for your skin:

Fragrances – even natural fragrances can irritate the skin. The most common fragrances that irritate people are the sweet smelling ones such as musk, ambrette, cinnamon and bergamot. Try to buy fragrance free skin care products, and if you must use perfume, try to spray it on your clothes instead of your body. Be careful to make sure its “fragrance free” and not just “unscented”, as unscented can still have fragrances to mask other smells.

Harsh Scrubs - such as those with almond or apricot shells. These have granules that a square rather than round, which can scratch the skin. This can tear and damage skin and enlarge the pores. If you are addicted to your apricot scrub, at least try and use it only once a week and be very gentle

Algae Extract (also known as seaweed extract) – this is one of those products that is advertised as coming from the sea so it provides hydration to the skin. While this may be true, it is actually highly comedogenic, whic means it can block the skin pores. If your skin pores aren’t clear, this can plug the skin up and cause acne. This ingredient is also known to irritate some peoples skin.

Lemon juice – this is ok as a spot treatment, but a lot of people rub lemon all over their face. Lemon is acidic, it can strip the natural oils on your skin, so your skin will produce more oils thus clogging it up. It will also leave your skin harshly exposed to the elements.

Sunlight – this is not really a products but anyways. For many years people believed that sunlight was a natural acne cure. However this is incorrect. Although a little bit of sunlight exposure (like what you would get if you ate your lunch in the park for instance) will improve acne, constant sun exposure will clog the pores making your acne worse. Not only that but it can create more wrinkles and cause sun cancer.

Remember just because something is found in nature, doesn’t mean that it is good for your skin. Poison ivy is natural but you wouldn’t put that on your skin.

Although many dermatologist believe that your skin is not directly effected by the food you eat, a healthy diet is known to affect the skin in a positive way. Many natural practitioners say that what you put into your body is what you get out, so of course to have beautiful skin, you need to put good things in your body.

You should try and limit the amount of tea and coffee that you drink each day and not drink too much alcohol. Instead you should make sure to drink at least six to eight glasses of water per day. You should eat a lot of fresh fruit and leafy green vegetables as well as foods rich in fiber such as beans and lentils. Of course you should also try and stay away from fried foods, and too much sugar. They should help you have healthier skin, as well as help you be healthier and maybe even lose a bit of weight.

As well as having a healthier diet taking vitamin supplements can also be a great help. A good multivitamin or antioxidant supplement, that contains vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc will help your skin. You should also take something that contains fatty acids, such as primrose or fish oil. I suggest fish oil, as it has a lot of other benefits such as helping the heart, joints and providing omega-3. If you feel lost, about which supplements are right for you, and make an appointment with the nutritionalist who can help you decide what is exactly right for your skin.

Besides what you put inside your body, you still have to look after your skin. You should keep your skin clean by washing it daily with a good facial wash and then use a good moisturizer. You should make an appointment to have a facial at a professional place. The aesthetician will be able to look at your skin, and be able to identify what type of skin you have. Then you’ll be able to get professional recommendations about what type of face cleanser and moisturizer is best for you.

A lot of people become impatient and want their acne cured in a day. However natural treatments take more time, and will take at least six weeks to start seeing some results. However, the healthy diet, and more vitamin supplements will help your general well-being and your health as well as you acne. Cleaning your face properly will also improve the quality of your skin as well as your acne. So don’t become impatient and stick to the plan until you start seeing positive results.

Herbal acne treatments have some of the greatest advantages in comparison to other acne cures. These include:

• Relatively quick and lasting results
• Get rid of scars
• Include herbs that improve general quality of the skin.
• Have no side effects
• Are cheap and affordable

There are of course some herbs that the more beneficial than others. These are some of the more common herbs that are found in acne treatment products that are herbal based.

Rose Hip — which you might also see by the scientific name Rosa Affinis Rubiginosa. Rose hip this known to help with acne treatment, and also to help rejuvenate dry or aged skin.

Lemongrass — which you might also see by the scientific name Cymbopogon Citratus. Lemongrass has the ability to help calm acne and thus is included in a lot available treatments.

Chamomile — which you might also see by the scientific name Matricatia Recutita. Chamomile is a very popular herbal acne treatment product, and is currently the new hot thing. It is however beneficial as it does help to suit the skin, especially sensitive skin.

Rosemary — which might also see by the scientific name Rosmarinus Officinalis. This herb is best at stimulating the skin naturally so that it can help with the natural acne healing process. It is also very beneficial as it helps to protect the skin, which will help keep the skin clean and prevent acne.

We have just outlined four of the best herbs that help treat acne. These herbs are found in nature and so the best thing to help treat you skin naturally.

A lot of people also turn to natural acne care because they have already tried chemical products, and they have not been successful or the have had some really bad side effects that make their skin worse.

What is natural Acne Care?
Well natural acne care is using anything that is available naturally (so is not man made), to help treat your acne. This can involve making rubs for your acne, eating certain foods, or just doing things in a different way.

Natural acne care often works more effectively than using chemicals. Because it is natural your body already knows how to handle these substances, so they can work with your body a lot better.

So what’s out there?
There are plenty of products out there for naturally treating acne. These include tablets that have different vitamins and proteins that help regulate your body so it produces less acne. Others may be a cream to help sooth already existing acne.

Most of the time multiple products are used in combination with each other to effectively treat acne. That way you are naturally treating both the cause and the effect of the acne.

How to best treat your acne
Well there are a few causes to acne, that have to be evaluated. The best way to treat acne is to find out what is causing it in the first place, and then treat it.

A lot of people get acne because there are bacteria living in the skin. For many people this is cause by overactive oil glands making to much oil, which attracts the bacteria. For some people these overactive glands are caused by imbalances in the body (eg. hormones). So an acne treatment will have to treat the specific problem as well as the root of the problem.

The best treatment is one that is tailored to your specific situation. Using natural products to help the imbalances in your body or fight the bacteria away will provide you the best chance of naturally fighting your acne.

Myth 1: Poor Hygiene Causes Acne
Acne is actually a problem usually caused by hormones, and not related to oil and dirt on your skin. In fact washing your face too often can have the opposite effect, and make your acne worse. What happens is when you wash your face you strip away the oils from your skin, so your body needs to overcompensate and produces more oil, making your skin worse.

So how often should you wash your face? Well twice a day with a mild facewash is best.

Myth 2: Acne will go away in time
Well this might be true depending on the cause of the acne, but it also might not happen. Either way acne can be treated, so why have bad skin if you don’t have to? For mild acne, acne products usually help. But if your acne is more serious, you should go see your doctor, because it definitely can be cured!

Myth 3: Teenagers get acne
Well its true that a lot of teenagers get acne when they go through puberty, because of all the changes in their hormones. But anyone can get acne at any age, as there are many other factors except changing hormones that can also affect someone’s skin.

Myth 4: The sun helps get rid of acne
This has a similar effect to over-washing your face. Because the heat increases the sweat and oil glands production, it can make your skin worse.

Also sunrays can react in a different way with the blemished skin to the rest of your skin. This can create a situation where even after the pimple has gone, you have darker spots around where the pimple used to be (and this still looks bad).

Myth 5: What you eat causes Acne
Well this isn’t fully a myth – you are what you eat. There are lots of arguments between medical professionals about this, with some thinking that food does cause acne, while others disagree.

Well you shouldn’t have a problem if you keep a general healthy diet and eat what is good for you (you should be doing this anyway). Although there is currently no proof that certain foods cause acne, if you think your pimples look worse after eating chocolate (or something else), then you might as well avoid it.

Acne can be treated, and now that you know some of the things that don’t cause acne, you will be able to focus more on what will help with your acne, to help cure your acne faster.