Posted on 1st Apr 2011 @ 12:34 AM

I spoke about adult acne with Natural Health magazine, and I’d like to share some ideas. I do find that many adults today, including me, tend to break out in acne more frequently than eight years ago when I started to research this skin problem. I believe that there are two very major culprits in our diet and lifestyle that cause acne in adults.

First of all, we must blame the abundance of hormone-disrupting chemicals in our life. Look around you: everything is scented with artificial fragrances. Synthetic scents are everywhere, from cookies to baby toys to writing paper, not to mention regular household and personal care items that are “meant” to be scented. We use fragrances today more casually, “thanks” to the abundance of affordable “luxury” scents churned out by celebrities and fashion brands by the dozen.

All these artificial fragrances contain phthalates, hormone-disrupting, gender-bending plasticizers that cause irreversible hormonal changes in men and women. Artificial fragrances also act as irritants, and persistent skin irritation disrupts immune response, so our immune system is less capable to withstand attacks of bacteria, such as acne causing P.acnes bacteria and many others. More allergies you have, more stress your body experiences, and less power it has to strike back to aggressors.

Second reason why I believe we are today more prone to acne is that conventional acne medications on the market today contain ingredients that actually cause acne to take strong hold. For example, benzoyl peroxide is a known skin irritant. But it also is a free radical magnet. It attracts free radicals so that they are able to cause more damage and inflammation in your skin. Triclosan is a known carcinogen. Sulfur is an irritant and allergen. Most acne medications contain pore-blocking mineral oil, hormone-disrupting preservatives such as parabens, potential carcinogens such as triethanolamine, and known allergens as artificial fragrances, dyes, and semi-natural preservatives phenoxyethanol or ethylhexylglycerine.

Sometimes all it takes to avoid acne is to switch to natural or at least unscented skincare made without parabens, petrochemicals, and added fragrances. Ten years ago, when there were only a few truly natural products available, I used products marketed for sensitive skin with eczema for my acne-prone skin, and I quite enjoyed the results. But of course today it’s so much easier to stick to the green beauty routine thanks to amazing new advancements in natural cosmetology especially when it comes to acne.

Have a lovely day,

Julie