ACNE ABC's

By Kimberly Kolodziejski

June is Acne Awareness Month (although, I’m pretty sure most of us are plenty aware of acne more often than just in June!), so here are a few Chellá acne fighting ideas.

Angst, Bacteria and Clogged pores are just a few of the ABC causes of acne in both adults and teen-agers.

Angst:  While stress doesn’t directly cause acne break-outs, it can trigger the release of certain hormones that can cause break-outs. Severe hormonally driven acne may require the attention of a medical professional. Making an appointment for personalized skincare is usually your best bet to fight overwhelming acne.

Bacteria:  The number one culprit in causing occasional acne breakouts is bacteria. There are a plethora of opportunities for bacteria to infect our skin pores, ranging from contaminated skin care and cosmetics to environmental exposure to soot, smog and car exhaust. While it is important to keep your skin clean, over cleansing may cause overly dry and irritated skin. Our skin produces a natural oil called sebum which moisturizes and protects delicate skin cells, but excess sebum can provide a cozy home for bacteria.

While our skin is designed to fight bacteria on its own, extreme bacterial attacks require additional help. Salicylic acid is the number one prescribed topical acne remedy, but can often cause drying and irritation which in turn can cause more breaks-outs. Natural Willowbark extract has been found to kill as much as 99% of the bacteria that salicylic acid kills but does it gently and does not irritate the skin.  Chella’s Micro Exfoliating Cleanser with Willowbark extract keeps the bacterial level in your skin at a minimum and is so gentle you can use it twice a day!

Clogged Pores: Our facial skin pores are a delicate bunch and can easily become clogged by make-up, dead skin cells and excess sebum (naturally produced oil). Chella’s Micro Exfoliating Cleanser with Willowbark ‘s gentle jojoba beads acts as a gentle exfoliating ingredient, lovingly whisking excess sebum, dirt dead skin cells and other pore blocking material away from your skin.

Washing your face is an important step in preventing pore blockage, but on occasion, further steps need to be taken to unclog those pores. There are many facial masks on the market that can assist in unclogging and deep cleaning your pores, but be certain to only use them as directed so you, again, don’t run the risk of over stripping the essential oils that protect your skin or cause your skin to become irritated by harsh and aggressive over-use. Chella’s Exfoliation and Detoxification Mask Combo is the perfect 1-2 punch to unclogging your pores gently and thoroughly.

• Chella’s Enzyme Formula Exfoliating Crema Mask with Lactic Acid & Sugar Cane is a creamy, gentle mask that combines enzymes that exfoliate dead cells and excess sebum from the skin and encourage cell turnover for more radiant, even toned and younger looking skin. This mask is gentle enough for use on sensitive skin or skin with acne or rosacea.
• Chella’s Balancing Clay Mask with Hectorite Clay & Copper is a non-drying clay mask that combines calming and hydrating minerals that work synergistically to draw out toxins and impurities, refine pores and leave skin clean, balanced and younger looking. This clay mask is an excellent spot treatment on blemishes.

So, even though the calendar says “June” , you now have the tools you need to fight acne every day of the year!