It might sound contradictory (and maybe downright scary!), but one of the best things you can do for a bout of blemishes is to slick your skin with oils. Not with pore-clogging mineral oils, but with plant-based ones that can help balance and calm your adult skin.
“Treating oil with oil balances skin,” says Vered Back, an herbalist, facialist, and beauty-product formulator. “Drying it out with harsh ingredients just engages it in a battle.”
Back, who’s the founder of Vered Organic Botanicals, says her top seller is an acne treatment oil blend. “There are so many people with problem skin, and nobody really dared to think about making an oil for them.” But now, they are. Here are five oil blends for acne-prone skin we love…
Originally published December 21, 2012, and updated July 10, 2016
Vered Therapeutic Balancing Face Oil, $68
This handcrafted line is all about the love of oils. They’re handmade by organic-obsessed master herbologist and facialist, Vered Beck, who uses anti-inflammatory and anti-viral herbs (including rare ones like niaouli, chickweed, and speedwell) that vary with the available crops and promote deep healing.
Marie Veronique Organics Treatment Oil, $80
This is a perfectly balanced acne-fighting cocktail. Argan oil controls surface sebum, borage oil fights inflammation (thanks to its gamma-linolenic acid), and tea tree oil helps banish acne-causing bacteria. Use it alone or as part of the company’s Acne Treatment Kit ($65) for even clearer skin.
Cultivar Organic Anti-Acne Treatment, $42
You might want a little thyme in your botanical acne treatment. It was found to be more effective against acne than benzoyl peroxide (the controversial main ingredient in Proactiv). Plus it’s paired with babassu oil, an anti-bacterial skin nourisher, that makes breakouts more difficult and scarring way less frequent.
In Fiore Pur Face Oil Concentré, $85
Sometimes the best solution comes from old-world practices. Like this apothecary-style blend of wild-crafted oils. It’s a beautiful skin-balancer powered by neroli, nature’s stress-buster. On breakout-prone skin it brings down redness, eases congestion, and slows the pimple-making process to a halt. And a dash of rosehip-seed oil helps give skin back it’s healthy, even glow.
Skinowl Beauty Drops: A.M. Lavender, $30
Also check out these 10 natural ways to deal with acne that really work, and make sure these 9 foods for amazing skin are on your grocery list, and once and for all, can you shrink your pore size?
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