Natural Alternatives

I love finding natural alternatives to some of the common active ingredients in over-the-counter skin care products. Here are some favorites for my skin type- which tends to be fairly oily and prone to breakouts.

Salicylic Acid - This ingredient is found in a lot of acne products and even anti-aging products as well. Salicylic Acid kills bacteria that's causing the acne, but it is also a chemical exfoliant as well. It removes layers of dead skin to keep follicles clear, but it also helps with aging because of it's exfoliation abilities.
Some negative effects of salicylic acid are severe dryness and irritation. A lot of these products with salicylic acid are very alkaline and stripping to the skin. Stripping the skins natural oil barrier causes our skin to over produce oil to compensate for lost oils. This process can actually make acne worse because there is so much excess oil being produced to make up for the lack of oils on the skin. The skin can also become sensitive and red due to the constant, harsh stripping from these products.

Natural Alternatives - Tea tree oil, rosemary, lavender, thyme, nettle, rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, witch hazel, grape juice, sage, honey
These are all anti-bacterial herbs and ingredients which help kill bacteria causing acne. These are great alternatives to salicylic acid because they are natural and won't disrupt the skins natural barrier.
Even ingredients like aloe vera, chamomile, and rose absolute can help calm and soothe redness caused by acne


Here are some products I use that are all natural and contain some of these powerful antibacterial ingredients! :)
http://www.lushusa.com/Herbalism/9999906956,en_US,pd.html?start=2

http://www.lushusa.com/Grease-Lightning/02896,en_US,pd.html?start=3

http://www.lushusa.com/Vanishing-Cream/02805,en_US,pd.html?start=2&q=vanishing%20cream