Laura Griffin and I both got body waves that went VERY wrong, both love the Rolling Stones, and both hate breaking out. Fortunately, the Southern belle and beauty blogger was sweet enough to share her favorite blemish-fighters. Based on that glowing skin I’d say she knows what she’s talking about! –Elizabeth
(l to r) Philosophy On A Clear Day Moisturizer ($23) – Drying out skin will only cause it to overcompensate by producing more oil, trapping you in a nasty cycle. This oil-free moisturizer keeps skin hydrated while warding off bacteria to prevent future blemishes.
Bliss No Zit Sherlock Purifying Cleanser + Toner ($22) – This genius 2-in-1 cleanser/toner contains 2 percent salicylic acid but is still gentle enough for daily use. It’s also packed with pro-biotics to boost skin’s immunity against harmful bacteria.
Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Acne Treatment ($65) – The cult-favorite scrub plus acne-fighting salicylic acid and tea tree oil. Thirty seconds is all it takes to dissolve away dead skin cells and treat blemishes. Use it three times a week and don’t leave it on too long!
Aqualiv Infotone Face Mist ($35) – It sounds too good to be true, but spritzing your face with this ionic-charged, anti-bacterial water will keeps it hydrated, smooth and clear. Easiest beauty treatment ever. Plus, the bottle is refillable.
Peter Thomas Roth Sulfur Cooling Masque ($40) – A sulfur mask is a must for blemish-prone skin. This one also contains aloe to soothe inflammation. The sulfur smell can be off-putting, but the effects are totally worth it.
Desert Essence Blemish Touch Stick ($9) – Tea tree is a natural antiseptic rhr can be used to treat about a zillion skin complaints, including blemishes. This stick also sops up excess oil, smells amazing, and is vegan!
Filed Under: Applied Glamour, Aqualiv Infotone Face Mist, Bliss No Zit Sherlock Purifying Cleanser + Toner, Desert Essence Blemish Touch Stick, Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Acne Treatment, laura griffin, natural acne treatments, Peter Thomas Roth Sulfur Cooling Masque, Philosophy On A Clear Day Oil-Free Moisturizer, tea tree oil for acne
Hello lovelies! I'm Elizabeth Dehn, a beauty writer + lifestyle editor who's equally fanatical about lip gloss as juice cleansing. I live in Minneapolis with Mr. Bets and our white lab, Molly Thomas . . . 
Great list! I *lurve* the PTR Cooling Masque – one of my favorites!
I’ve been using an acne treatment with Tea tree Oil in it and I love how well it works. It’s much less irritating than benzoyl peroxide. Treatments with salicylic acid seem to have zero effect on blemishes for me, so tea tree oil has been an effective, easy-to-find treatment (I found mine at the coop).
Another, non-chemical, effective thing I use is the Clarisonic. My dermatologist recommended it, and I’m really glad I spent the money (I think I’m at least a little in love with it). Thanks for addressing the blemish issue! :)
Aileen: I’ve heard similar things from other ladies too! When salicylic acid doesn’t work, tea tree oil always seems to do the trick.
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I thought it was cute when my dermatologist said that once I hit my 20s I would stop breaking out. Jokes on you, lady, I’ve been breaking out since puberty and my skin shows no sign of slowing down. I’ve done it all, topicals, creams/gels, chemicals, and even accutane. What I can tell you is that NONE of that has helped to “cure” my skin or give me blemish free skin for very long and the repercussions are painful and horrid.
What upsets me more is that most women/girls are very allergic to Salicylic Acid and we don’t know it. For the longest time I found myself bouncing between different products that contained this chemical thinking that eventually I would find that one product that would give me the magic bullet for my skin. What I didn’t realize was that every product contained Salicylic Acid! So the results were always the same — massive and painful breakouts everywhere. It should be noted that for a lot of women Salicylic Acid does the job but for others, like myself, it creates a war zone from forehead to chin.
What I have found that helps is cleansing the skin with super simple and gentle cleansers likes castille soap or if I am having a breakout day I use a wash with benzoyl peroxide to get my skin back under control, and I always follow up with a couple drops of sweet almond oil to moisturize (beauty grade) sometimes mixed with a little rose extract or lavender to help with redness and inflammation.
@Anya – Thank you for sharing! Your natural, no-nonsense approach is a fabulous example. As for allergies, so many of us have them, or have developed them as adults, it’s always worth cutting out products/food groups to see how our body reacts. Great advice!