When fighting the battle against acne, you need to be selective in the type of facial mask you use because of the delicate balance of pH of your skin.  You should look at the ingredients, the different types of benefit for your skin, a complete skin care package with complementary products, and pay attention to what works for you.

If you recall from our blog, How Masks and Deep Cleansers Unclog Pores and Remove Blackheads, “Masks are an advanced part of anyone's beauty regime. Often overlooked by novices or the time-strapped, masks can be viewed as a "booster shot" for your skin - especially during the times where you are stressed and the skin pumps out extra oil and increases skin cell turnover to compensate.”

Looking at the ingredients is a good place to start.  We’ve blogged a lot about the benefits of Tea Tree Oil--Tea Tree Oil and balancing extracts help to deep cleanse, purify and regulate excess oil production. Regular use helps to unclog pores, keep inflammation in check and energize skin's natural exfoliation cycle for radiant, healthier-looking, clearer skin.

Masks can also come in a clay base. Once applied, the mask dries on the skin, and once washed off, removes all of the dry skin cells with it. This enables your skin to "breathe" again.

Masks featuring the latest in skin care technology with peptide and liposome complex infused with Tea Tree Oil, Alphasomes®, Cinnamon Bark Extract and Rosmarinic Acid, such as Doctor D. Schwab Controlling Mask with Tea Tree Oil, help to keep oil-production under control, all day long.

Alphasomes® are created from Liposomes, which are tiny artificially prepared bubbles made up of a lipid bilayer that are used to deliver ingredients to the targeted area.  They can be composed of naturally-derived phospholipids which mimic the properties of biological cells.

These spherical structures are useful because they can encapsulate active ingredients and are therefore used in skin care and for drug delivery.  The Liposomes effectively deliver the active ingredients to the sites of action by fusing with the similarly structured biological cells.

“If what you put on the skin doesn’t get to the intended location, it certainly won’t have the desired activity,” stated Jon Packer, President of Centerchem.

Weekly mask treatments are a great addition to your daily skin regimen, so go for it.  Just be sure to do a little homework first.

For more great products that help fight the battle with acne please go here.

When it comes to natural acne treatments, you will see a common thread of natural ingredients and things you can do to help naturally treat your acne. I know you've heard of them once or twice. Here are the top four natural acne treatments I think of.

Tea tree oil. In the treatment of moderate common acne, topical application of 5% tea tree oil has shown an effect comparable to 5% benzoyl peroxide. Albeit with slower onset of action, patients who use tea tree oil experience fewer side effects than those that use benzoyl peroxide treatments.

See Doctor D. Schwab Controlling Products with Tea Tree Oil Here

Vitamin C. According to Acne.org, Vitamin C for topical applications only, brightens complexion, lessens red acne scars, slowly fills in pitted acne scars.  The only catch is it takes a while to have visual results.  Mixing a Vitamin C mask at home can be tasking, because the oxidation lessens the effectiveness, so it’s highly recommended to use a professional product line that controls the vitamin C exposure through packaging and complementary formulas with other natural ingredients.

Doctor D. Schwab C.S. Citrusome

Drink water – Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones. For healthy skin, you should be drinking at least 8 glasses of water every day. In fact, just adding more water to diet alone may be enough to give you the edge over acne. Hydrated skin cells are more supple and less prone to damage and irritation, but there's more to the benefits of water than just preventing dry skin.

Blemish skincare

Eat right – Fresh fruit doesn't just taste great, it's also one of the cornerstones of an acne-free diet. So cut down on those troublesome problem foods and replace them with fruits that will give your skin a natural, healthy glow. Some of my favorite fruits are vitamin-rich apples and berries packed with powerful antioxidants. Veggies are great too, like carrots and edamame.

Learn more about Doctor D. Schwab’s oily skincare products here…

Oftentimes, a health condition can be directly linked to certain foods that we eat. For example: Those who have Celiac Disease cannot eat products containing gluten. Those who suffer from lactose intolerance cannot tolerate ingesting foods made with dairy. Another common food-related condition is acne.

This superficial condition can be linked to the ingestion of deep-fried foods and oily foods; this will include foods such as: fried chicken, doughnuts, tempura, and those deep-fried Twinkies you can get at the Fair.

Another cause of acne is stress. Pimples can form and grow when we place our bodies and minds under extreme stress. Teenagers seem to have the most acne – for good reason! The stress of school, the pressure of fitting in certain social groups, compounded by the physical and mental stress of becoming an adult can make any teen’s face look like, well, a teenager's face.

Teenagers at this age also, for the most part, have a very unhealthy diet. Who hasn’t taken a good, hard look at a school lunch only to recoil in distaste? It’s no wonder that there has been such an outcry for healthier school meals. Perhaps if kids understood that eating these foods lead to an unhealthy complexion, they would join the fight. When we become stressed, or eat a poor diet, our oil glands begin to secrete more oil than we need. This over-production of oil can lead to a waxy clogging of the pores, leading to an infection, which causes acne to form.

If you look at people who are in their twenties, after graduation, acne outbreaks seems to fade. You can choose your own foods, pressures begin to lighten, and consequently, your face begins to clear. Outbreaks are still possible, however, whenever a stressful event arises – even after you graduate from being a teenager.

Things are fine and well until—BAM!—You hit your 40s and 50s and develop adult acne. Most adult acne is caused by stress. We are more stressed now than ever before, in every way you can imagine. There is pressure to raise a family, keep up with the Joneses, and a general unrest about the economy. The best way to reduce this kind of acne is to revamp your diet to make sure you are not eating these deep-fried, oily foods, and to put the brakes on any repeated stress you may be experiencing.

Acne is an annoying condition that teenagers and adults of all ages alike experience, and it may not necessarily occur on the face. This skin condition can show up anywhere, especially if there is over production of oil, which can clog up a skin pore, leading to infection and inflammation. One way we regularly try to reduce acne is to exfoliate, or scrub the skin to clear up any clogged pores.
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However, skin which has over active sebaceous glands from scrubbing too hard may lead to an increase in acne by stimulati­­­­­ng your pores to produce more oil.

Another way that we can reduce the amount of acne that appears is to use a good, quality cleanser. It must be oil free, but not drying. A cleanser that is drying can lead to a flaky, scaly skin appearance around the afflicted area. Additionally, a drying product will stimulate the skin to produce more oil, therefore increasing your chances for even more acne. The skin should be washed regularly, at night and in the morning, to clean off the debris accumulated while you sleep and as you go about your day. Learn more about Doctor D. Schwab Soft Foam Deep Cleanse Here

Use a deep cleansing mask a couple times per week in order to really allow the skin care ingredients to penetrate and clean all the layers of skin. Be sure to look for a mask that is clay-based in order to reap the most benefits. Learn more about Doctor D. Schwab Controlling Mask With Tea Tree Oil Here

Tea tree oil is a popular ingredient in skin-clearing masks, as this oil is known for its antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic qualities. It also has beneficial cosmetic properties. In fact, this type of essential oil has been shown to stand shoulder to shoulder with an equal amount of benzoyl peroxide when it comes to treating acne breakouts.

Finally, those of you who are concerned about acne should use a moisturizer after you clean in order to keep the skin soft and to restore the skin’s youthful look and feel. Learn more about Doctor D. Schwab Controlling Balm With Tea Tree Oil Here

You are what you eat. But you look like what you eat too. Okay, maybe not so literally, but the food you eat can affect your skin quality.

As you age, your metabolism slows down and it becomes harder for your cells to regenerate. Your digestive system also slows, making it harder for your body to break down the foods that you eat. Therefore, you will need to re-evaluate your diet and make a few changes for the better in order to keep your body running at optimal levels.

Eating unhealthily will also show up, not only in your shape, but on your skin too, as your body tries to rid itself of unclean toxins. On the skin, these toxins will be evident in the form of blackheads, pimples, and a dull skin tone. But if you eat healthy foods, your skin can also look more healthy and free of nasty blemishes.

Your body is a machine: if you start with a good base, you’ll have a good product, like healthy, radiant skin. If you start with a poor base, such as junk food, you will end up with a sallow complexion and a bumpy exterior. You truly are what you eat.

Here are a few eating tips for you to keep your skin healthy.

• When choosing foods for your daily consumption, choose a rainbow of local, organic fruits and vegetables that are in season, and be sure to add a handful of nuts now and then for healthy fats; olive oil also works well a healthy fat source.

• Limit your consumption of alcohol, as it causes inflammation and dehydration.

• Drink enough water so that your body stays hydrated. Do you know how you feel when it’s 100 degrees out, you’re pushing your physical self to the limit with exercise, and you really need a glass of water? Now, imagine that every organ in your body feels that way too. Drink 8-9 glasses of water a day, and more if you plan on being physically active or there is a high heat index.

• Also, eat a balanced breakfast to start the day off in a positive direction. This will give you strength and energy to start your busy day.

• Don’t forget to chew your food and enjoy what goes into your mouth. This will help your body digest the food and break it down into essential nutrients.

Remember, your face is your body’s mirror. Your face will give you a good indication of your health, as well as every person who sees you. And you always want to put your best face forward.