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

We recently received the following question:

Question:

I always have a lot of black heads on my face. I’ve tried all sorts of treatments, including professional treatments with extractions. Is there anything more I can do to get rid of the blackheads? Does constantly extracting them make it worse?

Answer:

Blackheads, or small black spots prevalent on the forehead, nose and chin, are caused by overactive oil glands which don’t self-regulate. This overproduction of oil clogs pores, which darkens as it oxidizes.

To lessen the appearance of blackheads and control the overproduction of oil, the best plan of attack is to follow a daily regimen using products that don’t over-dry skin. Too much touching and squeezing can make the condition worse by inflaming the skin and causing it to produce more oil, or by introducing more bacteria to the skin.

Doctor D. Schwab specializes in treating blemished/oily skin conditions with natural products that restore skin to the optimal condition. Our oily skin line features all natural ingredients such as Cinnamon Bark Extract, Rosmaranic Acid, Tea Tree Oil, and natural forms of Salicylic and Lactic Acid.

In the specific case of blackheads, we would recommend cleansing with Soft Foam Deep Cleanse, controlling the overproduction of oil with Controlling Balm, exfoliating once a week with Bamboo Cream Peel, and treating blackheads with SRG Super Removal Gel, whose tagline is Kiss Blackheads Goodbye®. Below you can find a further explanation of these products as well as other product options for your regimen.

To address other forms of acne such as whiteheads or cystic acne, we created a three product regimen called Adios Pimples® which helps you to Cleanse, Treat, and Control blemished skin. In the case of cystic acne, you would also want to see a professional on a regular basis.

RECOMMENDED BLACKHEAD PRODUCT REGIMEN

CLEANSE

Twice daily cleansing is important for removing the dirt and oil that can clog pores. You will want to choose a cleanser that effectively gets rid of oil but doesn’t strip skin. Our advanced Soft Foam Deep Cleanse gets deep down into the pores to gently cleanse skin while helping to reduce oil and irritation. It purifies and clarifies, leaving skin soft with a fresh, clean feeling. Copper and Cinnamon Bark control oil, Propolis Extract cleanses deep into the pores, and Oat Amino Acids balance skin.

To use, wet face, add several pumps to the palm of your hand, massage onto face, and rinse. Use it in the morning and evening. To remove any residual makeup, use Azulene Makeup Remover or Herbal Toner. Check out the reviews online.

View the YouTube Video.

CONTROL OIL

In addition to cleansing, it is important to control the production of oil. Controlling Balm with Tea Tree Oil is a lightweight formula which helps to control oil and calm inflamed skin. Non-irritating and oil-free, it is a great everyday solution that won’t clog pores. Cinnamon Extract and Rosemary extract control oil, naturally occurring Salicylic Acid and Tea Tree keep skin clear, and Aloe Extract soothes and controls inflammation.

Use in the morning and evening after cleansing, smooth onto face until absorbed. Check out the reviews online.

View the YouTube Video.

EXFOLIATE (1-2x / week)

Exfoliating skin weekly sloughs off any dead skin around the pores and allows the oil to be more easily removed. Bamboo Cream Peel is a gentle, non-irritating exfoliator with natural bamboo, jojoba beads and crushed almonds that exfoliates dead surface skin cells for a softer, more radiant complexion.

After cleansing, massage gently onto skin for 30-60 seconds, avoiding the eye area; rinse thoroughly with warm water. Read the reviews online.

View the YouTube Video.

REMOVE BLACKHEADS (1-2x / week)

Finally, an important step to clearing blackheads is to use our unique SRG Super Removal Gel®, which is a natural bioactive gel that dissolves oil and helps to unclog pores and remove impurities with natural Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Nettle Extract, Hops Extract and Hamamelis.

Use 1-2 times a week after cleansing. Apply a thin layer to facial skin in problem areas only, avoiding the eye area. Wait 30 seconds to 2 minutes for the gel to settle, then either rinse the gel off the face or gently massage the gel in up and down movements to loosen and lift impurities and roll blackheads away. Rinse thoroughly with warm water. Read the reviews online.

View the YouTube Video.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS

Herbal Serum for Blemished / Oily Skin Control with Tea Tree Oil | Intense Blemish Control Serum

Controlling Cream | Improves the Appearance of Blemished Skin

Controlling Mask with Tea Tree Oil | Helps to Unclog Pores

Citrusome | Diminish the look of Acne Scars

REVIEWS

Soft Foam Deep Cleanse and Controlling Mask were featured on Hello Dollface blog: http://hellodollface.com/2011/03/five-best-skin-products-right-now/

Hello Dollface Blog recently posted a blog about us and we thought we would share an excerpt!

"There are some products that I try and I like and others I don’t care for and some that I cannot get enough of. And these five products are amazing! They are in constant rotation and I want to tell you what makes them so great.

Everyone is always asking me for recommendations on skincare, above and beyond any other products. I highly recommend any or all of these: Murad Complete Reform, Youth Corridor, Subversive Apothocary Serum, NIA 24 Rapid Exfoliating Serum and Doctor Schwab’s Controlling Mask with tea tree oil.

Keep reading for more….

Last but not least are products from Doctor D. Schwab. I tried three products from this line of botanical based skin care and loved each one! There’s the Controlling Mask with Tea Tree Oil which is ideal to use on overly oily skin like mine. The natural ingredients include rosemary, tea tree and sage. It will not dry out skin which I like. I also used the Soft Foam Deep Cleanse, again perfect for skin that tends to be oily. This cleanser smells so good- like lemon. It cleans skin without overdrying and targets pores, cleaning them out. I use it in conjunction with the Controlling Mask.

For these annoying sun spots I have on my face, probably from laying out every weekend while in my early twenties, the Skin Lightener aids in brightening and fading dark spots without harsh chemicals. No dryness or side effects."

Check out the original blog post here: http://hellodollface.com/?p=5381