I had breakouts on my back and chest several years ago. And it was not fun. But by realizing what some of your triggers are, you might be able to clear things up all on your own like I did–without pricey or drying products.

Don’t get me wrong, I tried seeking professional help first. I went to a dermatologist, a doctor, an acupuncturist, an aesthetician, but nothing helped. Doctors even told me that the strongest, most severe types of acne medication would not have even helped my horrible breakouts–thank goodness, considering all of the dangers now linked to some of these products.

Then I was diagnosed with intolerances to gluten and casein. So I went gluten-free in my diet, but I took it further still. I was already using only natural, paraben free products for my hair care, skin care and cosmetics, but I wondered if gluten in these products was also sabotaging my skin.

And guess what . . . it was! But there are still other ingredients that I avoid as well to keep my back and chest ready for strapless, backless and whatever kinds of outfits fit my mood.

I actually still receive emails from people all the time who are also suffering from acne on their chest, back or face, and here is the advice I usually share:

Top Tips for Battling Acne on Your Back, Chest and Face

• Start With Diet: If you suspect that you might have a food intolerance, try doing an elimination diet for a few weeks to see if you can target any trigger foods. The top eight food allergens are wheat, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, dairy, fish, shellfish, eggs.
• Check Your Shampoo: If you are sensitive to any foods, you may need to purchase shampoo, conditioner and styling products that are also free of them. Think about it, when you’re in the shower, your hair products rinse right down you back and chest.  It’s also a great idea to wash your body last, so you can wash off hair products like conditioner, which is meant to coat the hair and could be coating your back and chest.
• Use a Gentle Cleanser: If you’re sensitive to something like gluten, you may also be sensitive to common irritants like parabens or fragrances. In my case two bars of soap can be exactly the same, but if one has any amount of fragrance oil in it, it’ll be fine on most of my body, but use it on my back, chest or face and I’ll get a zit. So I only use fragrance-free, natural soaps or cleansers on my face, back and chest. Even using your face wash (if it meets the criteria) is fine, but it will cost you more!
• Check Your Laundry Products: Personally, I haven’t had much problem with fabric care products, though I do try to use fragrance free, natural options. For some people, the icky chemicals in fabric softeners can irritate the skin.
• Don’t Over-Treat: Your back and chest are not used to a lot of products, and the less the better for keeping them clear. In my case just putting any type of moisturizer on my neck will cause a pimple–even if it has built in acne fighting power! Think more about what you put in your body and what you cleanse it with, and then you shouldn’t have to use any topical creams or treatments on your back and chest. These can just irritate and dry the area–over drying of acne prone areas can result in your skin just producing more oil and more acne.
• Be Patient: It took a while for me to figure all of this out, and the time I spent with the breakouts was pretty unpleasant. But I did figure it all out, and now everything’s clear! I do still get one or two spots on my chest or face at a certain time each month from time to time, but now if I do, I just make sure that I’m cleansing the area with a good, gentle cleanser, and if it’s on my face I make sure I’m using my Facial Moisture Serum twice a day to balance. But I also know that it will pass and one pimple every couple of months I can handle!!

European beauty experts have favored natural, oil-based beauty serums to chalky-feeling, oil-free moisturizers for decades. And the reason is that some natural, plant-derived oils can actually retrain the skin to help regulate oil production.

The first time I was ever told to put oil on my skin to stop oil and breakouts, I was shocked! As far as I had always been told by department store makeup brands, oil was  bad, right? Not true. Especially since natural oils like Jojoba Oil and Macadamia Oil are actually very close to the skin’s natural sebum. And Essential Oil Palmarosa also helps to combat acne and balance oil.

So while you may need to use a bit less of your moisturizer, like this Moisture Serum, in the Summer, just because your skin isn’t as dry, it’s still an important part of your Summer beauty routine. Stick to a gentle, exfoliating cleanser to help wash away dirt and dry skin cells, your moisturizer and sunscreen when you need it, and you’ll be simply glowing this Summer!

I did find mineral makeup more breathable than their predecessors, but it still felt heavier than I was accustomed to.

At the time that I set out to develop my Natural Anti-Aging Foundation Set, I had come to love Jane Iredales’s Amazing Base and Afterglow Cosmetics’ Organic Mineral Foundation. I had tried countless other mineral makeups, and these are in my opinion, some of the best of what’s around.  But still, keeping my skin hydrated even while wearing drying mineral powders was a bit of a challenge.

I wanted to create a makeup product that didn’t just make my skin look better while wearing it, but also acted as a skin care product, so that even when I am not wearing the foundation the quality of my skin is improved.  This Foundation Set may take some getting used to for some, as it’s quite unlike anything else on the market. Which is why I’ve just recorded a new video to show you how and why it may be worth a try.

Here are a couple popular ingredients that seemed more like they might be in cosmetic containers than the actual products (if anywhere!):

• Polystyrene: which is also known as one of the most widely used types of plastic is commonly used for containers of food, chemicals and solvents. And if not recycled can take centuries to biodegrade. But I also spotted it in a facial cleanser, lip gloss and various hair products.
• Polyethylene: otherwise known as the plastic used grocery and shopping bags, is also known for it’s slowness to biodegrade, as without exposure to UV sunlight, the process can take hundreds of years. That said, guess where I spotted this ingredient–in lists on several long wearing or waterproof eyeliners. Note: polyethylene can be produced from non-petroleum sources, but I’m assuming that the cosmetic companies are as usual going with the cheap stuff in an effort to cut corners.

I found these ingredients listed in products from both department and drug store brands.

Bottom line, stick with brands you trust, and before you trust a brand, do a thorough assessment of the range of ingredients that they use/consider safe for you to be putting in your hair, on your skin, and on your mucus membranes (lips/eyes).

Here are a few ingredients that I hear people mention all the time, and wince when I realize are in eye makeups, underarm deodorants and other products that wind up getting absorbed by the body or making their way into our mucus membranes:

Neem Oil–This oil, which I spotted in some former favorite holistic eye makeup products is often used for its antibacterial properties, which would be especially important in an eye product, as these can be breeding grounds for bacteria. But is the cost worth the benefit? Neem oil can be damaging to organs such as the liver and kidneys, and should especially not be used during pregnancy, as it has been shown to produce damage to organs vital to maintaining pregnancy, and ingestion of more than 5ml has lead to death in infants.

Tea Tree Oil–Often seen in products like natural deodorants, tea tree oil is used for its anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties. But some common side effects include skin reactions such as itching, rash or worsened eczema. While too large of topical doses can cause poor muscle coordination and even difficulty walking, but worse yet, when taken orally, this ingredient can cause severe reactions ranging from hallucinations to coma. Tea tree oil should also not be used during pregnancy, or by children, as hormonal abnormalities like enlarged breasts in prepubescent boys has been shown to occur.

Carmine–Considered one of nature’s only “true reds,” this pigment is made from grinding up the abdomens of cochineal (beetle). But not only is it not a cruelty-free ingredient, but also a common skin irritant. And when used as a food dye, this natural red has even caused such severe allergic reactions in some such as anaphylactic shock.

Still, every year I do tend to give in at some point and a box of soothing, lotion-coated tissues. This does banish the dry skin, but what’s in those tissues, and is it worth it?

While there are a couple of leading brands specializing in these types of tissues, let’s take a look at the brand so big we call it by name: Kleenex.

Here is the ingredient list for a box of Kleenex Lotion Facial Tissues with Aloe and Vitamin E:

• Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum), Ceresin, Stearyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Extract

And a breakdown of what exactly those ingredients are:

• Mineral Oil: a mixture of petroleum derived hydrocarbons
• Ceresin: derived from a natural wax
• Stearyl Alcohol: a long-chain organic alcohol
• Isopropyl Palmitate: an ester of isopropyl alcohol and palmitic acid
• Dimethicone: silicon-based lubricant and conditioning agent
• Tocopherol Acetate: chemical compound of acetic acid and vitamin E
• Aloe Vera Extract: extracted from the leaves of the aloe plant

Some are simple enough, but dimethicone and mineral oil are two ingredients I try not to put on my skin.

So I ran a SkinDeep preliminary report:

A score of 2 is really not bad. But I also wondered if these “vitamin E” rich tissues contain gluten. So I contacted the parent company, Kimberly-Clark. According to the rep with whom I spoke, they do not use any wheat, rye, barley, spelt or kamut in the manufacture of this product. (I also checked on soy while I was at it, and was told no soy or palm either.)

So the tissues are gluten-free, and the hazard score is only a 2. But will I be using them this Winter?

Well, just look at what EWG said about the tissue’s number one ingredient, mineral oil: Human immune and respiratory toxicant – strong evidence.

So then in my opinion it would seem a bit counterproductive to blow my runny nose with a respiratory toxicant. In other words, I think I’ll pass.

For tips on how to manage your skin to combat Winter dryness, check out my Gluten Free Beauty blog post.

I had only just received an inquiry about Derma E products, when I received a sample of their Microdermabrasion Scrub packaged neatly with my Skin Botanica order.  But there are so many scrubs on the market, and few actually perform as promised.

Well, this trial was an absolute success!  I am utteryly adoring this beaded exfoliator.  It’s fabulous!

And as for the ingredients, I have provided a complete list below.  And here is a verifying statement regarding gluten in their products–I love, love, love that they are aware of the dangers of topical gluten for some of us:

Gluten Free

derma e® recognizes that some individuals with gluten intolerance may have an allergic reaction when gluten is applied topically. Most derma e® products are gluten-free, however the following may contain remnants of gluten such as oat extract:

• Stop Itch (Item #88300)

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Magnesium Oxide, Silica, Volcanic Sand, Pearl Powder, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Glycerin, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Caprylic Acid, Glycine, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Xanthan Gum, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Lecithin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate

For fine lines and wrinkles, I still swear by Sircuit’s Addict, but I’ve come to appreciate this little beauty for it’s pure magic!

For lighter, day to day beauty routines, I’ve left out my concealer in favor of this dark-circle-erasing under eye cream. Even when my dark circles are their darkest, I simply dab a bit on and apply my makeup as usual, only no need for any concealer under my eyes! Sometimes I’ll brush a bit of foundation powder over my eye area, but it’s nice to know I’m not just covering, I’m treating the area.

I also love that this eye cream doesn’t conjure up any little oil bumps in the under eye area, like some cheap imitations do.

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As a tween I thought that a good facial routine meant wash, tone and spot treat.  But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve invested more in good cleansers and moisturizers than astringents or toners.

I have tried a few out here and there over the past few years, and recently decided to give
100% Pure Organic Peppermint Green Tea Facial Toner
a try.

It immediately surprised me since it has no alcohol, but has the same cool “burn” of the Windex colored toners of my past.  But whether or not it anti-ages, brightens, protects and repairs as recommended is still to be determined.  I’ll keep you posted!

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But I do have a wonderful little sample that I did try and quite liked–before I realized that it contained: Palmitoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein.  And for us gluten-free gals, that simply won’t do.

I will however keep seeking out some other fabulous REN products to try, of course, in the future I had better be sure to carefully read the label!