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.

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

I am in a wonderful state of skin shock!

At Tuesday night’s Gorgeous and Green, I was very fortunate to meet Karen Behnke, founder of Juice Beauty.  I have long been a fan of Juice Beauty’s Blemish Clearing Serum.  So when I heard back from a customer service rep that the products cannot be confirmed as gluten free, I was quite distraught about finding a replacement. 

On Tuesday night, however, Karen was shocked to hear this news and confirmed that the product is in fact gluten free!  She was unsure of how this misinformation came my way, and very appologetic, but most importantly, proud to review with me the organic ingredients she uses in her products, all of which are gluten free and !

Now, I have been blogging a lot lately about how nothing can ever compare to my 100% Pure Organic Healing Balm facial moisturizer, but last night I just may have found it’s match–and it contains an SPF.  A quick spritz of the Juice Beauty’s mist and application of moisturizer, and I woke up with soft, supple skin.  I’ll continue my trial to be sure, but I just may be loving these other Juice beauties already!

My skin was immediately softer and more supple, leaving me infinitely grateful to be using the Healing Balm again.  I can see how the toner is a nice addition, and would’ve been good to have while travelling, but I did sneak a bit of my new Naturopathica Environmental Defense Mask along with me, and used that to spot treat any blackheads or spots. 

What surprised me the most, however, was when I saw my mom.  I hadn’t seen her since the summer, and her skin looked positively radiant!  My mom is nearing 60 and looks like she’s in her 40s, she absolutely has great genes, but her skin was different since I’d last seen her.  Her skin was soft and glowing, and I had to know how! 

Surprise!  Mom’s been using the 100% Pure Organic Healing Balm for the past few months.  She absolutely loves it, and was telling everyone at Thanksgiving who was willing to listen.

So all in all, I am back onto my regular skin care routine, though maybe I’ll give the Hauschka facial oil and toner another try. Either way, I adore Dr. Hauschka’s bronzer, mascara, eye liner and lipstick. And I’m sure he has plenty more amazing products to offer that I’ve yet to try.

The Cleansing Cream is just not for me.  If you’re familiar with Jurlique’s Daily Exfoliating Cream, it is similar, though I actually prefer Jurlique’s.  The Cleansing Cream is a pasty consistency and is meant to be pressed into the skin to deeply cleanse while also exfoliating.  The issue is that I prefer a cleanser that a) also removes makeup b) goes a long way so I can also use it down into my decollage and c) can be used on the entire face which again, helps in removing makeup.  Plus, it contains wheat germ oil, which means, it’s probably not gluten free.

So I’ve moved on.  I am not trying the Sircuit Skin X-Trap Face Wash, which is a concentrated gel.  And to help remove all of the dirt and oil that’s built up, I am presently wearing my Environmental Defense Mask by Naturopathica.

I will continue to try out the Toner, Moisturizer and Facial Oil–until I simply can go no longer without my 100% Pure Organic Healing Balm, that is.  Seriously though, I do think there is something to using a toner and an oil.  Time will tell . . .

I do miss my regular face wash, the Seafoam cleaser, it foams so nicely, the Dr. Hauschka Cleasing Cream is just not the same.  The concepts of using a daily toner and facial oil do intrigue me, and could become staples of my routine. 

One  aspect of the Hauschka philosophy continues to trouble me: they believe that because cell regeneration happens overnight no skin products should be applied to go to sleep.  Night time regeneration is no new concept, that I fully believe in.  But then, if not at night, when am I to use my anti-agers?  And even more confusing, I just received a mail sample of a new Dr. H repair product, to be used at night.  Hmmm.  This is all so confusing.

As I left the house yesterday I felt quite good about the state of my completely make-up-less skin. I opted to forego even a swift application of mascara or concealer in order to demonstrate to the esthetician my skin in it’s most natural state. My tried and true product routines have done me well, I have discovered a few new masks for deeper cleansing, and I really have no complaints. So when I sat down with an esthetician from Dr. Hauschka as we formulated my ideal Dr. H skin care routine, everything sounded hope-filled and wonderful, but I still came home questioning whether I really can achieve all that I want with just one product line.

Last night I began my new system, and this morning was eager to continue this new routine. Here is what I am using:
Lavender Bath
Cleansing Cream
Facial Toner
Moisturizing Day Cream
Normalizing Day Oil

I am told that the oil will train my T-zone to stop producing excess oils throughout the day.  And that the toner–a product I often forego, is quite essential to balancing the PH levels of the skin post-cleansing.

I will certainly keep you posted on my progress.