If you’re new to AN, you can read about my skin issues here. Basically, I started getting acne in fourth grade and it didn’t stop until my early twenties when I finally figured out that acne is an internal issue, and how to properly take care of my skin externally.
When I say I had skin issues, I don’t mean a few breakouts here and there. I have deep, painful, cystic acne. Like most people who suffer from troubled skin, I had some pretty intense internal issues that I needed to take care of. I was dealing with gut issues, inflammation, high blood sugar and a lack of beneficial gut flora. All of this combined with the fact that I was trying everything under the sun (and I mean everything from creams to pills to spot treatments) just exacerbated my skin issues. I didn’t know that this was an internal issue, I didn’t know that natural products would so drastically help clear my skin. I was put on several rounds Tetracycline. I even took Accutane. Twice! So here are the steps I took to clear my skin.
Step #1
The first step is to get your diet under control. Skin issues are a direct reflection of what is happening internally, so it’s important to make sure you are eating the necessary vitamins and minerals, that you have stabilized blood sugar and that you don’t have an overgrowth of harmful bacteria in your gut. With every $50 Ancestral Organics order, I will send you four weeks of anti-inflammatory meal plans that are delicious, nourishing, healthy and amazing for your skin!
So many people assume that what they eat doesn’t affect acne when the opposite is true. I take specific supplements for acne, as well as essential oils. I only recommend one brand of essential oils, especially if you’re using them internally. Email me at [email protected] if you’d like to discuss this further and the oils and supplements for you specifically. I start every morning with a big glass of water and the juice of half a lemon, which promotes gentle detoxification and stimulates the liver. The liver plays a crucial role in keeping skin clear. An overburdened liver will certainly cause skin issues.
Step #2
Supplements. The reality of the situation is that it’s next to impossible to obtain 100% of our vitamin and mineral needs from our food. I take a multivitamin, probiotic and fish oil daily. This has been so crucial in helping clear my skin and making sure it maintains that clarity. Email at [email protected] and we can discuss the best supplements for you. And if you buy them from me, you can even get my acne program for free.
Step #3
As for external skin care, essential oils are easily my favorite and most effective remedy for clear, healthy skin. I use these essential oil-infused skin care products.
I start by doing an oil cleanse with this cleanser, it removes all makeup, dirt, and grime while providing light exfoliation. I follow that up with this toner, it balances pH and tightens pores. After that, I apply this moisturizer which contains melaleuca, lavender, and frankincense – what I like to refer to as the trifecta of acne. Then I apply this scar + wrinkle essential oil blend to my fine lines and old acne scars.
Melaleuca, or tea tree oil, is a powerful oil that is great for blemishes. It’s great for keeping pores clean. Regular use of melaleuca will promote a much clearer complexion.
Lavender, like melaleuca, has skin-soothing properties. It also is a promotes a healthy inflammatory response. It can soothe the skin, reduce redness and help blemishes recover faster. Because lavender oil is so calming, it also makes it a good option for almost any skin issues you may have.
Frankincense is an essential oil I honestly had no idea was good for skin until I started using it. As it turns out, frankincense can help reduce the appearance of scars. It also controls sebum production, tones skin and reduces fine lines and wrinkles.
Other oils that are helpful for troubled skin:
- lemon
- lemongrass
- sandalwood
- geranium
- rosewood
- eucalyptus
- sandalwood
35 Comments
Hi Dani! Thank you for this post! I live in Texas and sunscreen is pretty imperative for me as I have fair skin. Do you know of any natural sunscreens I could use? If so, please let me know where in the face cleaning/applying regimen I should fit it, ie., before or after applying the essential oils. Thanks again! ~Dawn
Badger! And apply before oils.
Hello! Thanks for the info, I have been getting into essential oils and really enjoy them so far. I have cystic acne and am really trying to minimize their existence.
I have been using castor/coconut/lavender/TT/jojoba and it has been OK but have been looking for a better combo.
It also seems that your skin is very similar to mine! I have a question; how do you apply your mixture of lavender/frank/tamanu/tea tree? Do you mix a few drops together and apply as a mix to your skin, or apply them separately? I am in the midst of getting all of these oils! Thanks.
I apply them all mixed in with the tamanu or coconut oil.
do you drink it? or apply it like a mask?
Neither, I apply topically and rub it in.
Has the oils helped with your cystic acne?
I recently got into the holistic approach of skincare regimen. Right now, I am doing the Oil Cleansing Method and it is helping my skin so much! I was looking for a moisturizer, since my skin is still dry after OCM, so I purchased a bottle of argan oil as my carrier oil, tamanu, and tea tree oil. I was hesitating to test out lavender and frankincense oils, because they are a bit pricey, but your review has made me really tempted!
Do it, you won’t regret it!
Hi dani,
I like your hair!!
Thank you!
Stumbled upon your site looking for a more holistic approach/solution to my reacurring cystic acne after having needed surgery to remove a troubling cyst. I have to say your mix has been amazing! The only difference was I replaced tamanu with grape seed oil. Thanks for sharing your findings.
Awesome!
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience with cystic acne. I have been struggling since I was a teenager (now 25) with regular bouts of cystic acne on my chin, with more than one appearing at the same time. It is awful, and terribly painful. Antibiotics were extremely helpful, setting me on a quest to be rid of my acne without harmful antibiotics. Raw garlic, albeit stinky, worked incredibly well, as it is has anti-bacterial properties. I stopped using garlic when I moved to Hawaii and for some reason it stopped working. Then, I found your website and immediately bought lavender oil, frankincense, tea tree, and tamanu off of Amazon (too expensive for Young Living or doTerra) and have been using about two weeks now. My skin looks and feels amazing. I had two cystic bumps on my chin and the lavender specifically got rid of the pain and redness, and the tamanu oil helps with moisture. My pores get easily clogged as well, and so I simply wash my face with water and use my Clarisonic without any cleanser. Then I apply the oils. I do this morning and night. I hope it is not excessive to do this twice a day, but it seems to be helping a lot. All of this to say, thank you, it works, and I hope everyone has as much success as I have had with essential oils. Like I said, I have been struggling for years with this, at times staying home from work/school because I just could not bear people seeing my face looking so terrible. Also, severe stress is what triggers my acne. This is something I need to work on, but it is helpful being able to piece the puzzle together and understand why it’s happening.
Happy to help!
Hi Jackie! Do you have a “recipe” for all the ingredients you use? Our skin issues sound very similar! Thank you!
Hi Dani,
I’ve been using HD Clear facewash and oil blend for a little over a month now. I usually wash my face in the morning and at night with the facewash. Then I apply the oil blend and frankincense to my blemishes and acne scars. I can’t decide whether I think this new regiment is working or making my acne worse. Is there any way that it could be pulling the old bacteria out of my skin? Everyone seems to think this is a miracle worker, and I’m not so sure it’s working that well for me. How long do you think it should take to see changes in my skin?
Thank you!
I don’t personally use the HD Clear line and I can’t really offer advice without knowing your situation unfortunately. Are you a wellness advocate? I’d suggest reaching out to discuss with your upline.
Hi Dani,
What is the ratio of the acne solution: lavender oil, frankincense, tea tree, and tamanu. Do you suggest once or twice daily?
Thank you so much,
Shelley
I actually don’t have an exact ratio, I’ll write it down next time I make it and post the recipe.
Hi Dani, I was wondering the same thing. Have you made up a new batch yet to get your ratio? I would really like to try this but I don’t want to burn my skin by being to overzealous. Thanks
How much is your bottle of oils for the acne treatment ?
Not sure what you mean? There are three different oils I recommend, are you interested in one or all three?
Have you been able to check your ratio of the three oils? Just curious how many drops of each you are using in ratio to your grapeseed oil.
Do you apply the melaluca, lavender, and frankincense neat?
Noooo. Always with other oils.
I have really bad hyperpigmentation all over my face from acne. Especially my cheeks. I don’t get acne much anymore but I’m left with these red marks. I hope I can find the oil that works best for me. Thanks for the information.
http://ancestralorganics.com/collections/all
My Daughter is 14 and we have been dealing with acne for 2 years now. We have been to 3 doctors/dermatologists. We are now getting on Accutane next month. I have lavender, thieves, lemon and peppermint at home. are any of these oils good to use? We have spent so much time and money on this. I just want it gone already!!!!!!
I started this line, it’s the products I use to manage my acne: http://ancestralorganics.com/
Get her off dairy! Don’t do accutane!
I’ve used tea tree oil with success- any idea if grapeseed oil is effective as well?
Tea tree oil is very strong in fighting against bacteria because it has strong antibacterials. To use it bare, you can plunge a cotton piece into the oil then place it on the affected skin. ITS VERY STRONG THOUGH – and I have sensitive skin. I like Tea Tree oil mixed in other products. Citrus Clear products use Tea Tree Oil, and I found that the Citrus Clear products worked better than just using plain tea tree oil. Especially cause my skin is so sensitive. No breakouts since I started that routine.
We have been trying the tea tree with no luck, I will try frankensince next. I have tons of oils now it’s just trial and error. Need to look more into the eating and the supplements. Do you know of any good articles on either of those aspects in regards to acne? It’s for my teen she’s having a rough time. Thanks so much!
Did you get to post how much of each oil to use in the coconut oil?