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Having battled with blemishes for 13 years, Amy specialises in the natural treatment of acne. Skyn Therapy helps others to identify the root cause of their skin problems and achieve a beautiful, clear complexion for good.

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Why am I so excited about @deviantskincare's new Gentle Resurfacing Liquid?
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I have been waiting for the launch of this product for MONTHS and each time the founder Natalie revealed spoilers of the formula's superstar ingredients, I knew this product was going on my wishlist! Now the product has been live for a week, I thought I would share some of the ingredients that make this product great for acne!
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MANDELIC ACID
Mandelic acid has a larger molecular weight than most AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids aka chemical exfoliants) which means it penetrates the skin at a much slower rate than other acids, making it ideal for sensitive skin. Mandelic acid is best at targeting pigmentation.
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LACTIC ACID
Lactic acid is an AHA and like Mandelic, also has a large molecular weight. Meaning it can't penetrate as deep into the skin so it much more gentle of sensitive skin. It helps keep pores clear without irritating the skins surface.
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SALICYLIC ACID
Salicylic acid is a BHA (Beta Hydroxy Acid) which is oil-soluble which means it penetrates deeply into the pores to keep them clear from dead skin cells and debris. Low concentrations of Salicylic acid are much better then high strength as it can quickly damage the skin and cause inflammation when used incorrectly.
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When you start to understand exactly the science behind blemishes, it makes curing your acne so much easier! Once you know how to reduce sebum oxidation, clogged pores, hyper-keratinisation and inflammation you can stop acne formation in its tracks!
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EXCESS SEBUM PRODUCTION
A healthy pore will produce normal amounts of sebum but many lifestyle factors can cause your sebaceous glands to OVER-PRODUCE sebum. Factors like stress, too much sugar, too much cows milk, harsh skin care and genetic sensitivities to androgens can cause your skin to produce too much oil. Head over to my previous #SkynSix post to learn some of the best ways to reduce 5-alpha reductase activity and keep sebum production under control!
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SEBUM OXIDATION
Sebum is a substance produced by the sebaceous glands in your pores. It is made of various fatty acids, including Squalene! Sebum oxidation occurs when Squalene oxidises and produces a substance called Squalene Peroxide. Squalene Peroxide is one of the most pore clogging substances in the world - even if you are using completely non pore clogging skin care products, if your sebum is oxidising then you have no chance at beating your acne! To prevent your sebum from oxidising, your best defence is loading up on antioxidants which will prevent oxidative damage. Because sebum is made up of fats, the quickest acting antioxidants will those that are fat-soluble; like vitamin A, D and E. Beef and lambs liver are antioxidant powerhouses and the best food source of vitamin A, D, K2, E and C. Whilst fat soluble vitamins are much more potent in the fight against sebum oxidation, other antioxidants will help too! Make sure you're eating lots of fruit, veg, herbs, spices and dark chocolate to give your antioxidant intake a much-needed boost.
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WINTER SKIN TIP!
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Has your skin changed with the season? Even the most oiliest of skin can get flaky and dehydrated as the weather gets colder and the central heating goes up!
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Dehydrated skin hasn’t got anything to do with oil, it’s to do with lack of water in the skin. This means that applying heavier creams and oils isn't going to make the problem go away. In fact, it's more likely to cause more problems as heavier creams can results in clogged pores.
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To boost your hydration, apply 2-4 layers of facial mist (NO ALCOHOL) and pat each layer into your skin. Your skin will drink up all that moisture and your skin will feel soft, smooth, plump and glowy! Then lock in all the moisture with a moisturiser or facial oil. This is literally my favourite skin hack and I get my clients to do it all the time and THEY LOVE IT!
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This @greenpeopleuk one is a favourite of mine, mainly because of the secret ingredients - soothing Aloe Vera and Marshmallow Extract which is anti-inflammatory and super hydrating!

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Gua Sha for breakouts!
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Some of you may remember I did a course in Gua Sha over the summer and I figured it was about time I started putting my learnings into practice.
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This week I developed a mammoth spot (thanks cortisol!) It had been lurking as a clogged pore for weeks but a week of ill health, bad diet choices and lack of sleep meant that inflammation soared and my little clogged pore turned into a full on monster!
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I’ve never found conventional spot treatments work, they just dry out the skin and cause irritation and sensitivity to the area. Instead, I’ve always been a big believer in hot/cold compresses as an effective way to reduce a breakout. Here’s how I incorporate heat compress with Gua Sha and lymphatic drainage to speed up the healing of a spot.
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PREP YOUR SKIN
Always apply some slip to your skin to allow the Gua Sha to move freely across the skin without dragging. I like to use 3 drops of Squalane oil onto freshly cleansed skin. If I’m focusing on a breakout - I will usually do a full Gua Sha routine on my face prior to this little mini routine for best results.
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WARM YOUR TOOL
Using a hot cup of water, dunk the edge of your Gua Sha into the water for 15-30 seconds. Use the back of your hand or inner wrist to check that the stone isn’t too hot - you should be able to hold it against your skin without any discomfort.
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APPLY HEAT
Apply very gentle pressure to the spot with your heated Gua Sha - you really just want to be resting the tool on your skin - no pushing down on the spot as you don’t want to push the infection deeper into the skin. Hold in place for 1 minute - during this time, I recommend doing some deep, abdominal breathing.
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DRAW OUT STAGNATION
Using the long edge of your Gua Sha, lightly “scrape” the skin away from the blemish towards the outside of the face. This will stimulate new blood flow and draw out stagnation in the problem areas to help heal and repair. NEVER go over an active breakout, instead focus on the areas around the blemish.
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Take note! ☝️
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Are you focusing on clear skin or healthy skin?
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I’m going to bet that a huge % if you are still obsessing over brands aimed at acne such as Mario Badescu, Dermalogica, La Roche Posay, ProActive, Clinique etc...I hate to break it to you, but these brands DO NOT CARE about the health of your skin, they care about $$$ and making sure that you keep buying from them! Frankly, they are using extremely out-dated methods of clearing acne that are aimed for short term use when you first start getting a few spots as a TEENAGER! Adult acne is SOOOO much more complex and to be honest, the beauty industry just hasn’t got a clue on how to manage it properly! Harsh ingredients ARE NOT THE ANSWER GUYS!
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Here’s how it works...
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You start breaking out so you buy a range of products aimed at acne. Unfortunately these products don’t look at the full picture. Yes, they reduce oil on the skin surface and dry up spots...and YES! In the first 2-4 weeks you start seeing some great results...but things start to get worse again...why? Because these products aren’t caring for your skin! By aggressively attacking your skin, you are increasing the amount of oil your skin produces and damaging your skin barrier which causes irritation, sensitivity to ingredients and inflammation (spots!)...So, what do you do next? You move on to stronger products, and again see some initial results but it starts to get WORSE again! Why? Because you are doing even more harm to your skin and you get trapped in this damaging cycle where the products you are using to clear your skin are actually making your acne worse.
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To break this vicious cycle, you have re-think acne skin care and start focusing on skin HEALTH, then clear skin WILL follow. I usually recommend a 6 week skin barrier detox (head to my blog for more info), focussing on hydration and repair and THEN you can slowly start incorporating acne-fighting actives that won’t damage your skin like Niacinimide, Green Tea Extract and topical DHT blockers like Sea Buckthorn Fruit Extract - these promote HEALTHY skin and are still scientifically proven to be extremely successful at reducing oil production and acne!

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Is your hair care causing acne?
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You can spend hours (and a small fortune) researching and buying “the right” skin care for your face but if you’re ignoring your hair care, you may struggle to clear your acne.
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If your acne is on your neck, cheekbones, temples, hair line, back, shoulders or chest, then you may need to check the labels of your hair care for these acne forming ingredients!
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SHAMPOO
The worst ingredient for acne that’s commonly used in shampoos is SLS (Sodium Laurel Sulphate/Sodium Laureth Sulphate). It’s a foaming agent that strips the skin of its protective barrier, leading to sensitisation and inflammation) and also highly pore clogging! Other ingredients to avoid are synthetic fragrance, preservatives Methylchloroisothiazolinone/Methylisothiazolinone, Isopropyl Alcohol, Ethanol and Alcohol Denat!
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CONDITIONER
Conditioners are a bit more tricky as there is a universal ingredient that is a major acne trigger. Conditioners often contain silicones and/or rich plant oils which can be very problematic for acne. Silicones are a bit of a grey area, whilst generally regarded as safe for the acne, many people do prefer to avoid silicones as they can weight hair down and make it look greasy and dull. However, the role of silicone in conditioner is to make the hair soft and smooth so silicone-free hair care will often use plant oils to give a similar effect instead. If you struggle with fungal acne, this may be a problem as any oils will feed the strain of yeast which causes fungal acne to go wild! Other ingredients to avoid in conditioner are synthetic fragrance and preservatives Methylchloroisothiazolinone/ Methylisothiazolinone
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STYLING PRODUCTS
Styling products can be tricky as they often contains high levels of alcohol and lacquers/plasticisers/phthalates/polymers. Alcohol can dehydrate and irritate your skin and plasticisers/polymers will leave a pore-clogging film on your skin! Finding good, acne safe styling products can be tricky and I’m lucky that my hair is pretty low maintenance but if you’ve got curls or frizz that needs taming, I recommend checking out @boucleme as I hear great things!
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Using an SPF every single day NEEDS to become a habit, not just for your acne healing right now, but for the health of your skin long term too. However, this is soooo much easier said than done! You think you've stumbled across a great SPF and then you go to check out the ingredients list and it contains heavy oils, parabens or irritating ingredients... URGH!! If you're putting something on your face every day, it's got to be just right...am I right?! Anyway, as I have spent FURRREVVAA finding good SPFs for my acne-prone skin - I thought I'd share the top six products I recommend!

Supergoop! Daily Correct CC SPF 30-45
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✓ oil free
✓ mineral UV filters only
✓ fungal acne safe
✖ silicone free
✓ fragrance free
✓ reef safe

MyChelle Sun Shield Liquid Tint SPF50
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✓ oil free
✓ mineral UV filters only
✓ fungal acne safe
✓ silicone free
✓ fragrance free
✓ reef safe

Juice Beauty SPF30 Oil-Free Moisturiser
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✓ oil free
✓ mineral UV filters only
✖ fungal acne safe
✓ silicone free
✖ fragrance free (E.O's)
✓ reef safe

Suntegrity Impeccable Skin SPF30
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✓ oil free
✓ mineral UV filters only
✖ fungal acne safe
✓ silicone free
✓ fragrance free
✓ reef safe

Elta MD UV Clear – Untinted
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✓ oil free
✖ mineral UV filters only
✓ fungal acne safe
✖ silicone free
✓ fragrance free
✖ reef safe

Marie Veronique Everyday Coverage SPF30
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✖ oil free
✓ mineral UV filters only
✖ fungal acne safe
✓ silicone free
✓ fragrance free
✓ reef safe

What do I use personally? At the moment, I'm switching between my Elta MD and MyChelle SPFs, although the Supergoop! Daily Correct is on my Black Friday hit list!

What's your favourite SPF for acne - did it make it into the #SkynSix?

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LATEST POSTS

How to reduce DHT and 5-alpha reductase activity to clear acne
How to treat fungal acne (malassezia) naturally
Homemade ghee for acne prone skin
Is ghee good for acne? Skin benefits of clarified butter
How hormones affect acne

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ABOUT AMY

Having battled with blemishes for 13 years, Amy specialises in the natural treatment of acne. Skyn Therapy helps others to identify the root cause of their skin problems and achieve a beautiful, clear complexion for good.