:Clear Skin Blog

Everyone’s skin is different, and some people have better luck shaving than others. As for myself, I’ve had pretty bad luck with razors for most of my life. I studied good shaving habits and put them to use (and even wrote a few articles on the subject), but in the end I found it easier and more effective to control the skin on my cheeks after switching from wet razors to a dry electric razor.

Shaving with an electric razor may not be the answer for everyone, but if you find that wet razors leave your cheeks and neckline with rashes that often become zits, it may be time to try something new. Multi-blade wet razors can give an extremely close shave, but do you really need it to be that close? Not if the price is a cluster of zits across your cheeks, as it was for me early in college. This was before I discovered vitamin B5, but if an exterior factor such as your razor is contributing to acne, even the most effective acne treatment around may not help.

By the very fact that electric razors shave a little less close than typical system razors (that is, multi-part razors with replaceable heads, such as Gillette’s Fusion or Mach3 lines), they are generally more forgiving on your skin. The exception is when these razors become dull and start to actually pull on your hairs, so make sure to wash and replace your blades as directed (tip: and don’t buy too cheap of an electric razor). Dry razors also typically cut better when your skin is, well, dry. Patting on a thin layer of baby powder can absorb excess oil and moisture, leaving your skin smooth and dry for an easy shaving surface. Gently glide the electric razor over your skin, and pick up those few really stubborn hairs afterwards with a flat razor. I had to deal with cheek acne for a long time, but shortly after going electric these zits simply ceased forming. If you’ve been faced with the same skin problem, perhaps this simple switch can help you out as well. Just keep in mind that it always takes a few weeks for your skin to adjust to a new razor.

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Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there celebrating it today!

I’ve been posting a lot of dietary tips related to skin care lately, but being that a big part of today (and most holidays) is food, I thought I’d offer a bit more diet advice anyways. I’ll make this one quick, but I want to hit on one important principle that effects your body’s ability to break down skin oil and fight off acne.

As vitamin B5 theory has shown (as well as prescription science), the major factor for most acne sufferers is excess skin oil. This oil builds up in your pores too quickly and hardens under the pressure into clumps which are too large to exit your pores naturally. Getting rid of that oil before it builds up means metabolizing it faster. Basically, acne has a lot to do with your metabolism.

Your body has limited resources to metabolize everything from skin oil to the food you eat. This relates to your diet simply because some foods take more resources than others to metabolize. Without getting too technical here, suffice it to say that there are food groups which are easily metabolized (such as fruits and vegetables) and others which use up more resources (such as carbohydrates, many dairy products and most meats). If your body is constantly having to metabolize a large amount of those more taxing dietary items, it’s left with less resources to combat problems such as skin oil. Some people can get away with this (particularly those whose bodies don’t produce much skin oil in the first place), but for most people when it comes to preventing acne, it helps to make sure your body has resources to spare (proving that extra fuel for metabolism is actually what B5 does).

On days like to today, it’s easy to load up on carbs, meat and dairy products - and don’t get me wrong - in moderation these things are usually good for you. Just try to keep that “moderation” factor in mind, especially if you have acne-prone skin.

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Working in the natural treatment market, I’ve researched a number of natural treatments with real science backing up their claims, but there is also good reason to have a healthy degree of skepticism when you hear about some new natural solution for a disease or ailment. The acne market is particularly crazy, since acne sufferers can often get desperate enough to try applying all kinds of strange substances to their skin, which they then post about on internet message boards. As such, when I was recently reading about people smearing fruit on their faces, I tended to naturally dismiss the claims. However, after a bit more research, it turns out there is some science behind the fruit smearing after all.

The fact is that certain fruits can indeed help repair the appearance of your skin when applied directly. This is particularly true for citrus fruits that are high in vitamin C, such as lemons, pineapples and oranges. A strong concentration of the juice from these fruits is especially effective at diminishing the appearance of acne scars - best applied either directly from the fruit, or with a cotton swab in the case of lemons (which are the most highly acidic). The vitamin C in these fruits has a lightening effect on your skin, and can lighten the darkened patches from acne scars and help even your skin tone. The fruit needs to be applied for about 10-15 minutes to take effect.

These unorthodox methods can sometimes be effective after all, but also keep in mind that acidic citrus fruits can make your skin especially photosensitive. Therefore, after treating your acne scars with something such as lemon juice, it’s a good idea to follow with a moisturizer that includes SPF-15 sunscreen in order not to expose your skin to excess UV radiation. Either that or simply stick to using a treatment such as this only before bed.

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Most people routinely wash with hard water, and while this isn’t necessarily a prime cause of skin blemishes, the benefits of soft water are clear when it comes to skin care.

Hard water differs from soft water in that it contains dissolved chalk, lime and other minerals. Water from underground sources tends to be especially hard, while water not exposed to minerals (such as rain water) is soft. How hard your water is depends on your water supply - whether it originates from an underground well or a river or lake, etc. Note that some commercial water-softening treatments are not the same as naturally soft water, since they merely replace the minerals calcium and magnesium with sodium.

Soft water lathers much better than hard water, and rinses clean without leaving a residue. Most people don’t consider the residue left from the minerals in hard water, but this is why those unsightly white blotches build up on places such as your sink or shower head. When hard water evaporates, your skin is left with some residue from those minerals just like your sink. The buildup of these minerals can clog pipes in your home, so it’s not hard to see how they can contribute to clogged pores. Besides this, there is also the residue left from most kinds of soap. The effect of “soap scum” can hurt the appearance of your skin, not just your sink and shower, so it helps that soft water is more effective at washing it clean (this is thought to help dry skin conditions, such as eczema). Lastly, the minerals in hard water can also upset the pH balance of your skin, making your skin more prone to rashes and other blemishes.

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Just as the soap you use on your face can make a difference, taking care to use the right body wash in the shower can help your skin stay clear in places other than your face. Body acne is a very stubborn problem for many, since acne pustules buried in the thicker skin of places like your pack can remain there for a long time, so it’s worth it to find the best body wash for your skin type.

First things first, don’t simply use a cheap bar soap in the shower. Some high quality bar soaps may be fine, but many cheap bar soaps can leave a filmy residue on your skin, as well as overdry the area. Generally, using an actual body wash is preferable, since you can apply it to a bath sponge or scrubber which helps your skin to exfoliate as you cleanse. Exfoliation is especially important, since body acne can have more to do with the buildup of dead cells than facial acne.

Just as with a soap, choose a quality body wash that is effective but gentle on your skin. For most users, it’s not necessary to find a specific “acne body wash” - the combination of exfoliation and gentle cleansing will be enough (back in college before I found B5, Dove body wash was actually more effective for me than any brand made specifically to fight acne). However, depending on your skin type, an acne body wash may help.

Acne body washes, like typical acne cleansers, usually rely on either salicylic acid (for acid-caused exfoliation) or benzoyl peroxide (to kill acne bacteria). Some are now incorporating tea tree oil as an alternative to BP, which is probably a good choice as it tends to be equally effective but less drying for many users. Since, as I mentioned earlier, body acne typically has to do with a lack of exfoliation, it’s not surprising that the body washes with the most positive reviews tend to be those based on salicylic acid. Salicylic acid based treatments are often too harsh for facial skin, but can work just fine on the thicker skin of your body. For this reason, these are probably the place to start if you really need an acne body wash. Always read the labels and understand the active ingredients so that you’re not blowing money on multiple body washes that basically work the same way.

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Dry skin is a common problem as the air gets colder during the winter months. One of your best defenses against dry skin is simply to keep your skin cells hydrated by drinking enough water every day. However, dietary considerations can also help you stay free of dry skin simply by eating the right foods and making sure you get some key vitamins.

Foods high in sulfur are helpful in keeping your skin smooth and flexible. Eggs, onions, garlic, and asparagus are good sources. Keeping a healthy level of fatty acids also helps keep moisture in your skin, particularly omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Flax seed oil is a good source for essential fatty acids, but keep in mind that these acids may not survive high temperatures, so take the oil as a supplement or with food that doesn’t require cooking. Vitamins A, C and B5 are especially important for maintaining and repairing your skin. Apples and carrots are great sources of vitamin A, while oranges and other citrus fruits (as well as many juices) provide vitamin C. There are many food sources for vitamin B5, with leafy green vegetables being one of the most prevalent. Of course, Clear5 and a multivitamin will cover most of your bases.

If you know dry skin is a problem for you, do yourself a favor and try to avoid alcohol and caffeine. These substances have a diuretic effect on your skin cells, sapping them of moisture and making you much more susceptible to dry skin (this is why you skin can appear flushed after drinking coffee or beer). Making smart dietary choices can help protect your skin against dryness, but likewise poor choices can make dry skin that much worse.

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Acne-Vitamins started using discreet shipping labels this week. Our packages now ship with labels addressed from our affiliate site, VitaminB5Labs.com. So for those of you that like Clear5 but weren’t crazy about receiving packages with the word “acne” on the label (our previous labels came addressed from Acne-Vitamins.com), these new labels should be a welcome change. I can definitely understand not wanting to deal with embarrassing packages, especially if you live in a dorm, so protecting your privacy will be a little easier now with these very neutral labels. Regarding VitaminB5Labs.com, the site is simply an affiliate doorway page that directs visitors to Acne-Vitamins.com. There’s not much to see, but for a one-page site it looks nice and professional (I made it myself ^_^). Our primary website will be staying the same, so no need to update your bookmarks or remember a new address.

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