:Clear Skin Blog

If you’re in the market for a natural topical acne treatment that’s unlikely to cause much irritation to your skin, using a clay mask may be a good choice. Clay facial masks can take a bit more time and effort to apply than a simple cleanser, but in many cases they can work better, and if you’ve got the time, it can even be a soothing, relaxing experience.

Acne clay masks work primarily by pulling out the unwanted substances from your skin, drawing them to the surface where they can be easily removed and washed away with the mask. As it sounds, it’s a far less forceful approach than most antibacterial drugs. Oils, toxins, bacteria and other impurities are drawn up and into the clay like a sponge. Clay masks are also typically rich in minerals such as calcium, silica, magnesium and zinc - minerals which are often lacking in skin cells. These can nourish your cells and help provide a little defense against future infection. Another benefit is promoting exfoliation.

Clay masks are not an every-day treatment. To apply, first rinse your face with warm water (you may want to use a gentle, non-drying cleanser - but nothing too strong), then massage the mask liberally onto your skin. Relax and wait about 15 minutes, then remove the mask and rinse with cool water. It’s usually best to do this at night before bed, as your skin is better able to rejuvenate itself during sleep.

While clay masks can remove many impurities, they are not usually strong enough to draw out hardened plugs of oil and bacteria such as a matured blackhead. They may loosen these stoppers, but the mask is usually more effective as a preventive measure. Also, although they are typically gentle on the skin, using them too frequently can still cause some irritation (like anything that forcibly sucks away oil).

Used properly, acne clay masks can be a healthy addition to your clear skin regimen, and they leave your skin feeling smooth, invigorated and refreshed. If you want a natural, topical treatment that is a bit gentler than, say, tea tree oil, clay masks are a good alternative.

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As some of our regular customers may have noticed, we’ve decided to discontinue the custom B-complex formula at Acne-Vitamins.com. There were a few reasons for this, the biggest being that demand simply was not that high compared with our other products. The B-complex we offered was intended to serve mainly as a supplement to our vitamin B5 acne treatment for those who don’t get sufficient amounts of the other B-family vitamins. It did not make Clear5 more effective, and we never marketed it as such. Getting a healthy balance of all your daily vitamins is of course still important, so I would recommend simply taking a good quality multivitamin.

While the B-complex occasionally helped prevent initial side effects such as stomach discomfort, these can almost always be avoided by taking your Clear5 tablets with meals. Also, the B-complex, like any multivitamin, introduced more side effects for people who were sensitive to certain vitamins. A few of the B-family vitamins, such as niacin (B3), B6 and biotin can even cause acne for people who take too much of them, which is obviously the last thing we want (this is why we stuck with a B-50 formula - which is still a lot - rather than a B-100 formula, which you really shouldn’t ever need to take).

Lastly, there was the problem of customer confusion. Since the B-complex contained vitamin B5 and was cheaper, some customers expected that they could simply take the B-complex and still see clear skin. Unfortunately, this happens in the vitamin business a lot, with customers who buy products based on what’s on the label rather than an understanding of effective proportions. Whenever you’re buying vitamins, remember this: it’s better to get an effective amount of a few things, than to get an ineffective amount of everything. Vitamins work in proportions. Some are absorbed better with each other, while others compete for the same receptor molecules and hinder each other’s absorbance. Some vitamins you need a lot of to see results (like vitamins C and B5), while others you should take with caution. With many poorly made vitamins tablets, you actually absorb less than 40% of what’s on the label, even without competitive absorbance. I could go on and on, but basically, it pays to be educated on what you’re buying. You would have to take 10 normal B-complex pills to equal the quantity of B5 in just one Clear5 tablet, and that’s neither safe nor practical.

So I apologize for those who will miss the B-complex. But again, I would recommend that anyone interested simply pick up a standard daily multivitamin to fill in the blanks of whatever vitamins and minerals your diet may lack. Clear5 will work the same either way, but a healthy diet is always a good thing.

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When it comes to acne control, we hear a lot about what not to do. But what are some good habits to pamper your skin and stay looking your best?

1) Drink plenty of water. The recommended eight glasses per day may sound like a lot, but drinking water is the best way to keep your skin moisturized and supple, flush out unwanted toxins, and promote healing and healthy circulation. Too little water is a common cause of minor breakouts. Around this time of the year, a lot of people also suffer from dry skin, and drinking more water is often more helpful than any topical moisturizer.

2) Get enough sleep. The term “beauty sleep” has some truth to it. Much of your body’s tissue repair occurs while you are asleep. Getting enough sleep and keeping your sleep schedule consistent are two big factors in making sure your skin stays healthy and your skin cells get rejuvenated each day.

3) A little bit of sun is a good thing. Don’t buy into marketing scams that tell you never to leave home without the SPF 15. Too little sun is NOT good for your skin. 15 minutes a day of sun exposure provides your body with essential vitamin D and enhances circulation in your skin cells. Limited sun exposure does speed healing of minor blemishes, just don’t cross the line into trying to hide them under a tan.

4) Wash your face twice a day, but no more than twice. Always be gentle on your skin when routinely washing. Washing too frequently is a common error among stressed-out acne sufferers. Over-washing will only irritate your skin by constantly stripping it of its protective layer of oil. Excess oil is a bad thing, but *some* oil is a good thing. It’s a natural layer of defense for your skin.

5) Exfoliate now and then. There are several different ways to exfoliate that top layer of dead skin cells, but the best to use regularly is a scrub or paste. Avoid chemical peels that can have uneven or harsh effects. Use a coarse-grain scrub with decently large particles (fine particles can enter or scrape the sides of your pores). Exfoliation doesn’t usually need to be done every day, and you should always be gentle when applying an exfoliant, but used properly, these are a great way to safely strip away unwanted dead cells from the surface of your skin.

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