Clear skin is the holy grail of any beauty regime. Who doesn’t want to have clear skin? I know I do. Clear skin means you can wear less makeup, have fewer hassles in your morning routine, and all around just feel better about yourself. But, due to that certain time of the month, a stressful event or work project, or just not feeling well in general, clear skin can sometimes be a hurdle that is hard to jump over. In my teenage years, I would have spackled on every toxic concoction they would sell me at the drug store just to get things under control. What I got in return was a dry, flakey, red face that still had pimples, but now also had scabs and scarring. Not a good look. What I also got, that I never even thought about was a toxic overload on my face, of all places. Again, not a pleasant memory. So, being a little older and hopefully a little wiser about my toxicity levels, I wanted to figure out how to get clear skin naturally, as naturally as possible anyway.
How to Get Clear Skin Naturally
Clear Skin Tip #1: Wash Your Face Before Bed and in the Morning
Getting the gunk and grime off your face, especially before bed is priority number one in my book. Leaving makeup, dirt and oil to stay in your pores for longer than it needs to is an acne disaster waiting to happen. Use a good, non-toxic face wash that won’t strip your skin of its natural moisture, but that leaves your skin feeling clean and fresh.
* Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. I recommend these products because they are products that I personally use or companies that I have found trustworthy.
I’m a fan of the Honest Company’s Gentle Gel Cleanser or their new Get Clarity Foaming Acne Cleanser. If you are really lazy, I also like their Makeup Remover Facial Wipes. If you don’t want to order from their site and get into bundles, you can always find a good selection on Amazon or the Dermstore.
Clear Skin Tip #2: Exfoliate
In the old days, I would swear by my Mia 1 Clarisonic. A friend at work encouraged me to try it and I was hooked. Now, since the Clarisonic is discontinued, most facial brushes with moving bristles do a great job of removing pore clogging dead skin cells and leaving my skin feeling super soft. Most online sites have great options for vibrating brushes or rotating brushes. If a brush is not what you had in mind, get a quality exfoliating scrub or make your own. If you want to buy one, I like the Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Resurfacing Micro Exfoliant. If you want to make your own easy “scrub”, mix 3 TBS of baking soda with 1 TBS water and apply to your face in a circular motion (after cleansing of course). This super easy treatment works wonders.
Clear Skin Tip #3: Use a Good, Non-Toxic Face Mask
A good pore clearing face mask should not be underestimated. A face mask gives your skin a time out to detoxify and replenish. Shoot to use one a couple of times a week, but not every night or you will end up stripping your skin.
I like the Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Full Strength Exfoliating Mask and the Honest Beauty 3-in-1 Detox Mud Mask.
Clear Skin Tip #4: Wash Your Makeup Brushes and Sponges Regularly
This one is really a no-brainer. Your makeup brushes are germ collectors and harbor bacteria like you wouldn’t believe. Buy quality, preferably eco-friendly brushes and a non-toxic cleaner (or just gentle soap and water) and use it often. Several times a week is best. (Check out my post The Best All Natural Makeup and Skin Care Brands for recommendations.)
I use a little unscented Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap and water. It works great, is inexpensive and a little goes a long way. You can also check out my post 10 Best Uses for Castile Soap to see all of the other ways you can use castile soap.
Clear Skin Tip #5: Wash Your Pillow Cases Every Other Day
This one might not be something that you would think about right off the bat, but it makes perfect sense if you think about it. You smash your face into your pillow every night for (hopefully) eight hours of sleep. During that time, dead skin cells, saliva, dirt and oil can build up and transfer to your face, clogging your pores. Aim to wash your pillow cases every other night for the best results. The easiest way to do this would be to have at least three extra pillow cases so that you can switch them out while the other ones are in the wash.
Clear Skin Tip #6: Try and Remove Dairy From Your Diet
This might be a little controversial for some, but in my case, this is probably what helped the most. There have been studies done that show that dairy can cause inflammation in the body, aggravating acne in some people. This was true for me. I would end up with large underground pimples that would take weeks, if not months to go away. When I gave up dairy, I noticed my face cleared up. Now, I can’t say that I never have dairy. There is no way that I can go without cheese. What I have found is that if I stay away from soft cheeses, yogurt and milk, I do alright. Switching out almond milk for dairy milk has not been too hard, and there are surprisingly quite a few alternative yogurts on the market. What I have found is that if I restrict my dairy intake 80-90% of the time, I can get away with some indulgences without my face flaring up.
Clear Skin Tip #7: Moisturize
A lot of the soaps and products you use on your face to get it clean can also strip your skin of its natural moisture. When that happens, your face goes into overdrive trying to produce more oil to lubricate your skin, eventually clogging your pores and exacerbating the situation. To keep your skin in a good equilibrium, use a light weight, non-comedogenic, non-toxic moisturizer after washing your face.
I like CETAPHIL Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15 (this one is not necessarily from a natural brand, but it gets a low score on the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database for clean cosmetics) or Honest Beauty’s Daily Calm Lightweight Moisturizer.
Clear Skin Tip #8: Don’t Touch Your Face
Think about all the things you touch throughout the day and then think about the things that thousands of other people have also touched that you touched. You do not want that on your face. You also don’t want the natural oils and dirt from your hands to clog your pores. You also help prevent yourself from getting sick by keeping your hands away from your face.
Clear Skin Tip #9: Drink More Water
Water is the ultimate cleanser. It helps to flush your system of toxins, while also keeping you hydrated. Check out my article 5 Weird Reasons You May Need to Drink More Water Than You Think to learn more.
So, which one of these helped me out the most? Actually, removing dairy from my diet was the biggest. I would get a ton of cystic acne, you know, the underground painful ones, but once I cut out most dairy, I no longer had a problem. I find I do ok with harder cheeses, but dairy milk and soft cheeses and yogurt send my skin in to a bump zone in short order.
I am also a huge fan of exfoliating brushes. I think that the deep clean and exfoliating that I get has helped tremendously. You don’t need to go crazy here, just get the basic brush and use a non-toxic face wash (see #1 above).
These two things made the biggest impact for me, but drinking more water and not touching my face has also helped with not getting sick as much and making me just feel better overall.
So, that’s how to get clear skin naturally, what has worked for me anyway. What has worked for you?
