I complained about breakouts in my 20s, but since I turned 30 in November, my skin’s been clearer.
It’s because I started using CTRL, a skin care that’s like Proactiv but markets itself as being more eco-friendly. Why? CTRL contains no parabens or phthalates. And instead of benzoyl peroxide, the active ingredient in Proactiv products, CTRL’s active ingredient’s salicylic acid.
So I started using CTRL and my skin cleared up. Yay! But then I started researching it on Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep cosmetic safety database — to discover that salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide both score a 7 — a “high hazard” ranking. RLS at EcoStiletto doesn’t seem to care about that, saying salycylic acid just has a “bad rep by association” — but I trust the scientists at EWG more than I do the under-substantiated safety claims at EcoStiletto.
So I checked out acne treatment rankings on Skin Deep — to find that a few products that contain salicylic acid as well as a few that contain benzoyl peroxide have managed to attain low overall hazard scores — due to, I guess, the un-dangerousness of the other ingredients.
Neither CTRL nor Proactiv were in Skin Deep’s system though — and to make matters even more difficult for the anal would-be acne-free environmentalist, neither company publicly lists its ingredients on its website, as far as I can tell.
But I got CTRL’s ingredient lists with my products, so I tried putting its individual ingredients into the Skin Deep database. Most of the other ingredients stayed in the low risk range, with only 6 ingredients in the 4 – 5 range and no ingredients (other than the salicylic acid) scoring in the “high risk” range. I’m guessing that CTRL would score somewhere in the 3 – 5 risk range overall.
Many acne care products in the Skin Deep database score in the high risk category, with some even earning perfectly dangerous 10s for combining parabens, fragrance, and other scary stuff into one toxic mix. And while there are acne care products in the Skin Deep database that do score slightly lower, I remember from my teenage years that most acne products available at the drug store didn’t work for me….
This is a very long way of asking how you — presumably a fellow environmentalist — deal with break outs.
Poll closes at the end of the day on Wed., April 15. Feel free to opinionate and to dispense acne advice and product recommendations in the comments.
http://www.sprig.com/8_Best_All-Natural_Acne_Busters
I’ve tried ‘em all!
Jasmin’s last blog post..Where To Buy Eco-Friendly, Non-Toxic Toys
Comment by Jasmin — April 11, 2009 @ 9:59 am
This sounds counter-intuitive, but don’t wash your face. I quit breaking out when I stopped washing my face. I use a thick creme-like moisturiser that I put on and wipe off, like cold creme, when using makeup. I just rub it in after a shower, if it’s been a cosmetic-free day (most days). I haven’t had anything but the occasional zit, which I then treat with manuka honey.
Comment by Maria — April 11, 2009 @ 11:42 am
I use Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Blemish stick for spot treatments after a pimple appears. I haven’t though found any good preventative eco-treatments.
Jasmin: Did any of them work well enough to recommend?
Comment by Lauren — April 11, 2009 @ 12:02 pm
I don’t get breakouts very often (and didn’t as a teenager, so I guess that I’m just lucky in this regard), but I also don’t use many products on my face. When I shower, I use a mixture of honey and brown sugar on my face and neck. At other times (nights or morning and night on days when I don’t shower), I use a washcloth soaked in water to scrub my face.
When my skin seems to be getting funky or sometimes when the seasons are changing, I will use the Lush fresh masks. The EWG hasn’t analyzed their products, but the fresh masks look okay to my untrained eyes. You can read about them on the UK Lush site (https://www.lush.co.uk/), but you can only buy them in the stores if you are in the US.
Comment by Erica — April 12, 2009 @ 11:23 am
Jasmin — I too am wondering any of these worked well enough to recommend. I mean, Jurlique Citrus Purifying Mist, for one, isn’t really an acne buster…. Are there any you tried and decided to buy again?
Comment by Siel — April 16, 2009 @ 5:30 pm
I never have had serious acne problems, but now and then I get excessively oily skin and from time to time breakouts. I was always hesitant to use any crazy products, so I tried working with diet. I couldn’t seem to find one food that was causing the breakouts (tried going veg, avoiding milk, etc. none worked), so I did finally go to a dermatologist and she gave some strong topical cream which didn’t help at all.
But last fall when I experimented with a raw diet for two months, my skin totally cleared up and was clearer than it ever had been, which led me back to diet. So what I learned was that it wasn’t just one particular food, you always hear chocolate or fried food or this or that, but rather the overall approach. Also fyi during my “raw” phase I was still consuming alcohol and also was eating raw cheeses (and I also cheated maybe once a week with SAD food), so neither of these were culprits!
So really more so than any product what works for me is diet — not avoiding specific trigger foods, but eating more of the good stuff and less of the bad stuff. So is it food allergies? Or maybe it’s not the foods themselves, but by-products in the food (antibiotics, pesticides, growth hormones, etc.)? All I can say is that I’m back to a “normal” diet, though I avoid the bad stuff as much as I can and load up on the organics as often as possible, and my skin seems better for it.
Russ’s last blog post..On the Pirates’ side
Comment by Russ — April 17, 2009 @ 11:12 am
I don’t know that one must go so far as go raw, but certainly eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies and limiting excess salt and sugar — which a raw diet forces you to do — is v. good for your skin :) I do feel I do the best I can though — esp. now with cutting back on alcohol — while leading a normal life — yet the breakouts continue….
Comment by Siel — April 17, 2009 @ 2:23 pm
It’s interesting to note that salicylic acid has it’s “roots” in nature … (no pun intended) from the white willow tree.
“…they had isolated salicylic acid, a main and vigorous ingredient of white willow way back in 1838.”
Benzoyl peroxide, as found in Proactiv, amongst others, was created in a laboaratory and is a know free radical creator – the dangerous and crazy atoms that are associated with an increase in cancer and heart disease.
“Jack Breitbart of Revlon laboratories first developed benzoyl peroxide’s use for treating acne in the 1920s. Benzoyl peroxide is used as a radical initiator. Homolytic cleavage of the weak oxygen-oxygen bond forms benzoyl free radicals which trigger further reactions.”
So, I trust products with 2% salicylic acid and NEVER use benzoyl peroxide.
Comment by Jennifer — April 20, 2009 @ 9:25 am
Thank you for your review – I’ve tried a number of acne treatments too. Over-the counters, prescription, mail-order and home remedies. The home remedies that don;t contain an active ingredient like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide don’t really work – in fact my acne got worse. The prescriptions I’ve tried are no better than other products but cost so much more and its hard to get an appointment with a doctor.
I stopped using anything that has parabens because there is “smoke” which in my mind means fire. I stopped using anything with benzyol peroxide after europe banned it for over the counter sale. Appearently you can only get it with a prescription or dispensed by a pharmacist.
I currently use salicylic acid which was original found in nature in willow bark.
Thanks for the heads up on CTRL — I’m going to give it a a try today.
Comment by Bearcat — April 20, 2009 @ 10:13 am
Well, saying salicylic acid’s “found in willow bark” sort of reminds me of how the vinyl industry says vinyl’s derived from salt and therefore not dangerous :P I’m not saying salicylic acid’s as bad as vinyl; I’m just pointing out that being derived from or found in something benign doesn’t necessarily make the resulting product benign.
Comment by Siel — April 21, 2009 @ 4:01 pm
I suppose there is no magic bullet for acne. I would definitely say that sal acid is much safer than benzyl peroxide since that was recently banned in the EU as a known carcinogen. The Paraben risk is also a huge issue. Being paraben free gives a product a huge advantage over its competition. Just look at some of the labels in your pharmacy or grocery store aisles. Parabens are everywhere and truly detrimental to our health. For a topical acne treatment to make an effort like this to be as healthy and natural as possible is a tremendous leap forward. Congrats to CTRL! I think they have set a wonderful precedent. I am switching from Skin ID immediately!
Comment by Peter — April 27, 2009 @ 7:44 am
CTRL as such an advantage by leaving it on the face you allow it to be absorbed into your skin. This allows it to dramatically effect your acne.
Comment by ajennings — July 1, 2009 @ 9:46 am
I’ve now stopped using CTRL because it was drying out my skin — That just seems like an inevitable consequence of using any sort of chemical acne control method. I’m now just trying to eat less sugar to hopefully reduce breakouts –
Comment by Siel — July 3, 2009 @ 5:52 pm
sugar is not the only cause of breakouts. there are plenty of other factors that you must consider. CTRL targets the most important of the factors.
Siel, how long did you try CTRL for? It is natural for your skin to have different reactions to it at first. It dried my face out for the first week, but after that, everything was better.
Comment by jason — July 9, 2009 @ 9:36 am
A month or so. In any case my aesthetician said that this is a normal effect of using harsh chemicals and that these things really aren’t a good long term solution for that reason. I felt like my skin was breaking out less, but aging more.
Comment by Siel — July 10, 2009 @ 5:35 pm
All the more reason to use a product designed for your skin. The key ingredients in CTRL coupled with its formulation for males and females allows the product to be effective without being harsh. You should have clear young skin, not clear old skin!
Comment by pdkarrera — July 13, 2009 @ 8:17 am
pdkarrera — In your zeal to promote CTRL, I don’t think you read the comment stream. CTRL was the product that was giving me clear old skin — The product IS harsh, over time.
Comment by Siel — July 13, 2009 @ 9:04 am
Siel,
I apologize. I misunderstood your post. I thought you referring to BZ and other harsh topical ingredients. I did not read through and realize CTRL was problematic for you. Did you reduce the frequency of application while using CTRL to see if that helped? I would have thought the ceramides in CTRL did an effective job at moisturizing.
Comment by pdkarrera — July 13, 2009 @ 9:11 am
My aesthetician advised me to stop using the stuff entirely, and I’m trusting her advice over the people who are tasked with selling CTRL :)
Comment by Siel — July 13, 2009 @ 5:43 pm
What did she advise you to use then?
Comment by ajennings — July 18, 2009 @ 8:55 am
Siel,
You are right to listen to your aesthetician’s advice first. However, the people selling CTRL also have your best interests in mind. If you told them about your negative experience, they would suggest you stop using CTRL and consult a doctor.
Good luck with your acne.
Comment by jason — July 20, 2009 @ 8:04 am
She recommended a different sunscreen than the one I was using — and a less sugary diet. So far, somewhat better –
Comment by Siel — July 20, 2009 @ 5:32 pm
There are many studies that suggest that diet doesnt influence acne
The sunscreen on the other hand will definately help
Comment by ajennings — July 28, 2009 @ 9:56 am
It is important to keep your skin safe from the sun
Comment by ajennings — August 2, 2009 @ 4:42 pm
It’s great to see what else is out there in acne treatments, but I noticed the biggest improvements by cutting out fatty and sugary foods, drinking lots of water and getting a reasonable amount of sleep.
Bev Langford´s last blog ..Adolescent Acne – What Causes It
Comment by Bev Langford — July 7, 2010 @ 9:46 pm
I been suffering from acne for 4 months now. Informational read, but can you Afternoon about how to remove acne
Comment by Fidel Agliam — September 3, 2010 @ 9:20 pm
I tried tons of off the shelf products for myself, and you know how it is – all sorts of side effects.
Then I stumbled upon Zap-it acne control system (google for it yourself, it’s easy) and it was the first system that didn’t cause skin dryness or red spots I always get even from Clinic lotions. I know it’s a combination of salicylic acid and tea tree oil.
My 2 cents
Comment by Ed — September 26, 2010 @ 11:55 am
In regards to Bev Langford’s comment, I have seen the same results. Stress levels (which may be increased by your diet, and sleep) can have a huge factor in the severity of acne. With lower stress levels I have seen substantial less acne on my face. Best of all, I’m worry free now :)
Tom’s last blog..Get Rid of Acne Overnight
Comment by Tom — April 18, 2011 @ 6:36 pm
I had adult onset acne and it is hormone driven. It is cystic and really horrible. Nothing worked on it, tried proactive, drugs, etc with no change. I did some research and recently started using Apple Cider Vinegar every night. It took some time (about a month) but it made all the difference. I get an occasional break out, but nothing like I used to get. I wash my face with my Earth Science cleanser, then wipe my face down with the AC Vinegar on a cotton ball, then splash my face about 5 times with warm water, then I dry my face, put some Nature’s Gate acne treatment on it, and moisturize. I may try CTRL, but think I will keep up the ACV regardless.
Comment by Kianna — July 6, 2011 @ 1:16 am
Thank you for your post.
I found that the following worked for me. Have an of you tried them and found otherwise?
- Reduce intake of meals that contains carbohydrates having a high GI (glycemic index).
- Fresh fenugreek paste produced from its leaves.
- A few drops of lime or fresh lemon juice mixed into one third of a normal cup of water.
- Cucumber pulp placed onto the affected region for 15-20 minutes daily.
Visit for more Home Pimples Remedies
Sherry White@Pimples Remedies´s last blog ..How To Get Rid of Acne Pimples – Top Acne Remedies
Comment by Sherry White@Pimples Remedies — July 30, 2011 @ 5:15 am