It’s a dreaded (but very common) scenario. Just before that “big day” (a job interview, dinner with a special friend, your wedding day), you look in the mirror, and there it is: the beginning of an acne breakout.

Yikes! What can you do?

Keep reading to find out the true “secret weapons” for clearing up breakouts now and for ensuring that your skin remains naturally breakout-free all year long!

Prevent Breakouts

Pimples, whiteheads, and other blemishes happen as life happens: stress, hormonal changes, and even changes in the weather can cause the excess oil and increased overall inflammation that can lead to a breakout.

This doesn't mean that breakouts are inevitable, however!

Before we get to some all-natural, true ways to remedy the dreaded moments when breakouts do occur, let’s talk about prevention. Acne usually happens because of hormonal imbalances that produce an excess of an oily substance called sebum. Sebum is designed to coat the surface of your skin for protection– not only from too much sun but also from pathogens. However, too much sebum production can produce excessively oily skin and clogged pores. All of this can also open you up to bacterial overgrowth.

The majority of acne breakouts occur because a specific bacterium called Propionibacterium acnes, or P. acnes, has gotten out of hand. P. acnes overgrowth can lead to occasional outbreaks or, if you are like roughly 10% of the global population, the chronic condition, acne vulgaris. (1) In the presence of this pesky pathogen, your immune system goes on the attack. Immune responses not only lead to inflammation of skin tissue but also whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, redness, and rash: the unpleasant but all-too-familiar signs of a breakout! (2)

If you are prone to regular acne flare-ups, preventing them may need to occur on several fronts. However, your number one priority should be to rebalance your hormones. As I have talked about in other articles, hormone imbalance is directly connected to sebum overproduction.

You CAN balance your hormones and prevent breakouts naturally! Here are two of the most important ways:

#1 Eat a skin-healthy diet! If you have oily skin that is prone to acne, this means cutting back on the obvious things that can lead to an outbreak: sugar, caffeine, and trans fats. In addition, dairy products made from commercial cow’s milk may be off your list as well, since there is a direct link between these products and increased sebum levels. (3)

What can you eat for healthy, acne-free skin? Stick to clean sources of whole foods, especially where meats and dairy products are concerned. Make sure you only eat beef and chicken that are hormone-free, certified USDA organic, and ideally grass-fed and regional. Consider giving goat or sheep cheese products a try. Gentle hormone-balancing foods like flax seeds and detoxifiers like green leafy veggies can also add support in major ways.

#2 Lower the stress! Burning the candles at both ends, not getting enough sleep, and not dealing with old emotional wounds (i.e., trauma) can take their toll on your whole body, including your hormonal balance and, hence, your skin. Chronic stress is especially taxing on hormonal balance, since in this state your body will pump an ongoing supply of cortisol- the main stress hormone. Too much cortisol can spell disaster for healthy levels of other hormones like estrogen and testosterone. (4)

What to Do When a “Breakout” Hits

What if you did everything “right” and still - a pimple appears?

Take heart! Now you know what you need to do: lower that inflammation and kill the bacteria that are causing all the chaos. And there are things you can do naturally RIGHT NOW to do this. Here are a few tried and true strategies:

• Apply apple cider vinegar to the breakout area in a 1:4 dilution with water. Both acetic and malic acids in ACV can help reduce breakout damage quickly. Use a small amount and only directly on the breakout area to avoid overdrying and stinging.

• Use a honey/cinnamon face mask. Honey is a powerful humectant created in nature that can moisturize, rebalance, and fight bacteria at the same time! Cinnamon is one of the natural world’s top inflammation-reducers. Make a facial mask with these two powerful healing substances by combining two tablespoons of organic, regionally produced (or, even better, Manuka) honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Leave on for about 20 minutes, then gently rinse with warm water.

Or - better yet! - skip all the fuss with CHARLíS! A great overnight formula for soothing outbreaks and experiencing deep skin healing every day is the CHARLíS Restorative Anti-Aging Overnight Serum. Amongst the dozens of healing substances in this one-of-a-kind formula is organic Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil. Citrus Paradisi, or grapefruit, peel is rich with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), which act as natural astringents and tightening agents. This makes them the perfect agents for calming acne outbreaks.

• Take a zinc supplement internally. A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis conducted by researchers at Boston University found that acne patients, on average, have low serum zinc levels. Zinc is both an anti-bacterial and an anti-inflammatory. It is often called the “beauty mineral” for what it can do for nails, hair, and skin. (5)

A great external source of zinc for your skin is the CHARLíS Breath of Life Oxygen Face Serum. It contains oryza sativa (rice) bran extract. Oryza sativa contains over a hundred antioxidant compounds. It is also mineral-rich, providing a healthy dose of selenium, calcium, phosphorus, and zinc.

What About Using Pharmaceuticals to Prevent Acne and Clear Up Outbreaks?

The decision to use pharmaceutical drugs for any condition- skin-related or otherwise- is one that only you can make. The advice of your conventional doctor or dermatologist (i.e., those professionals who prescribe pharmaceuticals as their typical protocol) can be considered, but also that of a natural health professional (such as an N.D., a nutritional counselor, or a holistically-minded esthetician) whom you trust.

Always remember that any pharmaceutical drug will inevitably have side effects. Do your own research to find out what those side effects may be for your body and unique health situation. Then consider whether the benefits from taking the drug will be worth it.

Acne is the “most common skin condition in the world” for young people, affecting a whopping 85% of today’s youth. In 2013, more than 5 million people used some form of acne medication, most of them young adults and children. (6)

Acne vulgaris is also on the rise in adults. These days, about 15% of American women will experience some form of recurring outbreaks. (7) Over 1 million people obtained a prescription for the acne medication isotretinoin (common brand name, Accutane) in 2024 alone.

My advice is to think twice if you are considering pharmaceutical acne vulgaris drugs like isotretinoin or formulas that contain niacinamide or benzoyl peroxide. These products can often lead to other skin complications like dryness, redness, rash, and irritation. Isotretinoin use has been linked to dry eyes, dry lips, birth defects, liver complications, depression, gut-related complications, and xeroderma (fragile skin). (8) Many acne-prevention pharmaceuticals like isotretinoin can also negatively interact with other medications you may be taking, so be sure to check this out if you decide to use them.

At CHARLíS, We’ve Got You

Listen, if you have acne-prone skin, the information in this article can really help—both when you have major outbreaks and also to prevent them.

My advice? “Go natural” whenever breakouts hit and, most importantly, establish lifestyle habits that prevent excess sebum from developing and Propionibacterium acnes from growing.

Keep your skin’s surface healthy and protected by thinking twice about pharmaceuticals. Instead, focus on healing from the inside out by changing your diet, lowering stress, and balancing your hormones.

Most importantly, take a big, deep breath and know that we at CHARLíS are here to support you every step of the way with lab-tested, sustainably sourced, organic luxury skincare products like no other!

References:

1. A global perspective on the epidemiology of acne
2. Propionibacterium acnes and Acne Vulgaris: New Insights from the Integration of Population Genetic, Multi-Omic, Biochemical and Host-Microbe Studies
3. Milk consumption: aggravating factor of acne and promoter of chronic diseases of Western societies
4. Psychological stress perturbs epidermal permeability barrier homeostasis: implications for the pathogenesis of stress-associated skin disorders
5. Serum zinc levels and efficacy of zinc treatment in acne vulgaris: A systematic review and meta-analysis
6. Burden of skin disease
7. Skin conditions by the numbers
8. Isotretinoin Capsules