Cosmetics and Acne

Heavy, greasy skin creams may irritate acne because they tend to clog the hair follicles.

Cocoa butter is a big offender. Non-medicated, oil-free and water-based cosmetics should be used instead and for only the minimum time necessary; however, avoiding cosmetics completely is the best thing to do.

The important thing is to choose the right products for your skin type. As a general rule, look for products that are noncomedogenic or nonacnegenic, which indicate that they don't clog pores.

Products that say "dermatologist tested" may be tested by skin doctors, but they aren't necessarily a good choice for acne-prone skin.

If you are embarresed about your acne, instead of making it worse by covering it up with makeup, try getting rid of it all together by addressing the cause rather than just trying to treat the symptom. Ayurveda, an ancient vedic form of medicine that is now becoming very popular in the west, discusses angry skin disorders as being a Pitta Dosha Imbalance. While cosmetics may aggravate your skin, you might want to look into your Dosha Balance and find a way to address the root cause. There are several ways to balance Pitta. We recommend you take the FREE Ayurveda Dosha Test to learn about your body type, where the imbalance might be hiding, and how to effectively address it.