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Want to know some secrets to clear skin? Read on for solid advice on how to keep bothersome acne from intruding on your life.

1. Working Out: Good for Your Body and Your Skin

New year, new you, right? The gym is a great place to develop strength and fitness, but did you know it is also good for your skin? According to dermatologist Ellen Marmur, working out promotes blood circulation, which carries oxygen and nutrients to the skin, cleansing it from the inside. Take special precautions though, because if you don’t cleanse or wipe sweat and dirt off your skin after a workout, you may be in for a breakout.

2. Thinking of Starting a New Diet? Try eating more Omega-3s!

Omega-3s have been around since the dawn of time. They exist in foods like blueberries, walnuts, and spinach. So-called “health foods” and natural products like leafy veggies. Rather than calling them "health foods," which sounds like something only your personal trainer would eat, we should just be calling them everyday foods. Omega-3s are important for a healthy life, but they are also vital to clear skin. Here is another article detailing why they are so important, but mostly just remember that there is a balance to clean eating and clear skin and omega-3s could be the missing link.

3. Getting Those Zzzs is More Important than You Think

Researchers say that for every hour of sleep you lose, body function goes down by 14%. That’s a lot, considering how much you need your body to operate at prime levels to live a good, happy life. One of the first things to go when you lose out on sleep is your body’s ability to revitalize your skin. That’s why after a night of no sleep, your face looks splotchy and sunken in. It can also cause breakouts if you are consistently not sleeping well or long enough. Try relaxing meditations before bedtime so you can snooze easier.

4. Drink More Water!

Drinking water helps your skin remove toxins. Researchers at UW Health in Madison, WI say that “Your skin is an organ, just like any other part of the body. Skin cells, just like any other cell, are made up of water. Without water, the organs will certainly not function at their best.” Many people report that after drinking lots of water, their skin has a radiant glow. As if there weren’t enough reasons to drink plenty of water, there’s one more: healthy, beautiful skin!

5. Meet Your New Best Friend: A Professional Esthetician

Many people who suffer from acne turn to dermatologists to help with their skin, only to find that their skin doctor may not have time to see them as often as they need to achieve the desired results. Others figure they might as well try the store brand products or even the ones they see in commercials on TV. Both end up with the same result: you still have acne, only this time, you’re wallet is lighter and your skin hasn’t changed, or may even be worse off than it was before. This is why it is vital for you to start working with someone who really knows what they’re doing when it comes to your skin. Jil Goorman founder of Skintherapy Skincare and Acne Clinic knows what it takes to clear unwanted acne and she’s had success with hundreds of clients. There’s a lot to be said about working with a professional who has the time, knowledge, and products that will give you the clear, beautiful skin you desire.

6. Cleansing 2x a Day is Key

Your daily routine is an important factor in the health of your body and skin. While there are many things to remember when trying to keep your skin clear, one of the most important is that you wash your face twice a day; once in the morning when you wake up, and once at night before you fall asleep. This ensures your skin is clean for the rest of the day and that it is also clean for a good night’s sleep. Clean skin is crucial to clear skin. Just this one habit will dramatically improve the quality of your skin.

7. Your Hair Product and Your Acne

If you have long hair, it tends to touch your face more than you realize. And if your hair products have pore-cloggers like the ones listed in this article, you are sure to experience more breakouts. Just be aware of not only what you’re using on your face, but also what’s going on your hair as well. Products like this are sure to keep your skin clear and your hair soft and luxurious.

They say there is a light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to acne, which is the adage that it’s “just a phase. You grow out of it. It won’t last forever.”

It’s these popular beliefs that keep kids going. In fact, if you ask many adolescents, they might tell you that their acne will just go away on its own eventually. Which is the case for some people. But the truth is, for most folks, acne doesn’t just go away once you hit a certain age.

Many people believe that acne is caused by skin not being cleaned well enough-- as if acne is caused merely by being dirty and is easily fixed by simply cleaning the skin. The fact of the matter is the true culprits are hereditary and mostly have to do with hormones. This is why teenagers are so likely to break out. It is due to the dramatic fluctuation in hormone levels during adolescence. Testosterone increases, triggering the secretion of excess oil in the sebaceous glands. Bacteria and dead skin get trapped in the pores, resulting in acne breakouts.

Adult acne, on the other hand, is caused by slower skin turnover that happens along with excess oil production, sweating, and hormonal changes that come with getting older.

It’s estimated that 80-85 percent of teens experience acne breakouts. Adult acne, which is characterized by flares and remissions throughout your entire life, is fairly common amongst those who have suffered from adolescent acne.

Things that can affect adult acne range from stress levels to the food you eat, what cosmetics you wear, and how much sleep you’re getting. To make matters worse, if you are a woman, acne is much more likely to last longer and be more severe than it would be for your typical male counterpart. This is due to fluctuating hormones, changes in testosterone levels, birth control, and even menopause. Approximately 25% of men are affected by adult acne, whereas 50% of women experience it at least once in their lifetime.

Now, when we are asked how long it takes to clear acne with our treatments here at Skintherapy, our usual response is 6 months to a year. How do we get those results in such a short period of time?

Most people need one form of treatment or another to fully treat acne. We implement a wide range of options, giving us the opportunity to provide a regiment that doesn’t over-dry or under-deliver. Proper use of topical treatments, such as toners, moisturizers, and ingredients like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are essential to help control breakouts and prevent scarring.

It is good to remember that acne has no cure, but it can be cleared away with the right treatments. In some people, acne clears soon after leaving their teenage years behind. However, most people are not that lucky.

For most people who work with us, our acne treatments produce positive results within the first 3-6 months of starting. We help people keep their acne under control, even those who didn’t get to see the end of their acne until their senior years.

It is good to keep in mind that there are lifestyle changes you can make to reduce flare-ups and help control your acne. Eating well, sleeping well, and keeping stress levels low are great ways to combat breakouts. Also, remember to be careful what kind of makeup you’re using and avoid pore-cloggers in your products.

If you want to see the results the typical person has working with us, check out this page of our website. For any questions, or to set up an appointment, give us a call at 801-800-6602. We are located in Salt Lake City, UT.

Who doesn’t love a delicious slice of pizza on a Friday night? Or an appetizing cheeseburger while out to lunch with friends? Greasy foods have become a staple called “American Food” and rightly so. There’s nothing more American than throwing some hot dogs on the grill and serving them up for the whole neighborhood. These types of foods are delicious. That’s why they’re so popular. The only problem is they’re heavy in omega 6 essential fatty acids and incredibly laden with grease and other ingredients that aren’t conducive to a healthy diet or healthy skin.

Let’s take pizza, for example. Pizza is usually made with iodized salt, which aggravates acne. Another prime ingredient (or culprit, if you will) in pizza is cheese. Cheese contains dairy, which contains IG1 or insulin-growth factor and over 60 different hormones. These hormones occur naturally whether the cow is organically raised, fed, etc. or not.  Since all cows which produce milk are pregnant all milk products are laden with extra hormones naturally.  Extra hormones competing with human hormone levels means more breakouts for the acne prone person.

As you can see, it’s not as cut and dry as “Do greasy foods make me break out?” as much as “What ingredients in food could make me break out?”

Internally, greasy foods don’t do much for you health-wise, as I’m sure we’re all aware. Externally, greasy foods can give you a nice little breakout around your lips, cheeks, and chin if you’re not careful, as grease is great at clogging pores. This is not to say you should avoid these foods altogether. Just be aware of how often and how much you consume them. Plus take an interest in what other ingredients these foods might contain. Iodized salt, Canola Oil, Soy Bean Oil, Milk products etc., are all known aggravators of acne.

While we suggest reducing the amounts of greasy foods you enjoy you might consider adding supplements to your daily routine also. Even if you already have a good handle on what foods you consume and just want to add something to help with your acne, you might want to consider taking the following vitamins and supplements.

Healthy Skin Formula
Healthy Skin Formula is a vitamin supplement cocktail that has been recommended by skin care professionals for over 15 years. It’s got zinc, vitamin A, selenium, and more to boost your skin’s health and beauty.

Fish Oil
Earlier in this article, I mentioned how American foods are high in omega 6. Omega 6s are highly inflammatory, and therefore cause a lot of acne in adults and young adults. Fish Oil contains omega 3, which balances out all the inflammation in your diet. It helps calm acne and gets your skin clear faster.

Culturelle Probiotic
Want to help your digestion in the best way possible? Include Culturelle Probiotic in your diet. It aids in digestion and adds good bacteria and probiotics to your system. Probiotics are good for reducing breakouts and can help those who have been on long-term antibiotics.

For more help in creating the best lifestyle for clear skin, visit our office 1817 S Main Street, #18 Salt Lake City, UT 84115. Or click here to book your appointment today.

If you have acne and you’re not sure how to treat it, there are a lot of questions running through your mind constantly. There’s a lot of wondering if something you did or ate yesterday will make you break out today. Or if something you put on your skin today will make you break out tomorrow.

This post is to help set the record straight when it comes to one important factor in clearing your acne: cleansing your skin.

Many store-bought cleansers work for a person with a normal skin type. But here’s the truth, most of those cleansers will not work for someone with acne because they contain comedogenic ingredients that clog your pores and make you break out. You need something to wash your face with that is guaranteed not to cause breakouts.

Luckily, we have just the right cleanser for you. Our Gentle Wash is a one-stop face wash. It’s gentle enough to use twice a day, no matter your skin type and is even safe to use to remove eye makeup (or even a little vaseline goes a long way as well.) There aren’t a lot of cleansers out there that can accomplish such a feat. This one really takes the cake for its effectiveness in clearing out impurities without drying out your skin.

Depending on your skin type and the type of acne you have, you can find relief from acne with other cleansers we carry as well. The BPO Wash is one of our most popular cleansers. Not only is it noncomedogenic, but it is also great for those whose skin tends to be more oily and suffer with breakouts that are inflamed, red and very irritated with cysts and whiteheads.

For non-inflamed acne like blackheads and bumps from ingrown hairs, BPO Scrub is perfect for making rougher skin silky smooth. It is intended to refine bumps and acne underneath the skin  but is not recommended for inflamed acne, like cysts or whiteheads.  This cleanser is best for oily skin because it contains benzoyl peroxide.

In situations where red marks and acne are present, but your skin is not that oily the Exfoliating Face and Body Scrub is an amazing option because of its ability to clear away rought texture, dead skin cells and lighten red marks and pigmentation. Perfect for both body and face acne plus those pesky bumps on the back of arms.

The truth is, you need 3 things to properly cleanse your skin.

-Good product. Something you know for sure has good ingredients that don’t include pore-cloggers.

-Consistency. You will be most successful if you commit to consistently washing your face twice a day, morning and night, and using toner if you sweat in between the washing.

-Professional guidance. The number one best thing you can do for your skin is to talk to someone who knows best how to clear it. Skintherapy provides you with an action plan to complete all three of these steps, efficiently and effectively. You’ll no longer have to worry if some part of your daily life or routine is what’s causing your breakouts. You will be in good hands, as we know exactly how to clear your skin and keep it that way.

For more information and to set up your appointment, visit the link here at UtahAcneClinic.com. Our office is located at 1817 south main street, #18 Salt Lake City, UT 84115. Reach out to us at 801-800-6602 or utahacneclinic@hotmail.com.

Many people who suffer from face acne may also, unfortunately, suffer from acne on their body. Although they are not mutually exclusive, often if you find yourself with one, you might also find yourself dealing with another.

Similar to face acne, body acne cannot be “cured” but can only be treated. And best of all, the effects can be lessened with a few careful precautions and some means of dedicated treatment.

So before you reach for the prescriptions or miracle cures, take a look at the list below at potential irritants and best-known treatments for body acne.

1. Friction

When it comes to acne on your back, chest, and shoulders, friction could be the culprit. Particularly in places where a strap for a backpack or purse rubs against your skin. Another thing you want to avoid is tight clothing. Not only is there a lot of friction when clothes are too tight, but they also don’t allow your skin to breathe. Sweat and dirt can easily become trapped in the pores and cause nasty breakouts.

2. Laundry Detergent

One big thing you can do to lessen breakouts
has to do with how well rinsed your laundry is. Detergent can be a pretty big factor in acne flare-ups. A way to avoid this irritant is to rinse your clothes twice in the washer before placing them in the dryer, or just simply use less detergent. Fragrance-free detergents are the best at helping your skin stay clear, and another good thing to do is change bedsheets and pillowcases at least once a week.

3. Clean shirts

If you’re anything like most people, you might not think twice about throwing a shirt you’ve worn once back onto a hanger in the closet to be worn again. But this exact thing might just be the reason you’ve been having such a hard time calming all the bacne (and various other forms of body acne.)

Try wearing a new shirt every day and even changing into a clean shirt at night before you go to bed, especially if you use treatments and products on your skin that you don’t want to spread all over your bed sheets. While we’re on the topic of changing shirts, do you workout? Because if so, driving home in sweaty clothes probably isn’t doing your skin any favors. Try wiping your body off with some pads soaked in toner at the gym and then changing into a clean shirt after your workout to avoid all that sweat staying on your skin any longer than necessary. And ladies, if you haven’t in awhile, don’t forget to wash your bras.

4. Hair Products

It’s a fact that some hair products have ingredients that can be great for hair but can be comedogenic for the rest of your body (especially your back) once they start running down.To avoid this, buy hair products that don’t have pore cloggers in them and pin your hair up in the shower so conditioned hair is not rubbing on your skin, basically just adding more oil to your pores. Make sure your body wash is acne safe and noncomedogenic and save washing your body for the end of your shower.

5. Exercise

The basic rule of thumb is that if you have body acne, you want to avoid excessive amounts of sweat sitting on your skin too long. This tip is definitely not meant to deter you from working out as long and as hard as you please, just bear in mind that the longer sweat stays on your skin, the more likely you are to break out. It’s important to get the sweat off immediately. A shower isn’t always an option, but having toner pads to wipe off excess perspiration helps a ton.

All of these are great things to keep in mind when considering how best to deal with embarrassing body acne, but nothing is going to help more than some good noncomedogenic products and a set treatment plan.

Right now, during the first week of December 2017, we will be launching our Body Acne Starter Kit! We’re excited to have this opportunity to help our readers and followers gain more control over their stubborn body acne with nonpore clogging products. Included in the body acne kit will be the following:

1-8 oz bottle of our BPO wash
2-1 oz bottles of 10% acne cream
2-1 oz bottles of our Exfoliating Serum #3
1-1.7 oz bottle of our Moisture Cream
1-2.5 oz bottle of our Sun Guard SPF
The first 50 kits sold will also get FREE toner!

The Body Acne Kit also includes step by step directions on how to use the products and lifestyle guidelines to help you get on the path to clear skin. To find more info on this promotion and other acnegrams, follow us on Instagram at @utahacneclinic. If you are looking for a way to speed up the process of clearing your unwanted acne, schedule an appointment at our clinic located in Northern Utah. We will set you up with a deep cleaning and extractions to get your skin more clear and beautiful than you ever thought possible.

The definition of oxidative stress is “an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the ability of the body to counteract or detoxify their harmful effects through neutralization by antioxidants.”

But what does that mean in correlation to your acne?

Studies have shown that oxidative stress is caused by foods and other consumed substances (like cigarettes, for example) that promote inflammation and adversely affect acne.

Some of the oxidative stress-inducing fare includes things like hydrogenated fats, alcohol, high amounts of sugar, preservatives, drugs, chlorinated water, pesticides, and pollutants (of water, air, or food.)

Oxidation reduces your body’s ability to cope with toxins and pollutants, forcing your body into a state of stress. Stress can happen under physical or emotional circumstances as well and can damage cells, proteins, and even DNA. As you can imagine, this can cause many health problems, including; fatigue, acne, headaches, susceptibility to infections, and even cancer.

So what can be done to combat the impact of oxidative stress on your health and your skin?

Nutritional medicine is becoming an apparent method of dealing with and healing many of the negative processes in the body that cause many ailments. It is believed by researchers and scientists studying acne, that diet is strongly correlated to the appearance of acne and breakouts.

Studies show that higher antioxidant intake combats the derisive effects of the Westernized diet, which includes mostly omega 6 and hardly any omega 3 (which are the dietary antioxidants) and improves health and skin problems caused by oxidative stress.

The word ‘antioxidant’ has become a medical buzzword. And for good reason! It is something sorely missed in our modernized diet, as antioxidants mainly exist in nutrients like vitamin A and vitamin E. Studies at a university in India found that oral vitamins E and A taken daily led to significant improvements among young adults with long-term acne.

While the supplements are great to take, they should be taken under controlled supervision to ensure safety. However, there are many foods that can be implemented into your diet that provide a similar benefit.

These foods include:

• Asparagus
• Peaches
• Walnuts
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Garlic and onions
• Avocados
• Kale and broccoli
• Berries
• Cocao
• Black and green tea
• Grass-fed beef
• Fermented foods and liquids

It is common for oxidative stress to cause many serious health problems, including acne. It is important to note that the less fast food you eat and more foods rich in antioxidants you consume, the better off your skin and body will be.

These foods and supplements mentioned in this article, will not only help your skin but will tackle problems that go much deeper, resulting in a healthier anatomy on top of clearer skin.

For even better results in clearing your acne, reach out to us for a consultation with a professional esthetician who can guide you with the correct vitamin dosages, lifestyle changes, and treatment plan for your acne. Here is the link to try out a way to clearer skin and a healthier way of dealing with acne today.

If you have acne and have ever smoked or had a habit of smoking, there are some interesting facts that you should know. By this point, you’ve probably heard everything there is to know about the ill-effects that smoking tobacco has on your body, but what about the effects it has on your acne?

On top of that, what about the effects of smoking other substances, like marijuana? Today, we’ll be sharing some insight on what those effects are and how they relate to your breakouts.

Tobacco

In 2001, the first official study of the correlation between smoking and acne was done by Dr. Torsten Schafer at the University of Munich. Before that, the theory that smoking could affect acne wasn’t really paid all that much attention.

What Dr. Schafer found was that 1) acne is most prevalent in smokers and 2) there is an unmistakable relationship between the number of cigarettes smoked and the severity of the acne.

One of the chemical reactions in a person’s body is that of stress. Some may even smoke to alleviate said stress. But smoking increases oxidative stress and does one other interesting thing to the human body: increases testosterone.

Smokers have as much as 15% higher testosterone in their bodies. Testosterone increases the production of sebum in the skin, which creates an overproduction of dead skin cells, clogging up pores and causing breakouts.

Marijuana

According to an article by the Huffington Post in 2013, marijuana has some of the same chemical reactions in the body as tobacco. The most notable being that it causes a significant increase in testosterone, and therefore sebum production in the skin. For marijuana smokers, the percentage of testosterone was in the range of 3-5%, which is a significantly smaller percentage than that of the average tobacco user but still may cause breakouts.

Another factor relating to acne when it comes to smoking marijuana is that it may cause you to reach for sugary snacks. There is definitely a link between acne and high glycemic index foods, so that is something to keep in mind.

Also, be aware of the laws in your country/state when using this substance.

Vaping

There hasn’t been a lot of long-term research done on vaping in general, but as it stands now, for people who were heavy smokers before vaping, there seems to be a significant decrease in breakouts. Whereas for people who never smoked before, vaping sometimes aggravates acne.

Vaping does cause chemical reactions in the body, of course, and any change in lifestyle might cause some disturbances in your skin, but all in all, the jury is still out on how vaping affects acne.

While smoking tobacco is one of the worst things you can do for your acne, switching to a vape can help decrease breakouts. When it comes to marijuana, be wise of local laws and bear in mind that for most, it still causes acne to flare up.

Most use smoking as a means to alleviate stress, and while it may have some short-term upsides, the downsides outweigh them by a landslide. Consider quitting smoking for all of the health benefits--including healing your acne.

Many people worry that drinking coffee will trigger a breakout. You’ll find all sorts of information out there about what coffee does to the body and skin, but here is some information to think about when it comes to that nice, steamy cup of coffee some of us love and can’t live without.

Coffee contains one of the highest sources of antioxidants for North Americans, along with strawberries, blackberries, and cranberries. Antioxidants are good at protecting lipids against oxidative stress, which is correlated to acne. For those who drink coffee regularly, it can even dampen the responsiveness of the enzyme that is responsible for activating cortisol (the “stress hormone”) in the bloodstream.

Not only does coffee relieve stress, it also promotes a longer life. In a study done by Iowa Women’s Health, they found that 1 to 3 cups of black coffee per day corresponded to a 24% reduction in heart-related death or illness and a 33% reduction in death related to any condition based on inflammation.

Coffee has been reviled by some, and others may not even like it, but that doesn’t change the scientific proof. Despite suggestions made by some internet sources, acne isn’t aggravated by coffee. If anything, black coffee promotes better insulin levels in the blood, which is good news for acne sufferers, and bolsters longer life spans.

(Note: Keep in mind that these studies are based on cups of home-brewed coffee (black with no creamer) and they do not include major chain coffee sizes, which contain 5x the caffeine content per cup.)

So keep enjoying that hot cup of goodness if you like, my friends. Coffee is here to benefit you!

If you’ve ever wondered how to get your hair as long and shiny as a model’s, then you may have heard about the magical phenomenon of biotin. Same if you’ve ever wanted stronger nails and better skin--biotin is the recommended supplement, right? It says it right there on the bottle.

What’s all the hype about anyway?

In this post, we’ll be covering 6 interesting facts about biotin, and then go over the potential harm it can do to your skin if you are even the slightest bit acne prone and sometimes, even if you have never had acne before.

Starting with...

Fact #1: Most people get enough biotin in their diet, as it exists in many everyday foods.

Fact #2: Biotin deficiency is extremely rare.

Fact #3: There are no known cases of overdosing on Biotin, as it is water soluble and flushes out of the system easily.

Fact #4: Biotin, B7, and Vitamin H are all the same thing.

Fact #5: Raw egg white contains avidin which naturally inhibits the effects of biotin.

Fact #6: Long term use of antibiotics may hinder the integration of biotin in the body by killing off healthy gut bacteria.

So what does all this have to do with your acne?

If you are not biotin deficient (as in, losing your hair and having brittle nails), eating raw egg whites every day, using antibiotics for a long period of time, or pregnant, there is really no reason to consider taking a biotin supplement. Foods like bread, chocolate, egg yolks, fish, nuts, oatmeal, meat, poultry, and whole wheat all contain more than enough biotin to keep your body healthy.

So why are biotin supplements so popular?

Biotin is essential in keeping your skin, hair, nails, and body organs healthy there’s no doubt about that. But most people are misinformed as to how much of it their body actually needs. The recommended dosage of biotin supplements is 30 mcg per day. But your body already produces that much on its own.

There is little scientific research that supports the claim that biotin actually makes your hair grow longer and shinier (unless you take it in mass quantities), but it does do something interesting to your skin: it makes it overproduce skin cells.

Acne is generally caused by bacteria and dead skin cells clogging the pores. So what happens when an acne prone person starts taking biotin? Typically, more acne. Or even cystic acne, even if you have never had it before.

The safest way to avoid the potential dangers of biotin supplements is to simply avoid taking them altogether. Unless you’re in a small group of specific people who need more than the average amount of biotin for daily life, there is no scientific research saying that it will help your skin and hair on its own. But trust me, your skin can definitely do without it.

To learn more about supplementation and how to clear your acne without prescriptions click here.

International research has shown that lack of sleep is one of the biggest aggravators when it comes to acne (The Clear Skin Diet, Alan C. Logan and Valori Treloar.) When you are sleep deprived, your adrenal glands, levels of cortisol, and insulin levels are disrupted. This makes you more stressed, less likely to get a good night’s sleep, and creates more skin and acne problems.

The trick to getting better quality sleep (and more of it) is to create a relaxing environment in your bedroom. You want to feel like your bedroom is a space of quiet tranquility, away from the world. This space should be free of clutter and distractions. Let your bedroom be your oasis.

Now that you’ve done that, here are 4 tips to helping you get into better, more healthy sleep patterns.

Ditch the Daytime Naps

When you nap, especially in the afternoon, this can disturb your regular sleep cycle and make it harder to fall asleep at night. It may cause you to toss and turn for a lengthy period of time, or even make it impossible to fall asleep at all. As tempting as it is to take a quick nap in the afternoon, it will help keep your skin get clearer if you don’t.

Go to Sleep at the Same Time Every Night

Sleep schedules are paramount when it comes to getting adequate sleep. You want to make sure you’re getting a good 7-8 hours each night. To do this, try going to sleep when you start feeling tired and letting yourself wake up naturally. This will give you a good indication of how many hours of sleep you need to feel good. Allow yourself to get that much sleep every night.

Cut Back on Drinks and Food at Night

Heavy meals definitely don’t help you feel comfortable at night when you’re trying to get your relaxing on, so try to avoid them. It is intuitive to avoid caffeine in the evening but you also want to avoid using alcohol to help you fall asleep. Best to put the bottle away 4-6 hours before bedtime.

Read a Book Before Bedtime Instead of Your Phone

An excellent way that I have found to prime me get to sleep at night is to put my phone away 30-45 minutes before bed. Instead, reading a book is a better way to calm the mind into relaxation and forget about the worries of the day. It will also help to loosen up your muscles and prime your body for a good night’s rest.

While sleep is one of the most important, yet most often overlooked ways to help get your skin clear, the number one most important thing you can do for your skin is to get customized products and regimen to get your skin acne-free. We know how important it is in decreasing stress when you don’t have to worry about how your skin looks. That’s why we are here to help! Click here to set up an appointment with our world class estheticians and see how we can help you get your skin clear today.

If you have acne, it is largely due to your genetic makeup. Many things can impact the chemical compounds in your body; diet, what you're drinking, vitamins, supplements, etc. So it's no surprise that these components can and do affect your acne as well.

Let's take a look at some of the different aspects of food and nutrition and how it affects clearing up your skin.

1. The American Diet

You've probably heard about omega-6s and omega-3s but what does it all mean when it comes to your acne?

Omega-6 oils are fatty acids that, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, "help stimulate skin and hair growth, maintain bone health, regulate metabolism, and maintain the reproductive system."

Sounds all well and good, right?

The only problem is, American diet has incredibly high amounts of omega-6 (corn oil, safflower oil, soybean oil) and not enough omega-3 (flaxseed, egg yolks, fish oil) to balance it out.

When you have a diet high in omega-6, your skin overproduces the bacteria and skin cells that inflame acne and make breakouts worse.

As stated by Alan C. Logan, a naturopathic physician and Valori Treloar, a certified dermatologist, "The North American omega-6 intake is now outnumbering omega-3 intake by a ratio as high as 20:1. This current ratio is quite a distance from the ideal ratio of 2:1 (omega-6 to omega-3) recommended by an international panel of lipid experts."

2. Iodides and Your Skin

Foods high in iodides include iodized salt, fast food, shellfish, seaweed, kelp, vitamin supplements, and recovery drinks.

But do they make your acne worse?

Abnormally high amounts of iodine-iodides in an acne-prone individual can trigger breakouts and inflammation in acne-prone skin. Some research suggests that iodides do not affect the severity of skin conditions, while others prove that keeping a low-iodide diet can help keep your acne under control.

But all in all, it doesn't hurt to be cautious. Especially if the solution to keeping your skin clear is as simple as exposing yourself to fewer iodides.

3. Milk and Your Hormones

Researchers have been keen to understand the underlying causes of acne for many years. Through a study done from 1996 to 1999, there was a definite correlation found between acne and milk.

In this study, Harvard researchers examined more than 6 thousand girls ages nine to fifteen and found "the relationship between greater milk consumption and the occurrence of acne. The researchers theorize that milk promotes acne through a hormonal effect."

Milk contains growth hormones, reproductive hormones, and many other factors. It's no wonder that it throws off hormones in many cases, causes breakouts!

4. Sugar and Your Body

The Canadian Medical Association Journal has described acne as "diabetes of the skin." The reason being that the vast majority of participants in their studies have shown similar spikes in insulin as diabetics without the symptoms of diabetes--just worsening of their acne.

According to their study, "after a glucose tolerance test the skin levels should drop back to baseline in approximately 60 minutes--in patients with acne, the time to recover to baseline levels was 226 minutes."

It's no secret that sugar intake and acne are closely linked. Be aware of all the simple sugars you consume and find out how badly they affect your skin and clearing up your acne.

5. Androgen Foods

As we discussed in number 3 of this article, hormones can do a lot of damage when it comes to your acne. Androgen foods are hormone foods such as peanut butter, soy milk, peanut oil, and organ meats such as liver.

These foods increase inflammation and make clearing up your skin a longer, more difficult process than it would be without.

Conclusion

The typical Western diet is high in sugary, fatty foods; the exact foods that make acne worse in many studies around the world. Help yourself and your acne by avoiding many of the foods (especially milk and fast food) that we talked about in this article and try eating more omega-3 foods.

However, just changing your diet alone may not be enough to clear your acne. What helps most in clearing acne is a consistent daily regimen of what goes on your skin. Our clinic reviews your skin and recommends a customized treatment plan for you. Not only is this the best way we've found to get skin clear, but our clinic works diligently to make sure you're educated with all the tools you need to help keep it clear.

Book your appointment here.

 
Understandably, one of the most common misconceptions when it comes to acne is that it can be easily treated by taking the pill. I mean, acne is caused by hormone imbalances and birth control has some of those same hormones in it, so that should help, right?
 
Not exactly. When it comes to your acne, you’re looking at a long list of potential causes. Not all of them are hormone related.
 
The number one cause of acne has nothing to do with hormones and has everything to do with your genetics. Most people are simply born with acne. And unfortunately, that can’t be fixed by taking a pill.
 
It is a dangerous game when it comes to trying to treat acne with birth control. Because of the varying amounts of hormones in each brand of pill, there are some that are more likely to trigger breakouts than others. But, as a general rule, it can be a little tricky to get the right one that won’t make your acne worse instead of better.
 
Here is a list of birth controls and their side effects when it comes to potentially helping or hurting your acne.
 
The truth is, if there were a little pill that you could take to completely rid your skin of acne, I would wholeheartedly recommend it to you. I’ve worked with people suffering from acne so long and tried so many different methods of treating it that a single pill would be a life changer for many of my clients.
 
In reality, acne doesn’t usually work that way. Your skin needs a lot of one on one attention to become completely clear. There isn’t a magical pill you can take that will vanquish your acne once and for all. The tried and true methods take time and patience.
 
My clinic cares about getting your skin clear. We want our clients to feel confident and successful when it comes to controlling their acne. We have created not only a line of products to ensure the clarity of your skin, but we have also devised a treatment plan that works on a variety of skin types. Even better is the fact that if you need to be on birth control, for birth control reasons---then we help you find an acne safe pill.
 
If you are tired of searching for a miracle pill to correct your acne, try seeing us today. We will treat you like the individual you are, instead of giving you a blanket method to see if it helps. We know how to treat acne in a way and it’s not a gamble like taking the pill.
 

Now that summer is finally here, we all get to relax and spend our days stretched out beside a pool or beach, drink in hand. Or at least, that’s what we wish we could be doing all summer. It’s hard to resist outdoor adventures when the weather is beautiful and the days are long and seemingly endless.

Here’s the thing though: not to be a damper on your summer, but you’ve got your skin think about. There is a lot that goes on in the summer sun that you need to be aware of to protect your skin and prevent skin damage or potentially making your acne worse.

But we’ve got you covered. Here is a list of tips to help you get through the summer with happy, healthy skin.
1. Sunscreen

I started with this one because, while it is obvious that you should wear sunscreen while hanging out by the pool or being outside all day, what isn’t so obvious is that you should be wearing sunscreen all day, every day. Rain or shine. Inside or outside. The sun can be tricky, as UV rays can still damage your skin even if it’s cloudy or raining outside and UVA rays can come through your windows when you are inside.

The importance of sunscreen is tremendous, especially if you have acne. Long-term sun exposure can cause extreme dryness and can also cause breakouts.

To protect your skin, find a sunscreen that has a high SPF formula. It is also vital to avoid products that contain ingredients such as shea butter, as they can clog your pores and invite breakouts.

A prime example of a good sunscreen to use would be one like our Sun Guard SPF 30, as it has all the elements mentioned above without the pore-clogging effects of most supermarket products.

2. Occlude Your Skin When You Go Swimming

To occlude means to “block” or “stop up.” When I say you should occlude your skin, naturally that sounds counterintuitive to the first tip in this post, which is to avoid products that clog your pores, but let me explain.

When you go swimming, iodides in pools and salt in the ocean can dry your skin out excessively. Not to mention bacteria and germs floating around just waiting to sink into your poor, unsuspecting pores.

Therefore, you must protect your skin by using products like Aquaphor before entering a swimming pool, ocean, or any body of water containing iodides or salt. This will help your skin stay safe from drying, bacteria, and iodides, which are harmful and can cause acne to flare up.

 3. No Sweat

Of course sweating is a natural byproduct of summer. Being outside is one of the best parts about this time of year. But did you know that letting your sweat sit on your skin can cause breakouts? Because it definitely can.

Acne is caused by an overproduction of sebum and dead skin cells. Sexy, right? Especially when you want to look good in a new outfit when you’re on your way to a summer pool party. But when you let sweat sit on your skin, it invites more dirt, bacteria and other unwanted particles to stick and get stuck in your pores.

Do yourself a favor and grab a good acne safe toner.  You can take a couple cotton pads soaked in toner with you anywhere and wipe away that sweat and dirt as you go. This is perfect for hikes, working out, or just a day out and about in the sun.

4. Suntanned or Sunburned?

When you’re at the pool or the beach this summer and your friend inevitably hands you a bottle of SPF 14 with coconut oil, you’re going to have a choice to make. You can either take that bottle and throw it into the nearby ocean, or you can slather it on your skin and hope for the best.

My recommendation is that you do neither and bring your own sunscreen. To ensure the health of your skin, you must avoid sunburns at all costs.

It’s imperative for many reasons, but the most important being that sunburns break down the pore, cause extreme dryness, and of course, cause skin cancer.

Don’t make the same mistakes that other people do with their skin; when it comes to sunbathing, you can still get a tan by using a high SPF sunscreen. It will protect your skin and potentially save your life.

But most of all, enjoy the weather and we hope these tips help you stay safe and keep your skin healthy this summer.

For more information and skincare tips make sure to read the rest of our blog under the education section at UtahAcneClinic.com

Do you struggle with acne? Every year, thousands of people invest in a variety of acne treatments including over-the-counter products, prescription creams, antibiotics, and even Accutane. According to this study done in 2016 by the Society for Investigative Dermatology and the American Academy of Dermatology Association, Statistic Brain Research Institute, the total annual spending on acne treatments in the U.S. was $3,020,000,000!

This is what the top acne prescription treatments by annual sales looked like…

If people are spending this much money on acne treatments every year, why are they not seeing better success rates with clearing their acne?

I can personally attest that 90% of the people who come into my acne clinic have already tried clearing their acne with oral antibiotics or some form of Clindamycin and Tretinoin.
Beyond that, around 50% have tried Accutane more than once. We know that acne can be challenging to treat and that's why so many acne sufferers are still frustrated and discouraged when it comes to finding an acne treatment that really delivers results and helps them feel better about their skin.

As a Master Esthetician, I have a good idea why these patients are not getting their acne cleared. I know what works for people and what doesn’t, based on years of treating acne in a completely different manner than your average Dermatologist does. What I have to say is by no means me throwing your medical doctor under the bus---this is just what I have discovered through years of research and development.

Your dermatologist is incredibly busy. Most dermatologists are scheduled out three to six months in advance, with only enough time to see an individual a few times a year. They don't just treat acne--they diagnose and treat more than 3,000 different diseases. These diseases include skin cancer, eczema, psoriasis, and nail infections. If we look at the 3,000 different diseases these doctors treat, some are even life threatening. But acne is different. Yes, acne is a hassle and embarrassing to most, but it is not life threatening. Doctors tend to think of it as mere cosmetic misfortune.
Many people are under the impression that acne needs to be treated by making a visit to their doctor or dermatologist, where they will get on some antibiotics and get their acne under control.
The truth is, acne treatments have made significant progress and almost any type of acne can be treated with some patience and an individualized treatment plan.

What I’m here to tell you is, you don’t need to turn to antibiotics or Accutane to clear your painful and discouraging acne. With a simple appointment, we can help you turn your acne into clear, beautiful skin you can be proud of.

At my office, we take the time to really understand your skin so we can recommend a home care plan that works best for you. Unlike the typical dermatologist visit, we make time to see you frequently and provide the fastest skin clearing regimen possible. With carefully designed products that are hand selected for your acne, we’re confident your skin will get clear and stay clear.

So come see us today and let’s get started!

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